Dear eBay Queen:

If a buyer wants to change their feedback from negative to positive, does the buyer also have the opportunity to change the DSR rating too?

I have a buyer who left negative feedback. It was a case of the buyer not checking her email to review the proof I had sent to her for a personalized item. After I called her on the phone (voicemail), she finally replied by email and seems happy. She hasn’t indicated she wants to change her negative feedback and I doubt she even knows she can change it. She didn’t even know how to check eBay messages through the eBay site.

I had another instance where I messed up and order, and I usually send a nice note apologizing for the item or the shipping time or whatnot and then say something like, if you had let me know before leaving your feedback, I could have done something about making your transaction a positive one like sending another item, giving you a refund, explaining how the shipping time was affected, (or whatever I think would have fixed the problem,) but please be assured I have given you a refund since I want to still make the transaction good for you. Then I give the refund or whatever is appropriate, and then send the feedback revision form without even mentioning it in the note. 9 times out of 10 they revise the feedback to positive.

I was listening to eBay Radio and I believe Griff said that it’s against eBay rules for a seller to ask a buyer to change their feedback. However, if a buyer initiates it, the seller can assist the buyer who may need guidance in figuring out how to change it.  Is this true?

Thanks,
Norman

Dear Norman:

I have asked 3 buyers to remove negative feedback and only one followed through with it.  I did do a little checking, and a seller can ask for a buyer to remove feedback. It also mentions the ability to request a change in the DSRs.  http://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/revision-request.html

You are right! I have found that when you apologize, and are up front with people they are usually pretty forgiving.  I hope your latest buyer follows through and removes the negative.

Dear eBay Queen:

I bought an item about 12 days ago, and the seller hasn’t shipped it yet. He emailed me right after I paid and said he was out of town and it would be couple extra days before he could ship, was that OK? What was I going to say? I said yeah, no problem, 5 days later still no shipment information so I emailed him. He said he was sorry, he’s still out of town and would ask his wife if she had shipped it, if not he’d mail it today, Monday.

Guess what? The item remains unmarked as shipped, no shipping information, no communication, nothing. It was a great bargain, no other bidder had emerged, so I’m thinking he was not happy with the price and never had any intention of shipping it. I still want the item, it might be a couple months before that item at that price emerges again.

What would you do? If I report him, will eBay suspend him?

Moira

Dear Moira:

eBay won’t suspend him unless he is in the habit of doing this type of thing.  Did you check his feedback and his DSR or star scores? You should be able to see right away if he has negative feedback for slow shipping, or if he’s received 1’s or 2’s in shipping time you will be able to see that in his shipping and handling time score.

In a situation like this, I would email him and ask if it’s been sent.  His wife may not know how to wrap, make labels etc.  Allow a day or so for him to respond. If he doesn’t, I would then file an “item not received” claim against him.  If he responds and you don’t receive the item within 4 or 5 days after his response, I would file a claim.

I hope you receive your item, but if you don’t, you will receive your money back for sure.

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Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul, Kansas.