posted on March 2, 2002 10:21:01 AM new
I'd like to solicit a little help from my fellow AW users here if I may.
I sold an item to someone on ebay back in the beginning of Dec. 01
IMMEDIATELY upon receiving his payment I posted positive feedback on his account (I'm not one of those sellers that holds feedback over their buyers heads until they've left it for me.), and shipped his item the same day with DC. so that I would know when it arrived.
I gave him a few days after I knew he had received it, and then emailed him and asked him if he was happy with the purchase and if he was to please take a moment to leave feedback for this transaction. I had to send him about 9 emails with about 2-3 days between each of them. Always polite, always inquiring as to how I could help if there was a problem etc.
He finally emails me back
Yes I got the item, it's great.
So I send another email... can you please post fdbk.
he emails me back some 5-6 days later with this simple reply
I don't do feedback
I'm new to ebay, so I don't have to many fdbk points... every little bit helps right. Well...
I went to his feedback and posted a follow up stating and I quote
SELLERS BEWARE!!! REFUSES to leave FEDBK!! Even for PERFECT transactions!
Well a week or so later, what do you know he goes and posts negative feedback on my account.
TRANSACTION COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER !!!!!!
This was my first neg. =( and I don't know why he left it, I was hurt, confused and shocked when I saw it and reacted VERY badly. I sent him the following email:
I am reporting you to ebay and I have responded to your FRAUDULENT
>feedback, do you have nothing better to do then lie about people you sorry
>little piece of NOTHING!!!! HOW DARE YOU leave negative feedback on my
>account!
>
>You are a loser that has nothing better to do than mess up other peoples
>lives!!!! Before I'm done one of us will be KICKED OFF EBAY! and I'm
>betting it will be your ignorant anus!
>
>Let me just tell you how lucky you are you don't actually KNOW me, and that
>I can't post the emails you sent me telling me how much that girl you were
>trying to have SEX WITH loved my work.... I could .... you'll see.
>
>Welcome to cyberspace shirthead!
>You messed with the wrong INNOCENT person! I am reporting you to EBAY! I am
>forwarding the emails to them that you've sent me, you a negative PERSON
>that needs to be taken OUT!
>
>Did I not leave POSITIVE feedback for you EVEN AFTER you were a total ASS?
>YES!!!! I did, I only left a follow up to let other buyers know that you
>wouldn't leave feedback for them no matter what the situation... but I want
>to thank you, because now you are my mission.... you messed with the wrong
>chick buddy!YOU ARE A LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and NOW all
>of ebay will KNOW!!!!!!!! watch your bids DWINDLE!
NOW I KNOW I OVERREACTED here and I know what I said was not nice. But how do you deal with people like that? I was so angry when I sent him that, and I might get kicked off ebay for being so childish. I am ashamed of myself and what I wrote (it is sooo not like me) after receiving the neg. and going to investigate his fdbk he ONLY leaves negative feedback and ALLOT of it. I know he posted that to my account to harass me, and I probably jipped myself out of any resolution by sending that STUPID email to him. But HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT?
I appreciate any advise anyone is willing to give.
Thanks.
DTS
posted on March 2, 2002 10:27:06 AM new
This is a joke, right? Is it April Fools Day? You send buyer 9 emails to inquire if purchase is fine? Are you a nutcase? Then you leave the buyer a negative because he won't leave you feedback.
posted on March 2, 2002 10:32:05 AM new
I guess I am a nutcase.
The item I sold was something I had made myself. I am an artist, and I wanted/needed a reaction to my work, all the emails were inquiring as to whether or not he liked my work. Once he told me it was great I asked ONE time for him to post feedback.
Yes, you did overreact, but I think we all do it when we get negative feedback for no reason. The only advise I can give to is to JUST MOVE ON!!!!! This guy seems to be a jerk as apparent from his other feedback. At least you have warned other sellers about his "feedback policy" or lack there of it!!!!
Just concentrate on your other buyers but dealing with this guy won't be worth it!
posted on March 2, 2002 10:36:51 AM new
Yes, you overreacted, but I what I don't think you understand is that your overreaction started at around the second request for feedback. Your requests may have been polite, but sending the request 9 times gets you into what I would consider close to harassment or at the very least being a nuisance.
