posted on December 19, 2000 08:54:37 AM new
I just got my second neg in over 4,000 transactions. High bidder is brand new- zero feedback. I sent end of auction info. He requested a BillPoint invoice, and I sent one, but I made a typo in the invoice subject, substituting the year "1977" for "1974." The item he won is a 1974 widget- as clearly described and pictured in the auction. Everything else in the invoice was correct.
I was out of town for 48 hours, during which time he emailed me inquiring about the typo. Hearing no immediate reply, he left a negative, complaining about the apparent typo in the invoice. He left the neg four days after the auction closed.
I've contacted bidder, and explained the typo, and reassured him that the item is as described. I left a reply to the negative feedback in my profile. He's agreed to reply to the reply, explaining that it's been resolved.
My question is this- I can no longer find out how one (in this case the bidder) leaves a reply to the reply. Anyone know?
posted on December 19, 2000 09:00:47 AM new
As far as I know, they leave the reply to your response, the same way you did, off the link on the feedback page.
you can respond to comments in this Feedback Profile.
Then click on the envelope for that particular feedback.
posted on December 19, 2000 09:03:54 AM new
Tell him to go to his "my eBay" page, click on the "Recent feedback" tab", go to the bottom and click the "See all feedback I have left about others" link. Find the appropriate feedback-
posted on December 19, 2000 04:52:49 PM new
Hello Kyriaki,
eBay could simply delete the negative. But by doing so it would set a precedent and ultimately create a lot of additional work for itself as word got around that this type of negative could in effect be retracted and the requests began to pour in.
I would hope that eBay eventually makes feedback editable and removeable by the user leaving the feedback. This would get eBay out of the business of fixing feedback mistakes.
One type of feedback eBay will remove is a feedback left to the wrong user upon the written request of the user who left the feedback and after that user has left the feedback for the correct user.
eBay's feedback system and procedures are not very cohesive. In large part because the system developed over time and has been abused in new ways each time eBay "improved" it.
posted on December 19, 2000 05:39:35 PM new
This is exactly why the eBay feedback system is flawed. The person who leaves feedback
should always have the ability to amend, clarify or rectify a comment. Since negative feedback
remains as a blemish readily visible to all, failing to provide this option can lead to considerable
animosity.
eBay says that the bidder is responsible for his or her own words but then assumes the role of a
censor. This is patently wrong!
When a newspaper makes an error they can always write a retraction. Although they cannot go
back and rewrite the article they
can, and do, amend it. Sooner or later this issue will find its way to a Federal Court and eBay
will be caught between the proverbial "rock and a hard place."
posted on December 19, 2000 07:29:40 PM new
My confused newbie bidder has left a reply to my reply- stating that everything was resolved. He paid tonite via BillPoint, and says he wants to become a regular customer (oddly, my only other negative came from someone who is now a regular bidder/buyer).
I'll ship the item tomorrow. And leave him a positive feedback.
The reason eBay cannot allow folks to edit their feedback, I think, is the increased liklihood of feedback extortion. Imagine this scenario:
Bidder and seller become engaged in a dispute. Doesn't matter what it's over- ANYTHING. Happens thousands of times a day, I imagine. Under the current scheme- most responsible folks only leave negative feedback as a last resort, in part because once it's left, the incentive to resolve the matter disappears. If retractions were allowed, many folks would leave negative feedback as their FIRST option- and tell the other party: "I'll change the negative feedback, but you have to" (fill in the blank).
Personally, I'm OK with feedback being relatively permanent. We can weather the occasional errors- like my newfound friend who left me my negative the other day. Living with regular feedback extortion would be much worse.
