10-02-2017 09:29 AM - edited 10-02-2017 09:30 AM
There's a bit of discussion from time to time about how to get buyers to give feedback & I've just come across a new approach.
Background: I recently bought a second hand book for a friend.
I did have some concerns as the seller was a big volume reseller but had a LOT of negs and neutrals, almost all for being late, books taking well over a month, or cancelling sales. Alarm bells.. perhaps a drop shipper or someone overseas?
I bought & paid on 16/1 from a seller in Sydney. I am in Melbourne. I was meeting my friend on 3/2 and hoped to hand over the book then. No such luck.
On 17/1 I received what looked to be a long form message from the seller, saying how Aust post was slow, allow at least 6 business days etc etc
On 23/1 I received a message the book was posted. I thought this wasn't amazing service to be honest. On the slow side. Another message about how slow postage is these days.
On 9/2 the book arrived. It is in a large envelope, clearly stamped 6/2 @ 8.12
My suspicion is the books come from an overseas source & were posted to seller on 23/1 and when it arrived, on to me on 6/2.
I have bought things from Qld after I bought the book and they all arrived before this book!
Attached to the book is a little note: Give good feedback, 5 stars all the way and go in the draw-one of their loyal customers will win a $250 Coles voucher in Feb. This is a new initiative, they say!
Normally I would be rapt as I usually give feedback anyway. But this was one case where I was going to mark down the postage stars.
So.. should I be bribed? or tell the truth and be damned!!
And how reliable is feedback on the internet? I got $50 once for doing a google review of a real estate agent (he was brilliant so had no problem with giving 5 stars). I've won prizes and vouchers on product review too.
So.. what do you think.. is it a good tactic? I'll be watching their FB with interest.
on 11-02-2017 06:40 PM
Bad language is acceptable in the context of a book title.....only gratuitous bad language is a no-no.
on 11-02-2017 09:02 PM
Nudity is even allowed as long it's on a book cover.
Which is a good thing, given breasts were a significant feature of 1970s SF book covers. Especially ones that didn't contain any sex in the text.
11-02-2017 11:35 PM - edited 11-02-2017 11:39 PM
@imastawka wrote:Attached to the book is a little note: Give good feedback, 5 stars all the way and go in the draw-one of their loyal customers will win a $250 Coles voucher in Feb. This is a new initiative, they say!
I'm curious. Do they have their permission number listed from the Attorney-General for this raffle?
Who even says there is a raffle? Do they publish the winner's name?
Pathetic bluff IMO. Feedback extortion also
Permission number or not, if they offered me a $250 voucher I would take it!
That said, I am out of the running, for sure. Only gave them a 3 for postage time.
Amd my feedback wasn't glowing.
on 12-02-2017 12:02 PM
Now I see who it is!
They have a book that I want, but I won't buy from them, based on their fb.
And they won't offer you a voucher, cos there isn't one.
on 12-02-2017 06:50 PM
My semi-annual trip to the Lifeline bookfair was today. Couldn't find your book. Sorry.
They could certainly afford to offer a voucher, given they are normally selling for twice market price.
on 12-02-2017 11:02 PM
They say they will announce the winner on their Fb page but really, it could be anyone, couldn't it. They could make up a name.
Although.. they can't very well make up an ebay ID.
I'll be interested to see how they announce it, by ID or name.
I told the truth and ticked that it did not arrive in the specified time so my name is probably mud.
I'd buy from them again if I had to but only if i didn't need the book for ages.
The price is pretty steep considering I bought my own copy for about $22 new years ago.
It's a stupendous book though, really changes your outlook on a lot of things, gave me some light bulb moments.
Told a friend, she asked me to buy it. Why competent people who can travel the world and conquer airline check in and customs & sell on gumtree can't manage to use ebay themselves I do not know.
on 12-02-2017 11:11 PM
Actually they have a second novel way they approach giving feedback responses.
Occasionally they respond to feedback but they write a long sentence and it spreads from one feedback to the feedback below (it would be an art to manage that, they must do it backwards in 2 parts so the start is at the top?).
So their feedback response is a generic message to all buyers, not to the person they are supposedly answering.
Different.
on 12-02-2017 11:35 PM
@davewil1964 wrote:My semi-annual trip to the Lifeline bookfair was today. Couldn't find your book. Sorry.
They could certainly afford to offer a voucher, given they are normally selling for twice market price.
Thanks for the trouble, Dave. It'll turn up somewhere.
I'm certainly not buying from this seller though.
on 13-02-2017 10:25 PM
What book are you after stawka? I'm often at markets, could keep an eye out for you.
on 13-02-2017 10:55 PM