Your followup was completely uncalled for. Feedback is completely optional - noboby should be bad-mouthed for not reciprocating feedback.
I realize that you're new and trying to build up your feedback, but that's not the way to do it. Like you, I leave feedback when I ship. But I never request feedback in return. I've found that about two-thirds of my buyers reciprocate feedback. The other third I don't worry about - some email me to let me know they're happy but don't leave feedback. Others I simply never hear from again. Quite simply, the best way to increase your feedback is to sell more and your feedback will eventually go up so fast that you soon won't bother trying to keep track.
So to answer your question about how to respond to this situation - frankly, the solution is to simply avoid it to begin with. Don't pester people for feedback and you won't get into this situation. Concentrate on selling and customer service - the feedback will follow.
posted on March 2, 2002 10:38:20 AM new
[i]Let me just tell you how lucky you are you don't actually KNOW me, and that
I can't post the emails you sent me telling me how much that girl you were
trying to have SEX WITH loved my work.... I could .... you'll see.[/i]
posted on March 2, 2002 10:42:01 AM new
You asked for advice,My advice to you is quite selling. You harrased the guy into leaving feedback,and when he did you jumped all over him! This little story is unreal! You'll be lucky if your not kicked off Ebay!
Not Everyone leaves feedback, get over it! QUICK!!
I think I take things a bit to personally probably because it's my art. I need to find a new place to wear my heart other than my sleeve =)
The crazy thing about it is, this guy is a seller. He just happened to buy something from me. That's why I was so dumbfounded, he of all people should/would know how important feedback is to the livelihood of ebay'er whether selling or buying.
I think your advise is best "just move on".
Thanks. =)
holdenrex
Thank you for bringing that to my attention, I hadn't even thought about that. I guess I wouldn't want to get 9 emails it was spaced out... but still I know. Thanks for your insight, I appreciate it.
posted on March 2, 2002 10:50:16 AM new
dadofstickboy
The things I sell I make, they're very personal to me I sent all the emails to get his reaction to my work... to see if he liked it.... when he responded "yes it's great" I asked ONE time for him to leave feedback.
posted on March 2, 2002 10:58:33 AM new
We have all said and done some really stupid things in the past. I know I have been guilty of some doozies. Whenever I commit a faux pas, I tend to look around and make sure nobody heard or saw what I did, and then if they, try to figure out how to deny what I just did.
I don't beleive even I am stupid (or brave) enough to explain in great detail what an idiot I am.
Hey DivaT's maybe you could start a trend.
You could, daily, relate to everybody the stupidest thing that you either said or did and we could judge it and award "dumb" points.
Just a thought.
posted on March 2, 2002 12:10:03 PM new
Oh my, such lanquage! First of all, the way you handled the situation is horrendous! And...you spammed him on top of it! If he reported that letter you wrote to him to your mail server, you would be locked out and lose ALL your records & mail! Your letter was not only rude, it was threatening, blasphemous and slandering, grounds for Ebay suspension! Welcome to cyber space?? I should hope not! Does your art should this dark side of your behavior? Bad taste in my mouth, if I were your customer, I could never enjoy the art I purchased from you now and would destroy it! Art is supposed to be beautiful!
And then to post it on AW? We all received more info than we needed to hear..we try to be a community, buyers and sellers alike...we do not need that nastiness, your customer did NOTHING wrong!
Plus his neg was VERY polite for the harrassment you inflicted on him. He must have a lot of character! He owes you nothing beyond paying for his item which he did!
I also do not write asking if they liked an item or not either, they will let you know by email or feedback either way..If they do not respond, then assume all is well but NEVER harrass! I do email them when I ship so they know when to expect their package. (I always ship same or first mail day as payment is received. The shipped notification email also serves as a record for me in my sent mail folder!)
Sooo not like you? right...that attitude and language came from somewhere! I agree with whoever said you should quit Ebay!
We all hate negs but you asked for that one!!! With that attitude, the first of many!! No sympathy here!!
On a related note:
I have almost 1500 positive feedbacks with 11 negs.
