Handling Negative Feedback from Data Issues

PSS combines data for hundreds of thousands of parts from many distributors. Even with careful quality control, a small share will have mistakes: a wrong size or color, a mismatched product, bad fitment or a pricing error. When one of those leads to unhappy buyers or negative feedback, how you respond protects your seller rating.

🎥 Insert video here: responding to a buyer and requesting feedback removal.

What you'll learn

  • How to respond to the buyer
  • How to ask eBay to remove the feedback
  • How to stop the same mistake from happening again

📌 Key Point: Neither PSS nor eBay reimburses individual orders affected by catalog data errors. It comes with selling aggregated catalog data at scale, and handling it well is part of the job.

Step 1: Respond to the buyer quickly

Acknowledge the mistake directly, explain briefly, and offer to make it right. Don't deflect or make excuses.

💡 Pro Tip: Sample response: "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We source our parts through an aggregated powersports catalog, and occasionally there are discrepancies between the catalog and the actual product. We'd like to make this right. Please contact us so we can arrange a return and refund or send the correct part."

Step 2: Resolve it case by case

Choose the fix that fits: a refund, the correct part, a partial credit or an exchange. Don't adopt a blanket policy that costs you money on every data error, and don't fill orders at a loss just to avoid feedback.

Step 3: Ask eBay to remove the feedback

Contact eBay Merchant Support. Make clear the problem was a catalog data error, not a fulfillment failure.

  • Email: merchantsupport_na@ebay.com
  • Phone: 877-322-9227

[Confirm these contact details are still current before publishing.]

Sample removal request:

💡 Pro Tip: Subject: "Feedback Removal Request – Order [order number] – Catalog Data Error." Body: "I'm requesting removal of feedback on Order [order number]. The issue was caused by a data discrepancy in our aggregated parts catalog (incorrect [size/color/fitment/pricing]), not a fulfillment error. The data has been reported for correction, and we've worked with the buyer to resolve it. We respectfully request that this feedback be reviewed for removal."

Removal is up to eBay and isn't guaranteed, but it's always worth asking, especially once you've already made it right with the buyer.

Step 4: Report the bad data

Report the product so it's corrected for you and every other dealer selling it. In your catalog, select the product and click Report Catalog Issue. If the problem is fitment, report it to eBay as well. See EPIDs & Parts Compatibility.

Next step

Continue to the eBay FAQ.