Beginning in May, eBay sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral buyer feedback but only positive feedback. The reason for this policy change according to eBay is due to decreasing buyer activity as a result of sellers leaving unjustified, retaliatory feedback against the buyer because the buyer left negative feedback against that seller. eBay buyers have complained more about retaliatory feedback than not receiving shipments.
Based on my experience and the experiences of eBay buyers who have sent me emails and left comments, I agree with this policy change. Many of the buyers who purchased counterfeit items would not leave negative feedback against a seller because of the fear of retaliatory feedback from the seller. And when a buyer would leave negative feedback citing confirmation from Gillette that the razor blade cartridges he or she received were counterfeit, sure enough, the seller left retaliatory feedback.
A good example of retaliatory feedback involves the purchase of Gillette Fusion cartridges (item number 230189168892) by Guy, eBay buyer 8499guy, from seller joyjoycee. Guy sent a package of the Gillette Fusion cartridges he received from joyjoycee to Gillette and were confirmed by Gillette to be counterfeit. Despite the fact Guy informed joyjoycee he had received a letter from Gillette informing him the cartridges he received from her were counterfeit and after several unsuccessful attempts through email, PayPal and eBay to resolve this matter, he decided to leave negative feedback.
Because of this experience and my advice, Guy (8499guy) thought it would be best to leave joyjoycee negative feedback to help warn unsuspecting and potential buyers of joyjoycee’s auctions. As a result of Guy leaving negative feedback for joyjoycee, she made her feedback comments private and responded by leaving retaliatory feedback against Guy. Joyjoycee’s feedback comment for Guy was “bad ebayer. F+++++++++++”.
This is the best example of retaliatory feedback I have seen. Guy asked for my advice from the beginning after suspecting his items were counterfeit. Therefore, I was able to witness first hand his patience and attempts in trying to resolve this matter with joyjoycee and through eBay and PayPal. As mentioned previously, he even had a confirmation letter from Gillette verifying the cartridges from joyjoycee were counterfeit.
Guy, 8499guy, is one of the most conscientious eBay users I have observed. In turn, Joyjoycee’s feedback is one of the most blatant forms of retaliatory feedback I have witnessed on eBay.
I welcome eBay’s feedback policy change to encourage negative comments from buyers who have purchased from counterfeit sellers. Their comments will help to warn potential buyers and will likely reduce the sale of counterfeit items on eBay.
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February 6, 2008 at 10:38 pm
anon
Correction in third paragraph: “I agree with this policy change. Many of the buyers who purchased counterfeit items would not leave negative feedback against a seller because of the fear of retaliatory feedback from the buyer.”
That last word of the quoted sentence should be “seller.”
I think an even worse example of the retaliatory feedback from sellers came from ironfloor80 (who was suspended a day or so ago, finally, after ripping off hundreds of buyers on eBay.co.uk).
His retaliatory neg to the only person who negged him:
Liar! Cheat! Bad News! Avoid like the plague! Do not trade with this fool! Seller: ironfloor80 ( 698) 01-Feb-08 22:03
Reply by xxxx (01-Feb-08 22:20):
One of the more comical retaliatory negs I’ve seen from a seller selling fakes.
Follow-up by ironfloor80 (02-Feb-08 13:59):
Sellers retract your bids for this fool! Not intention of paying!
That buyer’s neg (for which he was negged so viciously and dishonestly):
These are fake razor blades (they do not have serial numbers) see fakeblades.com
Buyer: xxxx (31) Feb-01-08 12:50
Reply by ironfloor80 (Feb-01-08 14:05):
Never Paid. No reply to e mails. Then leaves this feedback! Fool.
Follow-up by xxxx (Feb-01-08 14:19):
Untrue.I paid and you delivered fakes.Do a search, check your stock, it is fake.
More examples:
ironfloor80’s retaliatory neg to a neutral:
Rubbish Ebayer. Will leave bad feedback. Avoid! Seller:
ironfloor80 (698) Jan-17-08 12:22
Reply by zzzz (Jan-18-08 02:39):
I wouldn`t! I`m just saying the truth!!!!
