Negative feedback EBay seller - red flag or no big whoop?

[Belfast1933]

Wondering how experienced Net 54 buyers on ebay handle possible purchases from sellers on ebay when sellers have one bad review out of many.

I am thinking about bidding on a card in an ebay auction and it looks like the seller has about 1000 reviews in the last year with only one negative review - but the narrative from that one review is pretty lousy. The sellers response to the negative review is confrontational and sarcastic. Kind of weak-sauce, in my view

But all other (900+) reviews are fine.

It’s a potential high $$ purchase for me (around $2k) so I am extra cautious and wonder how others filter or consider feedback like this.

Appreciate any feedback on ebay feedback! 🙃

Jeff

[Jim65]

I would put a lot of weight in the sellers nasty response. Even if that buyer was a complete jerkoff, the sellers nasty response is there for all his future customers to see. He either doesn't care or is a jerk himself. Either way, I move on.

[butchie_t]

If you don’t feel comfortable with the seller, trust your gut feeling and move on.

That cost absolutely nothing.

[rand1com]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Wondering how experienced Net 54 buyers on ebay handle possible purchases from sellers on ebay when sellers have one bad review out of many.

I am thinking about bidding on a card in an ebay auction and it looks like the seller has about 1000 reviews in the last year with only one negative review - but the narrative from that one review is pretty lousy. The sellers response to the negative review is confrontational and sarcastic. Kind of weak-sauce, in my view

But all other (900+) reviews are fine.

It’s a potential high $$ purchase for me (around $2k) so I am extra cautious and wonder how others filter or consider feedback like this.

Appreciate any feedback on ebay feedback! 🙃

Jeff

Let's see. 1/1000 = .001 That is the ratio of negatives versus positives. There is always one customer out of 1000 who cannot be satisfied with any transaction. I would buy in a minute if the price is right and the item is something I wanted from a seller with this feedback level. Ebay stands behind the buyer in almost all instances if something goes wrong and 99.99% nothing appears to go wrong with this seller.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by rand1com

Let's see. 1/1000 = .001 That is the ratio of negatives versus positives. There is always one customer out of 1000 who cannot be satisfied with any transaction. I would buy in a minute if the price is right and the item is something I wanted from a seller with this feedback level. Ebay stands behind the buyer in almost all instances if something goes wrong and 99.99% nothing appears to go wrong with this seller.

+1....

[notfast]

If you didn’t do business with a person or place because of one negative review, you’d never go anywhere or buy anything from anyone.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by notfast

If you didn’t do business with a person or place because of one negative review, you’d never go anywhere or buy anything from anyone.

^^THIS^^ eBay feedback has been completely worthless from the beginning. Most transactions never give/receive feedback. Plus who wants to completely waste their time going through someones feedback. When it is very rare that eBay won't force a refund so buyers are protected.

[D. Bergin]

I know you don't want to out the seller, but can you post the negative review and the response to it?

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by notfast

If you didn’t do business with a person or place because of one negative review, you’d never go anywhere or buy anything from anyone.

Its not just one negative. The sellers nasty response could mean hes not reasonable to deal with if theres a problem.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Jim65

Its not just one negative. The sellers nasty response could mean hes not reasonable to deal with if theres a problem.

1 in 1000?? I would take my chances.
The guy walks on water.

[Frankish]

Originally Posted by rand1com

Let's see. 1/1000 = .001 That is the ratio of negatives versus positives. There is always one customer out of 1000 who cannot be satisfied with any transaction. I would buy in a minute if the price is right and the item is something I wanted from a seller with this feedback level. Ebay stands behind the buyer in almost all instances if something goes wrong and 99.99% nothing appears to go wrong with this seller.

+2

I understand that the seller's response may not be to everyone's liking, but I imagine as a seller (I've never sold anything on ebay myself) that dealing with people who abuse the system is frustrating. Also, I'd guess that negative feedback gets left almost all the time while positive feedback is probably more spotty. So the real ratio of satisfied customers to unsatisfied is probably even more lopsided.

[GeoPoto]

FWIW, leaving negative feedback is about the last thing I would ever do. There is no limit to the potential depravity you could excite. I would block the seller/buyer and move on.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[tschock]

1/900+? Probably fine to do business with. But there is not enough context in the OP's initial post for me to provide an opinion as to what I would do in this specific instance. I've read to many negative reviews that I'd call BS negs which didn't diminish my confidence in the seller.

[Belfast1933]

Awesome advice… I really appreciate the points of view. I think I’ll keep the seller’s details private

FYI, I actually reached to and heard back from the seller just this morning and he seems very accommodating.

So, I think I might take the small (.0001!) risk - the card is super cool and would be a great add to my “card cave!”

I’ll post a post-action soon to say how it ends up going. Thx again all.

Jeff

[Jewish-collector]

This thread really gets interesting if the seller is a member of Net54.

[steve B]

I've dealt with worse and been fine, although most of what I buy is cheap.

I look at what sort of buyer is posting the negative. Usually it's someone with not much feedback themselves and usually unrealistic expectations based on Amazon.

