Ask an Expert: How to Remove Negative Feedback on eBay

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What’s the best way to go about removing negative eBay feedback?

💡 Quick Answer: Step One to tackling negative eBay feedback is to get to grips with how the system works and why it's crucial for your reputation. When you receive that bad feedback, don't panic! Step Two? Respond promptly and professionally to share your side of the story. Thirdly, take a closer look at options for removing feedback, particularly if there's been a mix-up or a violation. Generally, the buyer must be at fault. So if eBay is unwilling to adhere to your feedback removal request, stay positive. View feedback as a chance to learn and improve your eBay game. Don’t forget, every setback is a step towards gearing your business for success!

It's no secret that not every eBay transaction goes off without a hitch. Sometimes, despite your best efforts as a seller, things can hit a snag and lead to negative feedback from buyers.

But don't worry, you're not alone in this! Buyers come with all sorts of expectations, from item quality to shipping times, and sometimes even the smallest hiccup can result in negative feedback that feels like a permanent stain on your record.

But guess what? It's not the end of the world! Your feedback score is super important on eBay, but there's still plenty of hope, even with a few negative marks.

Here's the deal: Once a buyer leaves negative feedback, it typically sticks around. But fear not, you've got some options. Sometimes, buyers might have mixed up your listing with someone else's, or there could be a genuine mistake that eBay can help resolve.

So, let's get to the meat of the eBay feedback world and explore some handy methods to turn those negatives into positives. Trust me, even if you can’t remove that bad review after all, you can turn anything into a positive experience if you set your mind to it.

Each seller on eBay has a feedback percentage shown in the seller information section of their listings. This percentage is calculated using the feedback the seller has received over the last 12 months.

The reason why only the past year counts in these feedback percentages is to give sellers an incentive to improve their performance as the months and years go by. After all, would you want to be rated based on a blunder you made five years ago when you’ve since greatly improved your selling practices?

Another reason for sellers to keep their feedback high is that when their ratings aren’t good enough, they will be penalized in the platform’s search ranking system. That means the lower your seller rating is, the lower your chances of making it to the top of eBay’s search results.

eBay’s feedback system lets sellers post replies and follow-ups to feedback left by buyers. This two-way feedback system allows both parties to provide an explanation to the public when a transaction they’re involved in doesn’t go smoothly.

Take note that while sellers can make their eBay feedback profile private, if you do so, you won’t be allowed to sell anymore.

The overall feedback score is as follows:

  • +1 for positive feedback
  • No change for neutral feedback
  • -1 for negative feedback

eBay star ratings show how much positive feedback a seller has received, showing consumer's how trustworthy a certain seller is. The rating shows their level of customer service as well as their experience. In other words, consumers can tell how much you've sold and how many positive reviews you got as a result. It's important to note that your feedback score is not affected by neutral comments - only positive and negative ones. You'll earn 1 point for a positive rating and lose 1 point for every negative rating. You'll need at least 10 instances of positive feedback to earn your first star, which will start off as yellow.

To find your current feedback store, you can see where you stand by looking at the top of your seller feedback profile where you'll also see what type of star you currently have.

How many feedback points are needed for each star color?

  • Yellow star: 10
  • Blue star: 50
  • Turquoise star: 100
  • Purple star: 500
  • Red star: 1,000
  • Green star: 5,000
  • Yellow shooting star: 10,000
  • Turquoise shooting star: 25,000
  • Purple shooting star: 50,000
  • Red shooting star: 100,000
  • Green shooting star: 500,000
  • Silver shooting star: 1,000,000

The short answer is “It depends.” There are two different situations in which negative feedback is left.

The first is when the buyer posts negative feedback by mistake. The feedback given is either negative or neutral, but the feedback comment is positive and the buyer even shares how happy he or she is with the transaction, with something like “Will definitely buy from this seller again!” Or the buyer may have mistaken you for another seller with whom a transaction went bad.

The second situation is when the buyer leaves negative feedback on purpose. This will be a bit harder to remove, but it’s often worth trying. Here are the two ways in which you can have negative feedback changed or removed.

There are several instances that qualify for eBay Feedback removal. These include:

  • The situation shows that the buyer was at fault 
  • The problem was caused by an eBay site issue
  • The issue was outside or your control (i.e. shipping delays)
  • Items were delayed because of extreme weather

Note that it could take up to two days for your rated to be adjusted.

