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I've never written a negative ebay review with either of my (two) accounts until today. Just wanted to pass on this info as it may be helpful to others.

I won the auction for a Contemptor Dread from MiniBattleBitz on 11/30. The next day I received an ebay message asking if this was for a conversion and if I wanted the arms. The seller stated he could replace them with something else from his inventory. I replied that I did want the arms on the same day.

Ebay showed an expected delivery date of 12/9.

On 12/12 it hadn't arrived, so I sent an ebay message asking for a tracking number and shipping date.

On 12/14, I asked again, as there was no response to the previous message.

I received a response to the second message on the same day stating that it had arrived at the Memphis TN post office, but not moved since.

I then asked (again) for a tracking number.

I received a response the next day (12/15) asking for my city, state, and zip. I responded same day.

MiniBattleBitz never sent me the tracking number (it's been two days since my last request).


Fortunately, the item arrived on the 16th. It hadn't been shipped till the 5th. The sprue was placed in a manilla envelope with no invoice or padding. The envelope had been punctured in places from the sprue poking through during its transit. The base was not included. To be fair the description didn't mention the base. Though the entirety of the description was "Horus Heresy Betrayal at Calth Sor Gharax (World EaterContemptor Dreadnaught)" with the assembly picture from the set (which included the base).

In the end, I got the item and it isn't damaged from what I can tell. Since it's for a conversion, even if it was, I wouldn't mind too much. I don't really need the base (I have plenty of them). But the packaging, late shipping, and (most of all) poor communication led me to leave negative feedback for the first time in something like 10 years of ebay usage.

Was my negative feedback justified? I'm feeling a bit guilty for it.

eBay is the Wild West. Most people will probably take the opinion that if you didn't wind up gut shot in an alley outside an opium den, you had whatever you got coming to you.

My personal opinion? If you weren't satisfied with the purchase, it was a negative experience. Here's my measuring stick: if you would buy from them again, neutral feedback. If you think they've demonstrated enough shadiness that you won't purchase from this user in the future, negative feedback; one thumb down for them, and another from the horse they rode in on.

I don't think the negative was unjustified. That sounds like a pretty crappy buying experience. Even with the seasonal increase in transit time for packages this time of year there is no excuse for the tracking number shenanigans the seller pulled. Things arrive late in December a lot, but as a seller the least you can do is ship on time and provide the buyer with a tracking number. If there is a delay in shipping that should be communicated to the buyer so they can anticipate the longer transit time for their purchase. From my experience most buyers are pretty happy to just be kept in the loop, and any slight delays are understood once they are communicated properly.

Usually if the seller is slow, or crappy to deal with, but I get the item intact I leave neutral. However, lack of communication is a big button for me, so personally, I think your negative is completely justified.

I'm in a similar boat with a comic seller online. Ordered a book that had $5 shipping (and I paid full retail, because it was OOP; Onslaught book 4). It took him ten days before he shipped it out. That's a little ridiculous. I considered negative feedback, but he sent updates about processing and didn't have a jacked up price for something hard to find. So in the end, I just didn't leave him any, which I felt was fair. I might buy from him again, I'd just have to do it when time didn't matter to me. In this day and age, waiting 10 days to ship from a webstore when the item is actually in stock is inexcusable.

@timetowaste85 -

You could leave neutral feedback and just say "slow to ship". Alerts other potential buyers

You should have bought from my auctions. :p
I ship fast and package with instructions and the base in a white box.

Generally, I would only leave negative feedback if the item I received was not as described and the seller was unreasonable with subsequent communication/or no communication. Most sellers will be reasonable if you're not happy with the item and will reach an amicable solution.

If the item itself is spot on and exactly as expected (and I didn't need it on time) then I personally would have just left neutral feedback and put late shipping as the comment.

However, you should not feel too bad about leaving negative feedback in this case. I presume that they put the item would be posted within x days of receiving payment. If this is the case then they have not done what they said when they sold you the item. It could have even been the reason you bought it over the others.

If there was a delay in shipping then they should have communicated that to you - apologies, the item is delayed for reason such and such etc etc. Unless they are living on a rock in the middle of a desert with no internet then it doesn't take much to send you a quick message. Negative feedback for not shipping item when they said they would and for little to no communication isn't too harsh.

I'm not sure about postage in the US, but did they charge you for a premium rate postage, but then shipped it under a lower postage bracket? If that was the case, you would be justified in asking them to reimburse you the difference in postage.

 Slaphead wrote:


I'm not sure about postage in the US, but did they charge you for a premium rate postage, but then shipped it under a lower postage bracket? If that was the case, you would be justified in asking them to reimburse you the difference in postage.

No complaints about the postage costs- it was appropriate for the amount paid for postage plus the envelope.


Never heard back from them after the negative feedback. At this point I'll just buy from someone else in the future, or keep buying from the FLGS.

 theHandofGork wrote:
I've never written a negative ebay review with either of my (two) accounts until today. Just wanted to pass on this info as it may be helpful to others.

I won the auction for a Contemptor Dread from MiniBattleBitz on 11/30. The next day I received an ebay message asking if this was for a conversion and if I wanted the arms. The seller stated he could replace them with something else from his inventory. I replied that I did want the arms on the same day.

