topic Re: feedback in eBay Announcements and Seller Releases

feedback

malcolmjefferyes — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:27:24 GMT

G'day , the way ebay has set up feedback is open to abuse and is being abused , in particular I refer to the seller holding the buyer to ransom by with holding their feedback until after the buyer has received the goods and left their feedback ... ie. some days after the seller has completed their side of the transaction , once the buyer has paid for the goods + the seller has sent them , that is when from their perspective the deal is finished and when they should be leaving their feedback ... not days/weeks later , and not after the buyer . this system is open to + encourages the buyers to try and extort 5 stars when may well be not warranted.
I hope ebay close this loophole promptly ,
thanks , mal

Re: feedback

nicegreenpetticoats — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:45:21 GMT

G'day Mal,

I don't think there will ever be an equitable feedback system, we just have to make do with the best of a bad lot.

I originally would leave feedback for buyers as soon as I received payment but found many wouldn't bother to leave me any, fair enough you don't want BAD but a pat on the back is always nice.

Now days I leave feedback if it is left for me, if I don't get any I don't dwell on it, I know some people have better things to do and so long as they are happy I am happy.

The star rating system is completely anonymous, you can rate as honestly as you like, I don't see how anyone could extort a better rating really regardless of feedback, so don't feel pressured at all there.

Jenny

Re: feedback

annies_fancy_dress — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:28:55 GMT

I think that Feedback should be an automatic positive for a seller after one month if the buyer hasn't bothered to leave any yet.

Re: feedback

supply_to_u — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:47:24 GMT

There's always going to be bad apples in every bunch, but I would say that the vast majority of sellers do not hold buyer's to feedback ransom. Personally I leave feedback after it's left for me because I'm interested to know if the buyer is happy once they receive their item. My job as a seller does not finish when I get paid and send the item out. I will generally leave feedback after about a month or so if I remember, because I would assume after that length of time the buyer would have either received their item, or contacted me to let me know there was a problem.

However, the complete opposite is true for buyers holding sellers to feedback ransom. Buyers are the only ones able to leave negs, and have been known to threaten it if a seller doesn't bow to their terms. It's completely one sided, the only way a seller can express a negative experience is to leave no feedback whatsoever. Meaning they can't communicate to the ebay community of a problem buyer. This is a very big flaw with the system. Problem sellers are easily spotted, problem buyers are not.

If you try to sell something malcolm, you will get a more balanced view and understand why some sellers do what they do. Feedback is completely optional. A buyer can choose to not leave any, so can a seller. That is the only balanced part of the whole system.

Re: feedback

purple_haize — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:20:10 GMT

As a buyer, I always leave f/back once I receive the item and I also email the seller to let her/him know that I received it and I am happy with it.

Only once have I left neutral feedback, but I let the seller know that I was doing it and why.

They didnt leave f/back for me, but it doesnt worry me.

Re: feedback

rustydogrobert — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:08:41 GMT

In the early days I used to leave feedback as soon as I'd posted the item, but when so many buyers didn't respond I decided to wait until I received ir.
At the moment I have 4 outstanding, and have just received a message fro eBay to "be a star" and post feedback......Yeah.....right!

Re: feedback

grapes_collector — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:33:41 GMT

I believe a transaction isnt finished until the buyer has received the goods and is 100% happy.

It is the seller's responsibilty to ensure the goods reach the buyer. If the goods go astray in the mail it is up to seller to approach Aust Post and put in a claim.

Sellers can no longer leave neg feedback for buyers so I cant see what the OP means by 'holding buyers to ransom'. nicegreen is right about the star system being anonymous.

Re: feedback

hevsdownunder — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:30:55 GMT

I totally agree with sell to u and others. My job is not finished, as a seller, until I know that the item has been recieved in a satifactory condion. I dont extort FB for that, all I ask is that they let me know, an email is fine.....

Re: feedback

starlightsobright — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:33:21 GMT

Hi I got one of those emails today to leave feedback for a buyer who had not paid and did not even bother to respond to any of my emails for the transaction to be cancelled.

Re: feedback

hevsdownunder — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:40:31 GMT

And in cases like that it sucks that you cant neg them Yes ok they get a strike, but no one sees that do they?

Re: feedback

aurora2u — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:45:53 GMT

I totally agree.I have always given prompt feedback & find it rude that some sellers can't be bothered.What makes me mad is the fact that I always pay immediately on winning an item.That in itself should warrant feedback.I feel like giving up on leaving feedback.

Re: feedback

emy876 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:16:20 GMT

As a seller I too used to give feedback once item was paid for. Now I wait until my buyer is happy & leave feedback for me. If they don't leave feedback I don't bother with them any more.
The star system can be useful if you check out your seller dashboard after each feedback has been left. If you get a low star rating it is obvious that one of the feedbacks left for you has given low star rating & if that is the case everyone who left me feedback on that day don't get any from me either.
I know this is punishing those that do, but it is a good way to not give credit to buyers when credit isn't due. This happened to me only today. Lovely feedback saying great transaction. I go to my dashboard only to find I have a low star rating. So that nasty person who left the nice feedback with low star rating does not get any feedback from me.
It is the only way I can see to actually find out who has been a nark & to deal with them accordingly.
So in a nutshell. Buyer gives me good feedback with on change to star rating & they get good feedback from me. If they leave good feedback & my star ratings go down then no feedback for them. It is that easy.

Re: feedback

missymiss2009 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:32:11 GMT

I agree with you!.... Buyers can not pay and waste everyones time over and over again, and no-one can warn other sellers about this, buyers can say what they want, and I think sellers should be able to leave negative feedback, and if not negative sellers should be allowed to leave a TRUTHFUL comment.