1. Change eBay feedback through buyer revision

Before doing anything drastic, attempt to resolve feedback problems by communicating with the buyer. This is the most common way to change negative or neutral feedback.

Keep in mind that buyers can only revise feedback they’ve left within 30 days of the transaction. Additionally, sellers can only request a feedback revision once they have fixed the problem, or if they are certain a buyer left the negative feedback by mistake.

When a buyer posts negative feedback accidentally, you can ask them to change it using the "Request Feedback Revision" page. If there is no response from the buyer, you can go to the "Report Feedback" page and explain the situation directly to eBay so they can handle the negative feedback removal.

If the buyer left negative feedback intentionally, then when you contact the buyer, be polite and apologize for any inconveniences experienced as a result of the transaction. Ask them what you can do to amend the situation. Most of the time, a refund or replacement will do the trick. If the buyer agrees and you are able to address the issue, ask if they would be willing to revise the feedback.

Because you can only make the request once, you must do it wisely. Plus, sellers may only make five feedback revision requests for every 1,000 feedback posts received in a span of 12 months.

This method places you at the mercy of the buyer, but if your request is sound, who knows? The buyer may acquiesce and you will have made what could have been a bad customer relationship into a good one.

2. Change eBay feedback through eBay intervention

Not all feedback buyers leave on your profile is considered valid. When it isn’t, it may be removed. There are situations that call for intervention from eBay, such as when there is no response from the buyer, you can’t agree on a solution to address the problem or the feedback reveals personal information.

In these instances, you should report the feedback to eBay and leave them to judge and remove it. Sellers must make a request for a manual review within 90 days of the transaction.

It’s important not to let negative feedback go without comment on your part, because this means you agree with what’s been posted. It’s best to leave an apologetic note if you made a genuine mistake and an explanatory one if you think there was a buyer error.

Feedback reported to eBay will be removed in the following instances:

  • You couldn’t contact the buyer because the email address provided was wrong.
  • The buyer left negative feedback but the item is still unpaid.

There are three situations in which eBay automatically removes feedback:

  1. When the feedback was the direct result of a program error, website issue or systemic delay in communication or shipping.
  2. When the buyer has been suspended by eBay, in which case feedback left within 90 days of the suspension will be automatically removed. (Manual removal via the feedback Revision Process page is necessary past 90 days.)
  3. When a comment is in clear violation of eBay policy, such as when it contains links to another website or seller or uses obscene, racist or profane/vulgar language. However, in these instances, the feedback rating will not necessarily be removed.

It’s important because the seller rating will affect your visibility in eBays search results. Also, customers are more likely to buy from a seller with lots of positive feedback!

Effect of negative feedback on eBay’s search rankings:

eBay has an algorithm called Best Match. A user searches for a product and eBay returns the best listings relevant to their query.

The best way to show in eBay’s Best Match results is to:

  • Create accurate listings
  • Use high quality images
  • Pick the right category for your product
  • Increase your seller volume
  • Offer competitive shipping
  • Provide great customer service
  • And most importantly, maintain a positive selling history

However, if you have a lot of negative feedback then this can affect your chances of showing in the search results. Meaning, fewer sales.

If you and the buyer have agreed to change the feedback you received, here’s a step-by-step guide to changing neutral and negative feedback.

  1. Click on My eBay at the top right corner and click on the Account tab. In the “My Account” column on the left, click on “Feedback.”
  2. Click on the "Request Feedback Revision" link under “Recent Feedback.” Alternately, you can click on the “Go to Feedback Forum” link and click “Request Feedback revision” on the right side of the page, under “Feedback tools.”
  3. Click the feedback you want to request a revision of.
  4. Under the line “Give the buyer a reason for the request," state the reason why you’d like to have the feedback revised.
  5. Once done, click the “Send” button.
  6. The buyer will receive an email with your request.
  7. Let the buyer know he or she only has 10 days in which to respond and provide revised feedback. If they do not change their feedback within that time, it will become permanent.
  8. Don’t forget to thank the buyer for agreeing to your request!

In all cases—whether negative feedback was left by accident or on purpose—respond to it in a calm, professional manner. Even if the buyer didn’t give you the chance to resolve the issue and rectify the situation, keep a level head and respond with class. Do not retaliate with a negative comment of your own.

