ebay feedback, leave it, or first leave it last?

[linos]

I started selling on EBay 2 months ago...at first i left feedback soon as the buyer payed for the item...then i waited....and waited.......and still waiting for my feedback.As a new seller with a small feedback amount i felt that it was very UNCOOL that they get the fast shipping and good service and they did not wanted to make the last step of the transaction..since allot of people WONT buy from you if your feedback is not allot, even if what you got is 100% positive...Now i wait.....and wait...then after 10-14 days i do send a polite reminder email if they leave the feedback i do too if they don't i don't
it`s not to get a even or anything i think its the way to go IMHO

Some buyers turn out to b the nervous, untrusting types that want daily updates regarding the wherabouts of their $37 package

I did had i guy like that that almost gave me an ulcer...gues what, i left a positive feedback..he never did

To me, it's unethical for the seller to withhold feedback until they receive it.

If a seller does not leave feedback after I've paid for an item, I won't leave feedback after receiving it.

That`s one shoe...i wear the other one
This is the best idea so far IMHO:

I think buyers and sellers need to wait until the transaction is truely over before leaving feedback

 

[u812]

Email them and ask for it.Not long ago I had forgot to leave feedback for someone(thought I had)and they emailed me about it.I did not mind at all.
When I sell something I leave feedback as soon as I recieve payment but I have noticed that most sellers will not unless you leave it for them first,IMO that just isn't right.

 

[TedV]

When I sell things, I leave feedback when the transaction is completely finished (item paid, item shipped, item received and everybody is happy).
I only want satisfied customers, so if for example the customer thinks the item is not how it was described, I rather have him sent it back, and I'll refund him in full and forget about the whole deal.
If he already would have given negative feedback without contacting me, I can give him negative also because he gave no room to correct or fix the problem. This gives a signal to other sellers that the buyer can be troublesome to deal with.
Anyway, all my transactions on Ebay (and here) have been positive.
I make sure to keep it that way.

 

[SharpByCoop]

I just need to stop obsessing with the feedback that doesn't come.

No feedback's better than negative feedback in most cases.

Ted, like you, I have about 15% of my buyers who simply wouldn't take the time to respond. A+ or otherwise. I have sent out reminders with even the link to the feedback window, but to no avail. You can lead a horse to water.....

After a point, it don't matter. When you are just getting started, it does. Kinda like chicklets.....

Coop

 

[randucci]

Feedback has always seemed pretty simple to me. The idea is to rate each other on how both parties handled their part of the deal. For the buyer,,,how he paid. For the seller,,,the quality, accuracy of description and shipment of the item.
When I pay you,,I'm owed feedback right then because I've kept my end of the bargain. Once I receive the item,,I owe feedback,,right then.

This is my thoughts also, I don't see why sellers don't give feedback as soon as the buyer pays, I always pay within a day, but some sellers wait to see what you say about them before they will give feedback.

 

[TedV]

Randucci, how would you feel as a seller when you sold something and described it to the best of your knowledge, and the buyer gives you negative feedback because it isn't what he thought it would be, and you didn't get a chance to make things right? - that's the situation I would like to avoid...

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Randucci, how would you feel as a seller when you sold something and described it to the best of your knowledge, and the buyer gives you negative feedback because it isn't what he thought it would be, and you didn't get a chance to make things right? - that's the situation I would like to avoid...

I agree, I go to great lengths to educate a bidder sometimes, for two reasons, first an educated bidder might bid higher on an Item knowing the history, and the better the description the more people might bid.

 

[PierceArrow]

I don't agree that a buyer's only obligation is to pay. I'd only agree if I simply received payment and didn't have to interface with the buyer.


Here are the things I expect in a buyer:

1) buyer pays in a "reasonable" amount of time. If payment is going to take longer than a week to be received, I expect the buyer to let me know. Take 2 weeks to pay and forget about receiving feedback.

2) buyer answers my e-mail when I have shipping/customs questions.

