I don't think there is anything pre-emptive that you can do.  I don't know if there is even anything you strike against the guy.



But it seems like Ebay does have a feedback removal policy for such a claim:



http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/feed ... rawal.html

B-
You need to start a dialog with ebay immediately. You can go the customer service route or on the auction section of you item(s) there is a link to "report a problem."

Hopefully, the guy will threaten you with negs. I know that sounds severe, but that is a direct violation and if you can get it in "ink" it will help.

I had the same problem with a lady from Canada last year. I sold her about $200 in Playmobile stuff - which was a great deal.

She demanded I send it UPS which cost me more than the original shipping quote via usps, but I obliged. She never asked me to check the gift box, and I would not have anyway. Just because Canada is out to screw its residents, I am not gonna be hit with mail fraud.

A few days later she hits me with I owe her $85 bucks for customs. I said no freaking way. After a few not so friendly emails, she dropped it and I never heard from her again.

I kept all her emails and let her know that fact.

I'd appeal to eBay and I'm pretty sure they'll side with you on this.
I'm also pretty sure most non-asshole people are willing to buy from people with negative feedback when they see the feedback is from a guy who doesn't want to pay his own country's import duty.

The again, on large value items, I specifically exclude Italy and France because their postal systems and my personal customer experiences have told me that those country's are not worth dealing with. France in second only to Italy on the world stage of nightmare seller experiences.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Everyone meets with assholes sooner or later, and you'll find it won't harm your sales one bit. And if you do feel really agreaved, post his e-mail address in some gay chatrooms; New to Paris and looking for casual friends for fun nights. E-mail me with ideas for a wild night and maybe I'll make it happen. That's piss the guy off.

Mars wrote:I don't think there is anything pre-emptive that you can do.  I don't know if there is even anything you strike against the guy.

But it seems like Ebay does have a feedback removal policy for such a claim:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/feed ... rawal.html

You're right, if you scroll down that page:



"Customs Requirements



eBay will remove Feedback if the listing meets the Customs Requirements below and the seller receives a negative or neutral Feedback comment which references customs delays or customs fees.



International Buyers -- Please Note:



Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.



Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying."



The part that's funny, if it weren't so stupid is

"eBay is provided with a valid court order requesting Feedback Removal".

That's somewhat easier to do if you live here in California, but if you live in another state, are you really going to go through all the expense and time to file in court, even if it's small claims?



Another example of how Ebay's wonderful on language, and not so great on objectively resolving issues.

Blackmoor, did you see this posting on the eBay Canada web site in January?

It addresses feedback removal for complaints about duties on international shipments and seems to address your specific problem.

As usual it looks like eBay is willing to throw the seller under the bus.



http://www2.ebay.com/aw/ca/200901121055222.html

jasonw1239 wrote:Blackmoor, did you see this posting on the eBay Canada web site in January?
It addresses feedback removal for complaints about duties on international shipments and seems to address your specific problem.
As usual it looks like eBay is willing to throw the seller under the bus.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/ca/200901121055222.html

Like I said, only the idiocy that is Ebay's rules would actually require a seller to list in your auction explicitly, "I will not break the law for a buyer" in order for them to consider removing the feedback.  What a freaking joke.

What's the user name, Jeff? Just so we can avoid the same hassle...

Regards

Mike

bbarsh wrote:
No shit. What a freaking joke. Like most buyers are stupid enough to actually say something regarding the duty in their feedback. The odds of that happening are slim to none. They are going to hammer the seller with some generic comment....

"Crook." "Beware of this seller. Can't be trusted."

You get the idea.

So the seller is required to add bullshit language and the buyer has to screw up his feedback for a seller to get removal.

What a freaking joke.

Where exactly are all those guys defending ebays moronic policies towards sellers?

That's why it is important to get E-Bay involved early.  If you can show them communication from the buyer that shows he is unhappy with the customs fees, then hopefully they will remove any negs, even if they are just generic BS.

Grug Greyskin wrote:

That's why it is important to get E-Bay involved early.  If you can show them communication from the buyer that shows he is unhappy with the customs fees, then hopefully they will remove any negs, even if they are just generic BS.

Read my first post in the thread. I already suggested that. However, this will NOT protect you from neg feedback if the buyer is careful about his wording. They can hit you with any sort of generic language. Or simply just say nothing. Buyers have ZERO requirement in leaving negative feedback. What is the worst thing that could happen to them? We have seen sellers from this site get hit with negatives because their shipment arrives three days after the auction ended! Apparently, that particular buyer thought it should be there in two days...And exactly how did ebay help out? They didn't do a fucking thing.



I had a guy, a few years ago, email me every day after the auction ended asking when his Top Secret Box set was going to arrive. I told him it would take 3-5 days via parcel post and gave him the tracking number to prove I sent it the day after the auction ended. For whatever reason it arrived seven days after the auction ended. The day he got it, he left me a negative for slow shipping! I emailed the asshat and asked for an explaination, and he obliged saying the shipment was slow!!!!! I copied everything to ebay. They did nothing, citing the buyer had a right to leave his feedback even if it was stupid because he was telling the truth??? In short, they claimed his feedback was accurate and did not constitute a violation of ebay rules. In the same fucking email they "warned" me about leaving retalitory feedback. That is ebay.



In this particular case, Blackie is already screwed because I am pretty confident that he did not have the ebay verbage in his auction regarding international buyers who try to screw domestic sellers.



No, as Brian so eloquently stated, ebay's policy of telling sellers that we need to inform buyers that they shouldn't ask us, sellers, to break the law is patently idiotic.



Ebay's policy is to NOT remove a neg. They might as well come out and say it - which they practically have.