feedback policy change proposal
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.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoJust checking: You do know that FB is entirely voluntary for either party in a transaction, right? Why would the fact that someone does not leave FB be "highly offensive" to you?
And that buyers can only be given positive?
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@robbyrobdu,
Once money is received it is a positive experience for the seller...as long as they held up their end they will almost certainly get a positive back.
Paying is mandatory while leaving feedback is voluntary. None of the things a buyer can do to harm a seller can be done unless they pay, which is the minimum requirement for buying. As for seller's receiving feedback, most have received many fewer feedback than they have left.
There should be no reciprocation or "holding feedback hostage" on the part of the seller. That is coercion. That is making people give you positive feedback to ONLY give then back what they earned/deserved in the first place.
Please explain to me how a buyer deserves/earned a pat on the head for fulfilling the minimum requirement expected of them? Buyers can only receive positive feedback after all, so their reputation is judged on the feedback they leave for sellers, not on the 100% rating all buyers only have, that is shared with the buyers who are deadbeats and scammers. Who is it that knows first, if a transaction has gone well, isn't it the buyer who has the final say?
As for your tired old "Holding feedback hostage" comment, which many of us have been hearing for the last quarter century. Try to explain to us, how a voluntary action, can be held hostage?
It's absolute nonsense and should leave seller accounts open for repercussions/BANS.
Don't the repercussions already work both ways? You can decide not to buy from a seller again, and the seller can decide not to let you buy their items in the future. eBay will never ban a seller for deciding not to do something that is not an actual part of an ebay transaction.
worldcoinauctions
·2 years agoAs a seller, if I get feedback on 4 out of 10 items that is amazing. I do leave feedback for all buyers, usually on the day the item is out for delivery so it perhaps reminds them to do so. Meh, doesn't work. And of course no matter what a buyer can only get positive feedback so it is kind of meaningless.
fashionista1977
·2 years agoAs a seller, (rarely a buyer), I almost always respond to feedback left for me. I think that a kind word about a good transaction may encourage a buyer to become a returning customer. It often works, and I have quite a few repeat buyers.
robbyrobdu
·2 years agoThe only requisite for the transaction to be positive for the seller to the buyer is if they paid in full and on time.
Once money is received it is a positive experience for the seller...as long as they held up their end they will almost certainly get a positive back.
There should be no reciprocation or "holding feedback hostage" on the part of the seller. That is coercion. That is making people give you positive feedback to ONLY give then back what they earned/deserved in the first place.
It's absolute nonsense and should leave seller accounts open for repercussions/BANS.
house*of*paws
·2 years agoHi @robbyrobdu
That’s not entirely true according to sellers who have posted about the subject.
For example, a seller wouldn’t feel a transaction was positive if a buyer returned some rocks instead of the laptop they purchased.
Nor would it be positive if the buyer filed a chargeback with their credit card company … without returning a diamond bracelet.
These things happen … something that we buyers (who don’t also sell) wouldn’t know about.
