Leaving negative feedback on Ebay

I feel bad because I have left negative feedback for the first time. Why? I bought a $15 item and the shipping was not posted on the auction. They emailed a shipping fee of $16+. I asked why it was so much when the rate for 6 pounds (the item they said weighted 4-5, but actually ended up being less than 2) through USPS was $8 and through UPS the same, unless you went overnight. No response. I went ahead and paid and got the package. It was not well packed. Was in a reused box with little packaging material. That is, they did not buy a box and bubble wrap, etc. The shipping on the box was less than $6. I emailed again and asked for a reason for the shipping rate. No response. They had emailed me about my PayPal payment, so I know they are getting email. They just didn't reply.

Should I feel bad? Should I have left negative feedback?

Seems reasonable in light of not getting a reply and the way the packaging was handled. Of course, the requisite retaliatory negative from the seller will be a bummer. The good news is that you may help other buyers down the road.

Let us know the final outcome.

Welcome to the club my friend.
No one deserves any responseservice like you received, but I'm guessing that all of us here have experienced it one time or another in our own Ebay quests.
Sometimes Ebay is no different than going to Vegas and betting all of your money on a roulette table. Majority of the time you win on Ebay(obviously Ebay has better odds)but you are bound to lose that winning streak some time or another to some wanker that has no self respect or morals to the Ebay codes. Fortunately it is rare (per ratio of person). (And I know I don't have to tell you to observe the Seller's past comments/history(Hackers have learned to manipulate this too by the way)).
I wish you the best in this transaction and future ones to come.

Addendum,
There will be times when you think the worst of a seller /buyer, and it was simply the post office/carrier to blame. Another roll of the dice with Ebay.

A Tiki Cheers To You

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga on 2004-01-25 00:20 ]

Should I feel bad? Should I have left negative feedback?

no, and ABSOLUTELY.
charging $16 for shipping a 2lb item is not the post office's fault, it's the seller's, and non-response is bad. they ripped you off.
lesson: email and agree to shipping terms before bidding.
i hate shady eBay sellers. you shouldn't feel bad at all. they probably don't feel bad for DOUBLING your price.

I'd say you were in the pocket on that one. I've had that "jack-up manuever" pulled on me before. What it amounts to? "I'm mad now because I was off on my titleing and hence my auction didn't do as well as it should, so now I'm going to take it out on you for being the high bidder". That sort of behavior deserves bad feedback.

Don't feel bad. A good e-bay seller would not only reply to your e-mail, but they would send you a refund for the overcharged shipping costs. Beware when a seller says "shipping and handeling" with no specified amount. A handeling fee is kind of a bummer, but if they let you know what that fee is right off the bat, there will be no suprises.

Well, they already left me feedback "great ebayer, good communications, would recommend again and again!"

I can accept an extra dollar or two on shipping. I have had to buy boxes and such and a box can cost over $1. But $10! And the box was not corogated, it was a reused something or other box, the item was a fragile one, the bubble wrap was the smallest possible, and the box was the size of the item. I really expected it to be smashed when I opened it.

They deserved what they got. Unfortunately, they'll probably reply with a negative for you, even though you did nothing wrong!

One time I left neutral feedback because excessive postage was charged. The seller replied to my emails but didn't feel they should refund my money so I left neutral feedback. They freaked out in response and left scathing negative feedback for me. What would they have done if I had left negative feedback - sent a letter bomb to me? Since then if I don't feel satisfied I just don't leave feedback at all and I don't buy from the seller again. But you were entirely justified in leaving negative feedback.

Since they have already posted positive it is safe for you to post negative. If you are sure they didnt have shipping and handling prices in the auction page then I would jam them with negative, you have nothing to lose. That seller will think twice about doing that again.

[ Edited by: jonboy on 2004-01-25 14:08 ]

It's called "Padding the bill" and the main reason I've stopped using eBay. Unfortunately, it seems all to common recently.

I once bought a bunch of paper patterns for .99 cents and was charged $4.00 shipping (for priority mail). It came in a reused manila envelope without padding - 1st class for 90 cents! I emailed the seller and got no response. They had already left me positive email (as I always responded quickly and paid quickly).

I felt no compunction leaving them negative feedback. I have left several negative feedbacks for items not described, not received etc. I have never received a negative feedback. I say leave a negative feedback. Others should be made aware of unscrupulous dealers bad business practices. The only trick is to word it so you can get all your info in the limited space eBay leaves for you.

In the future, if you have the time email the dealer and ask for a shipping quote to your zip code. Be sure to have them tell you if it includes insurance and any "handling" charges.

I always refund any accidental shipping overages to my buyers. If I estimate shipping at 6 bucks, and it was 3, I send them 3 back.

