This is actually more of a complaint than a rip off...
I just had my first experience using ebays new feedback system. I have been buying & selling on eBay since 1999 however this transaction was the first time I have used eBay in almost 2 years. I left someone positive feedback and somehow my positive feedback seems to of affected her sellers rating? I am extremely confused by this and would love for someone to read my story and tell me what I did wrong...
It all comes down to this—I bought a pair of designer jeans from a seller on eBay. The seller had a disclaimer on the auction saying her house was "full of allergens" and that she keeps knit clothes in plastic containers and everything else in cedar chests. She also said her home was smoke free. So I paid for the jeans 5 minutes after the auction ended. The jeans arrived 3 days later. They were packaged very well but when I took them out, they reeked of cigarette smoke. The seller had also attached a note addressed to her buyers saying that eBay recently changed the feedback system and as a result of the change, she had been "burned" on 2 recent transactions. She requested that her buyers contact her with any problems before leaving feedback because eBay's new system rates sellers by percentage and any seller whose rating is below a certain %, will get banned from eBay, so if there is a problem she would like to be contact first so she can "try to make it right" and that anyone who leaves bad feedback will be banned from bidding on her auctions. So like I said the jeans reeked of cigarette smoke. I wasn't happy about it but they would need to be washed before I wore them so it wasn't a big deal. The smell came right out after I washed them so I felt no need to contact the seller about the issue. 4 days later I left the seller positive feedback. I took in to consideration the note she had sent with the jeans about being "burned" and even though the jeans stunk, I didn't mention it in my feedback-my exact comment was "Fast shipping, beautiful jeans accurately described. Thank you."
After I typed out my comment on the feedback form, a short survey appeared asking me to anonymously and honestly rate the seller. It said that the seller would not see my ratings. So I rated everything with 5 stars/excellent/highly except when it asked about item description. Because the jeans smelled like cigarettes, I rated it 4 stars. The next day I get a nasty e-mail from the seller saying "Glad you liked the jeans because you'll never buy another pair or jeans or anything else from me every again. Your now on my list of banned bidders. You know what you did". Well no I don't know what I did. I could care less if I am banned from bidding on her auctions because I had no intention of buying from her ever again but I would love to know what I did! The only thing I can think of is that my "anonymous" ratings somehow affected her seller ratings? Like I said, I rated everything with 5 stars except for the description which was 4 stars. I've heard people say that as a result of this new feedbacks system, sellers are now holding buyers hostage for feedback. Well this seller definitely does that! I left her feedback 4 days after I got the jeans and she hadn't left feedback for me and she still hasn't (not that I want her to now). But it still pisses me off because from my point of view, no only does she hold her buyers hostage for feedback (and I can't say I disagree with that seeing as how sellers can no longer leave negative feedback) but she also wants a 5 star rating or else she bans you from bidding! The only thing I can think of is that the stupid ratings survey somehow affected her ratings negatively!
I would love for someone to please tell me what I did wrong here because the seller ignored my e-mail. Please explain eBay's new feedback system to me because I don't want this to happen to another seller! If I leave positive feedback, I don't want it to have a negative affect on the sellers rating.
Jennifer
Salinas, California
U.S.A.
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