If the negative feedback is from someone with a lot of feedback, I take it more seriously. But I also look at their feedback left, which can be very telling. One buyer had something like 5-6000 feedback, but most of what he left as negatives was impatience. Like something shipped right away, but 2 days later he's leaving a negative because it hasn't gotten across the country yet.

[Fred]

1 out of 1K aint so bad. If you have concerns because of the sellers response then try to look a little further and see if there is feedback for high dollar sales that can give you a little more reassurance before pulling the trigger. Just don't wait too long, especially if it's a card you think may sell quickly at the listed price.

[kmac32]

Wouldn’t worry about 1 negative feedback. It happens! Be aware that buying on eBay that they are now charging sales tax on most purchases so factor that in to your purchase.

Kmac

[mrreality68]

Hi

I agree with the majority of the responses already.
IF they have that many positive and only 1 negative it seems that the seller is a good seller.
And since you communicated with the seller and they seem to have been responsive and accomodating then I would bid and feel confident in that seller.
Plus ebay has buyer protections

But in the end you need to comfortable with the transaction and if you have any doubts or concerns then pass on that seller and wait for another seller or Auction House that has that card that you are comfortable with

But again without knowing the specifics I would go forward with this seller

[Tao_Moko]

I work with two sellers that have more than one negative feedback. I spent time winning them over on communication with lower cost purchases and have had great success in my transactions on higher value items since. The benefit you ask? Better deals because others avoid the seller. There's obviously a point where it's not worth it, but I say go for it.

[jingram058]

I have bought 677 different items, including cards and memorabilia, since 1997 on eBay. Have never had a problem that could not be resolved. Not 1. Have bought MANY items from sellers with less than 100%. I have also passed on some things I would like to have had from some who were less than 100% but were more than questionable. Just use common sense. 1 negative out of 1,000 would most certainly not stop me from bidding or buying.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

If you don’t feel comfortable with the seller, trust your gut feeling and move on.

That cost absolutely nothing.

Trust your gut more than anyone elses opinion always!

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by Leon

1 in 1000?? I would take my chances.
The guy walks on water.

If it were just 1 negative and no response, I'd agree. Most sellers are awesome but its how they handle problems that I'm interested in. If a seller responds to a negative feedback with a response that is "confrontational and sarcastic" it could be a red flag that he might not be helpful if a problem arises. If I'm spending $2000, his response would make me look for another seller. I understand that people will disagree.

[Mike D.]

I have one negative feedback on eBay. Someone bought a card and when it arrived wrote to say the card wasn’t near mint. I said “the listing doesn’t say the card is NM, but if you send it back I can give you a full refund”.

They left negative feedback instead. I didn’t reply to the feedback, with or without snark.

The guy never sent the card back and never asked for a refund…so I kept his money.

[G1911]

If I didn't deal with people because they had only 999/1,000 happy deals, I would have nobody to buy anything in this world from.

[bnorth]

I went and looked. I made 16 purchases in the last 60 days on eBay. Not a single seller had perfect 100% positive feedback. It ranged from 97%-99% and all those purchases went perfectly. With eBay buying/selling over the years I expect 1 problem per 100 transactions.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Jim65

If it were just 1 negative and no response, I'd agree. Most sellers are awesome but its how they handle problems that I'm interested in. If a seller responds to a negative feedback with a response that is "confrontational and sarcastic" it could be a red flag that he might not be helpful if a problem arises. If I'm spending $2000, his response would make me look for another seller. I understand that people will disagree.

It's 1 in a 1000 chance. Roll the dice, live dangerously.
.

[drcy]

A local restauranteur said he got a negative review on Yelp before the restaurant had opened. He said he assumed it was from competition.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Negative feedback EBay seller - red flag or no big whoop?

I'd call it a very tiny whoop.

[chadeast]

Come have a coffee, we'll talk.

[Snowman]

The only time I avoid buying from bad sellers is when a good seller is offering the same item at a similar price. I'll buy from sellers with far worse feedback than 1 bad review. There's really no risk. If you don't get your item or if it's not as described, eBay will just refund you.

[buymycards]

I have had a few negs during the 23 years that I have been selling on eBay. I can recall the details on 2 of them:

The first one was when I was selling a partial set of non-sports cards. It was mentioned a couple of times in the listing that this was a partial set and that the buyer would receive 90 of the 108 cards that were in the set. So, I received a neg because the buyer didn't receive a full set. He didn't ask for a refund, he didn't ask for a return, and he didn't contact me except for the neg.

The second was on a $2 card that I sent to Canada. The large scan clearly showed a crease and the description stated that the card was creased. So, the buyer gave me a neg because the card was creased. He didn't contact me, he didn't ask for a refund (I did give him a refund), and he didn't ask for a return. In the neg he called me several names, including being a crook. All of that for a $2 card.

I think a have had a couple of other negs along the way, but I don't remember the circumstances.

I received a neutral around a year ago. Again, the buyer didn't contact me so I didn't know there was a problem.

So, the negs happen, no matter how hard a person tries. I don't waste my time calling eBay to get the negs and neutrals removed. I just move on. I have 8400 feedbacks as a seller, with several thousand more items sold where feedback wasn't left.