If you have tried contacting the buyer but can’t reach an agreement to resolve the issue, you can still provide an explanation for others to see. Follow these steps to respond to negative feedback:

  1. Click on "My eBay" at the top right corner and click on the Account tab. In the “My Account” column on the left, click on “Feedback.”
  2. Click on the “Go to Feedback Forum” link and click “Reply to Feedback Received” on the right side of the page, under “Feedback Tools.”
  3. Find the comment to which you would like to leave a response, then click "Reply."
  4. Write your response. Make sure to provide a clear and factual explanation of the situation and why you are disputing or disagreeing with the negative feedback.
  5. Click "Leave Reply."

Monitor the feedback thread until the buyer responds. Depending on how things go, the buyer may agree to change the feedback. If they do not and the Feedback remains in your profile, take comfort in the fact that the feedback comment thread can show future buyers that you did your part as a responsible seller and that the buyer left the negative feedback unfairly.

Remember to avoid responding to a negative feedback comment when you’re upset. Wait a day or two, and strive to keep the tone of your comment professional—that way, others who see it won’t think of you as a total monster (and the buyer will probably come across as whiny or simply unfair).

If the buyer refuses to change the unfair feedback, you can contact eBay customer service and ask them to intervene. Take note that eBay will only remove feedback “in certain exceptional cases,” such as violations of the profanity policy.

It’s best to contact eBay directly to request a manual review and/or open a case in the eBay Resolution Center. Customer Service will review the information you provide and get back to you within 48 hours.

You can also call eBay’s toll-free customer support number: 866-540-3229.

Be warned: eBay may judge in the buyer’s favor even in cases of unfair or unjustified feedback, stating that it’s the buyer’s opinion.

The lowest feedback score on eBay is 1 star.

Earlier, we mentioned that you can make your feedback Profile private, but doing so will prevent you from selling on the platform. If you still want to hide feedback items (and be prevented from selling), follow these steps:

  1. Click on My eBay at the top right corner and click on the Account tab. In the “My Account” column on the left, click on “Feedback.”
  2. Click on the “Go to Feedback Forum” link.
  3. Click “Make Feedback Public or Private” on the right side of the page, under “Feedback Tools.”
  4. Select the option “Make Your Feedback Profile Private.”

If you have tried to remove feedback through buyer revision and eBay intervention and there is still no chance of getting the negative feedback removed then there’s not a whole lot else you can do. But we’re focused on solutions here so below are a few tips that might help improve your situation.

Respond to the negative feedback

This will give new buyers an idea of your customer service and may even help them see that the feedback isn’t a reason to avoid buying from you. Keep in mind our tips above and reply when you’re in the right headspace!

Try to get as much positive feedback as possible

This means following up with customers. A great time to do this is when their package has arrived. There is no requirement to leave feedback on eBay. You do not want to pester the buyer but you can follow up with a friendly message asking if everything is going well. Just make sure you have left positive feedback first!

Communicate and be proactive

This means communicating with customers promptly and effectively.

Make sure to check your eBay messages regularly. Even if you can’t answer them straight away, let them know a timeframe on when to expect a detailed reply from you. A nice little bonus that is sure to get you positive feedback is to include a letter in your shipping. This is a great chance for you to show your personal brand and also let them know where they can contact you in case of any issues.

Fix the problem and improve your business

The negative feedback you receive can actually help you improve your business. If all the negative feedback you’re getting is actually your fault, then step up and do what you must to put things right. It could be a blessing in disguise!

If the feedback qualifies to be removed by eBay, it'll take around two days to be removed.

Other ways to improve your eBay feedback

Aside from changing the feedback you’ve already received, there are things you can do to reduce the negative feedback you will receive in the first place:

Aim for trouble-free transactions

Focus on items that will make easy sales and help you score positive feedback. Avoid selling merchandise that could have shipping issues, at least until your feedback is out of the red.

Provide accurate pictures

A great way to stand out in any eCommerce business whether on eBay or not is to make sure your product listings have clear images. You know that saying images speak a thousand words? Well, it’s extremely true here. Your customer can not see the product in person before they purchase so you want to make them feel as confident as they can in purchasing.

Create great listing details

Again, this will help your customer feel more confident in purchasing the item from you. Provide as much information and detail as possible and include instructions in the pictures. For example, how to install/set up the product.

Have a clear return policy

This helps buyers overcome their biggest worry- The item they purchase might not fit or isn’t what they were expecting. It doesn’t matter what you are selling. A returns policy is a must. This means if you are dropshipping your policy must also match that of your supplier. Don’t go beyond your supplier's return window (e.g if your supplier has a 30-day return window you will want to give your customers 20-25).

