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Original poster

Do you leave +ve feedback for buyers before you've got feedback from them?

75 replies

Legacy · 29/05/2007 09:33

I usually wait until my buyers have received their items and are happy and leave +ve feedback, but I've got a whole load of buyers who still owe me feedback. I don't think they're avoiding leaving it because it's negative, but I'm a bit nervous of asking 'was everything OK?' so should I leave +ve feedback first as a 'prompt' do you think?

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 29/05/2007 09:39

it really pisses me off that sellers DON'T leave feedback until after I (as the buyer) have done so - after all I have completed my part of the transaction as soon as I have made the payment, whereas their side isn't complete until they have sent the item (and in my eyes until I have received it - although I appreciate that this can be beyond their control).

What exactly are you waiting for? If they aren't happy with the item is it because there is something wrong with it, or because you don't want to leave them +ve if they leave you -ve?

FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 09:45

The seller shouldn't leave feedback until they know the buyer has received the item and is happy with it. Otherwise they are not leaving feedback on the whole transaction, only the payment part.

If you have emailed your seller to let them know you have received the item and are happy, then the seller should leave you feedback. If you haven't emailed and haven't left feedback, how does the seller know the transaction is over? You may not have received the item.

You haven't completed the transaction when payment is made - believe me, as a seller I have had buyers with whom I have had to have MANY more emails and negotiation after the payment has been made - that isn't always the end of it, at all.

To answer Legacy's question, feedback is optional and I don't think you should be asking for it or hinting at it. Just leave your own feedback when the transaction is finished (and you KNOW the buyer has received the item and is happy) and they may or may not leave theirs. You won't get feedback from everyone - it isn't a big deal.

JoolsToo · 29/05/2007 09:57

If I'm the buyer I leave feedback first, if I'm the seller I wait for the buyer.

In any event if now feedback if forthcoming I email and ask for some!

FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 09:59

Why, Jools? Why is getting feedback so important to you?

JoolsToo · 29/05/2007 10:06

I like to see my number go up

(also I like prospective purchasers feel confident if they going to buy something from me but in actual fact I don't use ebay very often)

FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 10:13

I don't think actual number of feedback makes any difference to people's confidence, personally....

LOL at the number going up. Fair enough

kslatts · 29/05/2007 10:14

I would expect the seller to leave feedback first, once they have received my payment. At that point the buyer has done everything expected of them.

Arriety · 29/05/2007 10:17

Agree with kslatts. My part of the deal as a buyer is to pay promptly. I never leave feedback for sellers that haven't first left me some as I feel that they are waiting to base their feedback on mine rather than on the actual transaction. I do sometimes email them to say that I have received the item if they haven't left feedback and most then will leave something, at which point so will I. Sorry, bit rambly!

VioletBaudelaire · 29/05/2007 10:18

same as jools

oggsfrog · 29/05/2007 10:23

I've always been a bit miffed when I haven't rec'd feedback from the seller as soon as they've rec'd payment, and feel that they've been waiting to see if I leave +ve feedback before they leave their feedback.

FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 10:33

Kslatts, you're wrong. Once the buyer has paid, the transaction is not over. The transaction is still not over until the buyer has received the item and is happy with it. The seller doesn't know when this is unless you tell them.

Here are a few things that could happen after you, the buyer, have paid.

-item may not turn up
-item may turn up damaged in the post
-item may turn up and not be as described
-item may turn up very much delayed

If any of these happens, the buyer and seller need to work together to find a solution. How would you feel as a buyer, if one of those things happened and the seller said "Sorry, the transaction was over when you paid. I already left feedback for you - that's it from me, good bye"?

oggsfrog · 29/05/2007 10:43

Fair point Franny.

I have had people not leaving feedback even after they know I've rec'd the goods, am satisfied, and have left them positive feedback.
Now that annoys me as I do so like to see my counter increase

MissGolightly · 29/05/2007 10:46

I don't sell on ebay but in all recent purchases the buyer has waited for me to feedback before giving me feedback. Even in cases where I have collected and paid in person and told them that I'm happy with the item.

I can see Franny's argument but I do think that lots of sellers wait to see what you say before feeding back. And yes, fear of retaliation has led me to leave more positive feedback than I might have done.

