Ebay sellers requesting feedback

[madscrapper]

Hi,

I am hoping some Ebay sellers can help me with my question/vent.

I have been buying, and occasionally selling, on Ebay for years. It used to be that sellers left feedback for me when payment was received. I, in turn, left it for the seller when I received the item. In the past several months I have noticed that sellers do not leave feedback until I do...now I have begun to get "reminder" emails to please leave them feedback and then they will do the same "to build a better community"

Huh?

I contacted and paid you promptly but you want me to leave feedback before you'll do it for me?

This just really bugs me. I have emailed those sellers who contacted me but so far none have had the courage to reply.

I realize that some buyers (and sellers) are jerks and may leave a negative feedback for some unknown reason. But when a buyer, such as myself, has a perfect 100% out of almost 300 transactions, I think I deserve the benefit of positive feedback that I deserve.

Thanks for listening - any thought?

Jeannine

 

[ceecee]

As a seller I like to see that the item has arrived. I always used to leave feedback right away and never got it returned. So now I wait, maybe I shouldn't but that's the only way I get it half the time. I have also noticed as a buyer that other sellers are doing the same thing. I think they want to know it arrived and that you are happy with it.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I posted a thread a few months ago about this very thing. It drives me crazy that a perfectly good transaction goes by without positive feedback.

For whatever reason (scared mostly) sellers do not want to leave feedback until they "know the buyer is happy." Which is a half truth. They want to make sure that any buyer doesn't leave bad feedback, and if they do, they can retaliate.

Only 1/3 of the transactions that I have had left feedback, that's just sad.

 

[Allabtprincesses]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I have not had the "courage" to step in to the selling world of Ebay, but have been a buyer for a few years now. I, too have 100% positive feedback with close to 200 transactions. But almost everyone that I have purchased from in the last year either leaves me NO feedback or waits to see that I have safely left them positive words. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that most transactions I make these days are with "Power sellers". Not on purpose, but it seems to be unavoidable these days. I guess when you are selling 1000's of items you don't care about one individual customer? Wish there was a solution...?

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Well, there are a few ( a very few ) of us sellers that do still leave feedback right away. As soon as I receive payment I leave feedback and send an email stating when the item will be shipped, that I have left positive feedback and that I would appreciate the same from them when they receive the item. Once a month I check back to see if feedback has been left and if it hasn't I send an email asking if everything arrived safely and, if so, asking that they please leave feedback for me. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. If they don't then I don't bother them again.

I just recently made a purchase on ebay and found what the rest of you are saying. I received an email stating that once they see that I've left feedback for them they would leave it for me. But, in my opinion, I fulfilled my end of the bargain when I promptly paid so that's when I feel the seller should have left feedback. I don't feel that it's fair to only leave feedback if the other person does. (I will if you will! - sounds like kids squabbling! )

BTW - I, too, am proud of my feedback! 100% out of 867!

 

[MrsToad]

As a buyer, I leave feedback as soon as the item arrives. As a seller, it depends...I try to leave feedback for the buyer as soon as I receive payment unless the item is breakable, of higher value, or a collectible with a subjective description, for example. I am always careful to describe my items clearly and even over-emphasize any negatives, but I feel more comfortable hearing from the buyer that he/she is satisfied. It is not out of fear of a negative or out of spite that I can "retaliate" but rather, seeing the positive feedback gives me the feeling that the transaction is really complete.

 

[disneysnowflake]

I've been selling on ebay since 1998.
I always left feedback as soon as I received payment, but in Nov of 2004 I stopped doing that.
Starting in Nov 2004 I started getting a lot of people demanding partial refunds.
My items are stated exactly as they are. Many of the items I sell are new.

One lady even told me that she would leave me a negative if I didn't give her 1/2 of her money back. She said she wasn't satisfied. I took it upon myself to check what other items she bought. I contacted those sellers. Sure enough she wasn't "satisfied" with any of those purchases, too. She demanded 1/2 of her money back for all of the sales she made.

I told this buyer no refund. She went to paypal and tried to file a claim with them stating the item was bad. I had all the emails from the other sellers. She didn't get her refund.

Again in Nov. another buyer wanted a refund stating it wasn't as described. I told her to just send it back. She didn't. I never heard from her again.

Then in Feb of 2005 a lady contacted me stating that her husband was mad at her. She wanted to return an item she bought back in Nov 04 for a full refund. I said no. She told me that she'd leave bad feedback then, but she never did.

It used to be where things went smoothly on ebay, but now it's changed.
eBay used to be fun for me, but anymore it's a pain in the rear.

 

[DiscussDisney]

As a seller, although I don't request feedback from my buyers, I do not leave feedback first for 2 reasons: 1) Payments that bounce because of insufficient funds or possible fraudulent activity and 2) not-so-nice emails from a couple of customers who threatened to ruin my 100% positive feedback score. IMO, negative feedback definitely can hurt a seller more than a buyer.

 

[my3kids]

I agree. There was a long discussion here a few months ago about this. I seem to remember me being in the minority though thinking once someone paid me, I left positive feedback. After that discussion I tried waiting until the item was received to leave the feeback once everything was final, but it didn't feel right. Once the buyer pays me, I send the item and give them their thanks (feedback) If something goes wrong at the other end, I'll deal with that then...they still fulfilled their obligation to me.