Check your inventory regularly

It’s important that the product your customer purchases is in fact available. Otherwise, this is a recipe for headaches and negative reviews! If you are dropshipping this involves being proactive and either using software or regularly checking.

Provide product tracking

Buyers want to know where their parcel is. It’s important that you provide a shipping tracking number as soon as it is available to you. It will also avoid unnecessary messages to you about shipment.

Bonus: 5 Mindset tips when you receive negative feedback

No one likes getting negative feedback or being criticized. But the harsh reality is that it is a part of business and life! However, there are a few things you can do to quickly move on and not let it dampen your day.

  1. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this feedback?- I know I know, it may be hard to see the positives when you’re confronted with negativity and criticism. But it's likely you can learn something if you are open to it. Sometimes you simply can’t learn anything other than the fact that it doesn’t matter what you do people are going to be unhappy and that’s that.
  2. Look at your competitors' reviews- While it’s never good to compare yourself to others in this situation it can help you feel better and less alone. It's highly likely they will have a negative review or two and perhaps you can even learn from their reviews on how to make your business run better. Competitor analysis is a key strategy to implement in the world of eCommerce.
  3. It’s not about you- I know how hard it seems but try not to take it personally. The feedback is not a reflection of you or even of you as a seller. Sometimes there is very little you can do. The more sales you are making the more negativity you will receive!
  4. Take a look at all the positive reviews you have- Naturally, we all focus on negatives a lot more than the positives. The brain has a built-in negativity bias and we tend to remember negative events over positive ones. And we mostly accept negative news as truthful. Just know that you can reframe the situation. Think about what you can learn from it (if anything) and accept it as a part of business. Your business is a moving object and it's all part of it!
  5. Put yourself in your customer's shoes- Can you understand their perspective? Think about a time you have (or wanted to)  leave negative feedback. This may help you understand the feedback is not a personal attack on you.

Summary

Getting negative feedback removed from your eBay profile can be a frustrating process, but be patient. It may all work out in the end. And even if it doesn’t, think of it as a learning experience. It will help you come up with a strategy to improve your performance, earn positive feedback and make negatives a thing of the past.

What do you think of eBay and the feedback process? Could it be improved? Is it working well for you? Be sure to let us know your thoughts and if you have any questions in the comment section below!

 

