Feedback Question

[dan_and_ally]

I  know feedback has been posted about before and how other people have said that as a buyer they don't leave feedback. But i am kind of annoyed, I always give all of my buyers feedback as i personally find it a nice thing to do. But since i've started selling on here, almost all of the people (except 1) haven't left me feedback. I know that they aren't obliged to do so but i do however think that it would be a nice thing to do in return. This annoyingness has me thinking, i am now thinking of having the policy of 'if they give me feedback, i will give them feedback', So my question is to the other sellers on here do you think that is rude to have that policy???, do you have a feedback policy??

Personally i feel that some people may find that rude but i personally see it as fair, and it's not like i am forcing them to give me feedback, they don't have to, if they don't want to. As i feel like i am being nice by leaving feedback and other people don't do the same in return.

-Alicia

[digital*ghost]

Here's something I always found amusing, if not interesting...

I have on occasion received messages from buyers that they have left via checkout (so it appears on the PayPal payment notification and I get a "the buyer left you a message about this purchase" note as soon as the sale has been paid for, and they are basically to let me know feedback is expected first, and that they are very happy to leave feedback in return etc, yet not a single one of those buyers who went to the trouble to let me know these things actually left me any FB.  (Half the time I've already left it for them before I even see the note). 

I do think it's important to leave it for a range of reasons, whether I am the buyer or the seller, but I have the "luxury" perhaps (with 1000+ FB already on this account) that don't much care if I receive it. (Although, I do remember what it was like trying to build what I felt to be a respectable rep as a seller and I still appreciate each and every FB comment I receive in that capacity). 

You will find that some members leave FB at around the 6 week mark, as that's when eBay send the reminder (members can choose not to receive reminders, but sellers can't switch them on or off). 

[springyzone]

Okay, I am primarily a buyer these days but I see your point.

As a buyer, I am always aware of when the seller leaves me feedback, I actually watch for it.

It doesn't really matter, I know, because I am a buyer, but that's just the way I am.

I always give feedback too.

I used to get quite annoyed by sellers who obviously wait to get feedback first, but since looking in at this forum, I can kind of see where they are coming from. If a buyer soon after gave them grief and started making false claims, they'd be kicking themselves. Safer to give it after receiving it. So it makes sense to do it that way, but don't announce that in your ad, I don't know how other people take it but I find it annoying. It wouldn't stop me buying, mind you, but I just don't see why your order of feedback needs to be mentioned in an ad.

These days the ones who annoy me most though are the sellers who get positive feedback from me but don't give any in return. I know people on here say what does it matter to a buyer but we like to get it too and who knows, one day we might try our hands at selling and it could be useful.

[sewells_of_victoria]

As a seller I always give feedback as soon as payment is received. As a buyer I give it when item received and checked.

I agree it is always nice to get feedback but I think of it as like tipping after a meal, not necessary just nice to show appreciation.

[mattieboy72]

I think ebay should take responsibility and put a system in place where everyone must leave feedback. If you take a look everything revolves around your feedback. As a seller limitations are placed because of feedback and lifted once you've reached certain requirements with your feedback. So how can ebay enforce limitations without enforcing feedback.

[greylion2013]

Not sure about forcing people to leave feedback, I'd rather no feedback than bad feedback. If people resent being forced perhaps the feedback they leave wouldn't be so favourable.

[digital*ghost]

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@mattieboy72 wrote:
how can ebay enforce limitations without enforcing feedback.

---

Because as soon as something like feedback becomes mandatory, it can often become little more than perfunctory. By allowing members to make the decision to leave feedback or not, the feedback a seller receives is more likely to be something the buyer thought about then chose to leave, rather than simply had to leave, which - on average - makes it a slightly more meaningful basis for sanctions or rewards (and I use the word rewards relatively loosely, as the merits of PS or TRS status on Oz eBay is debatable). 

[davewil1964]

How can you force people to leave feedback? Send somebody around to 'persuade' them?

All you can do is have a default left by machine, which will inevitably a) be easy to pick, and b) get a lot of buyers, who would have chosen to not leave feedback, to leave a neut or neg, in order to not be gazumped by a computer program.

[springyzone]

I agree, you can't force feedback, because for a start, some buyers might not feel confident with their English.

I think there could be an automated system for paypal buyers though.

I have noticed if I pay via paypal, a little $ sign comes up, showing I have paid and what date.

It would be easy as pie for the computer system to analyse payments(paypal only) and award-I don't know what, maybe a colour. Green star if paid within 48 hours of a sale, red if paid 5 or more days after a sale, black for 3-4 days out.

I suppose, in time, the overall star colour would depend on where the majority of their paypal payments fell.

That might be more useful to sellers than the present system, if they also had the option to block bidding by buyers with red stars or negative feedback.

[antstorm303]

Sorry to all the honest Sellers out there that do the right thing, but some sellers dont deserve good feedback and spoil the feedback system for all those that do the right thing.

i have been both a seller and a buyer , as soon as my buyers paid for an item i would post the goods ASAP.

if a buyer has paid for an item instantly with paypal then you as the seller should be just as prompt with dispatch of goods 

if i was to walk into a store and pay you , should i be made for up to 5-7 business days for the item to be dispatched , NO!

 why should i leave positive feedback for lazy sellers ? and sorry but i do see now a pattern of lazy sellers on Ebay . 

from now on my policy is simple as a buyer at least . ,

if you have the item on hand but for some lazy reason say it will take you 5-10 days to ship out the item ( im not talking about the time it takes the parcel to arrive to customer , im talking about posting the actual  item ) 

then that seller deserves the negative rating  IMO , thats simple business accumen.

buyers that whine and carry on about negative ratings and take thier sweet time sending goods out have only themselves to blame.