Retaliatory feedback is negative feedback that is left in response to negative feedback from a trading partner. Because it is perceived by many members to be unfair, retaliatory feedback remains one of the most contentious and controversial issues in the eBay feedback system, and may skew its accuracy according to some critics.
Retaliatory feedback occurs when one partner in a trading transaction is unhappy enough to leave negative feedback about the other party, often after failing to resolve a dispute amicably. The second party then leaves a negative in response automatically, without regard to their satisfaction in the transaction or their partner's performance, simply because their partner left a negative report about them.
Members that experience retaliatory feedback often complain that it renders the eBay feedback system moot, since honest members may think twice before leaving negative feedback about poor trades and some good traders may be unfairly underrated.
The problem is somewhat more nuanced than this, however, since positive feedback is often an important part of trading satisfaction—and thus a negative from a trading partner may indeed result in an unsatisfactory deal.
In practice, retaliatory feedback is often removed after much fanfare once the buyer and seller are able to agree on terms of removal.