And you do recall that feedback is OPTIONAL/ VOLUNTARY … don’t you? Nobody is required to leave it. 😊
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThere have been many insightful comments to my question regarding feedback removal. Several were sincere and thoughtful, but sadly, many more were really just nasty and spiteful. “Feedback isn’t required, so you, as a buyer have no right to expect itâ€, and other such remarks, simply indicate a selfish seller who is a prime example of exactly the point of my wanting the ability to remove feedback from such people. Sellers have the ability to automatically leave feedback, and they have absolutely no reason not to do so when the buyer has provided positive feedback to them. One response asked, “are you buying an item or feedbackâ€? Aside from the snarkiness of this, the answer is both. I am buying an item and providing income to a seller, and I am also providing a boost to their seller rating and algorithm on eBay going forward. I deserve the item that I paid for, as well as reciprocal feedback for the rating benefit that I provided. Obviously, in such a scenario where positive feedback was provided, there couldn’t be any negative feelings towards me the buyer, and hence no reason other than just petty laziness not to do the common courtesy of reciprocating. And stating that feedback isn’t required is just a cop out, and those who say such know it. Many of the sellers who left such negative comments in this thread, could take much much less than their time that they claim is so precious and simply leave the positive feedback in the first place when they have been provided with the same. Another comment essentially questioned my priorities in paying attention so closely to who I have received feedback from. My answer to this is, when I am spending my hard earned money I am going to keep track of the entire process from beginning to end. If other people choose not to do this, that is certainly their prerogative, but in my view, spending sometimes quite a substantial amount of money on something deserves my full attention from beginning to end. Finally, the comments that were the most galling, have to do with stating that it doesn’t really benefit the buyer anyway, so why should a seller bother to leave feedback. The seller should bother, because they have received a substantial benefit to their seller rating. Sellers in their listings often specifically state that they strive for positive feedback and a 100% rating, so for some of the people in this thread to comment that it doesn’t make any difference are being disingenuous at best, and dishonest at worst. It is definitely a benefit when a buyer leaves a seller positive feedback, and a seller has no good reason whatsoever not to be courteous and reciprocate, especially since this can be done automatically by a seller. All of this leads back to my desire for eBay to provide a time window to simply remove a positive feedback if a person decides to do so for whatever reason, buyer or seller. Not to give a negative rating, but simply to take back a positive if it is not going to be reciprocated. This is simply fair and just, and of course not all would choose to take such action, but the ability to do so should be available. Just be courteous and take the mere seconds necessary and reciprocate. These are my final thoughts on this matter. Again, thank you to all for the insights both positive and negative. Healthy debate and conversation is beneficial to us all
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@carey-marie,
"These are my final thoughts on this matter. Again, thank you to all for the insights both positive and negative. Healthy debate and conversation is beneficial to us all".
Discussions about feedback and who should get it and when, never get resolved. If allowed to some would go on for years with thousands of replies and still no final answer. Since you seem to want to be done with the conversation, why not go to the down arrow in a circle above the start date of your original post which shows at the top of this page, mouse/hover over it and select Report Inappropriate Content, from the list.
As the author of the topic you can ask a moderator to lock it. People who may come across it in a search about feedback, can still read it, they just won't be able to reply to it. Leaving space on Page 1 of this board, for new topics of a more pressing nature.
paxilill
·2 years agoThe really need to just remove the comment section for positive feedback. I suspect it's why a lot of people don't bother leaving feedback. The negative side should allow comments for those that need to be ripped into.
house*of*paws
·2 years ago@carey-marie
I understand that you would like the ability to withdraw a feedback (within a certain period of time) if it hasn’t been reciprocated by the seller. You also said you’d be okay with sellers having the same ability.
I began wondering if you would be willing to allow sellers to withdraw feedback from buyers for a reason of their own … or is lack of reciprocity the only reason you feel is acceptable.
In other words … are you willing to lose feedback you had already received because a seller felt they had a ‘good reason’ to withdraw it? Or maybe the seller just ‘felt like’ doing it. Would they have that right under the policy change you are suggesting?
[I am a buyer only … if that matters.]
carey-marie
OP2 years agoYes, the only limitation would be the time limit. Since as I have been reminded countless times, feedback is voluntary, then it can be removed for whatever reason during the stated time period. Not made a negative or a neutral though.
bennotbill
·2 years agoBuyer feedback is so worthless now that for what it's worth here's my worthless change suggestion.
When a buyer buys something an "I want feedback" button appears.
When pressed a selection of feedback appears "Great Buyer" "What a Star" "The Best" etc.
The buyer is then free to pick the one they most desire from the list.