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Jason Acidre

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34 Comments
  • Bill Gray 6th of February
    Buyer paid for an item on Feb 2 2009... My policy is the item ships by the end of second business day. Most of the time I ship next day after I receive payment, but that day was snowstorm and I slept at a hotel close to my work (supervisors have to make it in)... On second business day in early AM I received negative feedback, because buyer did not receive item yet, while waiting with the buyers packed item for my postman to pick up... seeing this as problem buyer i quickly refunded buyers money and filed a complaint with e-bay to have negative feedback removed... In less then 3 hours e-bay replied with a big NO ... How can Sellers sell on ebay and have a will ship by end of second business day, if a buyer can leave a negative feedback when my policy was not breeched and ebay does not back up its sellers with awesome feedback scores and a troublesome buyer who has nothing better to do but ruin the reputation of sellers. wgray7191 is my ebay account but hurry because if this is not resolved I am removing my ebay account.
    • 22nd of June
      Wow that is crazy. I purchased a item from a seller who messaged me and told me that he left my ebay item in his wife's car for 4 days. I told him that I understand that mistakes happen but I really needed my item quickly. Since I did pay him right after I hit the buy it now. Since it was his mistake, I asked him to upgrade my shipping to Priority Mail so I can have it in time. The seller blew me off. I got the package and saw that he still shipped it by 1st class mail so I left him a neutral feedback. I don't know if he contacted Ebay and lied but my feedback got removed. In this case I said to myself, Why even leave honest feedback if Ebay will remove it??
  • Mark Hamilton 25th of December
    Sold item on ebay, sent item, item was delivered as per USPS tracking #, buyer said they never received item and left negative feedback without any communication!!!
    • Charles Bullard 22nd of June
      That was just plain wrong! That feedback should have been removed
  • Linda Farrell 1st of March
    Get this....I set up a buy-it-now for a specific ebayer....and noted in title....that this auction is for XXX only.....and also noted it in the description.,...also noted do not bid if you are not XXXX ebayer....well another ebayer bid on the buy-it-now anyway....and when I ask them very nicely to cancel the transaction...they got all huffy, and left me negative feedback....even though I had specifically set-up the auction for ebayer XXXX...they thought they should have it anyway....and of course ebay will not remove the negative feedback.....I have been with ebay for 10 years, and had 100% feedback until this illiterate person came along...I say this because obviously they could not read and bid anyway....I am just sick over this...this effects my business tremendously ...I sell hand made things, and get a lot of my customers, because they like my 100 per cent feedback....This is so unfair...I was laid off from my job and have never been able to find employment...so I tried to make ends meet through ebay....You would think they (ebay) would make exceptions...but oh no....One of these days they will not be on top....and will fall like the rest of the companies that didn't listen to their customers (I am a customer also...I can't imagine how much I have paid out to Ebay in all these years for fees).....that is how I got my 100 percent feedback (2611), my customers love me, they know I will go that extra mile for them, and if there are any problems with anything they know that I will take care of it for them...I tell them that up front...to think I got this negative over something so stupid is just killing me...Thanks for listening
    • Melody Gorno 10th of May
      I had a similar situation where I had set up a Buy It Now for someone and someone else purchased the item before the intended buyer could get it. Now I put the price of the item at about double the original price and have the "Let Buyers Make and Offer" option selected. I then send the buyer an email and tell them to make me an offer for the agreed price and I will accept the offer. This has eliminated the issue.
  • Narender Rathore 6th of August
    Unfortunately , we all have buyer that don't use there brain, just put Negative Feedback. Guys, We Need to do ,, Tit For Tat...
  • Wholesale 19th of October
    and what if you experience a buyer who is kind of retard and don't want to listen to you even if you have a valid explanation? I think if customer gives the negative feedback than ebay should review it and than give it to the seller it is valid the point every review should be approved by ebay after verifying it.
    • Mari 8th of December
      Completely agree. Ebay decided not to get involved and came up with " buyer opinion". What if that buyer will call you "a killer"? Is that also ok? This is very, very wrong! Ebay gets our money then has to protect us/ investigate those 'opinions' before hanging sellers.
  • scb 18th of February
    eBay collects $800 a month in fees from me yet does not help on the rare occasion that a buyer is simply unreasonable with negative feedback. Accidentally double listed an item. Sent an immediate apology and full refund...still negative feedback. Another buyer had left 25% negatives on all his transactions and still is allowed to operate on ebay. I pray for the day that another eBay type service comes up with deep enough pockets to market themselves. Then all of us unhappy sellers can leave this place that only cares about our 13% fees and nothing else.
    • Irene 2nd of June
      I have similar experience, I sold a new Philips toothbrush , the buyer return a used&damaged one to me which is not sold by me and get all money back, I dispute the return, and got a retaliatory negative comments from the buyer, and ebay still decide refund money to the buyer, the buyer looks like a professional scammer which gave 100% negative comments to seller, I cannot believe ebay support such buyer not me, if there is any options I will left ebay and never come back.
      • Rhea Bontol SaleHoo Admin 3rd of June
        Sorry to hear that, Irene. Some sellers i know of take pictures of the items while packing it as proof of item condition. They also take pictures of the packed item with shipping label (tracking number included) as an added protection from such scams.
  • Rinz 29th of May
    Some bad competitors can easily destroy your reputation by simply leaving negative feedback. Ebay should have realized that their feedback rules are so unfair and have cause many sellers' frustration and unhealthy competition. If I were eBay's owner, I would have made better and fair feedback rules.
    • meris 2nd of October
      yes. you are 100% right
  • frustrated_seller 27th of June
    Ebay doesn't care much for sellers, even though they make money from sellers not from buyers. Its such a pity, dishonest buyers can easily take advantage. All the effort seller puts in for years to build up a reputation can be easily tarnished by a dishonest buyer or competitor who envy your good work. Ebay should give a chance to Seller to prove their credibility and remove negative feedback from buyers whose sole purpose was to either take advantage of Ebay's (Buyer's only favorable ) policy to get refund back with dishonest feedback or competitors who use new ebay ids to tarnish seller's image by giving negative scoring. Ebay clearly has overlooked this in their policy matters.
  • Joe 16th of August
    I sold an IPOD that worked perfect to some idiot, he used it and I guess thought it was an everlasting battery. He used it til it was totally dead then tried to say it didn't work. Sent me back the IPOD. I told him it was working fine but still gave him a refund......... he then left me negative feedback. I get neg fb for his ignorance....... Thanks for nothing EBAY!!!!
    • Mari 8th of December
      Very frustrating. I can't understand why ebay hate their sellers.
  • Feedslack 22nd of August
    I have just had a buyer leave untrue negative feedback because they could not understand written English. I clearly said in the item description that the watch required repair yet they are allowed to leave negative feedback saying the watch is fake and I am a fraud because the watch did not work! eBay, hope you read this and listen to the people (sellers) made you rich!
    • DESIREE 28th of October
      Had the same problem, I said this product is copy written in bold letters, but instead the buyer bought and left a negative feedback saying the item is a false advertisement that it's copy, and I was did you even know how to read because it's written before you buy it.
    • Mari 8th of December
      I have buyers who do not read descriptions and then leave bad feedback without even talking to me first. THIS should NOT be allowed on ebay. Did not read description? Whos fault is it? Why then ebay force to make descriptions is they do not count?
  • seller 28th of October
    I have a huge store on ebay. I get hundreds of positives each month and also negatives. I can usually have the buyers revise the negative after I work things out with them. But eBay just put a cap on the amount of feedback revisions a seller can have. If you do not have a large store you can only revise a few before you are blocked for a year. If you have a very large store you can revise up to 10 before you are blocked. That stinks because buyers leave negatives before contacting the sellers and they find after communication they overreacted. I'm still over 99% positive but it's dropping now that I can no longer revise feedback for a year. Crazy stuff, you'd think eBay would make it better for the people that pays their bills. We are migrating to eBid.com and Amazon because eBay also said I will have to drop my store down to a basic if I can't get my ratings up... I'm still 99$ and they want to charge me 4 times more for listing product because of a 1% drop that they made happen by limiting me.
  • Little Seller 6th of December
    I was just left a negative feedback from a buyer who claims the item I sold to her is not authentic. I have proof of purchase and everything, but there is no way I can show this and have my negative feedback removed. That is bull! I have never recieved a negative feedback, ever! I ship items quickly and with excellent packaging. Describe items for sale to a T. It just makes you feel like all that hard work to maintain a 100% feedback score is washed down the drain! But sellers please remember this - buyers look at the majority feedback. The majority of feedbacks are usually positive and that's what eBay buyers notice.
  • anonymous 22nd of September
    A buyer offered to buy four items at once on condition that I would end the auctions immediately. I accepted to that, because only one of these items was in high demand. Then he claimed that three of the items (guess which ones...) were "not as described." I let him return the three items he claimed didn't match the description and he left negative feedback for all four items. I know it's a very popular scam on eBay now. And eBay is doing absolutely NOTHING to stop it.

