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March 16, 2008
Negative Feedback On eBay?
On eBay, feedback is quite important - for obvious reasons. Buyers will shy away from a seller with lousy feedback scores. The unofficial concensus is that feedback ratings below 98% will damage your ability to sell. But whatever the magic number, negative feedback doesn't do our wallets any good.
Still, we all run into the Customer From Hell at times. Perhaps he was extremely unpleasant or his demands were ridiculous, resulting in garbage comments. As a seller, do you have any recourse? Yes - but ...
Obviously, the easiest way to avoid this problem is not to get any negative feedback in the first place. Of course, that's easier said than done. But when - not if - you get your first critical comment, don't respond by bashing the jerk! I know it's tempting, but you want to be seen as a professional. It will turn off future buyers if the feedback dispute turns into an insult session.
Instead, calmly explain what happened by sticking to the facts of the deal. An example: Chris Malta of OneSource and I sold an ebook on eBay for $.99. A moron ... oops, a confused buyer ... sent an email threatening all kinds of nasty retaliation if we didn't send him a printed book immediately. He claimed we never stated in our auction that it was an ebook. My response was to send him the exact wording in the auction where we informed buyers it was a download. We made this clear in three separate spots on the auction. Once I took the time to look up those remarks, we never heard from him again.
In the event that you DID make an error, the best procedure is to 'fess up and remedy the situation immediately. Often this tactic will reassure buyers and result in even more business. Most folks recognize that we're all human and mess up at times. If this happens, though, mention that you received negative feedback BEFORE you were given a chance to rectify the situation. This may make the buyer look like a dork, instead of you.
Another option is a service like Square Trade. Square Trade is a mediation service, and yes, it costs to join. But if you receive unjustified negative feedback, you can file a claim stating WHY you think this is unfair and the other person has two weeks to answer your claim. According to Square Trade, most cases are resolved without a mediator, but if you do need a mediator, it usually costs between $20-$40. It's your decision about whether the cost is worth it.
As long as you respond in a professional manner, your damage from negative feedback will be minimal.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at March 16, 2008 2:15 PM
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