eBay - customer service and feedback policies - unable to get incorrect negative feedback removed

# 9 for April 10, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on April 9, 2002:

From: Sandi Begley [Email User]

RE: eBay - customer service and feedback policies - unable to get incorrect negative feedback removed

I would just like to complain about big corporations who don't care about the little customers. Because they are mulitmillion dollar companies, they have more power than us.

e-bay is the particular company that I am having a problem with. In particular, their customer service (or lack of it) department.

On Jan. 23, 2002 I won an auction on their site from scooby7891. I sent this seller a PayPal (online) payment 1 hr and 20 min. after the auction ended. I received my item and thought everything was fine. Imagine my surprise almost 2 months later when I see that the seller left negative feedback for me on the e-bay site, saying that I NEVER PAID FOR HER AUCTION.

I contacted the seller and she realized that she had made a mistake and given me negative feedback that was intended for another buyer. She contacted e-bay and asked them to remove the feedback.

I contacted e-bay and asked them to remove the feedback. I provided them with a copy of my payment so that they would know that it was not true.

One might think that any ethical and reputable company would do the right thing and remove it. Well, not e-bay ! I still have that comment on my feedback for all potential sellers to see. I consider it an insult to my integrity and feel that it damages my reputation, which as an active duty Army officer is very important to me.

According to their policy, negative feedback can be removed if the person who wrote the comment tells them that it was a mistake, tells them who was supposed to get the comment, and gives that person the comment. This seller says that she has followed through and done that. But, e-bay still persists in leaving the comment on their site for everyone to read.

I actually, received an e-mail from one person in customer disservice, Phyllis, which said.... "Unless feedback meets the guidelines outlined in the removal policy we cannot remove the comment. This can even include situations where the comments may be libelous or untrue. "

Now I ask.... what company makes corporate policies that say..... we don't care if what is written about you on our site is libelous or untrue !!!!! e-bay, that's who !

They, of course do have an option. I can pay Square Trade, an online mediator $20 and if the seller agrees to work with them also, they will remove it. A mediator is necessary if 2 people have a dispute and can't reach an agreement. The seller and I are in agreement that it was a mistake.

Why should a mulitmillion dollar business feel the need to punish an innocent person like me by making me pay $20 to clear my reputation when I did nothing wrong and they have the ability to correct the mistake ?

Once, they did tell me that they had requested some additional information from the seller before they could determine if they could remove it. I have sent them 2 e-mails at Email User to see if they received the additional information that they needed, but they can't seem to find the time to answer and tell me that either. Guess they are too busy .... going to the bank.

Shocked to see such blatant disregard by a customer service for the reputation of people,

Sandi Begley