    Sellers beware.
  • JJohns 29th of July
    removeeBayfeedback.com can remove most negatives, we've had dozens removed through them. no idea how they do it.
  • John B. 11th of October
    Doesn't matter. As a seller, you can do EVERYTHING "right" according to eBay, but all it takes is ONE buyer who spilled his coffee on himself and wants to take it out on YOU. "The item wasn't as red as I thought it was" would be considered a VALID negative feedback according to eBay. You can't prepare yourself for STOOPID, no matter WHAT precautions you take!!!!!
    • Charles Bullard 22nd of June
      I definitely agree! These type of people should just buy their items from the store
  • Boggie 28th of November
    I had a clear out, sold about 20 items. all got there stuff accept one. Royal Mail fault, NO! my fault buyer lied about communication and refund. Yep neg feedback. i have tried about six times to retract and buyer will not. If ebay dropped the stupid block on letting sellers give neg feedback there would be less trigger happy neg feedback buyers!
  • Andreea 2nd of January
    eBay is the ONLY online store that defavorizes sellers!! IF you dispute a negative feedback that is CLEARLY not in line with your selling conditions, ebay sends you copy/paste templates and they wash their hands off it....

    I sold an item which had BOTH subtitle and description of what it does. Buyer expected the item to be giftwrapped and do something else that was NOT in the item's description. Left negative feedback. After 48h of almost continuous argument and chat with ebay "customer support" they said can't remove the feedback's rating because it is buyer's opinion......but is 100% FALSE and DEFAMATORY opinion!! Furthermore, the buyer blackmailed me if I don't give her refund she will leave negative feedback. Ebay at THAT time said "don't worry, we will remove any feedback she may leave if she blackmailed you".....DID THEY?? no chance!!

