Feedback for Buyers

[northwestnsw]

Hey Guys,

I'm a new member of ebay and went mad and bought about 10 things so far. The first 2 sales went very smoothly, as I'm sure all the rest will too. Here is my issue tho. I have paid for all 10 items. Did it straight away. With the first 2 sales, the sellers didn't give me feedback until I gave them feedback, and I'm pretty sure the other 8 are going to do the same thing. It just seems to me that its a kind of extortion. If I don't leave feedback first, then I don't get  feedback from them even tho I paid for my items straight away. If I want those numbers beside my name, then obviously I have to leave positive feedback first for them, no matter what happens.

[bsal6160]

For a buyer, feedback is pointless. It is totally voluntary. Please do not get into the feedback game just to get the numbers up. If you feel a seller has done well then by all means leave good feedback, but then again if a seller does not, then also leave appropriate feedback.

A few basic rules for a new buyer.

1. ALWAYS pay via paypal.

2. You have 45 days from date of purchase in which to start a dispute if items dont arrive or arrive damaged or not as described. After this time frame you will/may not be able to get your money back. New ebay policy coming on this.

3. Pick-up items are not covered by the claims process (no matter how you may have paid for the item)

Follow these and you will have a pleasant buying experience.

[i-love-my-sheep]

As a seller, I stopped leaving feedback for buyers until it was left for me because I found that buyers rarely left me any. Some sellers, myself included, don't leave feedback until it's left for them because the seller would leave glowing feedback for the buyer, then the buyer would try to scam the seller in some way (saying item didn't arrive when you know it did, as one example), or trash their feedback and star ratings for a reason that isn't justified.

If that happened to me, then I want the chance to not give the buyer a glowing feedback.

As a buyer, I leave feedback as soon as my item arrives. Some sellers don't leave feedback until I do, so I am happy to leave it for them first. Usually they will leave feedback within 24 hours, which is what I do when a buyer leaves feedback for me.

Feedback is voluntary. There are no rules that state you must leave it. A lot of emphasis seems to be placed on it. To the point where some buyers will give a seller a negative feedback purely because they didn't leave them feedback. Don't become one of those because sellers can see feedback you've left for others and will quickly add you to their blocked buyer list.

As long as your account has been phone verified, then you won't have any problems buying from most sellers, regardless of your feedback score. It's only if you haven't phone verified your account that you may encounter seller blocks.

Keep doing what you're doing, buying and paying straight away and you won't have any issues. However, if you are buying multiple things from the one seller, wait until you have finished buying before paying, even if they are free postage. If auctions go over several days, message the seller and let them know you are still buying and you will let them know when you're finished. That way all your purchases can be sent together.

Happy buying!

[lyndal1838]

Welcome to ebay.

Firstly, feedback is entirely optional...neither the buyer nor the seller has to leave it.  But it is far more important for the seller than for the buyer as it goes a long way to letting potential buyers know if a seller is trustworthy.  For a buyer it is just  record of the number of items you have biught from sellers who leave feedback.

Feedback should be left when the transaction is complete...when the buyer has received their order and are happy with it.  This is usually indicated by the buyer leaving feedback for the seller.   The seller then leaves feedback for the buyer....there is no extortion involved and a seller can only leave positive feedback for a buyer, or none at all.

Also many sellers have their feedback automated and it is triggered by the buyer leaving feedback.  Some sellers leave feedback in bulk once a week or once a month or whenever they have the time.

I have known sellers to leave feedback as soon as the buyer has paid...that is their preferred way.  But sometimes it backfires and something goes wrong and the buyer turns into the buyer from h*ll.  Too bad, the positive feedback has been left.

Just go with the flow....if you receive your item and are happy with it, just leave feedback for the seller.  If you get it in return that is great, but you don't need it.

[curraone]

---

@au-cowi wrote:

Hey Guys,

I'm a new member of ebay and went mad and bought about 10 things so far. The first 2 sales went very smoothly, as I'm sure all the rest will too. Here is my issue tho. I have paid for all 10 items. Did it straight away. With the first 2 sales, the sellers didn't give me feedback until I gave them feedback, and I'm pretty sure the other 8 are going to do the same thing. It just seems to me that its a kind of extortion. If I don't leave feedback first, then I don't get  feedback from them even tho I paid for my items straight away. If I want those numbers beside my name, then obviously I have to leave positive feedback first for them, no matter what happens.