Most of my negs came when I would leave FB first, when I was a newbie or from a pay back when I would leave a neg first for good reason. I rarely leave bad feedback first any more, be damned the system, you do not put your hand in a fire you know is hot!
I finally realized that I was leaving FB for every sale and not getting return FB from many or even getting a neg. Sometimes they neg without even emailing first! Some fair play that!
Big waste of time in my opinion leaving feedback every time I received payment, very time consuming going to back through hundreds of weeks old sales to find the auction. ...
For over a year now, my policy is posted on every auction as such..."I am always happy to return feedback on the completion of the transaction" Key words there are "RETURN feed back when the transaction is complete!" My definition of a completed transaction is when the person has received their purchase and lets me know that by posting feedback or emailing me. If the email praise, I always email back a thank you and write "I will be happy to return feedback to you if you care to exchange "
Ebay suggests to leave feedback on completion of the transaction.
A transaction is NOT completed until you know they have received the mdse and they are satisfied or not, if they are going to keep it or send it back or the old "I think you should rebate part of what I paid because bla bla bla..!" (Sometimes I will if I feel they have a legit complaint sometimes I won't.) Sometimes, not doing so will get me a neg...oh well,,,I will not be ripped off either by a buyer holding FB over my head..
When those who choose to leave feedback do leave feedback, I then simply click on the link by my feedback and return it...that simple. Takes 2 seconds!
Sellers have hundreds of auctions and this policy has saved me soooo much time and energy! I have had only one complaint of it from a buyer. They said "you got my money, now you should leave feedback!" I said, the transaction is not complete yet, you have not received your item..I always return bla bla bla...End of story.
I do not see that as holding feedback over a buyers head although a perk is they do think twice. I consider it good business. Some sellers and buyers leave no feedback at all and that is their right, also.
Thanks for listening to my rambling but it just irks me when I read "holding FB over a buyers head" and all the complaints from sellers about getting BFB after they left good..It just seems to me a very bad business policy to leave feedback before the transaction is complete
kiddo2
[ edited by kiddo2 on Mar 2, 2002 12:18 PM ]
[ edited by kiddo2 on Mar 2, 2002 02:56 PM ]
posted on March 2, 2002 01:16:53 PM new
i had a buyer, paid with paypal. 2 days later emailed me, did you ship yet?? it was friday, emaied back "no i'll ship monday." gave her dc#. email me back. no such dc#, you trying to scam me???.this is sunday. i poped my lid, said things i should not have said. monday it was shipped. i recieved bad feedback from the person. slow shipping, rude email??? i just let it pass, better days are comming, i hope.
posted on March 2, 2002 02:44:24 PM new
One of my terms is "I'd appreciate a safe-arival email. In the absence of one within 10 days of shipment, the transaction will be considered successfully completed." Then in 7 days I send a "shipped" reminder and move on to more important tasks. I return positive FB for the arrival email. If buyer doesn't FB, then I just figure I dodged a neutral. JMHO, but it's been pretty successful
posted on March 2, 2002 02:44:57 PM new
I used to personally follow-up with buyers. After about 2 weeks of shipping..I emailed the buyer thanking him for his business and that I hope by now he had recd and is happy with his purchase. I also ask in a very round about way to please post feedback as I have done for him. Like I said..I USED to do this when leaving feedback first..but only would send the 1 email. If someone where to email me after I purchased one of their items 9 times..well..to be honest I would probably leave a neutral and tell the guy to bug off.
MEOW
posted on March 2, 2002 03:38:22 PM new
I left a +FB as soon as I rec'd an item. A few days later I rec'd a request from the seller to please leave FB. I deleted it thinking the seller had accidently sent it out with other e-mails. It happened a couple more times so I e-mailed her, giving her the date I had left the FB. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I would have liked to have rec'd a nice e-mail thanking me and "sorry I overlooked it." After all, she had the time to nag me, why not take the time to send a nice follow-up. How many more times would she have e-mailed me if I hadn't told her?
BTW. I have been receiving an increased # of +FB from sellers left upon recpt of pymt lately. On the adverse, I have been receiving less fB from buyers. Once they get their items, I think they forget. Since they paid me speedily, I just let it go.
