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eBay

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

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Original poster

Do you chase up feedback?

24 replies

TallDarkandUgly · 06/04/2014 17:27

I'm really pissed off with buyers who don't bother to leave feedback. I'm confident that what I sold meets expectations, should I chase up feedback?
It's just so hard to be a seller these days, I don't know whether to bother again tbh.

OP posts:

LavenderGreen14 · 06/04/2014 17:31

no - of course not. It is voluntary and not an integral part of the transaction. Buyers may be pissed off and neg if you pester them for it.

nickstmoritz · 06/04/2014 19:00

It's a no from me too.

No feedback just take as good. A buyer will contact you with any issues so no need to chase. However, I do not leave feedback for a buyer until it is left for me so if I don't get any I don't give any. Feedback is my way of knowing all is well. You may find some buyers do get round to it eventually though, just takes time.

LokiDokey · 06/04/2014 19:18

No.
I had a seller chase my buying account daily for a week for feedback. I messaged him in the end and pointed out that it was harassment and feedback was voluntary. I asked him to please stop pestering me or the feedback I left would reflect his constant messages. I was happy to leave no feedback at that stage.

2 weeks later came another request. At that point he got the neg, 'great item but feedback hassling more trouble than worth'.

I leave feedback usually in bulk once a month. Anyone who asks for it never gets it from me.

HolidayCriminal · 06/04/2014 20:09

No feedback is excellent, OP! Are you mad?

No F/back = automatic excellent rating.

Real F/back = risk of lousy ratings.

picnicbasketcase · 06/04/2014 20:14

If a seller hassles me because I haven't yet got round to leaving feedback I will either ignore them and never leave any, mark them down on their communication stars or leave a neutral, depending on how pushy they've been. So no, I wouldn't chase other people for it.

boogiewoogie · 06/04/2014 22:27

No OP. But like you, I also find it annoying when you've made the effort to list, package, send off immediately etc and you don't even get an acknowledgement of some kind. I guess it's a case of no news is good news.

On the other hand. I don't like it when buyers start a thread on MN moaning about sellers chasing them for feedback. If they have the time to start a thread about it then they can surely spare half a minute on Ebay to say "Thanks! Great item and delivery etc".

Original poster

TallDarkandUgly · 07/04/2014 17:20

Thank you for your input, I went against advice and chased up feedback and I'm very happy I've now got an extra 5 positive feedbacks and my star rating has gone up too. Looks like not every one is as mean as some of you who would leave a negative just because a good seller is asking for feedback. Phew!

OP posts:

LokiDokey · 07/04/2014 17:45

Tall I assume that was aimed at me?
Well let me tell you, if you emailed me daily for a week begging for feedback I'm going to get pretty pissed off. If, after I ask you politely to please stop, you continue to email me then you bet your arse I'm leaving negative feedback. I'm also leaving 1 star for communication.

As you have been told, many buyers leave feedback in bulk and feedback is optional.
I've been a seller myself since 1999 and have never yet chased up a buyer for feedback. It's rude tbh and you may even find your chasing has led to your stars for comms suffering.

boogiewoogie · 07/04/2014 21:21

But Loki, why didn't you just leave feedback on the first request? BTW, I have never chased buyers for feedback but would still prefer to have a DSR chart and that only happens whey enough buyers do leave fb.

LavenderGreen14 · 07/04/2014 21:28

the whole point of feedback is that it is voluntary - when you get sellers telling you that you must leave it and badgering you until they do you are less inclined to leave nice, or any feedback at all.

It is the choice of the buyer whether they leave it - why should they just leave it if that is what the seller demands. Totally unreasonable isn't it.

LavenderGreen14 · 07/04/2014 21:29

and talking about an acknowledgement - they are meant to be grateful you sent what was paid for? If you need a buyer to leave feedback to prove delivery you need to start sending tracked - and even if they do leave feedback they can still file not received.

boogiewoogie · 07/04/2014 21:40

Lavender Sellers need feedback to build a reputation to let other potential buyers know what you are like as a seller in terms of integrity with item description, communication, delivery speed etc.
Yes, feedback may be voluntary and this goes for both parties but I don't understand why people moan about being chased up for it unless of course it was an abusive message. If you buy something from Amazon, you normally get an email asking you to say what you thought of the seller. Sometimes Ebay send you a reminder to leave feedback for your transactions. Really, why do people get riled about this? Are people really too busy to leave a positive message (if applicable) but not too busy to start threads about it on MN?