It would be a great time saver for sellers and hopefully put an end to nonsense feedback threads.😀
carey-marie
OP2 years agoWhatever. My point is not how useful you believe feedback is for buyers, but rather that sellers should not get to keep a benefit that they are not willing to reciprocate. There are more than enough responses here to indicate without a doubt that positive feedback is important to sellers, ergo, take a second sellers to reciprocate or lose the benefit to yourself. Period.
lux.ra_14
·2 years ago@carey-marie
If reciprocity is important to you, don't leave feedback for sellers who don't leave buyer feedback. You can determine that with a couple of clicks.
That way, feedback isn't a factor. It's just an even exchange of your money for the seller's goods.
But in reality, you're getting the better end of it, since the exchange doesn't account for the seller's labor in finding the item, photographing it, writing a description, coming up with packing materials, and shipping it to you.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoYes, and sellers can with a couple of clicks set up auto feedback. No excuse or reason not to do so. Period. Buyers spend their hard earned money for the sellers efforts, reward them with a seller rating boost, and should be able to remove the benefit if they want due to not receiving in return. Again, it really amazes me that the people insisting it doesn’t really matter are so seemingly upset about the concept off losing the benefit. Hmmmm, perhaps it is not so unimportant afeter all eh? So reciprocate. Easy peasy.
jerseyboymusic
·2 years ago@carey-marie
To be honest, on my selling account, I have everything at Buy It Now with Immediate Payment Required. I personally don't see the need to leave feedback for buyers much any longer. What am I going to say? "Fast payment (buyer needs to pay before I see the sale), great buyer (not sure if they are great or will complain)"
At first, I was pretty upset about ONLY leaving positive feedback for a buyer, but it's been like 16 years... what good would ANY buyer feedback do for me?
tinsoldierunderground
·2 years agoYears back, 10 or more I think, one seller used to leave FB "Thanks for finding the pay now button."
carey-marie
OP2 years agoAgain, you got a benefit from the buyer both in terms of a sale, as well as in the addition to your feedback profile. This should warrant a reciprocation.
dogofwar777
·2 years agoFeedback means nothing to me. All I care about is getting a good deal. I leave it for the seller, but I don't care if they leave any for me.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoTotally your right to feel that way, but I care if a benefit I give is not returned.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoAs a buyer when you leave positive FB for a seller, it has a trivial benefit to the seller.
As a seller when we leave FB for a buyer it has no benefit to the buyer other than that which their psychological profile provides for them.
I use the Ebay automatic FB option because it is not worth wasting my time. Some sellers don't do that because encouraging buyers to expect FB is of no benefit to anyone.
Wayback, on this site, some buyers were described as "feedback needy" and ridiculed.
tinsoldierunderground
·2 years agoI think that was largely due to ebay placing so much emphasis on feedback in the early years. It's always been voluntary, but way back they constantly encouraged you to leave feedback, almost to the point of badgering. They promoted it as a unifying link that enabled everyone to 'share their experience and make ebay better ' . They presented this site as a one-big-happy-family adventure. It wasn't until I was having difficulty with a bad seller back then, that I realized what a croc that was.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoThe founder, Pierre, and I had an email exchange after I refused to allow Ebay to advertise on my website.
We refused Ebay as an advertiser because none of the normal consumer protection laws were being applied to Ebay sales, and we would not be associated with the site in any way.
He claimed the feedback system was an adequate substitute for normal practices. That was the sole reason for FB. It required no effort to police the site. Some buyers and sellers have retained the old culture, even though Ebay makes no use of FB and polices this site similarly to other marketplaces.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI completely disagree that the benefit to the seller is trivial. Top rated seller get all kinds of benefits, including the ability to screw over buyers with eBay approval. I have posted on this previously.
