We just got a negative feedback! Why? Here is the story:
1) Payment received at 06:22
2) Article shipped at 09:00 same day (i.e. 2 hours and 38 minutes after PayPal payment, and it only took that long because the post office wasn't open before that). Basically, instant shipping - it just couldn't have been done any faster.
3) The article arrives in Canada less than 3 days later - an excellent delivery time, considering it travelled all the way from Australia.
So, we deserve a 5-star rating and positive feedback for extra good performance, right?
WRONG !
We get negative feedback instead. Why?
Because the Canadian Customs Department decides to have a look at the package (fair enough), but has been sitting on it for 24 days so far. Tracking information clearly shows where the package is - in Vancouver, waiting to be processed by Customs.
The buyer blames us. She claims that we didn't ship it in a safe way (how is it unsafe if it arrives in less than 3 days and gets held by customs)? She claims that we should have shipped it in a way that wouldn't be delayed in Customs (impossible), and so on.
So, as usual in these cases, the eBay feedback system protects the buyer who can spread implied lies about our inefficiency. Our reputation is tarnished (even though there is no way we could have been any more efficient), and eBay hides behind their usual excuse that they don't get involved in the feedback process...
eBay logic is grand, isn't it?