new seller feedback policy
Summary: The discussion revolves around a new seller feedback policy. r_lresale comments on how some sellers often focus on personal stories about themselves and their pets instead of highlighting the product details in their listings. This feedback sheds light on the importance of maintaining a balance between personal touches and product information to ensure clarity for potential buyers.
Hello,
If I could have some thoughts on my buyer feedback policy please:
1. Me as a seller does all the work to make a good sale, and takes all the risk.
2. The Buyer has to only click a button to a make quick electronic transaction.
3. I ship it within the timeframe, as described, and pack it properly and securely, sending shipping
notice and tracking number to buyer, basically i did it right and professionally, I then ask for positive feedback if they are satisfied with my service.
4. I give no feedback to a buyer until buyer acknowledges my good service by giving me a positive review.
5. If a buyer has a history of no feedback at all for sellers, I label them as DEADBEAT status from the start
and move on, there is no point dealing with them.
6. After the 30 day buyer guarantee is over, all DEADBEATS are banned from my store, i'll take the loss
on possible future sales from them, i just plain don't want to sell to them.
7. Buyers that are not DEADBEATS and acknowledge good service from me get the following positive feedback
"Thank you for acknowledging your satisfaction with our service, it is appreciative buyers like you that make ebay a good experience for all. A+ Buyer. Highly Recommended. Peace, The Folks at InGood Company TLC"
If other buyers actually read that it just might sink in to some how important it is to acknowledge a good
experience with a seller on the platform.
Again, any thoughts, am I being a prick here?, would you do anything differently?, just trying to sort things out as a newbie
tarotfindsandmore
·4 months agoA "deadbeat" is someone who doesn't pay their bills or, in this case, for their item, not someone who fails to stroke your ego.
The feedback you leave for others is equivalent to a little thank you note. Buyers don't need to thank you, they already gave you their money.
I'm predicting a short, bumpy ride on the platform if you don't adjust your attitude here.
r_lresale
·4 months ago@ingoodcompanytlc
Yes you are being a bit over the top labeling your buyers as "deadbeats" if you don't get a glowing review, however, I'm going to give you a soft (very soft) pass since you stated that some of the money from sales goes to feed the starving kitties😺. I'm a sucker for any cat that shows up and I take them all in.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoI like cats as much as the next person but some of the listings go on for paragraphs about themselves and their cats and such while having barely a sentence about the product. Not all the descriptions are written that way so hopefully they are focusing more now on the product itself.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoYour post is non-productive "wrong think".
Perhaps your business will get better and you will realize that automatic FB for buyers is a blessing for the sellers because it is one less meaningless task that wastes their time.
yeswayrecords
·4 months ago@ingoodcompanytlc
You said, "After the 30 day buyer guarantee is over, all DEADBEATS are banned from my store, i'll take the loss
on possible future sales from them, i just plain don't want to sell to them."
This position will cost you in ways that you may not even be aware of now, one being the opportunity to build up a good base of individuals who follow your store and over time purchase more than once.
These are some of our best customers!
inhawaii
·4 months agoI leave the buyer positive feedback when they do the ONE THING they are required to do - pay.
gator08041971
·4 months agoWithin my process, when I get an order, I print out the packing slip, package and photograph that process, print label, finish the packaging, then leave feedback that states the facts, then a message to the buyer that thanks them and includes the photos of their item being packaged.
I do that for every single buyer. But I also don't have a high volume, and that is easy for me to keep up with, so not something I would recommend for everyone.
Point is, I leave feedback at the time I ship the item, regardless what the buyer history is. If I see a buyer that has never left feedback, I expect an automatic one eventually. If I see a buyer that complains a lot in their feedback, I brace myself for the potential same.
Its just what you do. Instead of thinking the worst of the buyers from the start, go with being hopeful they will be happy with you as a seller instead.
You won't make every single buyer happy. That is pretty much impossible if you conduct business on eBay long enough, you will get a buyer that won't be happy no matter what you do.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoIf that photographing is expected to help you if a buyer opens a case, please be advised, it won't.
gator08041971
·4 months ago@soh.maryl
If that photographing is expected to help you if a buyer opens a case, please be advised, it won't.
Oh, I have been told this NUMEROUS times. I simply ignore that reasoning as it's not my primary reason for doing it.
