Is there anything I can/should do about reviews that don't actually represent the product?

[coreyfaure]

I have a lot of happy customers with my sound HUDs (nsfw warning if you visit my store) but on rare occasions, I get called a "fraud" because something went wrong on their end (such as errors caused by delivery).

Is there anything I can do to about reviews that call my products "scams" or "fraudulent"? They aren't exactly flaming or inappropriate content, but they aren't at all representative of my content either. I have a full refund policy and I respond fast. Unfortunately, the people who leave these reviews never respond back when I want to help them.

What should I do as a seller, if anything?

[Chic Aeon]

You can report on a ticket and sometimes the reveiws will be taken down.

You can also RESPOND to the review giving your side of the story.

 

Oftentimes competitors buy you items simply in order to give it a bad review. Some buyers know this, others do not. If you have a full refund policy then I would put that in BOLD a few places in your adds for folks to see. It won't help the low stars though.

 

Just something we all live with. Not everyone "plays fair" .

[coreyfaure]

Oh wow I didn't even think about competitors buying and reviewing... That's pretty sneaky.

Thank you for the response. I guess that's all I can really do.

[Nalytha]

Just some insight from the consumer perspective: 

As a buyer, I check reviews, especially the negative ones. I look for well thought out criticism and throw out stuff like "THIS SUCZ SO BAD. DONT BUY" 

Now, once I find a bad review with something that is a valid concern, I look to see if the seller responded because I know that it's uncommon for a buyer to edit their review, even if the problem has been solved.

If the seller replies with a reasonable explanation, I'm more likely to buy the item. 
If the seller replies with no helpful information, I'm less likely to buy. 
If the seller does not respond at all, I'm even less likely to buy. 

I don't expect a seller to respond to every bad review (though on a place like this MP, where reviews are often rare, I don't see why they wouldn't). But if I see a few responses at least, my chance of purchasing the item goes up.  

A bad review is not a death sentence. Most buyers know that a person is more likely to take the time to review something when they don't like it or encounter a problem. It's the frequency and consistancy of the complaint that matter more, and it is modified by the seller's response. 

[Bitsy Buccaneer]

Use it as an opportunity to demonstrate your customer service and ability to handle problems. It's good to know that the creator is still inworld and responds to problems. It is something I look for before buying on Marketplace. I also read reviews on items I'm not interested it to see what people say and how the creator responds. I wouldn't make a big deal about refunding on the item page though, because that's an invitation to people to exploit it.

When you respond, be friendly, accessible and professional. As tempting as it is to write in anger and try to score points against the negative reviewer, it's not a good approach. Be positive instead and show your skill in customer service.

[Codex Alpha]

Answer their review.

I've had people with "Environment Lighting" turned off that said my light was a scam, or gave a lower rating because the item was not a MOD permission on it.

Responding to them is not really effective, because I don't even think they even know the post was responded to, so its only function is to inform future buyers of the reviewer's mistake or beef, and how you are working to remedy it.

[coreyfaure]

Thank you for the advice. I've went back and replied to hostile and bad reviews with offers for a replacement or refund, as long as they simply ask me for a replacement or refund. It's easier to be kind in the face of hostility than to just be hostile back. That wouldn't get me anywhere.