VioletBaudelaire · 29/05/2007 10:49

In our case as power sellers, our feedback is set to automatically leave reciprocal postive feedback once it is received from the buyer.
We haven't got time to go through each auction and attempt to fill the chest of each buyer with pride by telling them exactly how sparkly, fast and fluffy their paypal payment was!
It's a marketplace, not a chat room!

FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 10:51

Oggs fair enough

I don't think you can expect other people to be as concerned about your counter as you are, though. I really don't care whether someone leaves feedback for me or not - having another positive feedback doesn't change anything for me as a buyer or a seller

I think you should remember MissG that a seller may have quite a lot to lose if you give them a negative feedback. They may rely on eBay for their sole source of income. As a buyer, however, a negative feedback rarely if ever has any impact on your status as an eBayer.

3andnomore · 29/05/2007 10:57

I am only buying off E-bay...but I had a fair few sellers leaving me feedback as soon as I paid. Always saying what a fast payment and thank you sort of thing...!
As a Buyer I will try to put feedback out as soon as I get on the PC after receiving the goods, no matter if feedback had been left for me or not, and usually the feedback from the seller follows soon after.
Some sellers clarify it their smallprint, that they will leave feedback as soon as feedback was left for them.

MissGolightly · 29/05/2007 10:58

I totally agree Franny - and I would never leave negative feedback lightly (in fact I have never left negative feedback at all).

But I do think that the system is a bit flawed, and that some sellers have better feedback than they really merit purely because people are frightened to say what they really thought of the transaction.

Nemo2007 · 29/05/2007 11:01

Agree with Franny.I dont leave feedback as a seller until I know the transaction is complete.

Original poster
Legacy · 29/05/2007 11:05

MissG - I agree, re the system not showing the 'real picture' through fear of retaliation, but I think that's what the new rating system is designed to achieve i.e. you can give someone an overall +ve rating but also indicate e.g. that you thought their postage was high, or that the delivery was slow, and the averages will show in their ratings.

I think it's probably really helping to sift out the people who charge over the odds for postage...?

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 29/05/2007 11:07

Agree MissG - if I am not happy with a transaction but for some reason don't want to leave negative feedback then I leave no feedback at all - you don't HAVE to leave any type of feedback.

I have had emails from sellers asking for feedback (which I think is annoying, btw, sorry Jools ) and have answered them saying "fine, I can leave feedback if you want, but it will point out that you took 2 weeks to send the item and when it arrived, it smelt of cigarette smoke."

IcingOnTheCake · 29/05/2007 11:11

I think the seller should leave feedback after the buyer has paid. If the item(s) did get lost in the post or were not as described, is that going to make a difference in what the buyer leaves as feedback? It shouldn't make a difference at all because if the buyer has paid up promptly then the seller should leave good feedback because the buyer hasn't actually done anything wrong. I think that when a seller waits for the buyers feedback first so they can base their feedback on the buyers comments.

IcingOnTheCake · 29/05/2007 11:13

Sorry that was ment to be 'If the item(s) did get lost in the post or were not as described, is that going to make a difference in what the SELLER leaves as feedback?

elkiedee · 29/05/2007 11:18

As a buyer, I give feedback when I receive the goods.

As a seller, I leave feedback when I get feedback that confirms what I'm selling arrived and that they're satisfied.

I guess it will happen but I've never had to give or been given negative feedback, though I've not had feedback for every sale or purchase for reasons which are probably reflected above (buyers who would prefer my fb when they've paid, for example, and think it's my turn when I think it's theirs).

My current feedback score is 252 - I've just returned to ebay after following a year long period of buying and selling with a 10 month break - but I've bought quite a lot of items off the same sellers so there are far more positive ratings.

Original poster
Legacy · 29/05/2007 11:22

I think how a buyer reacts in the event of a problem with delivery is important though. It's true it not their fault, but how they communicate etc IS important, and I would include that as part of feedback, if relevant.

I had a buyer who got very stroppy because something didn't arrive the day after she won it (it wasn't promised on a 24 hr delievry) and I thought she was being very unreasonable. I also know someone who had a Paypal payment reversed after a buyer received the item - if she'd left feedback already she couldn't amend it etc?

OP posts:
IcingOnTheCake · 29/05/2007 11:32

I have never sold anything on ebay, i have only ever been a buyer. If you were the seller and the buyer had paid by paypal and so the payment was fast but left you negative feedback because they didn't like the item or it took too long arriving, what would you do? Would you leave good or bad feedback?