3) buyer is "reasonable" regarding trusting that I have shipped the item when I said I shipped the item. Also, it helps greatly if the buyer checks their e-bay registered e-mail account before contacting the seller. I send a USPS ship notification to the buyer's e-mail address, and it disappoints me to see so many buyers fail to look at their registered e-mail account.

4) buyer doesn't panic if package is not received the day after payment is made. The heavy-duty non-trusting types give me an ulcer.

5) buyer doesn't insist that I ship item before payment is received.

6) buyer acknowledges receiving item (leaves feedback or shoots me an e-mail saying all is well).

7) if buyer wants to return item, I expect buyer to handle this situation in a professional, trusting manner. I've left positive feedback for folks that have returned an item - it can be done correctly.

As a seller, I try to behave with professionalism and coutesy, and I expect the same consideration from the buyer until the transaction is completely over.

 

[Don Adelfson]

I've been registered on Ebay since 9/24/97. Used to buy and sell a lot...always left feedback when the deal was complete no matter what side I was on. Had many good experiences on Ebay. However, as time went on more often issues began to arise...almost entirely as a result of anal buyers' perceived problems.

Today my opinion is Ebay is so full of whiners, deviants and theives that I rarely venture in...identity theft is out of control and fraud is rampant. I believe the particular forums (ie, knives, watches, etc.) are a much better place to do business.

 

[notdos]

I don't agree that a buyer's only obligation is to pay. I'd only agree if I simply received payment and didn't have to interface with the buyer.

Well,,we'll have to agree to disagree because the fact is,,a buyers only job is to pay,, for him to have completed his side of the bargain.
For example,,,,if you worked in a clothing store,,a customers responsibility is to give you money before he takes the merchandise from the store,,he doesen't have to be nice or accomodating or even civil. He could say he thought you looked like a bum and your mother sucked eggs,,,but he still has to pay before the product leaves the store. Once he pays,,hes done.

On the other hand,,while hes calling you an sob,,your responsibility as the seller is to "sell" him the merchandise either as the employee of the seller or the owner. Sellers often have to paste a smile on their face and suffer mountains of indignation to "close the deal". If you decide to tell him to go to hell you might lose the opportunity to sell which is why you were there in the first place.

In other words,,buyers buy and sellers sell,,,imho.

 

[PierceArrow]

Notdos,

Are you saying that if I come to your clothing store, crap on the floor, pay my bill on the way out, then stand on the side-walk in front of your clothing store and tell people you are ripping people off, that you will still rate the selling experience "positive" because my check didn't bounce? WOW!!!! And I thought only Jesus could forgive total idiots. You my friend are a true Saint.

 

[kapt kopter]

Well for me I prefer that the seller posts feedback as soon as he gets the payment and then I give feedback as soon as I receive the item and inspect it ....... I always give feedback.........seems the fairest way to handle it imho.............

Kap

 

[The Deacon]

What do you say so it doesn't seem like your a BFC Rep Point Wh*re, fortunatley or unfortunately the feedback has some weight behind it on ebay and my reputation means something there. So what do you good folks do?

Well so far, I've been strictly a buyer. From my perspective my portion of the deal is done once I've made payment, if they take PayPal, or once they have received it, if they require a Money Order. My usual "drill" is - snipe the auction, if I win, and they take PayPal, go immediately to PayPal and pay up. If they follow up with an email saying the item has been shipped, respond with one thanking them for the heads up and letting them know that I will email them when it arrives and leave appropriate feedback at that time and thanking them for their feedback if it has already been left for me. While I feel that, since the buyer has fullfilled his part of the bargain first, it is really the seller's duty to post feedback first, I've never withheld feedback to wait for it, if I get the item, I post feedback. All so far has been positive, some a very strong positive, some more or less "damning with faint praise", simply because so far, I've been lucky enough to always get what I paid for, athough a couple times only after a prolonged delay.

One thing to remember, most folks only look at a sellers feedback percentage, TOTAL feedback only becomes an issue for really new sellers. Sales quantiity vs feedback quantity gets skewed by both missing feedback and by repeat buyers whose feedback does not count toward your percentage. But missing feedback is nowhere near as damaging as bad feedback.