stacy_pme
·2 years agoI think that before you can suggest changes in policies concerning a group of individuals, you should be a part of that group. If you want to make changes for sellers, I think you should be a seller, and understand what it is like to be a seller, and then suggest changes. I am a buyer and a seller on here, and all I can say is I have way more problems with buyers than sellers. I can always return something... but get a vindictive buyer, and you have to carry a negative feedback for a year... often for no good reason. I'm a small seller, and I am a good seller. I strive to be 100% accurate on discriptions... and yet... I have buyers returning necklaces because "they looked shinier in the photos" and claiming the necklace was not as described.... when it is the EXACT same necklace in the photos as they received. Know how I know?! Because I ONLY sell USED jewelry, and they are pretty much ONE OF A KIND ITEMS! They are always the same ones in the photos as what I send to the buyer.... SO Yeah.... Sometimes I don't leave feedback until AFTER I receive posititive feedback from buyers... because buyers have a habit of waiting for you to leave positive feedback, and they then turn around and leave you negative feedback for some made up reason to be dissatisified in hopes of pressuring you into giving them a refund and letting them keep the item for free... ALL so that they will remove that negative feedback. For small sellers feedback carries a much heavier weight. I'm lucky to sell 200 items a month VERSUS some of the cheap junk sellers that sell 2 Billion widgits a month. One negative to them is nothing. To me it is horrible!
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI do not need to be a seller to know that I benefitted the seller profile by leaving them feedback, and there is really no good reason to be so discourteous as to not take less than 10 seconds to return the favor to someone who spent money with you.
mr_lincoln
·2 years ago@carey-marie
-Good points but everyone handles it differently and since it became unbalanced in 2008 some Sellers don't engage with it.
-For myself I leave FB for Buyers no later than the day the item ships, then its done and I don't have to have it on my to do list for the future. I thank them for their business in basic terms.
-In ALL the years of doing it this way Buyer FB for me has consistently been between 50%-60%. I NEVER ask for it or put messages in my packages about it or mention it in listings like some Sellers do. If it happens it happens naturally.
-I suspect the FB program will eventually be replaced with something else ...
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI really find the trend in the responses interesting...sort of essentially that I am being to obsessive, what difference does it make, etc. Not really answering my point of why not just allow for removal of a positive if either party wants to do so within a time frame. No one has actually stated why this should not be allowed. Buyer pays lots of money for item, pays immediately, seller ships item, all good, buyer leaves positive feedback and then....nothing. No reciprocation. Okay, fine, seller too busy, doesn't think feedback is worth leaving for a buyer, whatever reason. Buyer has within the 60 day feedback window the option to completely remove the feedback for the seller. No black mark, but no gain for the seller either. Case closed. Seller does not receive the benefit to their feedback score., and of course no negative either. Since feedback is all voluntary, and as several have stated, not a big deal, okay, then taking it away is no big deal either right?
house*of*paws
·2 years ago@carey-marie
I’ll try to make the reasons clear for you:
[I’ve read hundreds of thousands (conservatively) of posts over an 18-year period … and you are the ONLY person to have requested such a change.]
carey-marie
OP2 years agoSo what if I am the only person? What difference does that make to a good idea?
house*of*paws
·2 years ago@carey-marie
The point was that it is NOT a ‘good idea’. I apologize for not making that clearer in the reasons I mentioned.
You may have noticed that even other buyers haven’t stepped in to agree with you.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoAgain, whether others agree or not, is not the point of this thread. The point is reciprocation is a common courtesy when a benefit is received, and there is no good reason not to do so. If a seller doesn’t want to leave feedback in exchange than a buyer should have the ability to simply remove that which was given. If as you say, so many buyers don’t really care, fine that’s up to them, but those of us who do should be able to take away a benefit that is not returned. That is the point.
kathiec
·2 years agoIn 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 😂😉)
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThat is certainly your prerogative to not be concerned about it. I have spent a lot of money with sellers, and expect the same courtesy in return for mine to them.
kathiec
·2 years agoSee, here's the problem. Just as it's my prerogative to not be concerned about it, it's your prerogative to care so deeply. But in no way, shape,or form should you expect eBay to devote the manpower to coding a change just for you and a few other like-minded people. There are 25 million eBay users. Can you imagine eBay trying to tailor the site to meet each person's preferences? If you're that concerned, just stop leaving feedback. Problem solved.