It's more about reassuring the buyer that they are:
And it can't hurt to have copies in the eBay system, whether or not it helps my case if there ever IS an issue is irrelevant. If nothing else, it does lower the chance of an issue, as it may prevent a would-be attempt from a buyer that doesn't know any better, and quite often generates a lot of positive replies from buyers.
It is simply my process and it works for me. *shrug
authentic*vintage
·4 months agoI tip a good waiter or waitress very well in a restaurant because I did that work and man was that some hard work - and those were hard times when I did that work -
When it comes to ebay, as a seller, I really hope my buyer got what they needed/wanted and I want the experience to be good in spite of some of the mundane items I ship out every day - I am not out here thinking I am knocking anybody's socks off with what I sell to the point that they can't wait to get back to their computer or phone and leave me a feedback comment. There is not a lot of excitement in most of my items. In spite of that, some buyers are truly happy and want to leave REALLY good feedback and that REALLY MAKES MY DAY. When it happens.
What really makes my day EVERY DAY is when somebody does pick me - they picked my stuff, they bought from little old me in a sea of thousands of other little old me's and that is pretty special. And for that, my buyer gets a feedback. Period.
We live in a buy it online world and leaving a review or some note is not top of mind for many buyers unless it is something they were just blown away by - my stuff ain't that - people who haven't been using ebay for 20+ years like most of us don't understand how feedback really impacts a seller and that is not their fault.
Maybe some of your stuff isn't meant to knock anybody's socks off either - like the paint strainers. I can see me selling something functional like that - I hope the buyer gets it and uses it and we save the planet a little bit by passing along some stuff that somebody else didn't need or wasn't going to use and they might pick your paint strainers out of hundreds of others maybe and that is good thing, right?
Yes. I think it is.
fern*wood
·4 months agoI only sell to make money. If the buyer paid me, he is not a deadbeat to me and I welcome his money anytime. I care not one iota if they leave me feedback or not.
bonanza125
·4 months ago"Again, any thoughts, am I being a prick here?, would you do anything differently?, just trying to sort things out as a newbie"
Poor way of running a business when you refer to buyers who don't leave feedback or have little to no feedback as deadbeats. They have to start somewhere. I can understand as a buyer not dealing with a seller who is new or have no feedback but as a seller if the buyer pays you who cares. Ebay has dealt with the lack of feedback because of buyers not leaving it. I just think you should adjust your policy especially #5 and #6. That's ridiculous. Yes you will take a hit on your store especially coming into public forum and bring this up.
ingoodcompanytlc
OP4 months agowow, lots of feedback quick, great advice, thank you all
being a new seller i wasn't aware of the auto positive feedback thanks for the heads up
ok, time to chill out, prepare to put on a thicker skin, forget about banning 'deadbeats', revise that buyer feedback, and roll with it as we learn
THANKS AGAIN
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoWell, a willingness to change and being open to new ideas is a good sign - you'll do fine on eBay.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoJust curious: What buyer feedback are you planning to revise? Your current auto FB looks pretty good to me, as it probably does to the buyers who receive it.
fern*wood
·4 months agoDid you really give buyers feedback stating "deadbeat" if they didn't give you feedback? If so, it is a policy violation to give buyers negative worded feedback.
18704d
·4 months agoFeedback isn't earned or deserved.
All a seller has really 'earned' or 'deserves' is payment and no false claims filed against them.
All a buyer has 'earned' or 'deserves' is the product on-time and in as-described condition.
Feedback is Optional.
As a seller, I give feedback first. After payment and right after I ship.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoAsking a buyer for feedback is not a good idea and may not go as you hoped. The buyer may have been on the verge of reporting a problem but was letting it slide. Bugging them for feedback may nudge them into filing a claim (or reporting a problem in their feedback comments) that they otherwise would not have mentioned.
Me neither (in my selling account) but that is only because the buyer is really the one who determines when the transaction is successfully completed. It is not because I am holding their feedback hostage or anything like that but simply because there is no point in leaving Positive feedback for a buyer who may then proceed to blindside you with a Neutral or Neg later on.
Here is where your logic is going off the rails. They are not 'DEADBEATs' just because they did not flatter you with favorable feedback (or any feedback at all). Feedback is optional and some buyers simply do not leave any for reasons known only to them.
Given that you will not be aware of your buyer until they hit the BuyItNow button and actually make the purchase it is not clear what 'no point dealing with them' means unless you are actively cancelling and refunding their purchases.
