FBA feedback rant
Just a rant…and open to any advice to get this feedback comment removed, or some AZ rep intervention would be even better!
I sell the majority of my stuff via FBA, anything from £5 toys to £1000+ cameras…get the odd rogue customer playing the easy returns system etc, but it’s a cost worth paying considering the convenience of the platform.
Another major benefit of FBA is how easy it is to get negative feedback comments removed (when it’s an FBA error).
Anyway, I sold a £400+ iPad (New) the other day, via FBA. A day or 2 after the item had shipped, a 1* rating showed on my feedback. It reads: Not delivered on time and wrong item sent.
‘No problem!’ - I thought. 'Amazon will remove that within 15 minutes, as it’s clearly an FBA mess-up.
Opened a case, but it got rejected. Frustrating…appealed, and got another auto-reply rejection.
So, decided to message the customer to ensure there was no error on my part (wrong colour, GB size etc). The customer replies within 30 minutes, saying that they received a £7 book rather than their iPad!!! WOW! (I don’t sell this product, and books account for 0.001% of my sales.) They were very understanding that it was an fulfilment error, and not directly my fault.
Re-appealed feedback, re-rejected by Amazon, despite screenshotting the customers messages saying they received the wrong item via FBA. Phoned a SS rep, who was helpful and saw logic, but had to re-appeal on my behalf to the feedback appeal team.
Now the feedback team have re-rejected my appeal with a not-quite-as-automated response, telling me to send in more stock to they can check my items (currently sold out, more stock going in next week).
Why can’t there be some common sense applied here? I get that Amazon has it’s own policies, but one of their policies is to remove neg feedback when FBA are at fault!
Rant over…for now
FBA feedback rant
Just a rant…and open to any advice to get this feedback comment removed, or some AZ rep intervention would be even better!
I sell the majority of my stuff via FBA, anything from £5 toys to £1000+ cameras…get the odd rogue customer playing the easy returns system etc, but it’s a cost worth paying considering the convenience of the platform.
Another major benefit of FBA is how easy it is to get negative feedback comments removed (when it’s an FBA error).
Anyway, I sold a £400+ iPad (New) the other day, via FBA. A day or 2 after the item had shipped, a 1* rating showed on my feedback. It reads: Not delivered on time and wrong item sent.
‘No problem!’ - I thought. 'Amazon will remove that within 15 minutes, as it’s clearly an FBA mess-up.
Opened a case, but it got rejected. Frustrating…appealed, and got another auto-reply rejection.
So, decided to message the customer to ensure there was no error on my part (wrong colour, GB size etc). The customer replies within 30 minutes, saying that they received a £7 book rather than their iPad!!! WOW! (I don’t sell this product, and books account for 0.001% of my sales.) They were very understanding that it was an fulfilment error, and not directly my fault.
Re-appealed feedback, re-rejected by Amazon, despite screenshotting the customers messages saying they received the wrong item via FBA. Phoned a SS rep, who was helpful and saw logic, but had to re-appeal on my behalf to the feedback appeal team.
Now the feedback team have re-rejected my appeal with a not-quite-as-automated response, telling me to send in more stock to they can check my items (currently sold out, more stock going in next week).
Why can’t there be some common sense applied here? I get that Amazon has it’s own policies, but one of their policies is to remove neg feedback when FBA are at fault!
Rant over…for now
44 replies
Seller_mBENc0rmDmw5W
That is a WOW …
I wonder if the book buyer received the iPad?
You will need to escalate this to manager level. Ridiculous scenario.
Has the original buyer received a refund?
Seller_WG8r4Lhjzpcnp
Nothing now surprises me these days re: FBA and the issue of negative feedback removal. Had a similar experience recently where Amazon delivered the wrong item & the customer left negative feedback.
A request to remove it received the automated response of ‘doesn’t meet the criteria for removal’. Same happened when I re-opened the case x5 times, finally removed on the 6th when ‘it did meet the criteria’
Must say losing faith with Amazon & FBA
Seller_eGO9KSInAj3xy
Did FBA send any paperwork with the book, ie a despatch note saying it was a book? (I find that FBA routinely doesn’t include despatch notes in their parcels any more).
Or did the customer receive an iPad but pretend they were sent a book? Just wondering.
Seller_xDtaDZ1Iek9Fq
We just had a FBA one removed but an earlier one can’t be shifted at all! No logic at all but try to speak on phone or chat rather than mail.
Seller_SHpe5c4eREBFN
Frankly if a shipping error occurred then that is poor service and if we accept that a feedback system is appropriate then it deserves negative feedback. I sell FBA and FBM and although the feedback removal process for FBA can work to help me I do not agree with it at all. If I - or any other seller - chooses to use FBA then we should benefit from their efficiency or suffer from their ineptitude. At the end of the day we choose Amazon, Royal Mail, Hermes or whoever to deliver or otherwise process out products and therefore making that choice makes US responsible for the service as far as our relationship with our customer is concerned. So suck it up and accept the feedback as a prompt to re-consider your operating methods.
I expect a lot of criticism from FBA sellers from this post but maybe you can explain to us all why you think a customer being given poor service should be whitewashed out of the system? I have my flack jacket on!
Seller_lt0vdQSvuVUco
With the lottery of wrong items sent, feedbacks and fraudulent A-Zs, how long is going to be before buying and selling on Amazon is considered a form of gambling?
At least there’d be a bit of outside regulation then, so I’d personally welcome it.
Seller_i85OVInMBLJBG
It seems to me that Seller Support is a significant cost center for Amazon and. like any other organization, will look at ways to reduce that cost. Using automated responses based on some AI algorithms is one way to save money, especially for FAQ-type cases. So to get through the ‘bot’ front I think you just have to keep raising your case in as many different ways as possible. Top tips to get a resolution are, keep maintaining your cool, explain as clearly and precisely what the issue is (even if you have to keep repeating yourself) and send any supporting evidence that you have. Persistence is key, especially if you feel your case is strong. If not then best to move on and not waste any more time and effort.
Seller_JvPqxFmKXNZ35
we have had approximately 10 items over the last couple of months same type of issue.
had 99% feedback down to 95% due to these.
madness,.
Seller_MsJ6YT6qCNnJ8
hi i found that happen to me i sent a very rare dvd to paris the buyer had ordered of a week before amazon told me i sent it by international sign for.3 weeks went by the seller opened a dispute stating never got it .it was very rare worth over £116.amazon stated that i sent the item over 3 weeks late .and refunded the scrammer a £116.00 .i took amazon to court but they settle out of court as it showed up that the scrammer had signed for it 2 weeks earlier .the cost two me was over £200 after losted time
Seller_RnE6ojbcppxmB
Happened to us a few weeks ago. Amazon delivered a gift voucher instead of our goods. After getting no joy from ss an email to the managing director got the feedback removed and an apology. Feedback should be removed for mistakes made by FBA. It’s not the same as picking and packing yourself and using Royal Mail and anyone who thinks differently is obviously jealous as they probably don’t sell the type of goods which are suitable to FBA. It’s a contract between Amazon and the FBA seller and should be honoured.
