topic Re: Seller feedback expectations in Buying

Seller feedback expectations

luckyphil222 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:37:20 GMT

One thing that really annoys me about eBay is the expectation some Sellers have regarding the leaving of feedback. You know how it goes 'you leave positive feedback and I will leave positive feedback'. Really as as Buyer all I can do is buy the product and pay quickly. If I pay quickly then I should get positive feedback regardless of the feedback I might leave.

The Seller has a number of aspects they should be judged against, such as actually delivering a decent product, posting it promptly and providing some decent communication.

A number of Sellers are really good and will leave feedback as soon as I pay for the goods and that is appropriate. Come on eBay make Sellers leave feedback as soon as the Buyer lives up to their side of the bargain. If not I am considering leaving feedback only for those Sellers that treat me right.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

putney32 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:41:55 GMT

well I'm old school eBay seller, and yes I do leave f/b when I receive payment (but then again, I am very small time and have loads of time on my hands)

however....

eBay suggest that sellers only leave fb after the buyer has left f/b and is happy with the whole transaction.

eBay have even set up a system for sellers whereby when the buyer is happy and leaves a pos. fb then eBay leave a positive automatically for the buyer on behalf of the seller.

so I guess your request, being the exact opposite of what eBay recommends will fall on deaf ears.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

digital*ghost — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:14:34 GMT

Really as as Buyer all I can do is buy the product and pay quickly.

In my opinion, there's a lot more a buyer can do than simply pay quickly.

If something should go wrong, for example, you can contact the seller and be reasonable and polite, or you can be unreasonable and impolite. You could leave a neg without even contacting them and letting them know there's a problem. You can leave a neg even after you've contacted the seller and they've bent over backwards to try and resolve your issue. And that's just the tip of the iceberg - there are a lot of different post-sale behaviours some buyers engage in that leaves sellers feeling not particularly positive about a transaction.

Feedback is voluntary anyway, and if a seller chooses to leave it, it's entirely up to them when they leave it.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

thecatspjs — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:20:00 GMT

however....

eBay suggest that sellers only leave fb after the buyer has left f/b and is happy with the whole transaction.

eBay have even set up a system for sellers whereby when the buyer is happy and leaves a pos. fb then eBay leave a positive automatically for the buyer on behalf of the seller.

ebay do not suggest that sellers only lave fb after the buyer has left it.

ebay notes that feedback should be left when a transaction finishes - there are different opinions on when this after payment, after posting or after receiving buyer feedback, and indeed ebay help information on feedback notes:

" There are different philosophies on whether the buyer or seller should leave Feedback first. Each member may choose the best approach to leaving Feedback"

the system that ebay have set up to leave automatic feedback can also be set to leave pos feedback when a buyer makes payment

Re: Seller feedback expectations

a_beautiful_room — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:32:30 GMT

I have always left feedback as soon as a buyer pays, but recently had a buyer purchase a very expensive vintage item, and I left her positive feedback. A few days later I received a blistering and mildly threatening email - she's not happy obviously. No problems, send it back, full and unequivocal refund given, even though she paid by bank deposit and was not entitled at all to a refund. As a good seller, that's what I would do.

And for that, she leaves me a big fat neg.

Do I wish I had left her a positive first? No of course I don't. Post sale she was revolting. Not even polite! She got the refund irrespective of her rudeness - but don't think paying is the be all and end all - it's ONE step in a purchase between buyer and seller.

I would still leave a positive upon payment, it seems to mean a lot to buyers, it's no skin off my nose, but geez it certainly wasn't the positive experience from my point of view. Luckily eBay removed her neg as they could see that I had done everything right but maybe others who are not so persistent (pig headed) might just have to suck it up.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

thecatspjs — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:39:35 GMT

I think you are a fantastic role model seller, beautiful room. :-x

I leave feedback when I post - usually same or next day after receiving payment, not only to say thank you, but as an additional way to communicate that their purchase is on the way.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

a_beautiful_room — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:52:42 GMT

:-x so sweet thank you.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

calsof — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:00:19 GMT

I have always left feedback as soon as a buyer pays, but recently had a buyer purchase a very expensive vintage item, and I left her positive feedback. A few days later I received a blistering and mildly threatening email - she's not happy obviously. No problems, send it back, full and unequivocal refund given, even though she paid by bank deposit and was not entitled at all to a refund. As a good seller, that's what I would do.

And for that, she leaves me a big fat neg.

Do I wish I had left her a positive first? No of course I don't. Post sale she was revolting. Not even polite! She got the refund irrespective of her rudeness - but don't think paying is the be all and end all - it's ONE step in a purchase between buyer and seller.

I would still leave a positive upon payment, it seems to mean a lot to buyers, it's no skin off my nose, but geez it certainly wasn't the positive experience from my point of view. Luckily eBay removed her neg as they could see that I had done everything right but maybe others who are not so persistent (pig headed) might just have to suck it up.

Agree fully!!!

My first neg came yesterday, not my fault, buyer won't respond, buyer never contacted me... I've been on the phone to eBay for over a couple of hours in the last couple of days and "no can do"!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I wish I had not left feedback. No, I won't stop leaving feedback to buyers straight after they pay.

