topic Re: Feedback Question in Selling

Feedback Question

dan_and_ally — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:14:59 GMT

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

Re: Feedback Question

bigbrickshop — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:38:28 GMT

A lot of sellers only leave feedback after receiving feedback from the buyer, some sellers don't leave any feedback at all.

As a seller, we leave feedback for buyers as soon as items are posted and don't worry about whether buyers leave feedback.

As a buyer, I often check my feedback to quickly find sellers so I can place repeat orders.

You have to decide which is best for your selling. Will it affect sales in any way?

Re: Feedback Question

k1ooo-slr-sales — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:42:16 GMT

My current thoughts on feedback as a SELLER is that I will leave feedback soon after the buyer pays, and if the buyer doesn't leave me feedback then so be it.

As a BUYER, I leave feedback once I receive an item and am sure that all is okay. If a seller doesn't leave me feedback . . . . then so be it!

If a seller has in their listing "I will leave feedback once it is received from my buyer" then that would not sway me either way from buying/not buying from that seller as I don't worry about feedback.

Re: Feedback Question

dan_and_ally — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:12:22 GMT

I see your point with will it affect my sales?, like k1000-slr-sales said it wouldn't sway them either way from buying or not buying. Personally for me as a buyer i check the sellers fedback before buying their item, so i feel that for those people who are like me and do that, that with the buyers leaving me feedback does help with my sales. I always return feedback as a buyer and a seller. But yes having that policy may affect my sales. Thanks for your reply.

Edit: I also mean it may affect them in a negative way, not just a positive.

Re: Feedback Question

thecatspjs — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:18:31 GMT

I usually (99 times out of 100) leave feedback first - on the day I have posted a buyers parcel.

The opportunity to leave feedback, provides a further opportunity for me to say thank-you to the buyer, rate their payment speed and confirm (and put on the public record) actual post date of item.

For multiple purchases I usually leave feedback for all but one of the items. More of habit than having a clear rationale to withhold just one.

From time to time if I strike a buyer that has been a very, very late payer, has been very rude or aggressive or way too liberal in dishing out negatives to other seemingly great sellers, I do not leave feedback until they leave it for me.

I have confidence in the items I sell and that my descriptions are accurate, I am also confident with my ability to work with a buyer to resolve any issues that may arise, whether that be post, misunderstandings or dissatisfaction with their purchase.

I also have a level of confidence of ebay in this particular area who have removed a couple of negatives from this particular ID when it was clear the buyers had not read the listing descriptions.

Re: Feedback Question

greylion2013 — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:27:17 GMT

As a buyer, I always appreciate when a seller leaves feedback after payment. Not that I get annoyed if they don’t, but it just gives me a nice vibe about the overall transaction if they do. I always leave feedback either way once item is received.

Since I recently started selling I always leave feedback first, as soon as payment received. It is difficult when you are starting out and desperate to build up your score, but try to be patient. Some buyers don’t leave feedback until a month of more later, I seem to get feedback on 85-90% of sales eventually.

Re: Feedback Question

digital*ghost — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:39:25 GMT

@dan_and_ally wrote:
I see your point with will it affect my sales?,

It is possible to affect sales; I've seen a number of members post on the forum that they're sick of not receiving FB after paying, won't buy from sellers who don't leave FB first.....etc. But personally, that just makes me ask if someone is going to make a purchase decision based on whether they get feedback before they leave it, what other kinds of decisions will they make and based on what other kinds of details....

I don't have an official policy - not one that is stated anywhere in my listings, but unofficially it is that I leave feedback for every successful transaction, and in practice it is very similar to thecatspjs - 99% of the time I leave it for buyers after payment, (helps to avoid the FB version of a Mexican stand-off ) however I'm not convinced that when a seller leaves it has much bearing on sales, or FB return rate. Not so long ago I probably received FB on around 80% of my sales, but lately it's more around the 50% mark, so I think it's just something that people are losing interest in.

Re: Feedback Question

dan_and_ally — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:40:11 GMT

@greylion you said " Some buyers don’t leave feedback until a month of more later" wow really, some buyers wait that long??

@thecatspjs thank you for your reply i appreciate it.

Re: Feedback Question

dan_and_ally — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:51:46 GMT

@digitalghost at this point i leave feedback as soon i send their purchase. But if people feel that they don't like it when the seller doesn't leave it first, then what about us sellers who do leave it and never receive it?, that being a rhetorical question. What is fair or shouldn't being fair matter on ebay, its just ah whatever you know.

I don't know, i just personally think it's a nice and moral thing to do, if the seller leaves you feedback right away, then to leave the seller feedback when you receive the parcel, to me it doesn't take long to do and is just respectful and find those people who don't do as such rude for not doing so.

Though i think i am just going to have to decide to try and not care about feedback or have the policy of fairness.

Edit: i mean "ah whatever" for other peoples way of thinking not yours.

Re: Feedback Question

greylion2013 — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:53:10 GMT

@greylion you said " Some buyers don’t leave feedback until a month of more later" wow really, some buyers wait that long??

Yep. I've found some buyers just leave feedback for all their purchases once a month or every so often. Just a copy paste, same feedback for everyone - they don't leave DSRs.

Re: Feedback Question

digital*ghost — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:04:23 GMT

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).

Re: Feedback Question

springyzone — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 22:42:49 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

shipahoys_antique_and_collectable_centre — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 23:36:27 GMT

Re: Feedback Question

sewells_of_victoria — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 03:10:46 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

mattieboy72 — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 06:31:01 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

greylion2013 — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 07:47:22 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

digital*ghost — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:48:38 GMT

@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).

Re: Feedback Question

davewil1964 — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:53:27 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

springyzone — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:31:49 GMT

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.

Re: Feedback Question

antstorm303 — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 04:42:29 GMT

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.