eBay feedback

[Canseco44]

I am just wanting to hear some opinions here. It is my stance that if I purchase something on eBay, once payment is completed and everything is good, the seller should leave me the appropriate feedback. My end of the deal is done. Once I receive the item, then I leave the appropriate feedback. I always do this when I sell, because I stand behind what I sell. I have had sellers "hold me hostage" over this before. They refuse to leave feedback until I do! I may be completely wrong on my stance here, but what is you guys opinion? Am I wrong? Or not thinking about this the right way?

Thanks, Todd

[ferro39]

i think you are looking at things the right way, however, it also becomes extremely frustrating when you sell 20 items and only get positive feedback for around 5 of them.

ive also noticed a recent trend with buyers nitpicking and complaining after they have already received their feedback--like you said, they're holding your feedback hostage. for ie, trying to escalate a situation because they paid 4.99 for an item to be shipped and it only cost the seller 4.35 to do so (never mind the shipping supplies that were used)

it's all about people having some common courtesy

[otismalibu]

As stated in another thread, eBay has shifted the leverage from the sellers to the buyers. I have no problem with this, but now sellers cannot leave a negative, as far as I know. I wait, just in case I need that comment space. Sure, it will still post as a positive, but it's something.

And I think some sellers use a program automatically leaves feedback when they receive feedback.

[CampWest]

Some people are lazy. I have heard stories of buyers claiming an item was not as described (on something where it clearly could not be the case, like a generic baseball card for example) in that case you cannot take away positive feedback if a buyer turns out to be a flake.

It shouldn't matter much to sellers anymore, because they cannot leave negatives or even neutrals, all they can do is not leave positive.

Personally I don't care about my feedback anymore as long as I don't get any bad marks (unless I accidentally made an uncorrectable mistake). I have received feedback 1100 times over the past 12 years. I have left feedback over 1300 times. So, probably safe to assume that 20% of ebayers just aren't going even bother to leave feedback at all, so I am just happy when I get it at all - even if it comes in a couple months late.


Here's a good story... I bought an item a couple months ago, it came with an extra COA to an item I did not buy. I contacted the seller, told him he accidentally sent it to me, returned it to him at my expense in a jumbo bubble mailer rather than folding it into an envelope... roughly $5 all told + 15 minutes of my time. I had left him positive feedback, when I got the item in... AND even after I did all that for him, he still hasn't taken twenty seconds to leave me feedback or thank me for returning the extra COA or compensating me for the time and expense I incurred from his error.

[earlywynnfan]

For starters, I know there's a huge thread on this already, if you want to do a search.

As a buyer, I promptly leave feedback whether I've gotten it or not.

As a seller, I wait until I get feedback or I have heard from the buyer that they are satisfied. Many moons ago, I sold an item and waited a month with nothing, so I left a positive. The very next day, the buyer demanded a refund, told me he was unhappy, and so on. This left a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, as a regular seller, I'm tired of the overwhelming amount of buyers who can't be bothered leaving me a positive, whether I leave it for them first or not. I'm talking over 50%, and that's aggravating.

If a buyer tells me they'll leave a positive after they've gotten feedback, fine, I'll do it that way.

So maybe I'm holding buyers "hostage," but it's the last little bit of power ebay has left the sellers, so I'm going to use it.

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

[otismalibu]

trying to escalate a situation because they paid 4.99 for an item to be shipped and it only cost the seller 4.35 to do so

For smaller items, I just use a kitchen scale to get the weight and then print my postage through Paypal. You can print the postage so that it doesn't show what the cost was. Takes that complaint out of play.

[Canseco44]

This is what I was hoping for. I can see more clearly now, some of the arguments for waiting to leave feedback. Another pet peeve of mine has been brought up also, not leaving feedback altogether! I feel for anyone who has been using eBay for as long as I have. I started in 1998, the good ol days! Lol. Just an FYI, I didn't start this thread to make anyone angry, so if I offended, it was unintentional. My original post was to gain some insight on wy the seller would wait. I posted this morning right after an incident on eBay, so there were some emotions there. Lol. Thanks for all the responses.

Todd

[ferro39]

For smaller items, I just use a kitchen scale to get the weight and then print my postage through Paypal. You can print the postage so that it doesn't show what the cost was. Takes that complaint out of play.

that's a good idea. i think i can probably get one at the dollar store

another huge peeve of mine, which has been happening more and more lately: i have a lot of items with BINs and BO options. someone makes an offer and i counter along with a note. if the person isnt interested in the counter, what does it take to decline instead of letting it expire after the 48 hours?

[otismalibu]

someone makes an offer and i counter along with a note. if the person isnt interested in the counter, what does it take to decline instead of letting it expire after the 48 hours?

I don't think a seller can edit the listing while a counter offer is pending. I will often slowly drop the price over the course of an auction and couldn't make any changes while waiting for a counter to be accepted or decline.

Now I just decline with a note that says what I'll take.

[CampWest]

Its 100*+ outside today, so I have nothing better to do...

