We do a lot of buying and selling and trading and misplacing in Second Life®. When we buy products in-world we just buy it and go, buying either via a vendor or as boxed item. That's the end of it. If there is a problem with our purchase, we contact the creator and ask (or demand) a replacement, a repair, a fix, or our money back.
Good luck on that last one. All sales are final is the general rule in SL.
That is also true of purchases made on the Second Life Marketplace™. The difference is we can give reviews and ratings on most of the products we've purchased on the MP. We can rate our purchased item and say if it is good or not, if it was or wasn't "as advertised", and even vent our frustrations and disappointments.
Like in all things SL and RL, there is a way to do things, and there are many ways not to do things. You should always try to be fair and as impartial as possible when rating and reviewing. There is an accepted protocol to making a review, an etiquette, and for SL it is called SLetiquette (or SL Etiquette).
It is a code of conduct that most people seem to sadly ignore (both in SL and in RL too). That's because it is not really an enforceable code, it is more of a suggestion on how to be a decent person. Good manners: Not everyone has the same definition of what good manners are. Some people were brought up in a barn. Some people were not. 😜
I decided to make a general post on this topic in relationship to the SL Marketplace: Buyers & Sellers and Reviews. These are of course not rules, not laws, just my personal opinion on how people should behave, or misbehave - albeit, with grace.
[Buyers / Reviews]
Before leaving a review on a product that you purchased, if there are issues with the product, you should contact the creator directly in-world before you leave a low rated review.
Do not review and rate a product based on your personal wish-list. If the product isn't what it was advertised as, you will of course make that part of your review. It is unfair to include in a lower scored review something like, "It is ok. I'd have preferred that it could be modifiable or included a color change Hud."
The product was listed as not modifiable, and it did not have a color change Hud listed as a feature. That is what you wanted, what you'd have preferred, and what you wish for - not what the product was advertised as. It might not have been exactly what you wanted, but it was exactly what you should have reasonably expected.
Be fair in your reviewing of products. Be accurate. If you have a problem with something you purchased, contact the creator first, and then do a review. That is fair. If you don't get satisfaction from the creator, rate and review the product appropriately. Don't just write, "It sux! This creator sux!"
If you do make a review, you can delete it later and make a new one, if you change your mind about it. But remember: If a comment/reply is made to your review, you will not receive any type of notification; If you expect you will get one, you have to remember to go back and check the review.
[Sellers / Reviews / Replies]
An MP Store Owner (seller) is notified by e-mail when someone posts a review/rating on a product they purchased in that seller's MP store, or when a comment is made to an existing review. These e-mail notifications can be turned off by the seller, however. Most sellers leave this enabled.
As a store owner you should always respond to a negative review. This is more about potential new customers than it is about the single reviewer. You want to address any issue that was claimed by the reviewer so that others will see that the issue was dealt with, or that the reviewer is not reliable or reasonable.
Even if a review is upsetting and unfair, always be professional and detached when you reply to it. You can use a generic reply, like "Please contact me so that we can resolve your issue." or write something more specific: "Hello! Thank you for your purchase. I am sorry that it wasn't exactly what you wanted, but it is exactly as I described in the listing."
However, you must remember that your reply to a MP review will NOT be seen by the reviewer unless the person happens to go back and check their own review; They are not notified when a reply comment is made to their review. It would be best if you contact the person directly in-world to dispute a review or to answer a question or suggestion. You can also ask that the person delete the poor review and make a new one.
If you block/mute anyone in-world, that person cannot purchase anything from your MP Store. Not a single thing! So, be very careful when you block someone. Make sure there is an overriding reason for blocking them, not just the one bad review they left.
If they are harassing you, or worse, sure, block them. If they offended you one time, eh, get over it. Later, perhaps they will buy more things from your store. Or someone might buy them a gift from your MP store. Count the money and say under your breath, "What a jerk." 😏
You can say that and still be a good SL Person. You can! Or, at the very least. I can.
*grins*
That's my opinion. Take it or leave it. But as always, I hope that you will have a great day InSL and InRL!
Best Regards,
Markham Weatherwax
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