Buyer with zero feedback

[4Smalls]

No biggie but what do you think?

Buyer with zero feedback from Australia bought £30 rare vinyl record from me. Paid and asked me to leave feedback immediately as he had no feedback and sellers didn't want to sell to him because he had no feedback.

I said I'd be happy to leave him feedback once he'd received the record and knew that all was well. (I have 100% pos feedback of around 500 and have been on ebay for 12 years.)

When he received the item he emailed to say he'd received it and would I now leave feedback.

I said that as he was new to Ebay I'd appreciate if he left feedback for me first and then I'd be happy to leave him feedback. I reminded him that other sellers did not want to sell to him but that I had no problem selling to people with zero feedback. But I do ask that buyers with zero feedback leave me feedback first if they want feedback from me.

The guy has gone insane and is now really furious. I'm pretty sure he's going to leave negative feedback (it would be my first ever!) because he's so angry - even though the record arrived perfectly. It's a superb record, by the way.

Since buying my record I notice he has received 2 feedbacks from others (one as a buyer and one as a seller) but has left no feedback for anyone.

Should I....

1. Ignore and move on. If he leaves neg feedback, so be it.
2. Give him positive feedback just to placate him.

Thanks!

[sulalovesbing]

He sounds like a weirdo. What skin off his nose wild not be to give you positive feedback?!

[MissBattleaxe]

Sounds like he's both new to eBay and stoopid. if he's new then any fees he makes won't be released until he's had a certain amount of feedback. However he is really stupid not to just leave you some bloody feedback and to get angry with you!

[4Smalls]

He says I'm "selfish" for not leaving feedback given that he has fulfilled his obligation as a buyer (ie he's paid). And he says "I dont care whether you think that is fair or reasonable."

[AgainstTheGlock]

Ack newbies - they're just lucky their first transaction is with honest people!
I've just had an eBay newbie complete the transaction in this order:

1. leave me positive feedback
   
2. send me cash through the post
   
   She will learn.

[4Smalls]

So what should I do?

[4Smalls]

From what I've seen, it's almost always people with very low feedback numbers who leave negative feedback will-nilly....

[AgainstTheGlock]

Well it makes absolutely no difference to you, so I'd ignore his whiny emails and only leave feedback after he does, if he does.

You're under no obligation to leave it at all.

[19lottie82]

Can you look at his profile and see if he's left feedback for other sellers? Ie if he has any negative feedback for anyone else?

[19lottie82]

Personally I leave feedback as soon as a buyer pays, but all their whining in this scenario would put me off leaving it TBH

[SoupDragon]

He says I'm "selfish" for not leaving feedback given that he has fulfilled his obligation as a buyer (ie he's paid).

Playing devils advocate for a moment here, he's right. He has fulfilled his obligation. Refusing to leave him feedback is just as "petty" as him refusing to leave it for you really.

At the moment, it appears to be that the result of you leaving him feedback is that he leaves you none. Is this a problem?
The result of you not leaving him feedback may lead him to leave you negative feedback about being "difficult".

Does it really matter if you leave him feedback and he leaves you none?

[Cloudhopping]

I don't really understand why you haven't left feedback for him- he's paid you in a timely fashion- what else do you expect?

[summerwinterton]

feedback is voluntary and he has no right to demand it. You are not obligated to leave it and it is not an integral part of the transaction

But you saying you will leave positive for him - that is your only option anyway.

[SoupDragon]

feedback is voluntary and he has no right to demand it.

That applies equally to the OP.

[lljkk]

The guy sounds nutty but tbh

When he received the item he emailed to say he'd received it and would I now leave feedback.

I would definitely have complied with this request without hesitation. I can't understand any logic to do otherwise. If he later negd you (for whatever reason) you can leave followup feedback to explain your side, anyway. Now leave him positive feedback, maybe a bit neutral like "Paid fast, let me know item arrived safely, thanks"

[4Smalls]

Thanks everybody. Just to reply -

Can you look at his profile and see if he's left feedback for other sellers? Ie if he has any negative feedback for anyone else?

He has now received feedback from one buyer and one seller but he's left feedback for no one.

Playing devils advocate for a moment here, he's right. He has fulfilled his obligation. Refusing to leave him feedback is just as "petty" as him refusing to leave it for you really.

I didn't refuse to leave feedback. When he received the record he emailed me to say "I've received the record. Now you can leave feedback". I replied asking "Is there any reason you don't want to leave feedback for me to that effect?" That's when he set off on his tirade.

I don't really understand why you haven't left feedback for him- he's paid you in a timely fashion- what else do you expect?

As a seller on ebay for more than ten years I don't leave feedback for people with zero feedback unless they leave it for me first. As my buyer himself said, a lot of people (most) selling collectors items won't even sell to people with zero feedback. That's because they're often scammers or troublemakers who set up lots of accounts and mess people around. Most aren't, of course, but any problems I've ever had with buyers have been with people with very low feedback or none.

I would definitely have complied with this request without hesitation.

If he had said "the record had been received and it was fine", then I would have probably done so. But he made a point of not doing so. He said "the record had been received", full stop. I haven't mentioned an earlier email he sent me lecturing me about how sellers must leave feedback as soon as the buyer has paid. I think he's just trying to make some kind of point. But it's a bit lame coming from someone with (now) 2 feedbacks and having left none for anyone else, don't you think?

[lljkk]

If he leaves neg f/back you get to reply to it. And ironically, you can be much more honest in that reply in defending your side, than you can in the regular f/back. As things stand, you're encouraging neg f/back you might never otherwise receive.

Is there a way for a seller to block buyers with NO feedback, or less than x-many feedback ratings? I don't remember seeing that option anywhere. Sellers can cancel bids (I think?) but this requires the bid to be seen in time, often no chance to do that.

[SoupDragon]

I said that as he was new to Ebay I'd appreciate if he left feedback for me first and then I'd be happy to leave him feedback. I reminded him that other sellers did not want to sell to him but that I had no problem selling to people with zero feedback. But I do ask that buyers with zero feedback leave me feedback first if they want feedback from me

This is refusing to leave it unless he leaves it for you.

TBH, this seems like a mountain/molehill scenario of your own making.

[nauticant]

On ebay it's easy to get drawn into fights with unreasonable buyers/sellers. It's best to think about the overall outcome you're after rather than the immediate fight.

To put it another way, if the buyer left negative feedback today and you could wind back the clock, what steps would you be willing to take to avoid that feedback being left in the first place?

[EveryoneElsie]

If he is demanding feedback then why is he refusing to leave it? I'd just block him. Without leaving the feedback.

[4Smalls]

Is there a way for a seller to block buyers with NO feedback, or less than x-many feedback ratings?

You can't block bidders with no feedback but you can cancel their bids:

offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CancelBidShow

[lljkk]

yeah, but like I said, 4Smalls that means you have to spot their bid in time & then check them out & then decide you don't like that Buyer. Out of curiousity, sellers who vet their buyers in this way, what do you do to remind yourself when to check your auctions for unapproved bidders? Maybe set a reminder 3 hours before end? AND hope you're in a place with internet access at that moment & will have time to do this admin task. But that will be no help at all for someone who bids in the last minute.

Plus risks that you may not get another buyer.

[EveryoneElsie]

You can prevent them from bidding in your Preferences.

[cardoon]

I'm with Elsie - I let the seller know I have received the item by leaving feedback and they generally then leave feedback for me. this seems a sensible order of business to me

[USERNAME213]

This is so weird, I sometimes completely forget to leave feedback. He should get over it! It's not a massive deal unless of course you get negative feedback. Just send and pay on time and be honest about what you're selling!