Are you here to sell items or just get flattering comments about yourself?
Yes. (Your words - not mine) If you really are placing your own customers on your Blocked Buyer List for the sin of not expressing gratitude for their purchase then you are simply shooting yourself in the foot. You will never know which of those might have been a repeat buyer - a problem which seems entirely self-inflicted.
Certainly: If a buyer leaves feedback for you then you can reply. If they do not then you do not either. And life goes on. I have plenty of repeat customers who never leave feedback and I am perfectly happy with that - as they are with me.
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoI think that everyone finds the feedback approach that works best for them. Me, I leave it after a buyer pays, because I don't want to deal with the hassle of doing it manually, and I don't see a big difference b/w having it auto for after payment, after delivery, of after they leave feedback.
Plenty of sellers will wait to see how a transaction plays out - there is merit to waiting so that you don't reward a lousy buyer with good feedback. If you want to wait until they leave feedback, I see nothing wrong with it, and eBay doesn't either. Heck, you don't ever have to leave feedback.
Blocking buyers that don't leave feedback? Me, I wouldn't do it - I really don't care too much about it. If I did well enough that buyer leaves feedback, great. If not, at least I'm not getting a negative 🙂 At the end of the day, sellers can choose to block buyers for whatever reason they want. Some will block based on asking questions, some will block based on feedback left for others, some will block based on so-called "spidey-sense." At least you have a rationale for it - not one that I'd use, but reasonable minds can disagree.
kandf_vintage_finds
·4 months agoLOL! Seriousely?
mtgraves7984
·4 months ago@ingoodcompanytlc
If I'd received your feedback as a buyer, I'd feel like Ralphie and his Little Orphan Annie Decoder... "A crummy commercial?"
shire123
·4 months agoTo answer the first part of your question. Yes you are.
bbcardzman
·4 months agoLast year I decided that I will leave feedback only after the item has been delivered and not just after payment. Seems to work better than right after they pay (they could always decide to cancel tomorrow before you even ship it).
soh.maryl
·4 months agoAs mentioned earlier, eBay will take care of that job for you about 10 days after delivery if there appears to have been no issue with the transaction.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago@bbcardzman so that feedback you leave (if auto) hurts you how?
It's MUCH more hurtful to your business if just 1 person doesn't buy from you again because they didn't get feedback.
bbcardzman
·4 months agoHurts me? Who said it hurts me? I ALWAYS leave feedback but I wait until the item shows it's delivered. Not sure what you are saying. Is what I said really that hard to understand?
inhawaii
·4 months agoOMG It would be a DISASTER if you left someone positive feedback and they cancelled the order.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoI really don't care if a buyer gets a "false positive" feedback from me. If they cancel an order than I block them anyway.
I am very dedicated to not poking the bear. I don't put in packing slips, I don't do ANYTHING to ever remind the buyer of the transaction after the fact. Even leaving feedback directly after delivery can backfire on you. There is no possible positive effect of doing anything to remind the buyer of the transaction after you ship the items, while there are many possible negative effects.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoI am curious as to how a packing slip in a package could possibly be viewed as 'poking the bear'...? All it does is list the contents and (optionally) show the purchase price. It does not reveal anything that is not already shown on the shipping label.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoPacking slips increase returns ever so slightly. Remember, some people are shopaholics and order incredible amounts of stuff (often very similar stuff when it comes to "collectors") and when they our their partner decide to return stuff because it is out of hand that packing slip hanging around is an easy reminder of where that item came from. The box might get thrown away, the label on the box might not even indicate ebay. However that packing slip is going to indicate the item came from ebay, the item number, the seller and might even have the price on it. When Roseanne gets mad that Dan ordered 28 fishing reels this month and starts looking to return them she is going to pick the low hanging fruit first, the stuff with an obvious source.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoAre you aware that, recently, eBay initiated auto positive FB for sellers? Works this way: If there's been no FB left by the buyer for the seller within about 10 days, eBay will leave auto positive rather generic FB. So that's not been happening for you?
Also, a buyer can change that FB to something more personal if he wishes or can change it to a negative if warranted.
mamacassidy
·4 months agoOP said: "5. If a buyer has a history of no feedback at all for sellers, I label them as DEADBEAT status from the start and move on, there is no point dealing with them.