Looks like roughly I have left 720 feedback for buyers and they returned 647. A touch below 90%. I will caveat that most of my selling was back when I collected cards and ebay had not yet changed the feedback structure.

I have left 539 feedback for sellers while those sellers returned 485. So Again just a hair below 90%...

So over my 12 years on ebay, sellers and buyers are equally lazy.

To turn it onto myself, according to my seller dashboard I have sold 781 items. So I am not much better at 92%.. But I would estimate I have had 40-50 non-paying bidders over the years, where I would probably have not left feedback. So, I think adjusting for that I'm probably well over 95%. And I remember a few buyers that were real difficult to deal with that I felt a positive wasn't deserved and neither was a neutral or negative.

[jppopma]

While I don't sell much on Ebay, I know many sellers that will not post any feedback. It's like a form of protest against Ebay not allowing them to leave negative feedback. If they can't leave a deserved negative, they don't want to deal with the whole feedback system at all.

Another scary thing that I have seen is buyers who will go so far as to leave negative feedback solely based on the seller not leaving feedback for them right away. Crazy stuff.

Personally, I agree with the respect aspect of it. Like Camp West's situation. Right along with that comes communication. If an item takes a little long to get to me, no biggie....if the item takes a long time and the seller never replies when I ask about the item, then I'm a little concerned.

[NEFAN]

When I receive an item I bought, I leave feedback. When I sell, I wait for the buyer to leave feedback because the deal is not done until he/she is satisfied.

I am not holding the buyer hostage, I just want to be sure everything is good with the deal.

[BULBUS]

When I receive an item I bought, I leave feedback. When I sell, I wait for the buyer to leave feedback because the deal is not done until he/she is satisfied.

I am not holding the buyer hostage, I just want to be sure everything is good with the deal.

This is exactly how I feel about feedback on Ebay.

[kudu]

Another scary thing that I have seen is buyers who will go so far as to leave negative feedback solely based on the seller not leaving feedback for them right away. Crazy stuff.



Feedback is voluntary, not mandatory. If that really happened, ebay should be able to remove the negative feedback, if the seller contacts ebay about it.

[Jayworld]

Been an eBay member for 13 years (as both a buyer and seller). I don't sell much nowadays, as some of the changes eBay has implemented has left it not really cost-conscious for me, such as (1) Paypal only (I used to take money orders only as a seller) (2) Seller guarantees package (I used to offer insurance as an option, and if the buyer opted to paid, then I would insure the package) (3) non negative feedback for buyers (4) rates have skyrocketed, etc.

Having said that, when I buy, I leave feedback upon receipt of the item. When I sell, I leave feedback when the buyer pays. I've been doing it long enough that I always charge a flat shipping fee on every item that I sell (this year, the four items I sold I either offered very low shipping or free shipping because of eBay's changes). I always get delivery confirmation as a seller, and also use insurance if the item is over $50 of value. I usually lose a little money in shipping this way, but I've never had a negative feedback.....

In the 13 years, I've left only 4 negative feedbacks as a seller (back when we could do that) for non-payment (and I go to the extreme...I used to put payment expected within 10 days of end of auction, and I'd generally wait 3 weeks or more with several emails to the buyer before leaving a negative), and I've only not received an item I've paid for twice....

[brewcrew]

Interesting discussion here. I can tell you that I've been a member of eBay for 10 years and have left feedback on every item I've bought and almost every item I've sold. It just seems like the polite thing to do. I've been lucky, though. I've only been screwed over once or twice and never over anything major, and it's worked out for the most part in the end. But from what I have learned from all of you is that I would NEVER list anything of substantial value on eBay. It's not worth any number of nightmare scenarios that have happened to GUU members.

However, I HATE having to list on that site anymore. It is a necessary evil because it's the best way for me to sell certain items, like replica jerseys, bobbleheads, other SGAs, and the like, but I really hate how they are screwing over sellers with their latest policies. I wish more eBay buyers were also sellers so that they'd understand why sellers like myself (who are just individuals, not "stores" or businesses) do things the way they do. If I wanted to give stuff away for free, I'd donate it to Goodwill and be done with it.

[momen55]

i have sold 4 items and am waiting for feedback, one of which is over a month old!

[eisenreich8]

Todd,

As a member with 2 handles (with one I was being stalked and had to abandon it), over 13 years with 1249 and 1007 feedback counts respectively, let me just shortcut the whole 13 years for you and boil it down to these few words of advice:

Don't worry about it.

I always leave poaitive feedback unless I got screwed somehow. I don't give a hoot if I get feedback in return or not. Maybe it used to matter, I really don't remember, but I can say with all honesty I don't pay any mind to it. Conduct yourself honorably on eBay, deal with others who have a good track record, don't be overly nit-picky and you will see it all take care of itself.

[Canseco44]

Hey eisenreich8, great post. That is what o usually try and do, but I guess I just hadn't had my diet pepsi this morning and it rubbed me the wrong way. These have all been great posts and I have more insight than before I posted. I still believe in the old way and will continue to leave feedback as soon as someone pays me in a timely manner. I do understand why some sellers would not though. I do apologize for the "hostage" comment though.

Todd