feedback policy change proposal

[carey-marie]

As a long time, consistently excellent buying customer on eBay but never a seller, my biggest complaint revolves around sellers who do not reciprocate the positive feedback that they receive from a buyer. I have read many posts regarding this, most of which make statements about how feedback is never required, some sellers don’t think it’s worth leaving feedback because they can only leave positive for a buyer, etc.  While these statements are true on their face of course, they miss the point I wish to make. As a buyer, when I leave positive feedback for a seller, I have directly benefited them in very important ways, not the least of which is raising their seller score and profile.  The minimum a seller should do is to reciprocate that favor, especially since if a buyer leaves positive feedback there could hardly be a good reason for the seller to not feel the transaction was positive as well.

Here I come to the main point of this post. I would like to see a change in eBay feedback policy, that would allow for a person to remove feedback within a certain time, if they so choose for whatever reason. This change would not allow for changing a positive feedback to a negative for example, but would allow a buyer to be able to remove the positive feedback that was left if the seller is not going to reciprocate. Why should a seller benefit so enormously when they can’t be bothered to take the time to reciprocate to the person doing them the positive favor, let alone purchasing from them?  There would of course be a time limit to take this action, and as I stated, no ability to change a positive to a negative, but the ability to remove positive feedback that raises a score if this is not reciprocated.  This could and should of course work the other way as well. If a seller leaves positive feedback for a buyer, and the buyer doesn’t reciprocate, the seller could choose to remove that positive from the buyer. Obviously these things would be at the discretion of each individual, with no requirement for any such removal, but with the option existing as it is highly offensive to me and I am sure to others that when we benefit someone else and receive nothing in return, it is really a proverbial slap in the face.
A gentle reminder can be left regarding feedback, but in certain cases, these are ignored, and I really think there should be the ability to simply remove the feedback completely so the seller does not benefit from the goodwill if they are not going to reciprocate to the buyer who has benefited them so greatly.  I am very much interested in thoughts and comments regarding the specific details of this proposal, especially any downsides to this proposal that I may not be recognizing.  Thanks.

[albertabrightalberta]

Are you buying feedback or products? 

[albertabrightalberta]

Actually, you've received more feedbacks than you left. 

For those purchases that you didn't leave feedback, was it because it was a less-than-positive transaction? 

What if those sellers for whom you didn't leave feedback were able to get them removed? 

Just as it was your choice not to leave feedback for those 32 sellers who left it for you, some sellers choose not to leave feedback for buyers, whether it's because it wasn't such a great transaction or because those sellers choose not to leave feedback for buyers. 

Whatever the reason, feedback is voluntarily and is likely to remain that way. 

[kensgiftshop]

What more could you do with one more feedback then you have now?

Since buyers can only receive positive feedback, no matter how bad the buyer was, buyer feedback doesn't mean much.

If a seller could leave true feedback, I'm sure more sellers would leave it.

[ebooksdiva]

Feedback is voluntary no one is required or expected to leave it.

Regarding feedback removal, there already is feedback removal in place for sellers to have negative or neutral feedback removed. 

eBay will never have positive feedback removed for any reason. I'm guessing you want that feature so you can remove feedback you left for sellers who don't leave you any. Not going to happen.

My question to you is, are you buying on eBay just to accumulate feedback? Or are you buying on eBay to get great deals? 

[mudshark61369]

@carey-marie,

Even if this topic were to be seen by an ebay employee high enough up in the organization to effect changes, it is doubtful that they would do anything about it.  Feedback has always been a voluntary action, and your suggestion would change that mostly to the detriment of sellers. 

   Feedback was never meant to be a Thank you, or a product review, its intent is to let people know how the seller performed, in terms of describing, shipping, packing, and communication, when and if needed.   

As Others have written so far, and will be repeated.  Buyer feedback only being able to be positive does not mean anything. Non payers, and scammers all have a 100% rating. You may have noticed most of the comments you received mention fast payment, which is the least thing required of a buyer.  It is the feedback a buyer leaves that is how their reputation is judged by sellers.  The main benefit of a seller receiving feedback is the mitigation of negative feedback on their percentage, if they receive one.

You may also notice if you check the feedback profile of those who sell only on the site, that in most cases those sellers have left far more feedback than they have received.   For sellers who list many items consistently, the ability to remove the feedback that wasn't reciprocated, would eat up a lot of time, which they probably can't spare, so that would be of little benefit to them.

[soh.maryl]

1. You do know that FB is voluntary/optional rather than mandatory/required, right?

2. What could you do with 1326 FB that you cannot do with your current number?

If FB "imbalance" or whatever bothers you, you are, of course, free to never leave any ever again. See #1.

[btjfitter]

 I usually waited until the buyer left feedback so i knew they where happy with what they recieved and both parties where happy. Why should I leave pos just becuase i got paid and do not know if i will get chastised for something beyond my control. Is it fair for me to leave a pos and find out I was scammed or get a return that wasnt what I sent? I got my only neutral becuase my buyer bought form someone else and had issue but left the feedback about Ebay on my score. i used a retraction request out of 5 allowed and got no where. The feed back stated it was becuase of the first experiance.It was a new buyer and they just didnt know.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Your feedback profile page shows that you have received 1651 feedback (all as a buyer), and have left 1626 feedback for your sellers. It looks like the imbalance is not in your favor, so what exactly is your complaint?

[mudshark61369]

@nobody*s_perfect,

That imbalance could be due to multiple item orders or because of issues the OP didn't feel the need to bring up in feedback so they didn't leave one. 

Aren't you glad that middaybreeze/phanoto isn't around to reply to feedback topics?

[powell-memorabilia]

I’m surprised that you know whether or not a seller has left feedback for you. Most people don’t care. Obsessing over which sellers have left feedback, and how to get back at them if they haven’t, seems obsessive.

[gone.c-33]

I didn’t read your whole rant because as a buyer only, your feedback received is meaningless.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @carey-marie 

The main purpose of leaving feedback is to describe the transaction for other buyers.   I’m also just a buyer … and am amused that you view leaving feedback as giving ‘enormous benefit’ to sellers.

eBay has never allowed either buyers or sellers to edit (or remove) the feedback they’ve left unilaterally.  While I can see an advantage to being allowed to edit errors for a short period of time … I foresee mostly mischief occurring if we’re allowed the change that you recommend.

[And it just seems so petty … if you’ll excuse a judgy comment.]

[tinsoldierunderground]

The topic of feedback has been done to DEATH on these boards, to the point that I'm surprised khoros moderators don't just delete the OPs when found.  I get that it's a feel good thing, as well as being courteous.

But when you consider that the worst scum of the earth buyers who routinely scam sellers, can only have   100% positive feedback, that's nothing more than a slap in the face to the good sellers on this site.

I leave reviews in the real world, but my doctor doesn't reciprocate with "great patient, come again!", or my favorite restaurant with, "great diner!  excellent table manners!".  There are sellers on here that I buy from repeatedly who don't leave feedback, and I don't lose any sleep over it.  

[kathiec]

In my 27 years buying on this site I have never checked to see if a seller left me feedback. Not once. And I don't consider leaving feedback a favor that should be reciprocated. I leave feedback to help the buyers who come after me.

There is no other ecommerce platform that even has a mechanism for buyer feedback. I honestly think it's time for eBay to do away with it so we can get rid of all these '**bleep** for tat' discussions. (looks like the eBay bots don't like that expression, but you can probably fill in the word 😂😉)