Do any of you send messages requesting feedback?

[flowerygirl]

I send a message after I've posted an item I've sold saying 'once you've received the item, please can you leave me feedback to confirm you've received it?'

Does anyone else do this? Wasn't sure if this is the correct etiquette?

[GinGinGin]

Personally I'd find that incredibly pushy and patronising and probably would not provide feedback on principle! Just ask them to message you if you're that concerned that they've got it.

[Perfectlypurple]

I get annoyed by people doing that, especially when they say once you have left feedback we will leave yours, which is like saying we will only do it if you give us good feedback. Much prefer the people who give me feedback like prompt payer etc.

[CaptainAnkles]

I tend to ignore messages like that. eBay has been going long enough that people know to leave feedback, they don't need hassling into it.

[FelicitySmoak]

As a buyer I ignore. If you beg for feedback from me you generally don't get it. I leave all my feedback in one sitting monthly.

As a seller I leave feedback for the buyer as soon as they pay for the item. Getting buyers to leave feedback when they have received kind of harks back to the days when the seller wants to make sure the buyer is leaving nothing but positive or else they leave a tit for tat neg (which sellers can no longer do).

I had a seller once who begged for feedback weekly. After the fourth email I messaged them and pointed out that should they carry on harassing me I would be leaving informative feedback. 3 weeks later I had yet another request. This time I did leave the feedback they asked for. A negative with 1 Star for communication.

[flowerygirl]

Interesting. I can see that some would see it as pushy. But if people know to leave feedback CaptainAnkles why don't they do it? I was finding only half leave feedback which prompted me to start doing this. Now I get a much better response rate. I think it's politeness to leave feedback.

[Cherryapple1]

No don't send any demanding reminders or you may get feedback you don't want. It is purely voluntary, and many don't leave any. Never ask for it as it just upsets people.

People don't leave feedback because they don't want to, and you badgering will just annoy them. Is it really that necessary? It is not an integral part of the transaction is it and you saying it is polite to leave it, well sorry - I find that ridiculous.

I go on eBay to buy and sell, not to boost peoples' feedback ratings.

[Cherryapple1]

and btw if you send tracked you won't need feedback to confirm receipt of an item.

[Petallic]

I wouldn't bother, it's far better your feedback stays at 100% than you get an arsy buyer who is prodded into leaving neutral or neg feedback. Unless you are new or have very few feedback (under 30/40) then any additional feedback won't be a deciding factor for most potentials buyers.

[flowerygirl]

Thanks for all your comments. I find it funny anyone would be 'upset' by being asked to confirm they've received an item. eBay is a community that is reliant on good feedback ratings. I'm not asking them to lie and if they're not happy with the item they can leave me feedback telling me so.

[Cherryapple1]

Feedback is voluntary and you nagging someone for it is just plain annoying. And you should never rely on feedback to confirm receipt of an item.

[GinGinGin]

Flowery, you didn't ask them to confirm receipt though, you asked them to provide you with feedback, which is entirely different. If you want to confirm receipt, just ask them to message you when they get the item!

Oh and as to people who don't leave feedback - I buy quite a lot of stuff on eBay and tend to leave feedback in a block, not necessarily as soon as I receive the item.

[nauticant]

If I received your message OP the best you could hope for from me is no feedback.

[flowerygirl]

One message doesn't constitute 'nagging' really does it? I thank them in my message for their prompt payment and say that I hope they like the item. Perhaps it seems as though I'm abrupt in my OP, I was paraphrasing.

Regardless, my tactic is proven to work... Not one person has complained and I get a far better response rate now.

[Cherryapple1]

how do you know it works? you don't know if your message is what prompts them to leave feedback.

I don't understand why you are so desperate for it?

[felicitysmoak]

What are your stars for communication like?

[Cherryapple1]

you should read this - messaging thanking them and then asking for feedback can count against you. I personally hate constant messages - I just want my item, not grovelling emails saying they will dispatch, thank you for buying, then another saying they have dispatched, then more asking for feedback. Just leave buyers alone

community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Selling-on-eBay/Does-automatic-5-stars-for-communication-if-no-messages-between/qaq-p/780047

[felicitysmoak]

That's kind of where I was going cherry. By opening up the lines of communication you are opening up the stars box when they do leave feedback.
Seasoned sellers will do two things;

Never communicate with a buyer unless they message first.

Never charge for p&p.

By doing those you automatically receive five stars in both of those categories and in these new buyer skewed times where every single rating is important it's a big help.

[ragged]

IIRC, Only get automatic 5* for comms if you promise dispatch within 1 days which personally I can't do.

I find OP's message fine although requests for f/back usually annoy me. It's polite & entirely reasonable, rarely worth the extra cost to send low values tracked.

I only care about neg. f/back left for me, so I would never ask.

[flowerygirl]

Cherryapple1 I know my tactic works because I sell 20+ items as week and once I started doing it this way my rate of feedback being left has gone up.

That's bizarre you get automatic 5 stars if you don't communicate with a buyer. How can no communication at all equate 5 stars? If anything it should be not applicable. I have 4.9 out of 5 for communication.

As you say ragged, it's not worth the extra cost to send a low cost item tracked.

[Cherryapple1]

Because a seller sending messages to a buyer unnecessarily is annoying? I completely disagree with you and am sure one day you will annoy a buyer asking for feedback and get a rating you didn't want.

[flowerygirl]

Ah well, I can live with that.

[Petallic]

Can I ask why you are so keen to get feedback? Not a a snarky question just wondering why as eBay doesn't grade you on the quantity of feedback, just the quality of the feedback you do receive. And if you are aiming for listings boosts with top rated seller whatever they're calling it now then thats based on how much you sell not no. Of feedback. I'm curious that there's some eBay metric I'm missing?

[Betsyblue]

If I am asked for feedback, I don't leave it. I find it really annoying. I have kept up my end of the bargain by paying and if I haven't got in touch with you specifically because something is wrong with the item, then consider me happy with the purchase.

I don't leave feedback or reviews for everything I buy off the internet- I would be there forever! Some big online stores have started harassing me for reviews and feedback too and I just totally ignore.