EBAY Seller demanding removal of negative feedback!

Peter333

I wrote on here earlier, about my son who had waited for 6 weeks for an item to be delivered (that he bought on ebay.) He had messaged the seller a couple of times to say it hadn't arrived, and was ignored until he actually complained through ebay.

A few other messages went to and fro between them, and he got a refund and then paid again because he wanted the item, and then 6 weeks after the order, he still hadn't got the item, so he left a negative feedback. (Last Friday.)

Then the item arrived today!

The seller refunded the money this afternoon - a tenner - and is now saying to my son that he wants him to remove the bad feedback ... They sent a feedback retraction form! (My son has not let them know that the item has arrived now... he hasn't said anything or communicated at all with the seller yet.)

So would you remove it if you were him? My son has the item now, and a flippin' refund too! But the seller only issued it when he got the bad feedback!

Even though he has the item now, (and a refund!) he was messed about for 5-6 weeks, and kept getting different answers from different people there! So we do feel the feedback was justified.

The seller is proper annoyed as they sent the item, and paid the postage and have now refunded, but as I said, they only refunded when my son put the negative feedback. The seller is also 100% blaming the post. But the post was not to blame for the poor communication and mix-ups. And even though the item was sent again, and arrived today (and was probably sent Friday or something,) my son does not believe that the first one (that allegedly got lost,) was sent in early December like the seller claims. He reckons they didn't send it.

Another thing that is worth mentioning is that yesterday ANOTHER negative appeared on their account from someone saying 'item in poorer condition than described, and took 4 weeks to get here!' And this evening, that negative feedback has gone! And the seller's negatives from the last month are down from 12 this morning to 11 this evening! So it seems even though they are not delivering with the customer service, they do not like it that people are giving the negative feedback!

Advice please? Should my son retract the feedback now he has the item AND a refund?

Or should he not retract it, and email the seller explaining why?

Flyonthewall

No, leave the feedback. It's a warning to others and it's justified. By the sounds of it they're not a good seller! A refund much later doesn't change that.

The refund was a bribe to change the feedback I'd say.

If the seller keeps messaging you report them. You could report them anyway for the above reason, but certainly do so if they harass you about it.

Peter333

Hmmmm thanks Fly. That's kinda what we were thinking. Funny they never refunded before my son gave the negative feedback!!!

And we think it's most odd that the negative they got yesterday has gone! :eek:

My son just feels bad as he now has the item AND a refund, and as I said, the seller is saying 'it's not OUR fault that the post never delivered the item we sent in early December!'

Flyonthewall

Peter333 wrote: »

Hmmmm thanks Fly. That's kinda what we were thinking. Funny they never refunded before my son gave the negative feedback!!!

And we think it's most odd that the negative they got yesterday has gone! :eek:

My son just feels bad as he now has the item AND a refund, and as I said, the seller is saying 'it's not OUR fault that the post never delivered the item we sent in early December!'

Exactly.

Sometimes it is possible to get feedback removed. It's either that or someone has accepted the bribe, but there would still be feedback from that buyer, just positive.

He shouldn't feel bad. The seller is responsible for the item getting to the buyer. It didn't. Sellers fault, especially if they didn't send/sent late. The choice to refund was theirs, not your sons. What they're really annoyed about is negative feedback and losing out. They were happy to refund until that point otherwise they wouldn't have done so. Your son did nothing wrong.

sportsarb

Feedback is supposed to reflect the experience you have with the other party. This was a negative one that ended up with a little bonus at the end.

I'd rather get what I want, when I expect it, and have to pay for it than be messed around and given hush money not to say anything.

lush_walrus

Surely feedback isn't the issue here, doesn't the fact you have the item and a refund concern you? Presumably you are now going to pay for the item you have?

sportsarb

OP's son paid twice already for the item only for it to be refunded. I was under the impression the refund was for the shoddy service given.

lush_walrus

sportsarb wrote: »

OP's son paid twice already for the item only for it to be refunded. I was under the impression the refund was for the shoddy service given.

He paid was refunded when the first item didn't arrive, then decided to buy it again and paid received it, didn't tell seller and was refunded in the meantime. If I was the seller I would be under the impression that it wasn't received again and would be resigned to refunding once again and blocking the buyer.

None of us know whether the seller sent it the first time or not, we can only speculate. But reading the OP it is clear the seller does not know the buyer has the item, only that they have left feedback and as a result the seller has refunded them as not received and asked for the feedback to be removed.

sham63

If you decide to leave the Neg in place, you should repay the refund.


Saying that, you should probably repay it anyway seeing as you have the item (unless you remove the feedback and keep the refund as a bribe!)

Brywalker

Going by the fact that the seller has so many negs already, they probably make a habit of giving shoddy service and then refunding as a hopeful bribe to get the negative removed. I say leave the negative be and ignore any further messages.

sportsarb

I dunno if I would send the full amount again to the seller if it included an amount for postage in it. If a service was displayed that wasn't provided then I would deduct this.

I would however pay for the item cost.

I tend not to believe sellers who say they have sent something and it hasn't arrived. Used tracked delivery and avoid this issue altogether. Or accept that people will report it not received and you will have no comeback.