Sellers extorting feedback by intimation?

[robert_053]

When selling I have ALWAYS given feedback when the customer pays for the item. The quicker they pay the better the feedback.  AS IT SHOULD BE.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

When buying how ever I have found a lot of sellers do not leave feedback until you leave them feedback.  Is this GOOD practice?  I don't think so, in fact it causes me to give poorer feedback than I may have originally as I class this activity as bad customer relations in the 'seller's communication' area.  As a rule I start asking why I had not received any feedback after four to five days, then if I do not receive a reasonable answer and immeadiate feedback the seller loses points.  As a majority of postal times from sellers average at least 7 days I usually wait that long before "reducing" the stars on communication.  Then every four days they lose another.

Today I contacted a seller asking "why?" on an item 320731808127 purchased on the 9th of May and received this reply:

"Dear robert_053,

Hi
thank you for your information.
our system work that when customer leave me positive feedback.
the system leave him positive also.
please leave me first.
miranda"

to which I have replied:

Hello Miranda,
That is very rude.
I order and pay for items straight away and so I expect positive feedback STRAIGHT AWAY!
What YOU are doing is extorting good feedback from customers so they will get good feedback too.
IF you had checked my members profile page you would have discovered that this is a particular "HATE" of mine.
It also causes those sellers who do it to LOSE 'points' when it comes to me making my assessment.
To me that is a "failure for proper seller's communication"
**excerpt from my page
**quote**
Business Information

NOTICE TO SELLERS!When I purchase your product and Pay immediately, I EXPECT feedback immediately!! Should you delay feedback, until I receive the item and give YOU feedback, you WILL receive LESS STARS in communication the longer you delay!
**endquote**
Sincerely,
Robb

Do YOU think I am right in doing this?

[the3coopers]

OK - I'll start...

WHAT DOES EBAY SAY ABOUT WHEN TO LEAVE FEEDBACK?

-----------

Always leave Feedback after a transaction so that other members may benefit from your experience.

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/feedback/questions/feedback.html

[digital*ghost]

OK - I'll start...

WHAT DOES EBAY SAY ABOUT WHEN TO LEAVE FEEDBACK?

-----------

Always leave Feedback after a transaction so that other members may benefit from your experience.

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/feedback/questions/feedback.html

Here's something else eBay say about feedback.

For those that don't want to click on and view the large image, it's a question from eBay's feedback tutorial.

You paid for an item, but it hasn't yet arrived. Since you paid you expect the seller to leave feedback first. Should the seller leave feedback upon receipt of payment?

a. Yes. Since you paid, the seller should leave feedback first

b. No. The seller should wait until you leave feedback, signaling your satisfaction with the item and the transaction.

c. No. The seller has automated part of the transaction process using auction management software so the seller should let the system leave the feedback based on the criteria they chose when they programmed the software.

d. Each member may choose the best approach to leaving feedback for them.

The correct answer is D Each member may choose the best approach to leaving feedback for them.

The main point I am trying to make in this thread is that if you respect your fellow human beings, you would respect them enough to not try and dictate what their choices are. If feedback is integral to someone, that doesn't mean you can expect it's integral to someone else. This works both ways, as a seller, I take the approach that I respect the preferences of others when I leave feedback, I know buyers appreciate it, so I leave it. The rest of the quote:

That's right! There are different philosophies on whether the buyer or seller should leave feedback first. Research shows that sellers who leave feedback upon receipt of payment receive a higher percentage of feedback, but either approach is acceptable.

One reason that sellers leave feedback upon receipt of payment is that they believe that the buyer has upheld his or her end of the transaction. One reason sellers wait until a buyer has left feedback is they take the feedback as the signal that the buyer is satisfied with the purchase and no further customer support is needed.

If the approach your buyer or seller takes matters to you, review the comments left for others in their Member Profile page to see when they leave feedback.

[the3coopers]

And another entry from me...

WHAT DOES EBAY SAY ABOUT WHEN TO LEAVE FEEDBACK?