I agree...I hate the holding the feedback hostage routine and think it is getting worse.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

As a seller, I always leave positive feedback AFTER it is left for me. My father also sells on Ebay, and I have told him to do the same. He used to leave it right away after receiving payment, but every once in awhile you run into a 'crazy' Ebayer who knows you left positive feedback for them already and will try to pull something. It is a shame you have to think this way, but there is that ONE person out of 100 or even 1000 who is dishonest or a 'pain'. A few times I have run into people who receive an item and then want money back for some off the wall reason. Usually I give in due to the feedback issue, but I have also put my foot down and they backed off saying the item was really fine and "Brand New' like I had described. I guess it can be like owning a store and you are dealing with all types, most of whom are good, decent people but the occassional 'lets see what we can get' person.

 

[DMRick]

There is no right or wrong way to leave feedback. It's up to the seller and buyer to decide which way works for them. I prefer to wait until the buyer gets their item, and in fact I use vrane.com, and they leave feedback in return for feedback left, for me. I don't even think about feedback, it's all done automatically. Just because one of us decides to do it different from someone else (although I would never ask for feedback, and I hate it when someone asks me), does not make either way "wrong". As individual sellers, running our own "businesses", eBay lets us decide how to leave it. I started out leaving it (when I did my own feedback) once item was paid for, and quickly learned that a buyer can easily black mail my feedback for a refund (I have 4800 feedbacks and 4 negs). That quickly taught me how I preferred to do my business. Those of you that still have perfect feedback have obviously not experienced this. Once you do, you may or may not decide to change how you leave feedback. The choice is yous, either way doesn't make you a bad person.
I am very happy to see that eBay will finally be changing the way feedback is going to be handled with non payers. It's long overdue for a change.

 

[cobbler]

I don't sell very often, every once in a great while. I used to leave feedback right away after they paid. I had to stop because I left more feedback than I was getting, for every 4 I left, I would get one in return. Not so good when you have very few "stars" to begin with. Lots of good transactions but nothing to show for it.

I hardly sell on there anymore at all and avoid it if I can.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

As a seller I always leave feedback as soon as payment is received or I feel sufficient time has passed for it to clear. On the other hand, I have not sold in months due to ridiculous claims for partial or full refunds, etc. I will continue to leave feedback as soon as an item ships, otherwise I would forget and never do it.

If I get up the courage to start selling again I will just reply to any negatives left. So far, only 2 neutrals have hit my account - what can you do?? If you get too many negs, you can always start up a new account. I HATE they way ebay has become with everyone just so worried about their feedback. Buyers need at least 99% to sell and sellers know that in most cases the threat of negative feedback will prompt a partial refund, etc. Sorry guys, not here! I only sell new and well-looked over items. I may miss something, but for $$ back you must return the item.

 

[seashoreCM]

Usually I leave feedback for several other parties at once, for example once a month.

(copied from another post)
You can reply to negative feedback. Also if the other party gives you negative feedback and says something that is absolutely false, you can complain to eBay.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[my3kids]

How is ebay changing the feedback system?

 

[robinb]

I used to leave FB right away, but changed to the waiting method too after getting burned by a buyer. I do not, however, send reminders to people to leave FB. I think that just bugs them and can backfire.

 

[Laurajean1014]

As a seller, although I don't request feedback from my buyers, I do not leave feedback first for 2 reasons: 1) Payments that bounce because of insufficient funds or possible fraudulent activity and 2) not-so-nice emails from a couple of customers who threatened to ruin my 100% positive feedback score. IMO, negative feedback definitely can hurt a seller more than a buyer.

Why wouldn't you leave feedback after the check has cleared? Do you mean that you ship before clearance of payment? That's much more dangerous than leaving feedback.

I know there are some "nuts" out there, but why would anyone want to leave negative feedback if the transaction went well? Most people are happy to leave positive feedback - that is the backbone of eBay..............

 

[madscrapper]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. As a rule, I will leave feedback first. I guess it's the emails asking for it first that irk me.

I don't know what the feedback change is but some change is long overdue. One time I wanted to leave negative feedback for someone, but after checking her feedback (the transaction had taken almost 2 months to complete and all of the negative feedback she received happened after my purchase), I knew she would leave negative for me although I had done nothing wrong (that's what she did to the other buyers). I should have had the courage to just leave it since potential sellers to me could have checked her feedback. But I didn't - and still wish I could go back and leave it. I should have been able to leave accurate feedback without being penalized myself. I don't know if the changes will help - but it's a step in the right direction.

Jeannine

 

[DMRick]

How is ebay changing the feedback system?

I got a letter saying it would be changing within the next couple of months. It pertained to neg's left by non payers. I assumed they sent the note to everyone. Are you opted in to recieve email from eBay?

 

[Laurajean1014]

I agree. There was a long discussion here a few months ago about this. I seem to remember me being in the minority though thinking once someone paid me, I left positive feedback. After that discussion I tried waiting until the item was received to leave the feeback once everything was final, but it didn't feel right. Once the buyer pays me, I send the item and give them their thanks (feedback) If something goes wrong at the other end, I'll deal with that then...they still fulfilled their obligation to me.

I agree...I hate the holding the feedback hostage routine and think it is getting worse.

As an eBay buyer, I thank you for your integrity and courage.