People are pleasantly surprsied and as a result, I think they become repeat customers.

I don't bid on auctions with mysterious 'handling' charges. It's usually the people that start everything at a dollar, tne charge 7 bucks handling to make up for their low profit margin. It's stupid.

On 2004-01-25 15:46, Atomic Cocktail wrote:
It's called "Padding the bill" and the main reason I've stopped using eBay. Unfortunately, it seems all to common recently.

Unfortunate indeed. I haven't really done the eBay thing for at least a year for the same reason. If you're a seller, you have to chase the money and if you're a buyer, you have to pay out of your ass for shipping/handling. Unfortunately, eBay has provided a storefront for the shady seller. Customer service is a rare thing now on eBay - something which actually surprises me when I receive it.

I have 2 negatives, both of which were retaliatory from the sellers, one for which the item was intentionally poorly packed (no foam, bubble wrap, etc) so the items broke, and the seller would not refund/replace and the other for which an item I paid for I never received. The seller denied any wrong doing in either case so in my opinion, the negative was due.

Unfortunately, the feedback system on eBay is worthless.....

Enough of my rant. Swanky, you did the right thing giving them that reality check on their customer service.

My first ever eBay transaction was for 3 Leilanis, and I think I got them for 4.99, and she left me praise. A week later I emailed to ask when they had been shipped and she swore the went out the day I paid. When I did finally receive them a week later, the post mark was for only a few days earlier, and the packing was crap. So I left Neutral, stating I loved the mugs, great deal, but very long shipping time. She left a remark under mine stating "Long Shipping?!?! I had to issue a non-payment alert to eBay and threaten legal issues to even get paid!!!!" Followed by a nasty email, telling me how Rude I was, and I should be ashamed of myself. lol When I responded, she apologized, stating that eBay was her only source of income, her husband was dead, she had 6 kids, and was expecting another shortly. When I asked her change her comment, she changed it to "Sorry, I didn't really have to issue a Non-Payment Alert." lol

Got an email today. They are refunding me the difference. :wink:

This is why I feel that the Ebay feedback forum is worthless.

If you have an average transaction, you are going (usually) to give and receive positive feedback, that doesn't really say anything useful. Something generic like 'great seller' or 'good transaction - shipped fast'.

But, if you get fucked, by a buyer or a seller, and leave negative, they will often leave negative for you, even if you in no way deserve it.

So, many people are intimidated to leave a negative.

Without genuine criticisms of the bad sellers or deadbeat bidders, the forum is full of nothing but an empty congratulatory fluff.

Someone can have, say 20 positives, but could have screwed over 15 people who all were too scared to leave a negative, so this dirtbag's feedback will be 20 instead of the deserved 5. This example is extreme and exagerated to make the point, of course.

I have been using Ebay since 1998, and I am definitely noticing a LOT more scam artists, dirtbags, and non-delivering sellers out there (note: non-paying bidders are dealt with severely, but there isn't even an adequate place to report non-delivering sellers).

Ebay's golden age is definitely over... into a decline which may last years... not due to the company, but due to the users.

Iorana!

JT

"Ignorance of the Tiki is evil."

[ Edited by: tikibars on 2004-01-29 00:53 ]

On 2004-01-26 11:58, tikibars wrote:

...non-paying bidders are dealt with severely, but there isn't even an adequate place to report non-delivering buyers...

Exactly one of the reasons why I stopped using eBay. At least with Paypal (now owned by Ebay) there was some recourse against non-delivering sellers - but you had to file within one month of the transaction.

I've had many surprisingly pleasant transactions with sellers who went above and beyond. But I've had a few (both sellers and buyers) who went just too far the other way.

I had one buyer leave me negative feedback the day after the auction ended! Some people just enjoy being negative, but almost all of my ebay transactions have been positive.

I believe that you have 90 days to leave feedback on a transaction. I've had a few "borderline" bad transactions where I thought I should leave negative feedback but did not want the retaliation. I've thought about putting the 90 day expiration time on a calendar and BAM! hitting them with no time left for them to retaliate. 90 days is a long time to carry a grudge though. Plus I don't have a calendar... :wink:

On 2004-01-26 17:40, Kono wrote:
I believe that you have 90 days to leave feedback on a transaction. I've had a few "borderline" bad transactions where I thought I should leave negative feedback but did not want the retaliation. I've thought about putting the 90 day expiration time on a calendar and BAM! hitting them with no time left for them to retaliate. 90 days is a long time to carry a grudge though. Plus I don't have a calendar... :wink:

Which brings us to the topic of Sniping auctions, another lame and discouraging development that has become commonplace recently...

Unga, that could happen at my house!