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Negative ramifications

Entrepreneur, Oct, 2005 by Ruth West, Cliff Ennico

In reference to "eBay Made Easy" by Cliff Ennico (May), I must, as a longtime seller, implore you to correct a statement made in the article: "Unfortunately, some customers will threaten to leave nega-tive feedback if you don't do what they want, even if they are being unreasonable. Most of the time, you're best advised to meet their demands because 'the customer is always right,' and because you want to avoid negative feedback on eBay at all costs."

This is totally incorrect information and dangerous to the eBay community. What Ennico states is equivalent to bowing down before a blackmailer.

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As a frequent poster on eBay's Community help boards, I see these instances often. People truly believe that with negative feedback, their eBay careers are ruined. That is simply not the case for those given negatives due to threats or bullying. I am shocked that you would incorporate this very idea into an otherwise well-written article.

To know what it really takes to sell on eBay, come by the eBay discussion boards and read the situations other users bring to these boards every day. Without payment, we give the best advice on eBay to anyone who requests it.

RUTH WEST

Oswego, Illinois

Cliff Ennico responds: The situation the reader refers to, in which a buyer unfairly leaves negative feedback, is one sellers should absolutely contest--eBay has some excellent resources for that. However, in the article, I was focusing on the need to avoid negative feedback in the first place by doing all you can to keep the customer satisfied, even if the customer is a little unreasonable, unsophisticated or immature, and even if you occasionally have to let the buyer out of a transaction and post the item again to avoid negative feedback.

Business Services Industry

Negative ramifications

Entrepreneur, Oct, 2005 by Ruth West, Cliff Ennico

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