On Negative Ebay Feedback
Ever take a glance at the feedback forums on eBay? Feedback provides both buyers and sellers a chance to comment on the way a transaction went down on the virtual auction house of eBay. If everything went well, then a positive feedback tells other potential partners that the person in question is trustworthy and good. The opposite holds also true, in what sometimes is the only way to warn fellow eBayers of a bad apple in the bunch.
What is interesting is how the feedback forums have become the online equivalent of grade-school playgrounds. eBay restricts comments to 80 characters or less, presumably to save on space and force users to be succinct, what results is often a succinct example of name calling and one-upmanship. For example,
"NEG: SELLER ALERT! DID NOT SHIP ON TIME!!
Reply: DUMBASS ALERT-5 DAYS SHIPPING FROM US TO YOU ,STUPID"
And so on.... Now I understand that negative feedback can effect a bottom line, but wouldn't answering in such an immature manner only serve to turn more people away? I certainly thought twice about doing business with sellers that treated criticism in such a way.
This topic came to my attention because I recently placed, and received, negative feedback on an auction.
I recently purchased a Toshiba Libretto 50 from an eBayer who claimed to service and sell many such models. The tiny computer was shipped to me US Mail, and was expertly packed in layer upon layer of bubble wrap. All the parts were in order and after plugging in, the toshiba started up to Windows 98 perfectly.
But the keyboard wasn't working right. The the space bar would not space unless another key was pressed. This was odd to me, as the computer was packed very tightly and well near the center of the box, why would shipping hurt it? Also, after extensive cleaning and retesting of the keyboard, I determined that it would space if ANY key was pressed, and would not change it's behavior under any other wire configuration . I guessed that a short was present in the keyboard preventing it's use. Now, if a keyboard cannot space, I consider it unusable. That, and the expert packing job led me to believe that the unit was shipped this way, and thus was DOA (dead on arrival).
The shipper and I exchanged numerous friendly emails as I tried to troubleshoot the problem to no avail. When I said that I was giving up, and requested a refund, I received no further emails. None whatsoever. I offered to pay shipping back, taking the $50 combined hit, and offering the seller a chance to fix the problem from his 'extensive experience and supply' and resell again. I would be out $50, he would have the chance to sell it again.
No emails. Not even a 'No".
I did not purchase insurance, which was my bad. Since I did not have insurance, I attempted to settle with the seller instead of filing with the US Post Office. What was at stake was what I felt was a dishonest shipment, and I was proposing a chance to do right by everybody.
And being ignored was pissing me off.
After waiting for a good time, I sent a final email expressing that if I did not receive a reply, I would be forced to leave negative feedback, a step I did not want to do. In my original request for refund, I stated that I would leave glowing feedback, as the seller's demeanor was superb, up to that point.
Alas, nothing again.
So with regret, I posted my first negative feedback to the eBay feedback forum.
"Caveat Emptor. Shipped a defective item. No replies after return asked for."
And that was that. Simple, to the point. I explained what was wrong: the item was defective, and I received no more replies. Caveat Emptor means "Buyer Beware", and is a much-used term to tell they buyer to be sharp and aware when they deal with this seller. Whenever I go to a farmers market, a haggling bazaar, or anyplace NOT governed by your usual WTO rules, it's Caveat Emptor. You should be a 'smart' shopper, because this person is a 'smart' seller. Simple and businesslike.
I knew I would be receiving a reply, and in time, I did.
"Item shipped PERFECT! Didn't file w/shipper! No ins! Read the terms- NO REFUNDS!"
My word against his. And I just don't like CAPS LOCK text. Who likes being yelled at? Also, even if you say no refunds, that does not give someone the right to ship shoddy merchandise. I give him the right to abide by his policy, but my right is to warn others that he could be selling cracked unusable goods and then brook no complaints by pointing to his no refund policy. Good business? No.
My reply was also succinct:
Reply by dloyd76: Good businesses don't drop conversations. That's why neg posted. It's too bad...
And it really is. I like the guy up until the point where he ignored me. The lesson I learned here is to always, always buy insurance. And before you buy, read the Feedback forums. If I had, I would have read this:
"Jerk", "LOSER!", ""ass!", and another "LOSER!". Ahh, feels like 5th grade all over again. Would you do business with that?
