So here is the cliff notes and highlights version of what want down. I have been selling on ebay for years with perfect feedback. Recently, someone worth 0 feedback and an unregistered user at the time purchased 250.00 worth of merchandise. I canceled the order and refunded the money. A few week later I receive the negative feedback that read;

This is very annoying when this happens - annoys me if I even get left neutrals. I used to treasure 100% feedback, but if the buyer/seller has lots of good feedback (score in the hundreds) I don't even pay attention to any negatives unless there are lots and are all recent. 200 positives and 1 negative wouldn't concern me as a buyer - I buy and sell myself - adam.bri Adam

It's 25 percent business related 75 percent principle. Ebay does not care about there sellers.

Most sellers tend to agree - ebay always side with the buyer even if the buyer is wrong or out of line. Don't think it will ever change and don't suppose ebay will be too concerned when they have millions of users. It's one of those where you have to way up what benefits using ebay is providing you personally, and if you are benefiting try to get over the principle / ebay's stance - they won't care either way, but why hurt yourself in the process

I am relatively new to ebay selling, and I don't mean to be contrarian, but it seems to me that buyers are taking a much bigger leap of faith than sellers during a transaction, especially when the buyer fronts the money for a sale which typically sellers require through use of PayPal. Also, can I ask why your policy excludes new buyers? If their money clears (presumably before you send the item out), why would you care how many purchases they've made? I ask these questions because I honestly don't know a lot about ebay sales. I don't mean to upset you or any other large volume sellers.

You don't need to apologize. I have a o problem explaining. It's not so much the zero feedback but the unregistered user. Every now and than you get someone who is an unregistered user. This simply means there credit card /identity have not been verified. Sometimes you have nothing to worry about but mist of the time it's for two reasons, they either have a stolen card or most of the time they have canceled there account and took out there credit card info but still have a way to buy. It's sketchy. Buyers have no risk as both ebay and PayPal have extensive policy is to protect buyers, even if buyers are wrong.

I am relatively new to ebay selling, and I don't mean to be contrarian, but it seems to me that buyers are taking a much bigger leap of faith than sellers during a transaction, especially when the buyer fronts the money for a sale which typically sellers require through use of PayPal.

Also, can I ask why your policy excludes new buyers? If their money clears (presumably before you send the item out), why would you care how many purchases they've made?

I ask these questions because I honestly don't know a lot about ebay sales. I don't mean to upset you or any other large volume sellers.

I would be concerned because the buyer could be a scammer who would claim that the item wasn't described correctly or was never sent, basically screwing the seller. Plus, the seller can do nothing about it.

You don't need to apologize. I have a o problem explaining. It's not so much the zero feedback but the unregistered user. Every now and than you get someone who is an unregistered user. This simply means there credit card /identity have not been verified. Sometimes you have nothing to worry about but mist of the time it's for two reasons, they either have a stolen card or most of the time they have canceled there account and took out there credit card info but still have a way to buy. It's sketchy. Buyers have no risk as both ebay and PayPal have extensive policy is to protect buyers, even if buyers are wrong.

Got it, and that makes sense. Another question - does a seller get to keep the proceeds from a stolen card purchase? Not that I am advocating "turning a blind eye" to theft/identity fraud in the name of keeping sale proceeds, but trying to better understand specific risks with ebay selling.

No there will be a subpoena to relinquish funds. But ebay would probably do this on there own. I have never dealt with this thankfully. You as a seller are not held criminally responsible though.

Not to sound unsympathetic to OP, but if you have been selling on eBay for a number of years you should know that negative feedback is a possible outcome when canceling paid orders on eBay. eBay already laid down the rules, whether it is Justified or not, you need to follow it to be able to play (ie. sell) on eBay.

I have only ever canceled an order once before. Not to sound like a hard ass but I don't care what a rule is and I think I cans ay that no one here would sell hundreds of dollars of Legos to someone with zero feedback and an unregistered user. That's just bad business.

Can't you use buyer requirements in the listing page to automatically block buyers with a feedback score lower than what you specify from bidding? (Can on UK ebay site)

Ha not to my knowledge.

So here is the cliff notes and highlights version of what want down. I have been selling on ebay for years with perfect feedback. Recently, someone worth 0 feedback and an unregistered user at the time purchased 250.00 worth of merchandise. I canceled the order and refunded the money. A few week later I receive the negative feedback that read;

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/buyer-requirements.html Again, don't know if this is available on your site, but may give you a place to start looking...