6. After the 30 day buyer guarantee is over, all DEADBEATS are banned from my store, i'll take the loss
on possible future sales from them, i just plain don't want to sell to them."
Many people buying online see the transaction as done when they receive the item. The percentage of people who leave feedback is getting smaller and smaller everyday. A large number of younger/newer buyers are used to shopping on platforms like Amazon where you might leave a product review, but not really a feedback for the seller.
If you really want to block buyers who have not left you feedback, that's your prerogative. But you will be slowing dwindling your market of buyers down to almost none.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoWrong way to do business in the retail selling world.
You are (should be) GREATFULL that they chose to buy from you.
You are acting like it's a privilege.
It's Not.
Set up an 'automatic' feedback and stop all the future headaches (you will get a buyer leaving feedback stating that this seller wouldn't leave feedback, or messages from buyers saying same/similar). Simply not worth it.
fern*wood
·4 months agoI sincerely hope this post was made in jest.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoMaybe more like "made without having read recent info about auto positives for sellers"?
onefootflipper
·4 months agoWhen I was selling cards at a super high volume I experimented with feedback in multiple ways and I found what worked absolutely the best was just setting it to automatically leave feedback when the customers paid.
When I was leaving it only after they did then I was getting much less of it.
I used to think that I had developed a magic bullet for burying negative or neutral feedback (if you are shipping 50+ trading cards a day you will get some bad feedback without doing anything wrong). I would wait until I got a neutral or negative and then I would leave feedback in mass all at once, so the reciprocating feedback would push the bad one off the front page.
However that is when I quickly discovered the "don't poke the bear" effect. Leaving feedback for 500 transactions at once also reminds 500 people of the transaction. Which would have the effect of people suddenly finding problems with their purchase.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months ago@onefootflipper
We do the same.
They pay, we automatically leave feedback, and I never even think about whether we've left feedback for a buyer. Business is much easier when you don't stress about things like that.
dhbookds
·4 months agoIn addition to the above, be aware that SOME buyers will leave a neg if you don't leave feedback. They consider buying/paying for an item as having completed their responsibility and it's up to you to acknowledge it. It does happen. To protect your account, I advise leaving feedback when item is mailed.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoWhy do you see buyers as having to earn good feedback from you (especially since you can't give them negative or neutral feedback), instead of deserving it by purchasing from you when they could have purchased from anyone else?
Why does them not leaving optional feedback make them a deadbeat, but you not leaving feedback for them not mean the same for you?
I don't think you're a prick, but I do think if you don't radically alter your view of your role in the business interaction, you're going to burn out and no one will benefit. You are the provider of a service. They are your client. They are a good buyer because they bought from you. They don't need to earn good buyer status beyond that. If they lose good buyer status due to trying to defraud you or blasting you in negative feedback, that's a different story, but they should start with the "good buyer" status by default, because they bought from you and not someone else.
fabrics24
·4 months agoDefinitely a bit harsh; buyers who don't leave feedback aren't the enemy. Because we get automated feedback, even if the seller never gives you any feedback personally, you can still maintain a 100% rating. You don't want to block those people
What you want to look out for is buyers who leave tons of neutrals, or worse, negatives; that's a sign of someone who's never satisfied, and you're not going to make those people happy even if you pack and ship their item perfectly.
Getting positive FB is always a treat, but because of automated feedback, you won't be high and dry if a buyer forgets or just doesn't leave you anything.
onlinecentral
·4 months agoeBay started leaving Automated Feedback for sellers on September 3, 2025.
eBay automated feedback is automatically added to the seller’s account when a transaction is successfully completed. This positive feedback gives other eBay users confidence in this seller and in our marketplace. We only do this if the following criteria are met:
You didn't leave feedback within 7 days of delivery (as confirmed by tracking)
• We can’t see any indication of an issue with the transaction
• Tracking shows the item was delivered on time
• Automated feedback from eBay will remain visible unless there is an indication that there was an issue with the transaction, for example the item was damaged or you opened a return. If this happens, we will remove the automated message.
You can still leave your own feedback within 60 days of delivery, in which case the automated feedback will be replaced with yours.
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/leaving-feedback-sellers/leaving-feedback-sellers?id=4007&st=3&pos=3&query=Leaving%20feedback%20for%20sellers&intent=Automated%20Feedback&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1052