tinsoldierunderground
·2 years agoThe 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.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI am not a scum of the earth buyer.
tinsoldierunderground
·2 years ago@carey-marie
I NEVER said you were. But the reality is there are MANY on this site who are. And the pointless nonsense of buyer feedback is that they have a 100% rating just like you and I do. This is why sellers only pay attention to the feedback a buyer leaves. A seller not leaving feedback doesn't mean they're not happy dealing with you, things being what they are here, it just seems pointless to many of them. A friend of mine for over 30 yrs recently retired. He had a business in the area of military relic collectables, and is a fellow collector himself.
His son took over and sells on this site now. I've bought from him on several occasions, always leave + FB, and chat with him from time to time... He doesn't leave feedback, never has. I'm not offended by that. I get what you're saying, but I don't see ebay changing feedback policy. Their sole concern is the bottom line, these people only accept ideas from each other. They're like worms in a glass jar.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoPoints taken, thank you. I know that many sellers do get the short end of the deal here, but obviously they still choose to do business so there is obviously a benefit to selling here too. People generally do not engage in self harm that can be avoided. Again, I totally understand the voluntary nature of feedback. But it is also quite clear by all the response to my proposal that no one seems to think feedback once left should be removed. This indicates the obvious recognition that seller feedback is desired and valuable. I often receive messages from sellers encouraging that I leave positive feedback for them if I am satisfied with the transaction. This also indicates that feedback left by buyers for sellers is valuable. My point again, simply, is that to those of us that value the reciprocation, and I am not the only one by a long shot, why should it not be allowed to remove the feedback that has been left for someone who is not going to reciprocate. Obviously not all people would do such a thing, but why should it not be allowed to do so? No one has yet answered this directly.
tinsoldierunderground
·2 years agoI do see your point, and people come to these boards with stories of sellers treating them horribly after a sale.
I think the feedback system as a whole, could stand restructuring. Early on in buying here, I was taken aback when a seller didn't leave me feedback, I just viewed it as common courtesy. I guess I've gotten thick skinned.🤔
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThank you for your understanding what I am stating here. Sellers can set up to leave automatic feedback after they receive from the buyer. Many of the answers here take longer to write by these sellers than it would to simply leave the reciprocal feedback. Amazing.
bonjourami
·2 years ago"This also indicates that feedback left by buyers for sellers is valuable."
Yes it is and someday, when Ebay makes a wise decision, they will do away with feedback for buyers, as its absolutely meaningless. But I guess if buyers like yourself,who need that constant 'atta boy! every time they make a purchase it will continue.Truthfully, its always reminded me of the gold star slapped on the forehead for kindergarters.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThan sellers should not benefit either. That is my whole point.
house*of*paws
·2 years agoHi @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.]
carey-marie
OP2 years agoIt is given g a benefit to them. Their seller profile is upped.
gone.c-33
·2 years agoI didn’t read your whole rant because as a buyer only, your feedback received is meaningless.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoYes, but the feedback I give to you as a seller is not meaningless. I have benefitted you and the least you can do is reciprocate this benefit.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoStating that you did not even bother to take the time to read what I posted, and yet taking the time to leave, a sort of flip response is interesting.
gone.c-33
·2 years agoYet you found it worthy of two replies.
I didn’t read the whole thing because your take on the whole thing is false: feedback doesn’t benefit you as a buyer in any way whatsoever.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThe seller benefited. I paid them money. The have no good reason not to return the favor. Period.
gone.c-33
·2 years agoWhen you go out to eat, do you ask your waiter to fill out a feedback card for you?
carey-marie
OP2 years agoHardly an analogous example. Common sense should indicate this without my having to tell you.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoIt's NOT a good idea!
Feedback has NOTHING to do with TRS. And for someone who has never sold anything, one has to wonder how you're such an expert on seller "benefits."
