Why the new eBay feedback system stinks: a real life story

A guy won two auctions totalling about $1300, and paid me on July 3.
My shipping charge was $11.00 for the two coins. I shipped them 7/5,
USPS Registered Mail, insured for $1300: shipping cost $15.84.

We live on opposite ends of the country..there's some distance
involved in this shipment. I get an irate e-mail on 7/9, upset that
he hasn't received the coins yet, says he has a coin club meeting
coming up and wants people's opinions on the coins. I write back
indicating when it was sent and by what means, and he's doubly upset
that (1) I hadn't shipped it on July 4 (umm...think about that for a
minute, buddy) and (2) that I hadn't shipped by Express Mail (which he
hadn't requested or offered to pay for).

Things proceed, and unfortunately for both of us, this turns into a
case where the shipment is hung up somewhere in the USPS system, 12
days later. The USPS tracker only shows that I sent the shipment
7/5; no further transfers show on their system. I've sent the
customer two apologetic e-mails, trying to explain that Registered
Mail is the most secure method of shipment but also the slowest. And
also talked to USPS, to no avail...they claim to have no more
information available than I do through the Internet tracker.
Meanwhile, the customer has continued to insist that I should have
sent Express Mail.

And now I have a PayPal complaint and an eBay "Neutral", where future
customers are told that they can expect shipments to take 2 weeks, and
no e-mail responses from me. Feedback to which I cannot respond
through the new eBay system.

I suppose I should be thrilled to death that I got a "Neutral" and not
a "Negative". But...I was kind of proud of my 1106/0/0.

This customer is clearly...."one of those guys..." everyone in every
business has dealt with difficult people. But now, with the eBay
system as it is, I have no way to present my side of this silly story,
or inform other sellers that this is a buyer to be wary of.

For buyers, the new feedback system allows inaccurate and unfair
accusations. For sellers, the system allows no opportunity to present
"the other side of the coin." This stinks. Don't you agree?

....Tom

LRC-Tom wrote:
of.

For buyers, the new feedback system allows inaccurate and unfair
accusations. For sellers, the system allows no opportunity to present
"the other side of the coin." This stinks. Don't you agree?


I agree. I guess you just have to be ready to take a lump or two. Your
100% feedback is soiled but in a year that will go away and won't matter
anymore.

I had one customer, who won a .99 cent starting bid auction from me. She
got the best deal anyone has ever got from me on this type of coin. I was
out of town for my day job and I informed her of this reality and stated my
intent to ship on the weekend. On Monday after I ship I get a reply saying
how unnaceptable it is that there is a delay in shipping and she does not
want the item anymore because she was forced to acquire it elsewhere. I
apologize and again explain I have a day job and was out of town. Given
that my other job interfered with her expectations of my service level I
offered to take the coin back, give a 100% refund, and pay for the postage
back.

I got a neutral and - like your situation - she claimed the shipment took
three weeks and I was non-responsive to emails. A total lie. I was able to
follow up, however. The neutral was given before the rule changes. Yet it
affected my rating when the rule changes kicked in.

On Jul 17, 10:51*pm, LRC-Tom wrote:
A guy won two auctions totalling about $1300, and paid me on July 3.
My shipping charge was $11.00 for the two coins. * I shipped them 7/5,
USPS Registered Mail, insured for $1300: *shipping cost $15.84.

We live on opposite ends of the country..there's some distance
involved in this shipment. *I get an irate e-mail on 7/9, upset that
he hasn't received the coins yet, says he has a coin club meeting
coming up and wants people's opinions on the coins. *I write back
indicating when it was sent and by what means, and he's doubly upset
that (1) I hadn't shipped it on July 4 (umm...think about that for a
minute, buddy) and (2) that I hadn't shipped by Express Mail (which he
hadn't requested or offered to pay for).

Things proceed, and unfortunately for both of us, this turns into a
case where the shipment is hung up somewhere in the USPS system, 12
days later. *The USPS tracker only shows that I sent the shipment
7/5; *no further transfers show on their system. * I've sent the
customer two apologetic e-mails, trying to explain that Registered
Mail is the most secure method of shipment but also the slowest. *And
also talked to USPS, to no avail...they claim to have no more
information available than I do through the Internet tracker.
Meanwhile, the customer has continued to insist that I should have
sent Express Mail.

And now I have a PayPal complaint and an eBay "Neutral", where future
customers are told that they can expect shipments to take 2 weeks, and
no e-mail responses from me. * Feedback to which I cannot respond
through the new eBay system.

I suppose I should be thrilled to death that I got a "Neutral" and not
a "Negative". *But...I was kind of proud of my 1106/0/0.

