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eBay

If you buy or sell items on eBay, you will find tips and advice on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

Feedback etiquette

20 replies

HLaurens · 24/08/2010 10:22

I've got a fair few eBay sales under my belt now, but I've never been able to work out the "proper" order in which to leave feedback.

If I am the seller, I wait until the buyer has left me feedback having received the item. If I am the buyer, I leave feedback as soon as I have received the item.

Is this the correct way to do it, do you think?

OP posts:

PurpleFrog · 24/08/2010 12:35

That is the way I do it. But, if I get a buyer who doesn't bother leaving feedback I will probably leave them some after 4-5 weeks. I reckon that if they were unhappy they would have complained sooner than that, and the feedback may just give them a nudge to reciprocate .

SoupDragon · 24/08/2010 12:46

I agree.
As a seller, I leave feedback as soon as i know the buyer is happy with the item, either through an email or them having left feedback.
As a buyer, I leave it when I am l happy with the item. or when i remember!

Original poster

HLaurens · 24/08/2010 13:16

Glad I'm not cheesing people off by unknowingly doing it all the wrong way around! Thanks!

OP posts:

delphinedownunder · 31/08/2010 02:10

Well, as a seller i always leave feedback once the money has gone in and i have sent the item. My feedback should not depend on their feedback, i think.

Mspontipine · 01/09/2010 00:56

Me too dd. Never had an unhappy customer :)

mrsfollowill · 01/09/2010 01:15

As a seller I feedback once money received- as a buyer I wait until I have received item.
Although I am now thinking should I wait and check they are happy with said item once received? They always have been happy so far. Hmmm you've got me thinking now!

PosyPetrovaPauline · 01/09/2010 01:18

dd i am with you too

DuncanDisorderly · 01/09/2010 07:06

I never leave feedback at all.

sixlostmonkeys · 01/09/2010 09:32

feedback should be left at the end of the transaction. The end of the transaction is when the buyer has received the item and has let the seller know they are happy.
Paying for the item is only the beginning of the transaction - anything can go wrong after payment, and so feedback should represent the conduct of the buyer 'during' the transaction.

If a buyer was to receive continuous feedback of "lovely fast payment" but then goes on, each and every time to be the buyer from hell (claiming non receipt when they have received, breaking item and wanting refund, returning a different item for a refund etc etc etc) then it's hardly fair on the ebay community (the reason for feedback) that they can glean no hint whatsover of this buyer's behaviour, is it?

PosyPetrovaPauline · 01/09/2010 21:47

Not at all

As a buyer all you are judged on is your payment - once you have done your bit you should be 'fed back to'

The seller should respond to just this - not whether or not the buyer is pissed off with the item or slow delivery etc. That is not about the buyer and should NOT come into the feedback

sixlostmonkeys · 02/09/2010 09:56

no. you don't understand posypetrovapauline.

buyers shouldn't be judged merely on whether they paid or not. It's not like paying is an option.

egs

buyer buys an original print. Claims it's a fake. returns a cheap print of the painting and claims a refund. Do you wish to recommend this buyer to the ebay community?

Buyer buys a camera. Claims it is broken. Sends their old camera (same make and model) back and claims a refund. Do you wish to recommend this buyer to the ebay community?

Buyer buys some speakers. Doesn't know how to connect them. Takes the back off and breaks everything. Claims they were broken. Sends them back for a refund. Do you wish to recommend this buyer to the ebay community?

Buyer buys a dress. Puts it in a hot was with red socks. Claims item not as described and returns it for a refund. Do you wish to recommend this buyer to the ebay community?

Buyer wins item. Immediately sends agressive message asking for an invoice. Doesn't pay for 14 days. 1 hour after payment sends abusive messages asking where item is and continues to send abusive messages threatening your family and home for the next 48 hours. Leaves neg FB and marks down all 4 stars thus ruining a small business' standing. Do you wish to recommend this buyer to the ebay community?