---

Don't think of it that way.    Some sellers have automatic feedback set up so that it is left after receiving feedback, especially big sellers, because they just don't have the time.

Focus on what's good about buying - buy what you want, receive the item,  happy with the item, leave happy feedback.  

You may not be aware that under the new feedback policy anything less than 4 stars gives a defect to the seller which will have bad consequences for his ability to sell.     If you are not happy with the item, write to the seller and give them an opportunity to respond.

Your feedback will build eventually.    Some sellers give no feedback at all, as said it is not compulsory.

Happy buying!

[northwestnsw]

Maybe I was not clear in my original post. As a buyer, I commit to buy an item, and then
pay for the item. The rating given to me by the seller should only be based on that. It should
never be based on whether I gave good positive feedback to the buyer first, as it should be the seller that gives
feedback first.
Obviously the people that have responded so far are sellers.
i-love-my-sheep, you say that you stopped leaving feedback first because some buyers tried to scam you after you left
positive feedback for them. Well, whats to say a seller won't do the same to a buyer?
Most of you say buyers should not worry about feedback and not to get into that side of things. Well, some of us want
to get into that. Some of us want to get up good numbers for buying. Sellers should consider doing the right thing and leaving
feedback as soon as the buyer has completed their part of the transaction, not waiting to see if the buyer leaves good feedback first.

[springyzone · Accepted solution]

I understand exactly where you are coming from as I used to think the same thing. If I paid quickly, that was the end of it & a seller should leave feedback based on that.

Some of the sellers here are missing one pivotal point and that is that a buyer may also want to be a seller some time and so having positive feedback is a bonus as it helps show potential buyers you are not a newbie and know you are familiar with ebay.

But here is the thing. If you do go into selling, quite a few ebayers may look at your feedback and see what has been said about you as a seller. If all the feedback is only about you as a buyer, well, that is a good start but they still don't know how you will go as a seller. BUT one thing they will know is you have taken a while to build up an account so you're not a one day wonder, here today and gone with their money tomorrow (hopefully).

So.. why don't sellers always give feedback automatically?

Well, if I were to sell nowadays, I wouldn't.

As someone said, what if you turned out to be a pain? A friend of mine sold new shoes a week ago and the photos show they are unworn, yet she copped negative feedback, saying 'new without tags my **bleep**". She has been really upset. She would be kicking herself had she given the person positive feedback because the truth is (as she found out when she took the trouble to go back through her buyer's feedback) that that buyer gave what looked to be unfair negs and neutrals to a lot of other people.

No way do sellers want to bump up the scores of troublemakers.

Keep in mind that sellers cannot give a neg. All they can do is with hold any feedback at all.

So.. if you're happy with something you buy, give a positive, if you're very unhappy, just give a neutral or neg.

As a buyer you also have the option to put in a paypal claim if items don't arrive or are not as described.

Yes, you probably will tend to get most feedback after you have given feedback. Yes, it is seller caution at work.

Just get used to it, it is the way it is and as long as the transaction goes okay, it is not a big deal.

[keysandcaps]

LOL ,

i have never sold a thing on this id  and the feedback is well over 1500 but it is also set to private BECAUSE it makes absolutely no difference as a buyer what or how many feedback you have , all that matters is non payer strikes or if you have not verified your account , that is it. end of story ,

Buyers can not get negatives so what does it really matter except to show off at the local bowls club?

 I dont believe sellers HAVE to leave feedback first , what if the buyer is an out and out whinger who will pester the seller for the simplest little thing? does that still mean it was a positive transaction for the seller? of course not.

 Payment is only one part of the transaction.

[lyndal1838]

You are not reading what the posters are trying to say to you.   If you are going to base your ebay experiences on giving/receiving feedback you will not be happy for very long.

The answers you have received are not all from sellers....I am not a seller on this ID or any other ID....never have been.  But I have given you the same information as the other posters.

Why should the seller leave feedback first?  They have no idea whether you have received the item and are happy with it.  Feedback is the LAST step in the transaction, not the first.

As you have already stated, after you left feedback for 2 sellers you received it back almost immediately.  Why are you unhappy with this?   The transaction has been completed to the satisfaction of both parties.

[lyndal1838]

And just for your information, these boards are read by buyers and seller alike.  It gives us an indication which other members we want to trade with

If we see a member who is likely to cause us grief either as a buyer or seller we can decide whether to trade with them or not. And seller have the added luxury of blocking buyers that they do not wish to deal with.  Unfortunately buyers have to remember who they do not wish to deal with.