Re: feedback

sundries_too_numerous_to_mention — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:42:57 GMT

You'll notice that it's the experienced sellers who mostly do not leave feedback straight away. This is because any nong can pay for something promptly... and feedback for this is only a small part of rating the buyer.
Much more important is how the buyer communicates... especially in the event of Australia Post problems where the item is held up.. or even worse, damaged! It is in this situation that both buyer and seller should be rated. Problem resolution qualities are by far the most important aspect of ebay participants... and therefore I only ever leave feedback once the deal is completely finished and both parties are happy... or at least agree to disagree!

Cheers,
Chris

Re: feedback

coopsnz — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:46:05 GMT

Interesting comments, but I buy and sell on ebay so all this "buyers" and "sellers" stuff is just a different side of the same coin. I think that the buyers obligation is to pay promptly for the goods that is what I expect when I am sellling an item. That is when I leave feedback because they have completed their part of the bargain. When I am the buyer I leave feedback once the item has arrived. Afterall the seller is judged on their service. I don't see why it is necessary to wait until the goods have been received or is it in case negative feedback is left, then the seller can be petty and leave negative feedback in response. I have a 100% rating, pay immediately and communicate with either the buyer or the seller depending on the circumstances. I fail to see why I should be worried about leaving negative feedback becaue I am not happy with the seller. I tend not to leave feedback if I am unhappy to avoid the possibility of unfairly receiving the same because I may upset the seller.
On another issue am I the only person who objects to paying exorbitant postage charges. Every now and again ebay try to remedy the situation and all is well, then it all starts again. I have just had someone in Victoria tell me it costs $15 to send a pair of pants to Qld, because they don't have many sizes of envelopes where they are from.

Re: feedback

viewmont1071 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:42:58 GMT

I have a 100% rating, pay immediately and communicate with either the buyer or the seller depending on the circumstances. I fail to see why I should be worried about leaving negative feedback becaue I am not happy with the seller..

Sellers have not been bale to leave neutral or negative feedback for buyers for over 18 months.

All buyers have 100% positive feedback.

You are worrying about negatove retalitory feedback that cannot happen.

On another issue am I the only person who objects to paying exorbitant postage charges. Every now and again ebay try to remedy the situation and all is well, then it all starts again. I have just had someone in Victoria tell me it costs $15 to send a pair of pants to Qld, because they don't have many sizes of envelopes where they are from.

I look at the total price... I do not care how it breaks down.

I do not care that postal price gouging makes an uneven playing field for other sellers.

I do not care that ebay misses out on FVF %

I care about my bottom line...... how much the product cost me landed...........go figure

If you found something from a B and M store that cost $1 and $1000 for delivery and other competitor stores were selling the same item for $1500 and free delivery which one would you buy?

why?

After delivery of the $1001 item would you then contact that store and complain about the stores outrageous delivery charges compared to the stores competitors who were delivering for free or would you commend them for keeping prices down?

Re: feedback

viewmont1071 — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:09:34 GMT

I might add many posters would or will say I leave a positive feedback and then mark down postage stars !!!!!!!!!!
So, what is the cumulative effect?

The seller is getting anonymous subliminal prompts to ........decrease postage...........................decrease postage...........................decrease postage...................
........decrease postage...................

so the seller does and increases the product price, that increases ebays fvf% and the knock on reduces the sellers profit margin so the seller realizes they need to offer the product at a greater price to maintain margin.

So the cumulative effect is increased prices to the consumer

..... the consumer asked for it .... anonymously..... and got what they asked for............. increased prices.

The reporting of postage piracy appears to me to be a self serving ebay process to maximize profit while, at face value appears to be to the customers/buyers benefit

Re: feedback

mycloudminders — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:27:28 GMT

We always used to leave feedback first for our customers & couldn't understand why other seller's didn't leave feedback first. Until we got our first negative which simply said 'item never came?'.
After 7 1/2 weeks since postage, why wouldn't you contact the seller to ask where your item is? Now we won't leave feedback first so we can ensure the item has reached it's destination.
I don't agree that seller's are responsible for item's once they are posted - I've had stuff go missing that I've sent to family & I know people who have worked for Aus Post & seen theft firsthand. How are we supposed to prevent that without registered post?

Re: feedback

auction_assassin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:09:37 GMT

How many positive comments have you people seen with a negative lately. I have seen stacks! What is going on? I dont think people get a warning anymore and the buyers are just slappin a neg on poor seller with a comment like, "very happy, great seller" etc

This is ridiculous!!
A seller can now have there percentage ruined by a positive transaction. Now that is feedback abuse!!

Re: feedback

ravensraider — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:58:02 GMT

G'day , the way ebay has set up feedback is open to abuse and is being abused , in particular I refer to the seller holding the buyer to ransom by with holding their feedback until after the buyer has received the goods and left their feedback ... ie. some days after the seller has completed their side of the transaction , once the buyer has paid for the goods + the seller has sent them , that is when from their perspective the deal is finished and when they should be leaving their feedback ... not days/weeks later , and not after the buyer . this system is open to + encourages the buyers to try and extort 5 stars when may well be not warranted.
I hope ebay close this loophole promptly ,
thanks , mal

lf i was you i wouldn't be worried about something this meaningless. Haven't you noticed sellers can't leave anything but positive feedback regardless of we get stuffed around by buyers with poor communication or simply don't read emails etc. As a seller i sick of going to the trouble of leaving feedback but the buyer takes their sweet time if at all to leave feedback. What about making changes that reflects at least the buyers communication and conduct etc?