Tried everything: pleading, shouting, asking for a supervisor etc etc. I'm sucking it up now :_|

Re: Seller feedback expectations

phorum_junkie* — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:01:00 GMT

So OP you base your ebay experience on when a seller chooses (note the use of the word choose as it is of course entirely voluntary) instead of how well the item was described, how quickly the seller got it in the post and how reasonable their postage cost was.

Well I prefer to base feedback on the entire transaction, I have had many a carp seller who has left me feedback as soon as I have paid and they have sent me poorly described rubbish with an extremely long handling time and ridiculous postage costs then I have bought from many sellers who have completely accurate descriptions, who post the same day I have paid with very reasonable packaging and handling charges and either leave feedback after I have or not at all..

Guess which ones I would buy from again? It most certainly would NOT be those wh left me feedback just because I paid!

Re: Seller feedback expectations

motherbear2003 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:32:46 GMT

Yet another post relating to feedback:| We are here to buy and sell physical goods, not feedback.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

thesoulyearns — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:43:02 GMT

Yeah... and anyway, as far as seller blocks go, you can't block a buyer with 0 feedback. The only way of doing that is by the seller manually checking their feedback and adding their name to a blocked list, which I'm sure most wouldn't do unless there was a specific reason.

If you've got 0 feedback, just contact the seller shortly before or after bidding to tell them you are an honest bidder. Most appreciate things like that.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

*sparklz* — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:54:32 GMT

National complaints about feedback today from both buyers and sellers it seems in all forums.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

k1ooo-slr-sales — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:00:16 GMT

Come on eBay make Sellers leave feedback as soon as the Buyer lives up to their side of the bargain. If not I am considering leaving feedback only for those Sellers that treat me right.

The buyer has obligations well beyond the time at which they pay. Feedback is a comment about the whole transaction, not just one aspect.

I couldn't care less if a buyer leaves me feedback or not and I do leave feedback when a buyer pays. I accept that feedback is voluntary, and that those eBayers who are predominantly buyers have a feedback score that is irrelevent to me as a seller.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

davewil1964 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:38:44 GMT

A question, luckyphil.

Assuming you are solely a buyer, after you got to 10 feedback, which allows you unlimited rights to post on the boards and reply to questions in the Answer Centre, what use is feedback to you? You can only receive positive; the vast majority of eBay listings are Buy It Now so the seller has no chance to check your feedback for false positives... Are you buying goods or feedback?

Okay, 2 questions.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

the_great_she_elephant — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:01:21 GMT

As Dave said, what are you buying, goods or feedback? For heaven's sake,it's a commercial transaction not a mutual admiration society. As long as the seller gets your money and you get your item, who really cares when or if anyone leaves feedback.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

thecatspjs — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:07:14 GMT

With all due respect TGSE whilst ebay has somewhat (well a lot) moved away from its founding philosophy - there are nonetheless unique aspects of ebay that still matter to some of those that trade.

Whilst I think that the feedback system is very dysfunctional as it is. I still value its original intent.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

thesoulyearns — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:30:16 GMT

With all due respect TGSE whilst ebay has somewhat (well a lot) moved away from its founding philosophy - there are nonetheless unique aspects of ebay that still matter to some of those that trade.

I very much agree. I can speak from personal experience. A big chunk of buyers who buy Michael Jackson things (if not every single one of them) has turned off my listings completely. I used to sell things decently now can not get anything over $2 for a $20 item. This must be because I have shown to be a rude person or something like that and they are all peacefully protesting my listings, in a sense. Whereas other items from other musicians or just different things altogether, can sell for their normal price. This speaks volumes about how people are not just buying the item... they are also buying the seller. They're buying the "feeling" they get from the seller. 100%.

Most seller's are neutral and give off a very good vibe. I give off a bad one and it clearly shows. You really have to experience it, as a seller, to understand it. That's why you must never ever show any sort of bad vibes as a seller, because the buyers will remember it.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

davewil1964 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:53:41 GMT

Maybe people have gone off Michael Jackson memorabilia. How do other sellers' MJ stuff go?

I think, as many have said, you are reading too much into personality. I have a reasonable knowledge of very few sellers I buy from, and it makes no difference if they have what I want at a price I'm prepared to pay.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

digital*ghost — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:28:27 GMT

Demand for memorabilia for artists like Michael Jackson will always ebb and flow, with peaks around anniversaries or special releases - these things remind people of, or even introduce them to, the music. It has nothing to do with you personally.

As for feedback...it has the potential to be meaningful, even buyer feedback, but its relevance is both waning and undermined by several factors (and no, that is not an endorsement for negs for buyers). There's a difference between 'great buyer, really fast payment' - which is the best you can expect if all you do is click buy and pay - and something that's more personalised if the seller decides to wait and take the opportunity to comment on the entirety of the transaction, not just the first 30 seconds of it.

Re: Seller feedback expectations

foxette-in-sox — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:41:25 GMT

Everytime I see the OP's id,I can't help thinking of Hey Hey its Saturday ie " This is Lucky Phil " :^O:^O:^O