That buyers (not very nasty) neutral:
Didn`t think razors were really sharp
Buyer: zzzz (19) Jan-17-08 02:16
ironfloor80’s retaliatory neutral to another neutral:
WARNING! THIS PERSON MAY LEAVE UNFAIR FEEDBACK
That buyer’s neutral:
blades dont shave cleanly ,they seem blunt ,wont buy again ,sorry Buyer: yyyy (20) Jan-03-08 13:44
None of these people have bought on eBay since… surprise surprise. About 700 people have left him positive feedback unaware they bought fakes (or aware but afraid to leave a non-positive).
Many people care about their reputation or getting their refund more than warning other eBayers about someone selling fakes, and therefore don’t risk getting the retaliatory negative from a dishonest seller. Because of this, I totally agree with eBay’s new policy that disallows sellers from leaving non-positive feedback. This policy change should really help reduce the amount of sellers that perpetually sell fake razor blades (and many other kinds of merchandise) with no negative repercussions.
February 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm
fakeblades.com
Thanks anon for the correction.
I agree very much with your comment below.
“Many people care about their reputation or getting their refund more than warning other eBayers about someone selling fakes, and therefore don’t risk getting the retaliatory negative from a dishonest seller. Because of this, I totally agree with eBay’s new policy that disallows sellers from leaving non-positive feedback. This policy change should really help reduce the amount of sellers that perpetually sell fake razor blades (and many other kinds of merchandise) with no negative repercussions.”
March 19, 2008 at 12:40 pm
JT
My opinion is it seems that ebay may be facing a huge lawsuit upcoming buy giving sellers the only option for giving positive feedback to buyers while denying sellers the write to leave neutral or negative feedback for bad transactions.
Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. The right to freedom of speech is guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The synonymous term “freedom of expression” is sometimes preferred, since the right is not confined to verbal speech only but is understood to protect any act of expression, receiving and imparting information or ideas, writing etc… regardless of the medium used.
April 3, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Martin
I think this has benefits but also disadvantages, this gives buyers serious powers over sellers and I think that you will see/hear of a lot of buyers holding sellers to ransom using this new system. Bogus buyers could use this system to purchase items then threaten sellers to refund them even if they have received the goods, if the item is of small value I believe many sellers will probably give in rather than risking the negative feedback. While this new system does benefit genuine buyers who purchase fake/wrong listed items from sellers, I think that ebay should simply invest more of the hundreds of millions they make in profit in policing the current system they have rather than changing it.
May 2, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Roy Goodall
I agree with the sellers not being able to leave negative feedback to buyers.
I received a fake TaylorMade golf club which I paid £130 for from deepcam2000. When I asked for my money back he told me to go and f*** myself. I left him negative feedback saying he was selling fake golf clubs. He then left me negative feedback saying I was selling fake golf clubs which did not make sense as I was the buyer. Deepcam them closed his feedback down and I guess opened up another site to continue his fraudulent selling. E Bay have refused to remove my negative feedback although I had over 100% feedback with over 700 items until then. I have not used E Bay since.
May 21, 2008 at 12:42 am
Dave
I totally disagree. There are more up than just a counterfeit selling items. In the other hand, buyers has the tendency to reach out for more than their suppose to get. I have seen a lot of buyers declaring a damaged item with 100% seller refund or shipping company claims which was not really the case and these were proven facts with the reasons why the shipping priviledges and rates went sky high. There is also a matter of Freedom of Speech and by muting the seller party will be a direct violation of the the human rights. In my opinion, they need to formulate more than just seller only leaves positive feedback. The whole reflection of this is eBay seems to be cornering the buyers market and putting the sellers to slavery.
August 30, 2008 at 3:50 am
Anthony
The problem is not in the feedback system (although it’s aught to change). The real problem is with eBay not making any sanctions against those felons.
“I think an even worse example of the retaliatory feedback from sellers came from ironfloor80 (who was suspended a day or so ago, finally, after ripping off hundreds of buyers on eBay.co.uk).”
This is a good example to demonstrate my point. ironfloor80 was suspended for a day or so after stealing from hundreds of buyers?! The proper action for his theft should have been to delete his account forever and take this person to court for thievery.
eBay HAS to aggravate the measures it takes against counterfeit product commerce on its website, there is really no other way to fight this.
But its very easy on eBay’s part to turn a blind eye for this phenomena and keep the status quo.