    I have now forwarded the Court paperwork to TAKE them to court. Will be so happy to see a Judge asking them to :
    1) remove the rating
    2) pay for my expensive lawyer!!

    with eBay Customer "support" you MUST hit them hard otherwise THEY WILL !!

    Best of luck guys with your sales:-)

  • Kenneth 2nd of June
    Ebay is fast becoming a place that generates very little income for me. I have used ebay's service for 16 years....In the beginning my profits were $1000.00 to $2000.00 per month. Now...profits have dropped to $75.00 to $200.00 on good month. It's due to the recession and ebays anti-seller policies.
  • Brian S 20th of September
    Buyer said item was falling a part on the inside, and left negative feedback, asking me for a replacement. I had hoped they could have sent me a message BEFORE leaving negative feedback. I quickly sent them a replacement, and they received it in good condition, resolving the situation. I asked them if they would consider removing the feedback. They said they left good feedback and ignored my feedback revision request. So, now someone has finally broken my 15+ year positive feedback record.
  • Ron 3rd of December
    Apparently eBay has a new pilot program they are testing with certain sellers. This gives the seller the power to remove all negative feedbacks for any reason This may seem crazy but it’s true.
  • 22nd of February
    Unfortunately, I stopped the Auction-style sales because of my sales list attacked with a person more than 20 times ( 20 different Fake Account ) between 3 weeks, scammer&spammer purchasing and before payment leave negative feedback to my page.
    No way Ebay and I could not stop these attacks. Maybe you know, Ebay has million fake accounts with a fake address and fake phone numbers, it is very easy to create. Ebay has not any security filter to stop fake accounts. Fake Account holder ( spammer, scammers ) can purchase the item and before the payment, they can leave negative scam&spamm feedback to your page. You can not move it 48 hours ( Ebay Policy ).
    Buyer requirements list is not enough powerful for stopping the Fake accounts.
    These happen to make my time waste and I am very busy with my real job.
    It is the reason now all my sales on the " buy it now " style.
    I really wonder now, the spammer&scammer person how will success the attack and mess " buy it now" style sale lists! I am sure there are some ways on EBAY for spammers, scammers.
  • Jon Whitehead 13th of August
    Bought a battery mower from this seller *******, which worked for a couple of minutes then stopped. Went to resolution centre after he would not respond to emails.
    He went crying to eBay beat me to it in the resolution centre told a load of untruths and eBay granted the claim in his favour, so I am now £60.00p light with a mower that is caput.

    Left negative feedback as a last resort but low and behold, this slime ball had again gone crying to eBay and it has been removed. What is the point when sellers like these can bend the rules around genuine buyers?
    These arrogant and pompous sellers need kicking off of eBay. After all, who do they think they are 'GOD' Mothers like these need teaching a lesson. Angry- yes I am. eBays money back guarantee is not worth a sheet of toilet paper!!
  • Jbell 19th of September
    Bought some jewellery from a seller who has 400+ positive feedback comments, 100% positive feedback.

