Not allowed to leave HONEST feedback for buyers who default - WHY??

[johneltin]

I've had more than 2,550 sales and lately I've had a spate of buyers who make no contact after the sale - no payment.

I receive a FVF fee refund but this is not enough - I want justice!!

I see these buyers going on with their 100% rating and their behaviour should at least be visible to sellers.

Why keep them at 100% poistive when they have defaulted????????????

It's just NOT FAIR!!!!

[bookvasity]

I am not wanting to make feedback an added perk like frequent flyer points!

The point I was trying to make was that both good and bad feedback was required to make a system truely honest.

Hi Moochgraber,

I can't see anything wrong with using feedback as a positive tool.

I don't think anyone has found a system like that yet, that can lock out the bad and is operating on a truely honest system. It would be good if we could find something like that.

[bookvasity]

True but sellers do have a way of weeding out non-payers/buyers who are proven to have engaged in less than stellar transactions with sellers. In Buyer Requirements, you're able to set rules that (among other things) restrict people from bidding on your items if they've broken some policies within a certain period or have eBay policy strikes against their name in a certain period. It's better than nothing and a useful tool.

Hi Thesoulyearns,

They are good tools that sellers have and probably somethig many buyers don't know about. Can these existing tools help improve the feedback system as it stands now - whereas it appears to be unfair for sellers, who can not get justice when they have been wronged?

It's not even a matter of justice. It's the frustration of knowing that there is nothing in place to prevent an injustice that could damage a seller reputation.

[moochgraber]

Hi bookvasity ,

Here is part of the real issue of feedback.

For a serious seller it represents their livelihood, not just an occasional whim as it may be for the buyer.

Like a business brand, your feedback needs to be nurtured and protected with good service and products as we are in it for the long term, yet who does eBay protect in this equation?

If a buyer has only 1 feedback - are they forbidden from bidding or buying? Does it stop them trading with us?

Who really loses out when good and reliable sellers leave eBay and are replaced with those that don't care about feedback or building reputation but only about making some quick cash and getting out?

[bookvasity]

Here is part of the real issue of feedback.

For a serious seller it represents their livelihood, not just an occasional whim as it may be for the buyer.

Like a business brand, your feedback needs to be nurtured and protected with good service and products as we are in it for the long term, yet who does eBay protect in this equation?

If a buyer has only 1 feedback - are they forbidden from bidding or buying? Does it stop them trading with us?

Who really loses out when good and reliable sellers leave eBay and are replaced with those that don't care about feedback or building reputation but only about making some quick cash and getting out?

Positive feedback is important for buyers to gain confidence in a seller and it's downright damaging for a seller to have a high negative rating. Is my belief.

I'm really only a newbie at selling and have a lot to learn. It's just that I'm not convinced that sellers being able to leave negative feedback for buyers will solve the problem of buyers leaving unjust negative feedback for sellers.

Especially when you don't know if it's a competitor using neg feedback to help squash the competition.

Seller using neg feedback could also result in a public s**t fight between sellers and buyers. If true, that would not serve a purpose for anyone, least of all Ebay. Including, no one would know who was really at fault.

That's why I think it better to come up with a new approach. Using it as a tool that helps the seller would be ideal but needs some planning to achieve.

[phorum_junkie*]

I am starting now to save up for a new frock as it looks like this thread is never going to die off and will be having a 1st birthday party in just over four months.

[bookvasity]

There were once many large and very prominent stores that preached the mantra that "The customer is always right" ....

In a way they are here on Ebay also, always right. That's because they have a right to a refund and they have the neg feedback tool.

However with a status also comes a responsibility, as in having a social status, there is a responsibility to behave honourably in the eyes of the subjects.

I believe that if a buyer is given the privilage to be able to use neg feedback on a seller - then possibly they need to go through a screening or a similar process first - something that could determine if it is a just complaint. Possibly a log of some sort that will determine if it benefits other buyers, or sellers, etc. Something in place that qualifies them first to do damage to a seller.

This type of screening will also weed out the unscrupulous -  As with my recent experience and will weed out the ones who may only want to damage a competitor''s reputation.