How to Revise Negative Feedback on eBay

If an eBay seller has received negative feedback from a buyer, it can be removed with some work on the seller's part. Negative feedback doesn’t affect how eBay measures a seller’s performance. For its part, eBay is more concerned with a seller's defect and late shipment rates and whether they have cases that were closed without resolution than the buyer reviews.

For sellers, however, buyer ratings and feedback are very important, as they influence other buyer's decisions and can dissuade them from making a purchase. So it’s worth the effort to try to get the feedback revised, if possible, to prevent sales from decreasing.

Communicating With the Buyer Is Key

The first step in getting negative feedback removed is to contact the buyer directly. The feedback can be revised, but only with a mutual agreement of both parties, at which point the seller can notify eBay that they're willing to have the feedback withdrawn.

To get the discussion going, sellers can reach out to a buyer by clicking on the “Help & Contact” link on eBay, selecting the item in question (which should be pictured), choosing “Contacting a buyer or bidder,” and then clicking “Contact buyer.” 

That will take the seller to a page where they can write a note appealing directly to the buyer, explaining the situation. For instance, did the item ship late? A seller can explain why this happened and assure the buyer that it will not happen again. Or they can offer an explanation of whatever else led to the buyer’s dissatisfaction.

Requesting a Feedback Revision Through eBay

If the buyer is then willing to revise their feedback, the seller can request a feedback revision through eBay. A seller can make five such requests annually for every 1,000 ratings received, and the process is straightforward and simple.

Feedback Revision requests can be made by clicking the “Go to Feedback Forum” link on the “My eBay” page. Then select the “Request Feedback Revision” link in the right rail, choose the item in question and leave the revision details.

The buyer has 10 days to respond to the revision request from eBay, at which point they can agree to the revision and their original comments will no longer be visible; they can also deny the request and provide a reason to eBay, which may or may not be shared with the seller, depending on the buyer’s preference; or they can simply ignore the request and not respond.

If the latter happens, the revision request will simply expire after 10 days and the feedback will remain. In this case, a seller does also have the option of responding to the feedback with a reply to the feedback detailing their version of events.

If for whatever reason a seller is unable to request a feedback revision but one is warranted, the buyer can also follow up with an additional comment, expounding on their original feedback.

Removing Feedback Under Special Circumstances

Feedback can also be removed if the feedback in question is threatening, obscene, offensive, or presents a clear danger to the person about whom it was left. For instance, if a reviewer includes personal details about the seller in feedback such as a telephone number, address, or the person's full legal name, the feedback would be subject to removal. Even if the buyer has a valid concern, eBay would remove the review.