Defamation Suit Over Negative Feedback Left on eBay

[Lee220]

If someone could please let me know how much it would cost and what kind of lawyer I would need to hire to sue someone for defamation or slander on eBay.

I had a buyer buy something from me, one minute later they e-mailed me to cancel the order and then left me negative feedback.

Since I have never spoken to the customer or even had a chance to e-mail them regarding this I feel this negative feedback was left on purpose. Buyer has not responded to any e-mails that I have sent regarding the matter.

Since many customers use a seller's feedback profile when deciding whether or not to conduct business. This buyer's negative feedback will impact my future sales.

If I keep track of the income I made before feedback was left and the income afterwards, will I be able to sue for the lost amount based on my average monthly sales before this buyer left me false feedback?

I report all income made on eBay so I don't have a problem showing tax returns etc... to prove in court.

[aaron]

Have you tried to resolve this through eBay?

You would need to find a lawyer in your state who handles defamation actions; but keep in mind that most would only take a case like this on an hourly basis, so the attorney fees could be substantial.

[Lee220]

eBay will not remove the feedback unless it contains personal information such as my real name or phone number or if the feedback contains obscene language.

Thank you for the help