What Does it Mean when a USERID's Feedback is marked PRIVATE

[clarry100]

We have a bidder on one of our items where USERID(private).

Where the feedback score normally is we are just seeing private.

Never seen this before.

Anyone know why this is?

[bigbrickshop]

Buyers have the option of making their feedback Private. They would need to change it to Public if they wanted to list an item for sale.

[j*oono · Accepted solution]

Some members hide their feedback so that other people or family can not see what they have been purchasing. Also it might be made private to conceal bad feedback that they have received or left for trading partners.

Mine is private because it is just a posting ID but I have used it for purchases in the past.

As bigbrick said they will have to make it public if they want to sell because sellers must show their feedback.

[clarry100]

Yeah j*oono that's the part that bothers me.

We like to take a peek at what FB they have left for other sellers just in case they are a problem buyer.

I'm kinda inclined to cancel their bid and block them as I feel an element of mistrust here.

[pennyforum14 · Accepted solution]

Please don't take this personally clarry but I really don't understand why you wouldn't at least give the buyer the benefit of the doubt.   At this stage they have done nothing to indicate they are suspect, they simply prefer to keep thier purchases private, IMO privacy is something we don't get enough of on the internet, so I wouldn't be hiding that against them.  For my part, I don't block anyone unless and until they give me first hand reason to do so.

[cherry*135]

I doubt buyers choose to have private feedback for the main reason of stopping sellers checking their feedback left for others.

I have had private feedback for a long time, main reason being others don't need to see what has been bought (not that it is anything out of the ordinary).

In the past on eBay forums, I have seen posters commenting on other posters buying habits or what they have purchased in a snarky, nosey way... nothing to do with the thread they are posting in, just a personal attack.

[i-love-my-sheep · Accepted solution]

Some people just don't want others to see what they have bought, because they may have bought something very personal or very sensitive. I know you're not meant to be able to sell products of an 'adult nature' on eBay, but the fact is, you can. Maybe these people have bought something of that nature and don't want the whole world to know. If I was in to buying that kind of thing, I'd probably have my feedback private too! Of course I would then need a second account for selling, but you get my drift.

[lousbloomingarden]

((((In the past on eBay forums, I have seen posters commenting on other posters buying habits or what they have purchased in a snarky, nosey way... nothing to do with the thread they are posting in, just a personal attack.)))).
That's not nice..
I wondered why some posters didn't use their main I.d.......now I know why I should have done the same at the beginning....
But I get into a shamozzel sometimes as I can be logged into my two different user names . One on the ipad and the other on the PC and I confuse everyone ....lol

[clarry100]

Not taken peronally at all Penny... I take your point entirely.

We have decided let the bid stand and see what happens with this one.

Thanks to all for your input on this. Interesting!

[i-love-my-sheep]

I'm like you in that I like to check feedback left for others....for the same reason. I've had a few serial red dotters bid and have been in 2 minds as to whether to cancel their bid or not. In the end I let them go and took a risk. 2 became non payers, so copped a strike and couldn't leave feedback and the others, I think they paid and never left any feedback. I figured they must've been happy with what they bought. I still put them on my BBL though.

One of the non payers contacted me 2 weeks after the case was closed still wanting to buy the item. I said no, so copped a face full of abuse. I was glad then I said no when his true colours came out.