Find the Positive in Negative Feedback

Negative feedback on a transaction is not easy to take. It can be taken quite hard, even physically. I know that I feel it in the back of my throat and get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

At the same point it is not easy to give - you feel bad - no matter how poorly you may have been treated. Of course we would all rather get, and give, positive feedback. Yet feedback, regardless of what it is, is very important for properly growing your eBay business.

The next time you get neutral or negative feedback take a second and think about it. Instead of immediately deciding, "That buyer was a nut and there is nothing I could have done for that weirdo!" Think about what you could learn from the transaction. Often the negative isn't so much for if their was a problem with an item or the transaction but how you handled the problem.

One of the most important jobs of an eBay business owner it to keep your eyes and ears open to all feedback. If you do not pay close attention to your bidders and buyers you will be missing out on future opportunities. If you really desire to be successful on eBay then listen to all feedback you get from your buyers: positive, neutral and yes, even negative.

eBay Seller Sues Over Negative Feedback

I'm sure by now that most of you have heard about the seller who is suing a buyer over negative feedback. The seller's claim is that the negative feedback constitutes libel.

If you have not heard about this case I will give you a very brief synopsis: Buy purchases item from seller. Buyer does not like item (for whatever reason) and send back. Sellers gives buyer a complete refund. After some time buyer leave negative feedback to seller claim item was incorrect and damaged (as if one reason wasn't enough). If this description wasn't enough here is the full article: eBay Seller Sues Over Feedback - no sense me rehashing what so many have posted online already.

Many people are looking at this from the perspective for the legal argument over the concept of libel and the wisdom of suing your customers (or at least potential customers).

If I had a dime for every seller who complained about stuff that was not wrong I wouldn't have to sell on eBay to make extra money. Just lately I had a seller complain that the pants are not the correct size and must be mislabeled (this, after her measuring them and confirming they are exactly the size I stated).

Personally I think this a great case of a seller who is feeling very disenfranchised by eBay. Again and again both eBay and PayPal have made moves to take all power away from sellers. PayPal literally forces you to accept returns (with little recourse if the item is returned damaged) and now eBay doesn't allow sellers to leave anything other than positive feedback.

If eBay/PayPal don't stop placing roadblocks they are soon going to find themselves in a very deep hole.