You've unfortunately discovered, as all businesses do, that if you're in business long enough and do enough volume of sales you'll run into some nightmare customers. eBay offers absolutely no protection for sellers, despite claims to the contrary. Someone wants to scam free items from dozens of people? eBay actively assists them in doing this. Even if you scrupulously follow all of their policies and procedures, if you run into a dishonest person you're boned and have to eat the sale. Personally, I think you made the right call. I'd rather take an occasional negative feedback (as long as it didn't place me over the threshold and raise my fees) than send hundreds of dollars of product to a suspicious person. I doubt very much this will effect your business in any way. Just post a rebuttal about no communication and unconfirmed address, but honestly nobody is even going to bother checking what that negative was about.

I think Ebay has changed the way people viewed the familiar quote, 'buyer beware' to 'sellers to be equally on guard'. Sorry to hear that a middle ground wasn't able to be reached, it sounds like you tried to negotiate with the buyer.

Actually I find this one a bit difficult. What did the buyer do wrong? He does seem genuine because you said he gained feedback soon after the transaction was cancelled. I have come across 0 feedback buyers, and those whose PayPal payment do not initially clear. But I have never come across an unregistered user. Unregistered on what? Surely not eBay, because how would they bid? But I agree that the balance on eBay has moved to far in the buyers favor. When I joined in 2004 it was much more equal. Sellers should be allowed to leave negative feedback. I have no idea what a non payment strike against a buyer actually means. If we can't leave a negative and we receive an obvious unfair negatives that eBay won't remove we should be able be able to sue for defamation of character, damage to reputation etc...

Can't you use buyer requirements in the listing page to automatically block buyers with a feedback score lower than what you specify from bidding? (Can on UK ebay site)

You can block users with negative feedback from bidding, but buyers cannot receive any negative feedback; thus making this restriction rather useless. If you dig through the link you provided, you can see the same rules in eBay UK.

Just to be clear on how eBay operates: Sellers are free to cancel any paid for items, but the buyer can still leave any feedback they want after the cancellation. This has been the case for a few years in eBay-land.

I have another question that may not be so related to this thread, but I will post it anyways. One of the main reasons why my "Feedback Rating" on eBay is not as high as it could be is because many buyers and sellers with whom I do transactions with DO NOT leave feedback for others. I came across one seller who had a feedback rating of 1 when I sold it to him, 5 when the transaction was complete. He never left feedback for anyone before. Here's the question: How can you get your other eBay-er to give you feedback in return? I have thought about having a "You give me feedback, I give you feedback" policy, but then I thought that it was being a little too iron hearted. Any ideas?

I have another question that may not be so related to this thread, but I will post it anyways.

One of the main reasons why my "Feedback Rating" on eBay is not as high as it could be is because many buyers and sellers with whom I do transactions with DO NOT leave feedback for others. I came across one seller who had a feedback rating of 1 when I sold it to him, 5 when the transaction was complete. He never left feedback for anyone before.

Here's the question: How can you get your other eBay-er to give you feedback in return? I have thought about having a "You give me feedback, I give you feedback" policy, but then I thought that it was being a little too iron hearted. Any ideas?

Here's a thread that mentions eBay feedback and how to get more people to leave it. It is around the middle of the first page.Link. If I find anymore threads I will let ya know.

Can't you use buyer requirements in the listing page to automatically block buyers with a feedback score lower than what you specify from bidding? (Can on UK ebay site)

No, you can only block people based on having more than 2 unpaid disputes filed against them and if they live outside an area you are willing to ship to. You cannot block a user that has 0 feedback or excessive negative feedback. Only if they have had complaints filed against them for being a non-paying bidder and ebay has upheld those complaints.

This is a pet peeve of mine with ebay as well.

Here's a thread that mentions eBay feedback and how to get more people to leave it. It is around the middle of the first page.Link. If I find anymore threads I will let ya know.Ok, thanks, Darth Lego. If anyone is interested in reading what I found most helpful, here it is. RunMan3 posted it.

Thank you for choosing my auction. I certainly appreciate it and hope you

It doesn't matter what you do some people just don't leave feedback. Actually, ALOT of people don't leave feedback. I won't leave feedback as a seller if I don't receive it first. For me it is a courtesy to say they have received the item.

I always include a print out of the order details page in my parcel. When listing I include the text "Please leave positive feedback on receipt. I will then be able to do the same for you", and put a highlighter pen through it. Doesn't always work, but get left feedback more often than not, although I seem to get less feedback left if it was a BIN than an auction. If I buy something I leave feedback every time, if I sell I only leave feedback after I have received some.

I do exactly that same thing. If I buy, I leave feedback when I get it. If I sell, I scan down the sold list and leave feedback for on,y those whom,eft it with me. Occasionally I get a buyer emailing me asking "can you please leave feedback" at which point I usually do. I tend to get it back then as well.