Is feedback irrelevant for buyers?

[moviemem]

A buyer told me that he never leaves feedback unless he has a problem with a transaction. He said that he couldn't care less about his own feedback because he will automatically have 100% rating and he thought that the amount of feedbacks received means nothing.

He said he never needs to leave feedback when using other sites so why bother with ebay. He is basically saying that feedback is irrelevant for buyers.

Just curious as to what others think.

[*sparklz*]

I guess the first 10 are important if the member wants to post on the boards and with out limitation. 

[phorum_junkie*]

Buyer feedback is like a trophy collection, some people shove them in a cupboard and others want them on display in a cabinet so others can see how brilliant they are.

All buyer feedback can tell anyone who bothers to look is how many items they have bought in the last year from sellers who leave feedback. They can leave them there on display or they can make their feedback private as they see no kudos in showing how profligate they are in their spending.

[moviemem]

There are also a lot of buyers who have made their feedback private. This is particularly the case in collectibles where people buy and resell and there is a lot of competition from rival collectors.

When their feedback is private there is no incentive for them to leave or receive feedback.

[digital*ghost]

Private feedback doesn't stop sellers from detecting FB patterns in buyers who only leave bad FB; the comments are still fully visible on the seller's profile and it only takes a little detective work to find other sellers they've left FB for - I've seen it happen, wherein it was a buyer a seller was trying to warn others about. 

[2106greencat]

I agree that buyer feedback is less important (although maybe not to the buyer, as many buyer's don't come to the boards and honestly have no idea that they can only get positives). Having said that I always leave FB for my buyers, and I am not ashamed to say I do it mainly in the hope that they will reciprocate. Feedback is very important to a seller, especially a newish seller such as myself. And I have been stuck in the high 300's for so long just waiting for my new colour star :_|

[straybooksoz]

I've been waiting all year for mine, cat.

[2106greencat]

Noooo, don't tell me that!

You are only 5 away....race ya :^O

[phorum_junkie*]

And I have been stuck in the high 300's for so long just waiting for my new colour star

If you think that is frustrating what about me? I get up to and pass 2,000 before I shut up shop and then when I reopen six months later I have dropped back down to not much over 1,500 :_|

[davewil1964]

We're talking totals, pj, not last 12 months.

I am, anyway.