Leaving bad feedback

These are rare, which means they get read properly rather than skimmed. That works for you if the wording holds up and against you if it reads as somebody still angry.

Why it carries weight

Because leaving one costs something. It invites a reply, it takes effort at the point where most people want to stop thinking about it, and everybody knows that. A short factual negative is read as somebody who had a reason, and the reason is what the next reader is looking for.

Cold beats angry

Anger is answerable. A vendor replying to an emotional review can point at the tone and let a reader draw their own conclusion, and it works. A review with three dates and no adjectives leaves nothing to reply to except the facts.

What to leave out

• The word scammer. Describe what happened and let a reader label it.
• Warnings to other buyers. The facts do that on their own.
• Anything you cannot support from the thread. It will be answered and the rest of your review goes with it.
• Whether you were refunded, left out. Include it. A review that hides a full refund reads as unfair and undermines the parts that were true.

What happens next

Often a reply, sometimes a request to take it down. That has its own page, because the request usually arrives with an offer attached and there is a right answer.

Include the refund

If you got your money back, say so. It feels like it undermines the review and it does the opposite. A negative that hides a full refund reads as unfair the moment the vendor points it out, and the parts that were true go down with it. A negative that mentions the refund and still describes the four weeks it took is unanswerable.

Write it after, not during

Feedback written while a dispute is open is leverage. It is visible to whoever is ruling, it is read as pressure by everybody who sees it, and it is one of the few things that reliably damages a case that was otherwise fine. Wait until it is closed, then write it coldly.