The seller benefitted by your buying their item. The ""favor" they return is sending you the item you purchased! Period.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoFirst, one does not need to be an expert nor a seller themselves to know based on just the responses to this thread, that sellers care a great deal about getting the feedback. They have no good reason not to reciprocate other than pettiness. Your comments indicate exactly this problem.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoI’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.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoIt is not obsessing. It is keep track of the entire transaction from beginning to end through the process so nothing goes amiss for myself or the seller I am dealing with. Not really interested per se on what most people do or don't do. I do care about doing the right thing, and have the expectation others will do the same.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoBut isn't that what you've been arguing about? You ARE putting way too much weight on what others do.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI meant in terms of your point.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI would also point out, that up until about two years ago on the eBay purchases page, it would display a series of symbols in order from item paid for, item shipped, feedback left, and feedback received, so eBay used to let you know whether you had left and received feedback. Now, of course, they only show whether you yourself have left the feedback. Interesting change don’t you think?
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoYour 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
·2 years ago@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?
soh.maryl
·2 years agoDunno -- I kinda miss Phanato (midday breeze?). He/she was definitely set in his/her ways, that's for sure.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThere should be a way to simply remove a feedback if no reciprocation takes place. I benefit the seller by choosing to leave feedback.
btjfitter
·2 years agoI 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.
soh.maryl
·2 years ago1. 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.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoYes as I stated it is voluntary, but why should a seller benefit if they are un willing to benefit in return?
house*of*paws
·2 years ago@carey-marie
I'm repeating myself because you seemed to have missed my previous post:
>> The purpose of leaving feedback is to describe the transaction for other buyers. <<
If the feedback is removed only because we didn't receive feedback in return ... then we're not really using feedback as intended.
I'm a buyer only, who once was caught up in feedback-collecting game. I devised a strategy to maximize the number of feedback I received, which I'll happily share:
As soon as I received my item and checked to see that all was 'as described' ... I left the seller positive feedback AND sent them a personal message that said something like this:
I just wanted to let you know that I received the [name item] and all is well. I really appreciate the careful packaging and rapid shipping ... and left positive, 5-star feedback. Thanks much, and have a great day!
I only gave honest compliments regarding the transaction and the item ... and I DID NOT ask for feedback ... but I (almost?) always received it back.
I got to enjoy hearing back from the sellers who seemed genuinely moved by receiving an unexpectedly complimentary message (for a change) ... but I eventually weaned myself away from sending messages. My feedback return dropped somewhat ... but I already had stopped caring about my score.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoThanks for this…makes sense, and I have done similar but I like your approach.
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@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.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoFeedback 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?
carey-marie
OP2 years agoA seller should not receive my benefit to them if they are not going to do the same in return.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoWhat 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.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoDid you read my post? Apparently not based on your response. I address your questions directly on it.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoActually, 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.
carey-marie
OP2 years agoNot correct. I have always left feedback. There are may occasions where feedback is not counted because of a short time between purchases from the same seller.
house*of*paws
·2 years agoThe seller would have been under the same feedback restriction as you when multiple items are purchased within a short time ... so that doesn't explain why you've received more feedback than you've left. [The only explanation is that you didn't reciprocate all of your 'gifts'. 😉 ]
carey-marie
OP2 years agoNot true, as another poster stated above.
house*of*paws
·2 years agoAu contraire. If you left sellers feedback for every purchase ... then there is no way you could have received more feedbacks than you left.
Sellers have the same feedback restrictions as buyers as far as receiving only a 1-point increase in their score when they've sold multiple items to the same buyer. There's only one explanation for the difference in your profile: You left fewer gifts than you received.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoAre you buying feedback or products?
carey-marie
OP2 years agoI am buying a product, but I am adancing a seller and they should reciprocate or not keep the benefit. Quite honestly your response is indicative of the attitude problem I seek to alleviate.