Thread: Is leaving feedback becoming passe?

After reading this I had to go check my eBay account
I have never sold on eBay but
In 8 years I have never missed giving feed back but have not received from 8 sellers looking at the stats
I wait until I receive the item and if all is good leave my feed back if an issue I can't act the seller via email and work it out.
I have only had 2 issues in this time, 1 was a cracked blade last year that the seller discounted when I informed him so I left the same "AAA+ Easy eBayer" response as I do for all
The other many years ago I had to go to dispute res as the seller only sent me half of my order then denied it so my response was negative and that half order was received refused communication
There is no reason not to leave feed back I believe
I also dis agree with the you must leave pos feed back as a buyer, if I didn't pay or messed a buyer around I would expect the feed back to be true for other sellers as well as buyers

Originally Posted by Hart

The last few purchases I've made did not receive feedback. I always wait until I receive an item and feedback before giving any, but it's just not happening lately. Is it just an odd run or are things changing?

Been a bit fumed this week about this exact issue! I always pay within hours of winning an auction. I get the emails on my phone an can do paypal also. This past week I won an auction. Paid immediately an upon safe arrival an inspection I left positive feedback. Been almost a week an no reply feedback given. It is frustrating an I think I will start using the once it is left I will leave method if need be. For the most part I haven't had this issue. Its just bad business IMHO to not have it work both ways.

I haven't bought off ebay for a long-ish time now. But to be frank, the feedback system seemed a bit forced. All I ever got from sellers was the generic "great ebayer A++++++++++++" basically. On the odd occasions that I actually looked at a seller's feedback before I bought, it was generally the same thing: a generic "good seller A+++++" or whatever.

Not that I'm saying the feedback system is a bad idea, just that maybe people are a bit over the fairly uninformative nature of it on standard (no screw-up) transactions.

James.

Originally Posted by Hart

Never having sold anything I had no idea this was the case. It surprises me so, I have to ask again, if this is indeed the situation, that as a seller you can't leave negative feedback? If so, as a buyer the feeling of being at a feedback standoff, is pointless. When we are satisfied we should give positive feedback regardless of receiving it.

Yes, that is the case. Ebay sellers can only leave positive feedback or none at all. If the buyer doesn't pay for a certain peiod the seller can open a non-paying bidder case, get his ebay fees back and can relist the item again. I think ebay puts a black mark on the buyer and if it's a pattern they could kick him out, though I suspect it takes a lot getting to that point since ebay wants more buyers bidding to higher prices resulting in higher fees.

I think it's best to simply recognize what that feedback system is and isn't and one wouldn't worry too much about it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Finally, until I get a positive from a buyer I'm not inclined to leave feedback for fear the buyer will leave a negative/neutral following my positive. In over 300 sales and many more purchases I've never had a negative or a neutral BTW. So I'm paranoid maybe but that is my policy.

Ditto that. I left feedback for a guy who bought an escher one time, I noted its issues and when he got it he said he was very happy with it for the price (it wasn't falling apart or anything, just a couple of hairline cracks).

About a week later, he sends me a message and tells me that he was happy with it but his wife wasn't. I left him feedback initially because he paid right away. He said he was going to be lenient and not leave negative feedback until he checked with me to see if I'd give his money back. I did, but thought it was a real d--k move to be OK with something and then use your wife as an excuse because you didn't want to spend the money.

After that, no positive feedback.

There's one thing that's true about ebay, you could be selling to someone who is crazy or has no judgement, and you won't know until after the sale when they bring up stuff like that.

Still, that's one in about 50 for me on selling stuff (I've probably only sold 50 things).

Originally Posted by gugi

Yes, that is the case. Ebay sellers can only leave positive feedback or none at all. If the buyer doesn't pay for a certain peiod the seller can open a non-paying bidder case, get his ebay fees back and can relist the item again. I think ebay puts a black mark on the buyer and if it's a pattern they could kick him out, though I suspect it takes a lot getting to that point since ebay wants more buyers bidding to higher prices resulting in higher fees.

I think it's best to simply recognize what that feedback system is and isn't and one wouldn't worry too much about it.

They will eventually nail people who don't follow the rules.

The feedback system has been engineered now to make sure the maximum # of sales are made, at least the rules around it. So you're right, it's a tool for them to foster sales and not system. It's been tuned up by the marketing department, I guess.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Ditto that. I left feedback for a guy who bought an escher one time, I noted its issues and when he got it he said he was very happy with it for the price (it wasn't falling apart or anything, just a couple of hairline cracks).

About a week later, he sends me a message and tells me that he was happy with it but his wife wasn't. I left him feedback initially because he paid right away. He said he was going to be lenient and not leave negative feedback until he checked with me to see if I'd give his money back. I did, but thought it was a real d--k move to be OK with something and then use your wife as an excuse because you didn't want to spend the money.

After that, no positive feedback.

There's one thing that's true about ebay, you could be selling to someone who is crazy or has no judgement, and you won't know until after the sale when they bring up stuff like that.

Still, that's one in about 50 for me on selling stuff (I've probably only sold 50 things).

Truth is, with ebay/paypal rules, the buyer has 45 days to open a dispute. I usually leave the $ in there at least until I hear from the buyer, through feedback or direct message, that they are okay with the transaction. Still it is a hassle. A lot of stuff now I'm just going to Craigslist, or for firearms, Florida Gun Trader. I'd rather do stuff face to face and not worry about fees, disputes opened weeks later.

Ebay reminds me of the scene in "The Magnificent Seven", where Steve McQueen is telling about the guy who says he is going to the poker game. His friend says, "The game is crooked." His buddy replies, "I know, but it's the only game in town."

So ebay isn't quite the only game, but for most things close to it. I look upon the fees, the hassle of occasional returns as the cost of doing business. Twenty thirty years ago selling "used" stuff was almost always at a loss. Since the computer, the WWW, now we are selling "vintage collectibles."

I always provide feedback.
Given I have received one first.
This as I am always the buyer, never a seller.
My job as a buyer, as I see it, is that I need to do one single thing, namely pay promptly.
Once that is done, I expect feedback as swiftly as I did my part of the job.

Furthermore I am a bit more prone to giving neutral and even negative feedback than most it seems.
If shipping is slower than agreed upon, or priced higher, neutral it is.
Same with issues of the product.
Even minor ones.
On occasion I have even declined a full refund just to be able to leave my honest feedback of a seller.
Those incidents gave me a feeling of people trying to sell down or even minimize an actual problem just to close a deal.
That when they should, and most likely did, know the products had issues.

Loosing a few pennies in those instances was well worth it, just to try and perhaps make them be more honest in their presentation of their products in the future..

B, the idealistic socialist

I've sold and bought on eBay and always receive and send feedback. I haven't seen a "no feedback" trend.

If I'm the buyer, then I send feedback after receiving the item. If I'm the seller, then I send feedback after the buyer sends feedback.

I sometimes get e-mails from sellers (companies) thanking me for the purchase and requesting feedback on the transaction. This is something that I would probably do if I sold something and didn't receive feedback from a buyer.

Not to beat a dead horse .......... but ........... how does paying for the item immediately, or within the time the $ are due as noted in the seller's listing, deserve a positive feedback when the transaction isn't complete until the buyer accepts the item ? I just cannot wrap my mind around that. Seems to me the transaction is incomplete until both parties are in agreement. YMMV obviously.