I hope these examples help explain it. It is important that sellers understand the importance of leaving FB at the END of the ENTIRE transaction and not the beginning, otherwise scam buyers will continue to have a field day getting freebies and a lovely collection of "Great buyer. Paid ever so quickly"

Mspontipine · 02/09/2010 14:08

Hmm - thing is these days six even if buyer was a complete nightmare, as one of the above, seller would have no means of communcating this to other sellers anyway. Their only option would be to not leave any feedback and even no feedback is good feedback for that type surely. I can see your point but know it has been said time and time again but when sellers were stopped from leaving neg feedback for buyers, even neg comments on a positive feedback the feedback system for buyers has become a complete farce.

Mspontipine · 02/09/2010 14:09

If I may call you six

sixlostmonkeys · 02/09/2010 14:22

hehe yes you can call me anything you want :)

I agree the FB for buyers is a farce. But this means we need to do all we can really.
Sellers can't leave a negative postive, but carefully worded FB will remain.
If no FB was left at all this can help sellers. eg. If I am about to sell to someone I can check their FB against their buying history. If they have bought 20 items in the last 6 weeks and not received any FB at all or very little then I can at least use my judgement and use the option of cancelling the transaction should I wish. I full house of "fast payment" tells me nothing.

PosyPetrovaPauline · 02/09/2010 20:03

i mostly buy six and beg to differ

i loathed ebay and nearly gave up ebaying because of sellers witholding feedback until i had left them positive...not good

if i buy and someone withholds feedback until i leave mine i would not buy from them again

if i sell - i leave feedback once they have done their bit - never had a problem

sixlostmonkeys · 02/09/2010 20:12

if you don't mind me saying - it seems you use ebay for the feedback rather than the items.

Feedback is optional.

If a seller sends you a great item at a great price, packed well and posted quickly, you wouldn't buy from them again because they didn't leave you feedback commenting on your ability to pay? Wow! How odd!

We need to agree to disagree on this one, because I don't think I can help you actually understand how ebay works.

PosyPetrovaPauline · 02/09/2010 20:49

six ?????????

I use ebay to buy stuff

I always thing it's the hard- line ebayers who care so much about feedback that they don't just give it freely without another thought

that''s the kind of seller I am WARY of

sixlostmonkeys · 02/09/2010 23:07

but feedback is not something you should give freely without thought
feedback is your opinion of your trading partner and the transaction, given on a public viewable place for other members of the ebay community to read in order to attempt to trade safely.
Why would you be wary of a seller who is behaving responsibly?

PosyPetrovaPauline · 02/09/2010 23:52

i think we will agree to differ sixmonkeys

just don't buy off me and i won't off you

sixlostmonkeys · 03/09/2010 12:17

LOL sorry if I have confused you Posy.
I'd recommend you start a discussion with your viewpoint on the ebay forums, but I'm not that cruel!

I'll willingly add you to my blocked bidders list so that you don't buy 'items' from me by accident. It would be a shame for you though as I sell great items, at a great price, pack well, post quickly..... I'm a power seller and a top rated seller. But I only sell 'items' not feedback (as that is against ebay rules)

On a more serious note, getting back to Mspontipine's comment about feedback for buyers now being a farce - There are many flaws in the feedback system. Ebay do often try to 'tweak' the system to urge members to use FB for what it is designed for. Having pages explaining how it works falls on deaf ears in part. There are flaws in the star rating system, a major one being the option to mark on P&P when an item was free p&p. When they made it obligatory to offer free p&p on books last year, many book sellers were almost ruined (myself included) as buyers would mark a '3', this being in their opinion 'neither/nor'. Whilst in the real world neither nor makes sense, in ebay world it means that sellers lose their standing and eventually their account. It has now been introduced in the US that any item that has freepost automatically gets full 5 stars. Hopefully it won't be too long before this is introduced in the UK.
I am hoping that eventually they will tweak the 'feedback as a buyer' tab. It would be very useful for sellers if they had an option for viewing 'actual transaction feedback', ommitting FB that is merely acknowledgement of payment. This would save a seller so much time.

Flip