    I took them to a jeweller and found them to be fake. The seller agreed to return and refunded the money. I left negative feedback to protect future buyers. The seller was so offended and I have been dealing with it since. They seem to think that they took the return back so I should be happy.... and they can continue to deceive people.
    • Charles Bullard 22nd of June
      For me that would have been enough for my satisfaction. They seller did make things right with you. I don't think they deserved negative feedback in this case
  • Quailology 1st of November
    A buyer received items in an insured flat rate priority box that was crushed by USPS. I refunded money for the damaged items only and advised buyer to file a damage claim with the post office if they wanted a refund for the entire shipment. They refused and demanded a full refund from me, I refused , they left me negative feedback.
    I tried to have eBay remove the negative feedback, they would not.
    Though I've only had 1 negative feedback, it has effected my sales . After making one to two sales a day on eBay , I have not sold a thing since that.
    Both eBay and I lost money because of eBay buyer suck ass policy they
    have. I hope to eventually start using Amazon instead , from what I've seen so far, Amazon has better buyers than eBay . eBay is the Walmart of on line shopping.
  • Twenty-four seven 27th of April
    thank you for sharing your expertise in eCommerce
  • James Carrick 30th of August
    I had an eBay buyer leave a negative feedback saying her item was not delivered and still not delivered, despite having already picked it up from Click'n'Collect.
    Knew she was a problem buyer when she messaged me a day after purchasing her product why it wasn't delivered yet 'because I live so close', even though it was an interstate delivery.
    I am now finding it very difficult to get this negative feedback removed with ebay. The buyer simply refuses to revise her feedback as her intention was initially malicious to begin with.
  • Stokesley 18th of June
    Had a buyer threaten negative feedback unless I offered additional discounts on an already discounted item that the buyer bid on. I refused and have received a nasty and unreasonable comment from them. What is upsetting most is the lack of support from ebay who are allowing buyers threaten sellers this way without any action taken against them.
    • Rhea Bontol SaleHoo Admin 21st of June
      Hi Stokesley! For as long as you have proof to show of buyer's rude behavior (screenshot of message), eBay can help remove the negative feedback. That's why its important to document communications between sellers and buyers.
  • Mike Reitsma 30th of July
    Jason, Your article is very well written and gives excellent advice. My tiny eBay sales account (77 feedback) recently got negative feedback from a newbie buyer who I'm sure didn't understand what his/her options were (the account had 1 feedback, from me), so I'm going to follow your advice and see if I can get him/her to change it. On the matter of recovering from a negative (if you can't get it changed), there is one approach that I would like to add (though your list is pretty definitive): use the seller account to buy a lot of cheap things, thereby giving you tons of + feedback. EBay does not differentiate seller and buyer feedback in the basic feedback percentage that buyers see (though of course they can dig into it in in more detail if they are curious). I think eBay's calculation does it this way because the percentage metric was developed back in the day when sellers could also leave negative feedback, so the distinction between being a buyer and being a seller was not as significant as it is now.
  • Mubeen Ahmed BHATTI 7th of October
    i resolve the problem with buyer
  • Alexander leslie 22nd of October
    What do I do when eBay makes a mistake with feedback and my feedback does not show on my purchase page on the sellers item.
    As you can not leave it twice and eBay tells you , it has already been done but does not show on feedback in my account either.
    eBay has removed the mail address for contacting them too
  • MikeJ 22nd of June
    I seem to have the same problem as many sellers on eBay.
    I sold an item iPhone, it was sent first class and recieved in good working order.
    The phone was advertised with a few faults, the buyer stated the phone was broken and listed the faults within the photographs on my auction.
    Further more the buyer wedged open the side of the phone and sent a photo, my photo on the listing shows the side was fine? This was to ensure eBay refunded!
    eBay automatically stated I am to refund the buyer and I will recieve back a damaged phone.
    If I can get it repaired I will give it to charity and take the lose!
    If the buyer is allowed by eBay to leave negative feedback I will bite the bullet and close my account (1560 small account) due to miss-justive by eBay looking after the buyer.
    I still have Prime and freeads etc.
    What about eBid and Newegg? Any good?

    Thank you
    • Rhea Bontol SaleHoo Admin 29th of June
      Sorry to hear about your experience with eBay. Nonetheless, we have dedicated a blog here for sellers who wish to move forward and sell on alternative selling sites. Hope this gives you some good options!
  • Pakostnik 30th of July
    So, I ordered something from a Japanese seller. In a couple of days the seller responded and said they can t ship with regular post (because of COVID, of course), offered to me to pay $20 extra for DHL shipping. After I paid for the extra shipping on July 1st (month ago!), they stopped responding (I sent them 3 messaged afterwards), never provided tracking number, and the items never arrived. Right I opened the case on July 23rd (after the item ended), the seller resurfaced and claimed he is going to post, provided a tracking number. I explicitly told I am not interested and want only the refund. AFTER which, the tracking number started to get updates! It now shows SOMETHING was posted SOMEWHERE (no destination country on the record!) on July 27th. Since the item is closed, even if seller posted something TO ME, I could not open another case if the seller sent something not per the description or ordered quantity. Therefore I am going to refuse to receive this package if it ever gets to me. Basically, the seller FORCED a transaction upon me on their own terms!

    Should I leave a negative feedback? I thought that i should. And I did.
    The problem is, EBAY removed it in a few hours.
    How come this is fair???
  • MIKE 4th of August
    I just sold a Gamecube game that my son had been using. Received negative feedback because in my listing I put it was tested. I got negative feedback because the buyer who just joined in February with only 9 purchases had to clean the disc to get it to work.Really? Negative feedback for having to clean a disc that worked here. It pisses me off that he never contacted me or told me there was an issue. Is this the whole Cancel culture?
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