This customer is clearly...."one of those guys..." *everyone in every
business has dealt with difficult people. *But now, with the eBay
system as it is, I have no way to present my side of this silly story,
or inform other sellers that this is a buyer to be wary of.

For buyers, the new feedback system allows inaccurate and unfair
accusations. *For sellers, the system allows no opportunity to present
"the other side of the coin." *This stinks. *Don't you agree?

No, I do not agree.
Dealers on eBay had become so used to ****ting all over their
customers ("one of those guys") that they are shocked, shocked when
the public gets fed up and gives them the feedback they deserve.

No, I do not agree.
Dealers on eBay had become so used to ****ting all over their
customers ("one of those guys") that they are shocked, shocked when
the public gets fed up and gives them the feedback they deserve.-

OK, so how was this feedback deserved? What was I to have done
differently? Pray tell...

...Tom

In , on
07/17/2008
at 07:51 PM, LRC-Tom said:

This customer is clearly...."one of those guys..." everyone in every
business has dealt with difficult people. But now, with the eBay system as
it is, I have no way to present my side of this silly story, or inform
other sellers that this is a buyer to be wary of.

Did they take away the ability to reply/followup to feedback given to you?
That would be unfortunate.

It looks like you can still do it. Posting a retaliatory feedback (whether
deserved or not) doesn't really help tell your side of the story. However,
you've got some space to respond directly to his feedback, and it lists with
YOUR feedback. So, if you can paint the guy wacked in a line of text, this
does more for you than negging him! And, if you sold 2 coins, well, if he
gave you 2 neutrals, you have 2 lines!

Try this link:

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...dFeedbackLogin

Nick

On Jul 17, 11:30*pm, LRC-Tom wrote:
No, I do not agree.
Dealers on eBay had become so used to ****ting all over their
customers ("one of those guys") that they are shocked, shocked when
the public gets fed up and gives them the feedback they deserve.-

OK, so how was this feedback deserved? * What was I to have done
differently? *Pray tell...

..Tom

Why the need for Registered Mail for an $1100 item?
Priority Mail insured would have been fine and gotten there in a
couple of days.

In article 3301bae7-9d99-45d0-859a-80e8504af806
@i76g2000hsf.googlegroups.com, says...
On Jul 17, 11:30*pm, LRC-Tom wrote:
No, I do not agree.
Dealers on eBay had become so used to ****ting all over their
customers ("one of those guys") that they are shocked, shocked when
the public gets fed up and gives them the feedback they deserve.-

OK, so how was this feedback deserved? * What was I to have done
differently? *Pray tell...

..Tom

Why the need for Registered Mail for an $1100 item?
Priority Mail insured would have been fine and gotten there in a
couple of days.


Perhaps you are willing to risk an $1100 item on Priority Mail which can
be dropped on the mat outside your house with little recourse....but
registered is far safer for everyone involved and is the only way to
guarantee something gets to the recipient.
--
I hope we can all be good neighbors online!

"LRC-Tom" wrote in message

For buyers, the new feedback system allows inaccurate and unfair
accusations. For sellers, the system allows no opportunity to present
"the other side of the coin." This stinks. Don't you agree?

...Tom

The old feedback system was flawed, so to make it better some idiot decided
that they would give only buyers the option of leaving negatives. Now
everything is one sided, and frankly I won't sell on eBay anymore. My last
sale on there was in late May, and I will not punish myself further. If
more people would take this stand, and find other venues to sell their
goods, eBay will either correct the problem or whither away.

And you did the right thing sending it registered, two coins totalling over
$1400 you betcha. I hate registered for it's often being slow, but the
goods always arrive, even if weeks later. Right now I am waiting on one
sent from KS over two weeks ago, if it had come from Milwaukee like I
thought it would, it would have taken 4-5 days tops.

"Voltronicus" wrote:

Why the need for Registered Mail for an $1100 item?
Priority Mail insured would have been fine and gotten there in a
couple of days.

I'm not sure you'd say that if you ever had to file a claim
with the USPS on a $1000 coin. I have. While I eventually got my
money back, it was neither a pleasant nor a short process.

--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
Legalize Updoc.

On Jul 18, 8:03*am, "Michael Benveniste" wrote:
"Voltronicus" wrote:
Why the need for Registered Mail for an $1100 item?
Priority Mail insured would have been fine and gotten there in a
couple of days.

I'm not sure you'd say that if you ever had to file a claim
with the USPS on a $1000 coin. *I have. *While I eventually got my
money back, it was neither a pleasant nor a short process.

I've filed insurance claims with the USPS.
By no stretch of the imagination could it be called unpleasant. Boring
and time consuming maybe.
Filled out a form, got the recipient to fill out a form and several
weeks later got a check. It was very simple.
Which leads me to believe you prevaricate or are overly sensitive.