--------------------------------

Ebay Feedback Tutorial

Question: 4 / 7

Each member must decide how best to manage their reputation. eBay's internal research has shown that sellers who leave Feedback upon payment receive a higher percentage of Feedback compared to those who wait for the buyer to leave Feedback first as confirmation that they are satisfied.

Other sellers use automated tools to leave Feedback and wait until Feedback has been left to leave a comment. Regardless of who leaves Feedback first, eBay encourages both members to always leave appropriate Feedback.

Question:

You paid for an item, but it hasn't yet arrived. Since you paid you expect the seller to leave Feedback first. Should the seller leave Feedback upon receipt of payment?

a. Yes. Since you paid, the seller should leave Feedback first

b. No. The seller should wait until you leave Feedback, signaling your satisfaction with the item and the transaction.

c. No. The seller has automated part of the transaction process using auction management software so the seller should let the system leave the Feedback based on the criteria chosen when the seller programmed the software.

d. Each member may choose the best approach to leaving Feedback for them.

OK, that is a good question - I'll click on (A), and that'll prove what eBay policy says...

ANSWER - INCORRECT

Sorry - That's not the right answer.

Click Next to find out why.

Gee, that's a bit alarming... I better click on Next and read the explanation from eBay...

Question: 4 / 7 Answer Explained

Here's how you can avoid this mistake in the future.

Buyers often believe the seller should leave Feedback as soon as the buyer has paid, and many sellers share this view. Other sellers believe that payment is only one part of the overall transaction and they don't want to leave Feedback until they are sure that their buyer is satisfied. They typically wait until the buyer shows this satisfaction by leaving positive Feedback. Other sellers use automated tools to leave Feedback and program it to wait until Feedback has been left

.

Whichever approach you take is acceptable, though sellers that leave Feedback upon receipt of payment receive a higher percentage of Feedback. If the approach your buyer or seller takes matters to you, review the comments left for others in their Feedback Profile page to see when they leave Feedback.

--------------------------------

I just love that comment FROM EBAY that says "Here's how you can avoid this mistake in the future" - it's kind of right on topic for this thread, eh? :^O

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/tutorial/feedbacktutorial/js_tutorial.html#

Now, isn't eBay amazing? 😉

[the3coopers]

Snap, ghost!

I had a problem with losing my post, but luckily I'd copied it to the clipboard before I hit "preview". The new version (that I posted) has completely stuffed up formatting, even though it looked OK in Preview.

The BEST part of that tutorial is when you answer:

(A) "Yes. Since you paid, the seller should leave Feedback first"

... and the eBay tutorial replies with...

Sorry - That's not the right answer

Here's how you can avoid this mistake in the future

:^O :^O

[digital*ghost]

The BEST part of that tutorial is when you answer:

(A) "Yes. Since you paid, the seller should leave Feedback first"

... and the eBay tutorial replies with...

Sorry - That's not the right answer

Here's how you can avoid this mistake in the future

:^O :^O

:^O So there we have it, straight from the horse's mouth. It is a mistake to expect the seller to leave feedback upon payment.

[jillywinkle]

hi again view...just realised that you didnt write those stories but thanks for posting them I thoroughly enjoyed both....jilly

[*new2vintage]

:^O So there we have it, straight from the horse's mouth. It is a mistake to expect the seller to leave feedback upon payment.

Which horse - Phar Lap ?

[phorum_junkie*]

So ‘end of’,

Did you all miss this a couple of dozen posts back?

Looks like a thread closing party invitation to me :^O;-)

[davewil1964]

Saw that.

Was unsure whether it meant the OP was trolling or that they realised they had put their foot in it big time.

As a reflex, when an OP reckons a thread has gone it's distance, I reckon that is a good time to extend it.

[the3coopers]

Nah, don't close it until some other person starts a new one. I love feedback threads :^O

Talking about leaving feedback AFTER a transaction is completed, I just noticed this one on the Answer Centre:

http://community.ebay.com.au/question/Selling-Ebay/Threat-Negative-Feedback/600150139

Read the OP - I am wondering if they still think it was a good idea to give lovely positive feedback to that Buyer?