What is interesting is how the feedback forums have become the online equivalent of grade-school playgrounds. eBay restricts comments to 80 characters or less, presumably to save on space and force users to be succinct, what results is often a succinct example of name calling and one-upmanship. For example,
"NEG: SELLER ALERT! DID NOT SHIP ON TIME!!
Reply: DUMBASS ALERT-5 DAYS SHIPPING FROM US TO YOU ,STUPID"
And so on.... Now I understand that negative feedback can effect a bottom line, but wouldn't answering in such an immature manner only serve to turn more people away? I certainly thought twice about doing business with sellers that treated criticism in such a way.
This topic came to my attention because I recently placed, and received, negative feedback on an auction.
I recently purchased a Toshiba Libretto 50 from an eBayer who claimed to service and sell many such models. The tiny computer was shipped to me US Mail, and was expertly packed in layer upon layer of bubble wrap. All the parts were in order and after plugging in, the toshiba started up to Windows 98 perfectly.
But the keyboard wasn't working right. The the space bar would not space unless another key was pressed. This was odd to me, as the computer was packed very tightly and well near the center of the box, why would shipping hurt it? Also, after extensive cleaning and retesting of the keyboard, I determined that it would space if ANY key was pressed, and would not change it's behavior under any other wire configuration . I guessed that a short was present in the keyboard preventing it's use. Now, if a keyboard cannot space, I consider it unusable. That, and the expert packing job led me to believe that the unit was shipped this way, and thus was DOA (dead on arrival).
The shipper and I exchanged numerous friendly emails as I tried to troubleshoot the problem to no avail. When I said that I was giving up, and requested a refund, I received no further emails. None whatsoever. I offered to pay shipping back, taking the $50 combined hit, and offering the seller a chance to fix the problem from his 'extensive experience and supply' and resell again. I would be out $50, he would have the chance to sell it again.
No emails. Not even a 'No".
I did not purchase insurance, which was my bad. Since I did not have insurance, I attempted to settle with the seller instead of filing with the US Post Office. What was at stake was what I felt was a dishonest shipment, and I was proposing a chance to do right by everybody.
And being ignored was pissing me off.
After waiting for a good time, I sent a final email expressing that if I did not receive a reply, I would be forced to leave negative feedback, a step I did not want to do. In my original request for refund, I stated that I would leave glowing feedback, as the seller's demeanor was superb, up to that point.
Alas, nothing again.
So with regret, I posted my first negative feedback to the eBay feedback forum.
"Caveat Emptor. Shipped a defective item. No replies after return asked for."
And that was that. Simple, to the point. I explained what was wrong: the item was defective, and I received no more replies. Caveat Emptor means "Buyer Beware", and is a much-used term to tell they buyer to be sharp and aware when they deal with this seller. Whenever I go to a farmers market, a haggling bazaar, or anyplace NOT governed by your usual WTO rules, it's Caveat Emptor. You should be a 'smart' shopper, because this person is a 'smart' seller. Simple and businesslike.
I knew I would be receiving a reply, and in time, I did.
"Item shipped PERFECT! Didn't file w/shipper! No ins! Read the terms- NO REFUNDS!"
My word against his. And I just don't like CAPS LOCK text. Who likes being yelled at? Also, even if you say no refunds, that does not give someone the right to ship shoddy merchandise. I give him the right to abide by his policy, but my right is to warn others that he could be selling cracked unusable goods and then brook no complaints by pointing to his no refund policy. Good business? No.
My reply was also succinct:
Reply by dloyd76: Good businesses don't drop conversations. That's why neg posted. It's too bad...
And it really is. I like the guy up until the point where he ignored me. The lesson I learned here is to always, always buy insurance. And before you buy, read the Feedback forums. If I had, I would have read this:
- WANTED REFUND ON AS/IS SALE BECAUSE WIFE GOT MAD? HE OVER BID AND THATS MY FAULT
- Reply: Nice bid retraction # LOSER! CLEARLY misrepresented! Check your old email ass!
- DID NOT READ AUCTION !! / WAITED 45 DAYS 2 CONTACT ME BY LEAVING NEG FEEDBACK !!
- Reply: I can read Jerk! You lie! What, cant find the reply button on your email? LOSER!
"Jerk", "LOSER!", ""ass!", and another "LOSER!". Ahh, feels like 5th grade all over again. Would you do business with that?
posted by DLoyd76 at 4/25/2005 10:53:00 AM
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