Don't Freak If You Get a Negative Feedback on eBay

"I got negged!"

to get negged: the circumstance where one receives negative feedback from a buyer on eBay

It happens. Sooner or later, the longer you stay on eBay - its going to happen to you. I went 7000 feedbacks before I got my first one. When it does happen to you, depending on your particular disposition, you will have one of the following reactions:

1) "Oh Well"

2) Damn - that sucks.

3) Oh my good Lord the world is coming to the end. I'm sick to my stomach. I'm going to quit eBay.

You may get a negative feedback because you deserve it, you may get one because you don't deserve it. But when you get one - here is what you should do.

1) Don't panic and put it in perspective - if you have one negative feedback out of many, many transactions - it's not the end of the world. Actually, one (or even several) negative feedbacks out of many positives aren't going to matter in the long run.

2) If you messed up and the buyer justifiably gave you negative feedback, reach out to them - apologize. Do whatever you can to make it better. Then, once you've made it better - ask the buyer if they would consider withdrawing the negative feedback through the system eBay has set up to withdraw feedback.

3) If you think the buyer is crazy and you didn't deserve the negative feedback - reach out to them - apologize. Do whatever you can to make it better. Then, once you've made it better - ask the buyer if they would consider withdrawing the negative feedback through the system eBay has set up to withdraw feedback (yes, this is exactly the same advice as described under #2).

4) If you get the feeling the buyer is just playing around or gaming the system or breaking an eBay rule with their negative feedback, reach out to eBay and see if they will remove it. Chances are, if the feedback is truly inappropriate, they will.

In the end, if you do get stuck with a negative feedback - wear it like a badge of honor. Not that you should be glad you got negative feedback. Rather, use the few negatives you do get as a way to contrast all the many many many positive feedbacks you receive and use it as a reminder to do better if you messed up.

A negative feedback will live in your feedback tally for a full year. If you do have a negative feedback - watch it crawl across: feedback left in the last month, feedback left in the last 6 months, feedback left in the last year.... See if you can work that negative off without getting another for a full year.

Don't freak out about negative feedback, it happens to everybody - but don't take it lightly either. Rather - use it as a reminder make you a stronger eBay seller.