Ebay showed an expected delivery date of 12/9.

On 12/12 it hadn't arrived, so I sent an ebay message asking for a tracking number and shipping date.

On 12/14, I asked again, as there was no response to the previous message.

I received a response to the second message on the same day stating that it had arrived at the Memphis TN post office, but not moved since.

I then asked (again) for a tracking number.

I received a response the next day (12/15) asking for my city, state, and zip. I responded same day.

MiniBattleBitz never sent me the tracking number (it's been two days since my last request).


Fortunately, the item arrived on the 16th. It hadn't been shipped till the 5th. The sprue was placed in a manilla envelope with no invoice or padding. The envelope had been punctured in places from the sprue poking through during its transit. The base was not included. To be fair the description didn't mention the base. Though the entirety of the description was "Horus Heresy Betrayal at Calth Sor Gharax (World EaterContemptor Dreadnaught)" with the assembly picture from the set (which included the base).

In the end, I got the item and it isn't damaged from what I can tell. Since it's for a conversion, even if it was, I wouldn't mind too much. I don't really need the base (I have plenty of them). But the packaging, late shipping, and (most of all) poor communication led me to leave negative feedback for the first time in something like 10 years of ebay usage.

Was my negative feedback justified? I'm feeling a bit guilty for it.

... why are you bitching about the packaging when the stuff arrived undamaged?

It took him 5 days to ship it. He was a LITTLE late shipping it. Its Xmas time and people are busy.

Bad communication I guess, but still don't think justified in this case.

kb305 wrote:
... why are you bitching about the packaging when the stuff arrived undamaged?

It took him 5 days to ship it. He was a LITTLE late shipping it. Its Xmas time and people are busy.

Bad communication I guess, but still don't think justified in this case.

I'm going to support what kb305 posted. Feedback should be about the product you got, the condition it arrived in, and if the description in the auction was accurate. I would have given him my canned positive feedback response but dinged him down to two stars on shipping. No reason to go beyond that.

kb305 wrote:
... why are you bitching about the packaging when the stuff arrived undamaged?

Packaging your stuff carelessly but miraculously not having anything get damaged as a result still gets you negative feedback. I've had packages arrive where somehow nothing was damaged, but the stuff inside was so carelessly packed that it was sheer luck that nothing was broken. You don't get to escape bad feedback just because your package was in the lucky 5% that USPS doesn't try to crush.

 Breotan wrote:

I'm going to support what kb305 posted. Feedback should be about the product you got, the condition it arrived in, and if the description in the auction was accurate.

Your list is incomplete according to eBay.

Rate details about this purchase

How accurate was the item description?

How satisfied were you with the seller's communication?

How quickly did the seller ship the item?

How reasonable were the shipping and handling charges?

Its right there as part of the four rated categories of a transaction.

If communication weren't important eBay wouldn't ask for that information on the Feedback response page.

 Peregrine wrote:

kb305 wrote:
... why are you bitching about the packaging when the stuff arrived undamaged?

Packaging your stuff carelessly but miraculously not having anything get damaged as a result still gets you negative feedback. I've had packages arrive where somehow nothing was damaged, but the stuff inside was so carelessly packed that it was sheer luck that nothing was broken. You don't get to escape bad feedback just because your package was in the lucky 5% that USPS doesn't try to crush.

You're anal about everything so this response is expected.

This was not a painted and assembled model. It doesn't need much packaging.

I've had sellers jam 8 sprues into an envelope and send it on its way to me. Damage is usually minimal and I don't care because the price was good, its just plastic - any bits that break are easily glued back on anyways.

I remember when to order miniatures you had to send a letter to the company with a cheque...

Wait for it to get there, wait for them to cash the cheque, wait for the cheque to clear, wait for them to make and pack the order and then wait for it to be posted back...

Maybe thats why Im not too bothered on how long stuff takes to arrive.

Please keep all conversation in here (and everywhere on Dakka Dakka) within the rules of the site.

Especially RULE #1.

Thanks!

Big P wrote:
I remember when to order miniatures you had to send a letter to the company with a cheque...

Wait for it to get there, wait for them to cash the cheque, wait for the cheque to clear, wait for them to make and pack the order and then wait for it to be posted back...

Maybe thats why Im not too bothered on how long stuff takes to arrive.

Damn kids these days with their electronic letter boxes and computer-y money machines! Why, in my day we traded dinosaur dung for minis, after walking uphill, both ways, to the town square--in the snow! Whippersnappers have it too easy, I say!

kb305 wrote:
You're anal about everything so this response is expected.

Well yes, when I pay money for something I expect it to arrive undamaged. I wouldn't accept damaged goods from a store, so why should I treat an individual seller any differently?

This was not a painted and assembled model. It doesn't need much packaging.

I've had sellers jam 8 sprues into an envelope and send it on its way to me. Damage is usually minimal and I don't care because the price was good, its just plastic - any bits that break are easily glued back on anyways.

And that's your choice to accept damaged goods without complaint. If someone packs eight sprues into an envelope like that for my purchase they're getting negative feedback for completely inadequate packaging, and if anything is damaged they're getting a refund demand. I do not waste my time doing repair work on damaged goods just so the seller can save a dollar or two on packaging.