FEEDBACK - WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SELLERS WERE ABLE TO LEAVE BUYERS AN HONEST FEEDBACK.

[marviolet]

Once upon a time sellers were able to leave buyers honest feedback.  What is the reason eBay put an end to the honest feedback? 

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

If a buyer was unhappy with an item and the seller wouldn't fix the problem, they would leave a negative. The seller sometimes then left the buyer back a scathing negative even if the buyer didn't do anything wrong. In fact at one point Ebay instituted mutual withdrawal where feedback could be removed if buyers and sellers agreed. Even the board members suggested sellers leave negatives for innocent buyers to encourage the buyer to remove.

Bad buyer feedback is nearly useless anyway since something like 85% of listings are now fixed price. Even the auctions have snipers. So the chance a seller could see a warning about a bad buyer is very slim.

So it gives bad sellers the ability to harm good buyers meanwhile offering nearly no benefit.

Finally for now, since Ebay has shifted from a person to person selling site to a merchant to customer site, it is inappropriate to be leaving bad feedback for customers.

[lintbrush*]

The buyer who got bad feedback would no longer shop on eBay.  They may be an awesome buyer too who just ran into a crummy seller.

Buyers could feel threatened by potential negative feedback on many levels -

when opening a totally justified MBG claim.

when returning an item when the seller accepts returns but fights with them about it.

when they have to open a INR

What other place (physical store or ecommerce) would publicly shame a buyer?  I can only think of one - Mercari (and I won't shop there)

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Back then, buyers didn't even have the MBG. I remember a time when buyers could only get refunded up to $100 (I think was the amount) items while paying a $25 deductible. So buyers were sometimes ripped off AND negged.

Many buyers on Ebay back then considered themselves partners to sellers and truly valued their good feedback. If a bad seller violated that trust, many of them were frustrated and left.

[luckythewinner]

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@marviolet wrote:

Once upon a time sellers were able to leave buyers honest feedback.  What is the reason eBay put an end to the honest feedback? 

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First, some sellers were using the threat of retaliatory feedback to intimidate buyers from leaving honest feedback or filing disputes.

Second, I think eBay realized that negative feedback for buyers would just result in those buyers creating a new account in order to erase the negatives.

[goodluckselling]

How could you possible define honest feedback with 25 Million different sellers who all have there own version of what an honest feedback entails?

Feedback is not that important any longer since the money back guarantee gives buyers assurances they will get what they purchased or there money back.

IMO eBay should remove sellers being able to leave buyers feedback completely.

Good Luck Selling!

[castlemagicmemories]

It's free, takes little or no time, buyers like it, and it is a good marketing tool.  It is to the seller's advantage, IMO, that they can leave it.

No cost, minimal or no time involved,  and buyers liking it can encourage them to purchase.  The feedback can thank them and point them back to your store for future purchases.  

It's a good promotion tool for sellers.

[castlemagicmemories]

 What is the reason eBay put an end to the honest feedback? 

Because it made buyers look bad,

and

Because it made sellers look bad.

[greg5000]

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@marviolet wrote:

Once upon a time sellers were able to leave buyers honest feedback.  What is the reason eBay put an end to the honest feedback? 

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Once upon a time Buyers could leave Negative Feedback for valid reasons (fully compliant to eBay policy) without it being removed.  Now high volume Sellers can easily have it removed.

I purchased many items here over the years and thought it was OK to have Feedback both ways.  I don't like censorship of Feedback.

[castlemagicmemories]

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Over-6000-neg-FBs-from-one-company-SCRUBBED-in-two-days-time/m...

[castlemagicmemories]

Any size seller can get negs removed, from what I have seen.  It's just automatic for some, whereas others may have to put a bit of effort into it.

[laurabeardsley]

Here is what has happened to me. I have over 8,800 positive feedbacks and 1 neg. from a buyer that left it for me without letting me know there was an issue and even when I sent them a full refund refused to change it.This dropped me to 99.7%. So for the past 5 weeks I have received around 7 more positive feedbacks, no neg or neutral and this morning I look and it is now at 99.5%.This is just not right . It should have gone the other way to 99.8% but I was told since the transactions for the year dropped on a total the 1 neg makes it worse. So I am working hard to please everyone and I would say 1 neg out of 8,845 should mean nothing, but it now shows as 99.5% next to my name and I DO NOT FEEL THIS IS FAIR!

[laurabeardsley]

Let me add it was 18 positive not 7 feedbacks added for the past month and it still dropped to 99.5

[goodluckselling]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

It's free, takes little or no time, buyers like it, and it is a good marketing tool.  It is to the seller's advantage, IMO, that they can leave it.

No cost, minimal or no time involved,  and buyers liking it can encourage them to purchase.  The feedback can thank them and point them back to your store for future purchases.  

It's a good promotion tool for sellers.

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I guess?  When I am checking out of a grocery store the checkout clerk certainly thanks me in person but I have never had them yell out a thank you for all the store to hear and see, or post it on a community board for others to review?

Sellers can thank their buyers in a number of much more personal ways.

Good Luck Selling!

[marviolet]

I think a better option would be to do it like some other site that shall remain nameless, where buyers give stars as the feedback, thereby eliminating that percentage of feedback stuff.  That site is doing pretty well with buyers using that system.