BadRoly · 07/04/2014 21:43

I am guilty of forgetting to leave feedback. I wouldn't mind a reminder and then another a week or so later.

LavenderGreen14 · 07/04/2014 22:04

Boogie - I am well aware about reputation - still does not excuse hounding people telling them they have to leave it.

boogiewoogie · 07/04/2014 22:08

Lavender - There is however a difference between a polite request in the first instance and persistent hounding for a week though. I am talking about the former.

LavenderGreen14 · 07/04/2014 22:31

I totally disagree - I think one reminder is too much. Sellers have no right to ask for feedback. It is not an integral part of the transaction - it is a bonus.

LokiDokey · 07/04/2014 22:54

Boogie, as I explained I leave feedback in bulk once a month, I neither have the time or the inclination to jump on a computer and leave feedback the second an item arrives. Added to that it's a bad idea to leave feedback immediately anyway to allow time for defects to show.

The first email came within hours of me receiving the item,I ignored it because I hadn't yet had chance to even examine the thing. Being bombarded with messages to leave feedback is annoying. It's not a compulsory part of eBay.

I was quite happy to leave no feedback at all after I'd messaged the seller requesting they stop harassing me yet still they sent more messages. That's poor communication for starters.

Thereonthestair · 08/04/2014 07:39

I'm another one who buys a fair bit but really hates being chased for feedback, so a chase makes the feedback that bit poorer, and if I read that a seller has chased I won't buy from them.

boogiewoogie · 08/04/2014 12:24

Fair enough Loki.

Leaving feedback is the buyers decision and whatever decision they make, they do not need to justify it. I personally have never chased or been chased for feedback but I still do not view it as hounding or harassment if I received a politely worded request from one say a couple of weeks after the auction has ended. Feedback like most things are optional but nicer for the seller if they do get it, especially a newer seller.

RedFocus · 08/04/2014 13:11

I always leave feedback pretty soon after receiving the item. I would be horrified if I forgot to leave it as I've always had excellent service from the sellers I've bought from.

Nanny0gg · 08/04/2014 18:59

I am a really new seller on Ebay. I have left feedback as soon as I have received payment or received goods.

I'm still waiting for 4 out of 14 feedback, going back 2 months for some. I know it's not a lot, but when you want a star rating it does matter.

And one, she bought two things at the same time, so I refunded some of the postage without being asked. I got okay feedback, but a thank-you would have been nice!

(Yes I know that's expecting too much, but still...)

nickstmoritz · 08/04/2014 19:49

NannyOgg
I would advise that when you sell wait for your buyer to leave you feedback that they are happy with the item before you leave it for them. There are a few things that might go wrong after payment is received -

An example (true)
a buyer returns an item to you after 2 weeks asking for a refund and your item now smells of BO even though you sent it freshly washed and ironed. You have to refund because ebay will side with buyer and it is not worth risking your feedback & DSRs with a buyer like this.

More annoying if you have already left nice feedback for this awful buyer and you might wish to report a buyer so having left them pos feedback wouldn't be so good.

This is just one of several examples I could give you. I never ask for feedback and yes probably 30-40% do not give it and some give it after a couple of months even. Just take that as positive - no issues = ok transaction.

When someone leaves feedback for me I return it straight away. Obviously I really appreciate the lovely comments when people are pleased and I agree leaving fb is a nice thing to do. Give people plenty of time to do it. They might forget to collect item from PO for several days, don't get chance to look carefully at an item, might be waiting to leave fb in bulk monthly - lots of reasons.

Nanny0gg · 08/04/2014 19:55

nickstmoritz

Thanks for the advice - it's a minefield out there!

nickstmoritz · 09/04/2014 10:43

Yes Nanny it has been known for buyers to swap a perfectly working item they receive for their similar broken one which they send back for a refund!! Not happened to me but I have heard about it.

Definitely take Lavender's advice about sending tracked & insured if you have any expensive items. This stops anyone claiming item not received. Oh and set up a list of countries you are not willing to post to as some have a terrible record of losing items/items taking forever to get there. Not worth risking for your decent bits.

Hope I haven't put you off - 99% of transactions are with perfectly nice people and cause no problem at all but it is good to be forewarned about any hiccups.

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