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Seller asks you to change feedback...do you?

jknight8907

jknight8907

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 14, 2004
804
49
Hudson Valley NY
I've had this happen a few times. Something goes wrong in an online transaction, and you leave feedback that reflects the situation. The seller then contacts you and asks that, in exchange for partial refund or additional product, you change your feedback to 'positive'. I've had this happen a few times on both eBay and Amazon.

For example, last week I ordered a cheap double-edged razor from Amazon to keep as a spare. (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71+owDb9PBL._SL1200_.jpg) It arrived promptly, but its packaging had already been opened. It was obvious that someone had opened it, looked at the razor, and put it back in the package and returned it. There was nothing wrong with the razor, so I kept it, and left accurate feedback. 5 stars for everything except "Item as described" which I gave 3, and I explained in the comments: ""Razor arrived on time but the packaging had been opened already. It looked fine and nothing was missing so I kept it, but still irritating to get something that has already been ripped open.""


The seller then contacted me offering some sample blades in exchange for me changing it to positive feedback, stating that it was probably Amazon that opened the razor (ha!). I'm strongly inclined to leave it as-is, it's accurate and a few 10 cent blades aren't enough to change that.

What would Macrumors do?
 
In that specific case, I probably would.

Never know the countless hands it went through as it got shipped over to you. I got a package shortly after I started my new job and thought it was odd that it stank of smoke and was going to blame it on the seller. A package or two later I realized it was the bum UPS driver who smoked in his van all day causing the problem.
 
I would change it to reflect the issue was then resolved by the offer of additional merchandise. If you show only positive as if nothing happened, future customers wouldn't know that there is a possible issue on the horizon with open merch.
 
No. And you should contact Amazon about this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200414340

They are bribing you to make their ratings go up.

Neutral feedback is just that, neutral. You didn't hate the service, but you didn't like it. There is nothing wrong with that. Sellers need to accept that. It does make their rating go slightly down, but it's not as bad as a negative.
 
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Well if the item is boxed up and sealed, then it was obvious like that when it was packaged. So no, I wouldn't change my feedback.
 
No. I've gotten a few 3rd party items that had been opened or refurbed, even though they were sold as new. One item was in a ziplock bag with no labeling! I only deal with Amazon directly now.
 
As a seller on Ebay for 13 years, I would never ask a buyer to change their feedback. If you are an honest seller, your feedback will reflect that. As a buyer on Ebay & Amazon, I have never been asked, but also would never change it either. If you paid for a new item and that item packaging showed signs it had been previously opened, then it is not new. You left appropriate feedback. Generally as a rule though, I will contact the seller if the item is misrepresented and give them the opportunity to rectify it before leaving feedback.
 
I would change it to a positive because it isn't the sellers fault you chose the shipping that probably led to the box being open instead of picking something better. If it came fast and the contents were not damaged, it is fine. Ask for a shipping refund and be happy.
 
If the seller is working to satisfy a customer then yes I'd change it. We all complain at times at poor service but here's a seller that's wanting to step up to the plate and do the right thing.
 
maflynn said:
If the seller is working to satisfy a customer then yes I'd change it. We all complain at times at poor service but here's a seller that's wanting to step up to the plate and do the right thing.
Click to expand...
Then you've written the feedback too soon. Do as firedept does: first contact the seller and see if it is a mistake or not and try to get it resolved. After you've done that and things are resolved to your satisfaction or not you can leave feedback. That gives the reader of the feedback much better information because the selling part isn't hard, it's the after sales that is. What happens when there is a problem, how willing is the seller to resolve it? That's what service is about, it's not about selling things.

And that's exactly what I do. I wait for the items to arrive before leaving any feedback. When it has arrived I first check it and if it is ok I leave feedback, if not I try to resolve it and then leave feedback. If the seller doesn't like it then it's his problem. I write feedback to get things improved and/or to praise somebody if he did a good job. That's what feedback is for after all ;)
 
If I contact the seller and they ignore me or don't try to at least communicate with me regarding an issue, i leave the negative feedback even if they attempt a bribe after feedback has been left.

Basically, negative feedback is a last resort. Most sellers will work to help you out even if it's the post office or UPS's fault. Some could care less about anything.
 
A Hebrew said:
I would change it to a positive because it isn't the sellers fault you chose the shipping that probably led to the box being open instead of picking something better. If it came fast and the contents were not damaged, it is fine. Ask for a shipping refund and be happy.
Click to expand...

It was the razor's packaging, not the shipping box, that had been opened. Fedex Ground isn't exactly the junk shipping choice, either.
 
only when He is right to ask. I had a situation where some parts of what I ordered were not included. I left some poor feedback, but he saw it and immediately asked I changed it pending the parts. Once I received them I gave him the feedback he deserved.
 
Depends on the situation. Though it is actually against the rules of eBay at least, to ask, when I checked a few months ago.

If it was a high value item etc, I'd prioritise doing what it takes to get the money back.

However I had one case a bit ago of a drive caddy that was such poor quality not only did the drive not fit, but the caddy itself didn't fit together properly. I asked for return details and they ignored me until I threatened bad feedback, then I returned it and no refund came so I contacted them again and they ignored me again. At that point I decided to give (for the first time in like 10 years) some negative feedback. All of a sudden they were extremely interested in issuing me with a full refund - but only if I agreed to turn the feedback back to positive.

I told them to shove it because it was like a £15 purchase and I'd rather make my point instead, then reported them for it (as it happens eBay took a bit of a "we don't care" kind of attitude since I didn't get proof of shipping. I wasn't going to pay £20+ for tracked shipping to return a £15 device to Hong Kong! So I never got the money back)
 
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