I have had to leave negative feedback on Ebay for the first time............cant help but feel a bit guilty.

[waterfalls]

It was for a spiderman cap for ds, payed over a week ago, have not recieved it and no replies to my emails, except the first one last week, they said they had sent it that day, have I been too hasty do you think?

After 11 days from your payment date you can open a dispute with e-bay and they will try to sort things out for you. I had to do this once and received the goods pretty soon after e-bay contacted the seller. Neutral feedback with a full explanation of exactly what happened was the only course of action. Feedback is there to help other buyers and it defeats the object if you are not strictly honest.

Jangly - you're saying that you left neutral feedback after the buyer sent you the item as contracted?

Yes, with a full explanation. The seller only sent the item after e-bay contacted them. I stated in the feedback that I had to open a dispute to get the item, but that the item in itself was as stated. I could hardly give them positive could I? I had contacted the seller several times by email and got no response. You shouldn't have to open a dispute to get your stuff!

Sorry - meant the seller, of course

Seem to have sausages for fingers and a soft boiled egg for a brain today

Gotcha. Well, I'm not sure I would feel comfortable about leaving less than positive if I had actually received the item, but I can see your point in this case. I agree factual feedback is important - however I don't think generally people understand how trigger happy feedback can affect a seller's profile. I think I have to grudgingly agree with you here though :)

This is the only time I have had to give bad feedback. I think most sellers are pretty good. Well, I buy mostly toys so they're probably other mums!

Ah, hadn't considered not leaving feedback at all.

He has been reasonably good at keeping in touch. He's not a professional seller.

Must work out how to get ebay to stop thinking I still need to pay, though. He said he only accepts paypal, but we were going to do it with cash.

I find this so difficult - as a buyer you really can't afford to give negative (or even neutral) feedback if you don't want it unfairly given in return. I was sent an electrical item last year, the plug of which was dangerously broken (one of the pins broke off in the socket) but was so worried about getting negative feedback if I complained that I left a positive rating with a comment about the broken plug.

Don't suppose the seller cared but I hope it was read by any other buyers. Tbh I think Ebay need to come up with a new ratings system as this is becoming a bit of a mockery.

As a buyer, if you really have had a shoddy experience, for instance not receiving the goods as described, or not receiving the goods at all, you should certainly leave appropriate honest feedback. If you stick to buying nobody really cares about your feedback anyway, to be honest. Unless you have several negatives for non payment no-one is going to refuse to take your money. If you are planning to sell then you need to be a little more careful, but if you are clear and unemotional in your feedback it is easy to spot a retaliatory neg given by a peeved seller.

NQC, just mark the auction as "payment sent" on the drop down menu of what you've bought. I know you haven't sent payment, but it will solve that problem, at least.