Help with false negative Xstreet Reviews

Hi.

I just started using XStreet about two weeks ago. I worked hard on the products I put up there and I have gotten a bad review on a product that I added a couple of days ago. The user bought the product during my introductory sale where I was giving the product away for free for two days, so they didn't even pay for the item. They called my product a fake and says it doesn't work which is an absolute lie.

Even though I posted a rebuttal I am afraid that this will negatively effect my sales (unjustly). What can I do? It is against the TOS to remove and re-post the item. What can we do to prevent or report attacks like this? Could this be a competitor?

I have placed a link to the review below
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=discussions&ItemID=1288568

Looking for advice and a course of action. Thanks

First, did you read this?

https://xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=39

Also, since it is an item discussion, you can delete the entry after 30 days.

Wish I had. "Don't chastise them about their review but instead encourage them to let you help them solve their problem."

Too late. LOL I already replied saying that I will AR for defamation. But hey can you blame me? I need to make money so that I can pay for my internet as I am currently looking for a job and have been working extra hard on second life, and then to have someone attack me like this feels like they are taking food out of my family's mouth. I was very upset.

Too late for reconciliation?

Yes I will do that. Thank you! I'm still pretty new with trying to earn a living in second life and Xstreet.

It might be tough to do, but maybe try to get in touch in world, you never know.

Xstreet does have its share of fly-by random trollery, just like everywhere else on the net. If your stuff is decent and you take care of customers, positive ratings will eventually overwhelm early rough patches. It can take time.

For some reason, we remember each "2" and not the ten "5"s. Human nature, I suppose, but truthfully if you want to sell things in SL, you will need a thick skin.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer, who doesn't know you from Eve. Responding "I have AR'd this person" is a bit offputting. I would have suggested responding "Dear so and so, please let me know what problem you are having. You're the first to report any problems, so I need specifics." Follow up with a non-confrontational IM. Who knows, maybe they really did have a problem--probably a "read the blessed notecard" issue, but one never knows.

and you seriously believe that any money that you'll make by selling stuff on XStreet will actually make a dent in your RL finances?

lets pull some numbers out of the hat, shall we?

the current L$<->US$ exchange rate:
260L$ = 1 US$
the price of your teleporter in US$: 2$

the price you pay for your internet service: i have no idea, i pay around 35$ per month for mine, lets work with that.

so, you have to sell one teleporter every two days to pay your ISP.

here comes the big catch:
it takes ages to get US$ from linden labs via paypal. and to be able to use any other cashout form that is still available, you have to be cashing out more than ten thousand us dollar in one go.


so much for that.

I have to agree with Virrginia here. Although I can understand that you are upset that someone left a bad comment, it could actually be that she is stupid and didnt understand it or that there was a glitch in SL when she tested your product and not "fake" review as you chose to call it.

A better approach would be to be more forthcomming and show that you are willing to help your customers to solve problems. That way you could have turned a bad remark into something positive for your buisiness.

From your response to this, I am thinking you are a seller I should stay away from. ARing customers (even non-paying) for voicing their opinoin before even trying to communicate with them doesnt seem like a very customer-friendly practice.

That said, I would never have left a comment like she did without IMing the creator first. A little politeness and willingness to communicate could get you both a long way.

Most ppl dont read the reviews anyway

Paradigm, someone posted a negative Item Discussion on one of my items a few weeks ago. It contained several errors. I contacted Xstreet SL support, indicated that the statements were not true, and supported my statements with facts. Xstreet removed the post promptly and said they were sorry I endured this bit of grief.

My email to Xstreet support was non-emotional, professional, and concise. You have nothing to lose by contacting them.

It does for me, and my RL income is not paltry. Further, I know others who make more via Xstreet than I do. Paradigm is between jobs now, so he may have more time than I do to create and promote products. If I can do it, so can he.

This is a big problem with SLX in general and recently something I have thought about especially since the SL takeover, it is not very ethical to allow for negative reviews or ratings without any approval or proof process in place.

Take Ebay for example, you have to attest to the fact that you have tried to contact the vendor even for a negative rating, and a negative comment or review has to be legitimately backed up.

What it really means is that buyers become even more sceptical spend less, and vendors more frustrated eventually abandonning the site. The whole rating/comment system needs a revamp IMO if it is to be taken seriously.

As to the poster who says theres no money in SLX, if it it makes you feel better to think that then all the power to you, but 35us / mo is a drop in the bucket as to the volume of sales that happen there.

-w

responses on XStreetSL are gamed quite often. Either people posting on their alts about how great a product is, or posting on a competitors items saying how bad they are.

You should have posted back to the person saying to contact you in world, how you would be more than happy to help them or replace the product etc., to show your awesome customer service

This ^


because responding to a negative with another negative sends a message to anyone else reading the reviews..
if it was another competitor..then you responded the way they hoped you would have..
you have to stress that they not only are getting your product but they are getting a product that is backed up with support..Good product support can generate even better reviews than someone just buying the product and liking it..

I guess i'm not "most ppl" then...

Give out samples to people you trust and ask them to post their own reviews. (Just don't tell them what to say)

There is a curmudgeonly review among the others no matter what the product. With other reviews that one will lose impact. This is assuming that the review was inaccurate.

And how do you know that?

Xstreet still uses Paypal mass pay, and it often times takes only seconds for the delivery of US$ to your paypal account. At the most it can take 2 business days.

If there's something that catches my eye on XStreetSL, reading other people's opinions of it is the first thing I do..

You need to get out more, Lance Either that, or take Math 101 again. Payments from Xstreet to Pay Pal are generally instant, within a few seconds to a minute.....and all you have to do to help you with the math is to pull up some people's pages that are knocking it out....look at their star ratings on how many items were purchased that got a rating....keep in mind that tons of people don't leave ratings, and tons of people go inworld to buy.

As an example, I just randomly clicked on an item featured that had 448 ratings...probably half of the people don't leave ratings...and a large percentage go inworld to purchase, depending on product. That was on a 500L product....then clicked on their other products.....293 ratings for a 2000L item....another item 294 ratings for a 2000L item.... it goes on and on, and I don't feel like getting out my calculator. I don't have any stars, because people generally come to the store to test it out, but can attribute a large amount of inworld purchases to Xstreet ads....so you've got quite a bit more adding to do on the above example.

Paradigm - If you find a niche and work it hard and honestly - you can make things happen. Just do it in moderation while giving full attention to RL family and job search. You might be surprised.

I do look at Feedback when shopping...however, take it with a grain of salt, as it can be manipulated. However, if the creator responded back negatively....would not purchase the item. It's hard not to go off on someone for dissing you, after you worked so hard....but best to walk away for a bit, and regroup before responding.

The more successful you become in your business...the more likely you are to take some punches in the gut. Human nature.....just like RL.....they'll be after you, and the numbers will multiply as your success multiplies. Good Luck with your endeavors, avoid negativity....and you'll do fine.

i actually look for reviews myself..a product without much information and no review i am going to pass on..
i would say unless i know about the product myself i am going to go after the one with the best review..
about 80% of my buys are because they had reviews..