So, when I am buying, I do sometimes look at the negs for a seller, but generally, if their feedback if over 99%, I don't worry about it. I have over 1700 unique feedbacks as a buyer, and I have only had a few minor problems that were easily resolved.

[mrreality68]

All we ask is when and if you buy the card.

1. share the experience that you had.
2. Share a picture of the card so we can enjoy your success with you

[jchcollins]

One negative out of hundreds or thousands on eBay is usually not a problem. But if feedback overall is below 99%, I normally go searching in the history to see if I can tell what the problem is or if there is a pattern. Here, especially with bulk sellers or like if I'm putting together a lot of vintage commons - you will find sellers with a history of crappy shipping practices, lack of attention to detail, etc. etc. These are the folks I avoid. Of course some can't help themselves and make it easy by leaving snarky or foul responses to legit negative feedback. These guys are easy to steer clear of.

[bobbyw8469]

I got a neg recently because I sent the card to the address Ebay supplied. Apparently the guy moved and was furious that I mailed it to his old address. The one that Ebay supplied me with.

[Buythatcard]

You can't judge a Seller for his one response to this buyer. You don't know what might have been going on behind the scenes.

I recently received a negative form a buyer (which eBay removed). He complained about how the cards were protected during shipping. It was a lot of 16 cards which I forgot to place each individual card in a penny sleeve. I protected the cards with top loaders on the outside of the group plus shipped in a firm bubble envelope. Cards arrived in perfect condition. But that wasn't good enough for him.

My response to him was strong not just because he lied in part of his comments but he also sent me 8 eMails. He harassed me over and over saying that he was going to drag my name thru social media. All over nothing. I checked to see what kind of feedback he left for other sellers. He left multiple negs where he complained and complained. He was just a chronic complainer. I blocked him, ebay removed his remarks and I moved on.

So, maybe the buyer in this case that the OP was talking about harassed the seller and the seller was frustrated.
One neg in a thousand wouldn't stop me from purchasing from this seller.

[Belfast1933]

So, as the guy who started the thread, I wanted to put a bow tie on this one... it's a good and bad news ending

The good news? The seller is a great dude... he was responsive, friendly and we even met (ironically, I noticed he lives 2 town from me!). So I asked if he'd mind a brief meet/greet so I could see the card I was planning to bid on. He enthusiastically said yep, we met this morning and had a great mini chat, the card looked awesome and i tucked away the 1/1,000 bad Ebay review. Clearly a non-issue with this seller.

The bad news? I got shnookered in the auction! The card got away from me and just went past my budget - DOH!! (Looking for a great King Kelly to add to my collection btw... have one? "Call me!")

But I'd much rather tell this story than the reverse - good guy/lost card is better than bad guy/got card.

Anywho... thanks again for all of the advice and your own experience here. I enjoyed (and learned) the process over the last day or two.

Back to the drwaing board #insearchofKingKelly

Have a great weekend (and Go Sox!)

Jeff

[isiahfan]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

So, as the guy who started the thread, I wanted to put a bow tie on this one... it's a good and bad news ending

The good news? The seller is a great dude... he was responsive, friendly and we even met (ironically, I noticed he lives 2 town from me!). So I asked if he'd mind a brief meet/greet so I could see the card I was planning to bid on. He enthusiastically said yep, we met this morning and had a great mini chat, the card looked awesome and i tucked away the 1/1,000 bad Ebay review. Clearly a non-issue with this seller.

The bad news? I got shnookered in the auction! The card got away from me and just went past my budget - DOH!! (Looking for a great King Kelly to add to my collection btw... have one? "Call me!")

But I'd much rather tell this story than the reverse - good guy/lost card is better than bad guy/got card.

Anywho... thanks again for all of the advice and your own experience here. I enjoyed (and learned) the process over the last day or two.

Back to the drwaing board #insearchofKingKelly

Have a great weekend (and Go Sox!)

Jeff

Sorry you missed out on the card...a couple points to add...I feel eBay is so biased towards buyers that I enjoy sellers standing up for themselves against BS negatives (even if they are a little snarky)....for the record I have ). Also, maybe next time if you ever have an in person meeting again offer cash...quick..fast..and he saves 10% on fees and you X% on tax and shipping...win-win

[The-Cardfather]

Originally Posted by steve B

If the negative feedback is from someone with a lot of feedback, I take it more seriously. But I also look at their feedback left, which can be very telling. One buyer had something like 5-6000 feedback, but most of what he left as negatives was impatience. Like something shipped right away, but 2 days later he's leaving a negative because it hasn't gotten across the country yet.

I've just dealt with this exact issue. I sold a glossy photo to someone with a 1000+ feedback score. Although USPS tracking showed it as delivered, the buyer claimed that he never received it. I had him wait an extra 5 days. He still hadn't received it, so I sent him a new one - free of charge (and I let him know that I did this). Of course, he received the original one on the following day. Here's the kicker: He left me "neutral" feedback because the USPS delivered the parcel late. How the $@*&# is that my fault?!

[bmattioli]

Buyer on EBay since 1997 and never have gone by Sellers feedback. Buy soley on FB groups where there is no feedback only sellers rep which is all I need..