Facebook Marketplace has become a popular platform for buying and selling new and used items locally. As a marketplace seller, good reviews are very important for establishing credibility and trust with potential buyers. However, sometimes bad reviews happen that may not be justified or fair. Thankfully, Facebook does allow sellers to dispute unfair or inaccurate reviews. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to properly dispute a bad review on Facebook Marketplace.
Should I Dispute Every Bad Review?
Before deciding to dispute a review, take some time to objectively evaluate the review and consider whether disputing is likely to change the reviewer’s perspective or get the review removed. Remember that buyers are entitled to leave their honest opinions and criticisms. Only dispute reviews that are clearly false, misleading, abusive, or seem like obvious attacks from competitors.
For example, dispute reviews that make allegations about your business that are verifiably untrue. Or if the reviewer clearly did not purchase from your Marketplace listing or interacts with your business at all. Reviews that contain offensive, discriminatory or threatening language should also be disputed. However, if the review just says the buyer was unsatisfied with their purchase for some reason, it’s better to just let it go.
How Does Facebook Evaluate Review Disputes?
When you report a review, Facebook conducts an investigation based on their commerce policies and community standards. They determine if there is enough evidence to remove or keep the review. Facebook cannot share details about how reviews are evaluated for privacy reasons.
Some factors Facebook may consider are:
- Whether the reviewer seems to have had a real transaction or experience with the seller
- If the review contains harassment, threats, hate speech etc.
- If the review makes allegations about illegal activity by the seller
- Whether the review seems intentionally false or misleading
Facebook aims to balance free speech rights and maintaining an informative platform for buyers. If both sides make reasonable arguments, they tend to keep reviews up. So make sure you have solid reasoning and evidence when disputing.
Step 1: Report the Review
The first step is reporting the review to Facebook for investigation. Here’s how:
- Go to your Facebook Marketplace seller profile
- Click on Reviews in the left sidebar
- Find the bad review and click on the three dots icon next to it
- Select Report Review from the dropdown menu
- Choose This review should be taken down from the next menu
- Select the reason you are disputing, such as False information, offensive language, harassment, etc.
- Write an explanation of why you feel the review violates Facebook policies
- Click Submit
Once reported, Facebook will send an email confirming they received the dispute report. It may take a few days for them to complete their investigation and make a final decision on the review.
Step 2: Gather Evidence
To boost your chances of getting the bad review taken down, provide any evidence you have that clearly refutes or disproves the review. Some types of evidence that are helpful:
- Proof of delivery – Include shipping confirmation emails and carrier tracking info showing the order was delivered.
- Product photos – Show images proving the item was as described if condition was questioned.
- Messages – Provide screenshots of your message history if the review claims you had poor communication.
- Policies – Reference any return, refund, or cancellation policies if they contradict the review claims.
The stronger the evidence, the more justification Facebook has for removing the negative review. So take time to gather anything you have that can validate your side of the story and invalidate the reviewer’s criticisms.
Step 3: Write a Clear Explanation
When reporting the bad review, write a concise but compelling explanation of why you believe the review violates Facebook’s Commerce Policies or Community Standards and should be removed. Here are some tips for writing an effective explanation:
- Be specific about which parts of the review are false or misleading and why.
- Avoid emotional language or personal attacks on the reviewer.
- Focus on objective facts that can be proven.
- Clearly state how the evidence you provide contradicts the review.
- Be detailed but concise – keep it under 5 sentences ideally.
The simpler and more straightforward your explanation, the better. Avoid vague claims or generic language. Provide enough context for someone unfamiliar with the situation to understand your reasoning and connect it to the evidence.
Step 4: Follow Up Politely
If Facebook does not remove the bad review after your initial report, consider sending a polite follow up message:
- Thank them for looking into your report
- Briefly restate why you think the review should be removed
- Include any additional evidence you may have
- Ask if they need any other information from you
Avoid demanding the review be taken down or repeatedly contacting Facebook. Angry or excessively persistent sellers usually don’t get very far. Keep follow up correspondence constructive and reasonable.
What If The Review Is Not Removed?
If Facebook decides to keep the negative review up after your dispute, here are some recommended next steps:
- Reply publicly apologizing for the buyer’s poor experience and saying you aim to improve.
- Address any constructive criticisms raised professionally and positively.
- Highlight reviews from satisfied customers to bury the bad review.
- Focus energy on providing great service to new customers.
Arguing or retaliating against unhappy customers rarely goes well. Kill them with kindness and take the high road. Providing exceptional service to future buyers is the best way to outshine the occasional bad review.
Responding to Negative Reviews
| Do this | Don’t do this |
|---|---|
| Thank the customer for the feedback | Argue or debate points |
| Apologize for their poor experience | Make excuses |
| Stay positive and constructive | Get defensive |
| Take accountability where warranted | Blame the customer |
| Explain how you’ll improve | Dispute reasonable criticisms |
| Keep responses brief | Write long arguments |
Can I Leave a Response to the Review?
Yes, sellers have the option to leave a public response to any review on their Facebook Marketplace profile. Keep responses constructive and professional. Thank the reviewer for the feedback, apologize for any negatives, and briefly explain how you aim to improve.
Arguing or debating points rarely goes well, especially publicly. Take accountability for valid criticism. Focus on being helpful and polite, not proving yourself right.
Will Facebook Remove Fake or Mistaken Reviews?
Facebook will remove reviews they find were clearly left falsely or mistakenly by someone who did not transact with the seller. Make sure to report reviews you have evidence are fake or mistaken.
Signs a review may be fake or mistaken:
- From someone you can prove you haven’t sold to
- Details product or experience inaccurately
- Language is highly suspect or nonsensical
- Part of sudden influx of negative reviews
Facebook aims to honour authentic reviews from real experiences – both negative and positive. But they understand sellers should not be sabotaged by false reviews from competitors or random users. Reporting suspicious reviews boosts the chances of removal.
Can I Report a Reviewer’s Account?
You can report a reviewer’s full Facebook account if you believe they are deliberately leaving false negative reviews to harm sellers or otherwise violating Facebook policies. Here’s how to report a Facebook account:
- Go to the reviewer’s public profile page
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner
- Select Find Support or Report Profile
- Choose to report the account for Pretending to Be Someone
- Explain why you think the account is fake or violating policies
- Click Submit
Facebook may require substantial proof of malicious intent before disabling an account solely for negative reviews. But reporting suspicious accounts can help identify policy violations.
Can I Sue a Reviewer for Defamation?
Legally suing an unhappy customer for defamation is rarely advisable. Defamation lawsuits are extremely difficult to win, unless the reviews contain clear false facts, put you in danger, or damage your business substantially. Most negative feedback is considered protected opinion.
Instead of escalating to legal action, focus efforts on constructive customer service improvements. Continuing to threaten or attack critics often backfires by garnering more negative publicity.
Conclusion
Dealing with unfair negative reviews is frustrating but inevitable for Marketplace sellers. Always start by reporting truly problematic reviews that violate policies. Supply clear evidence to boost chances of removal. If the review stays up, publicly respond with politeness and accountability. Commit to improving buyer satisfaction going forward. Through exceptional service and integrity, sellers can rise above the occasional bad review.