Feedback from Buyers

[rose359]

To help us build our brand and market presence, eBay should provide sellers with positive feedback for a transaction if the buyer has not given feedback within 60 days.  There is no incentive for buyers to provide feedback, especially if the seller has already provided them with feedback.  My feedback is 100% positive, but I only receive feedback from approximately one in ten transactions.  I give feedback when it is earned, which is when the buyer has paid.  Once they have received the item, they have plenty of time to provide feedback.  If they do not,  eBay can assume the transaction went well and award feedback to the buyer.

Steve Rose (rose359); buying and selling on eBay since 1998

[eburtonlab]

My feedback is 100% positive, but I only receive feedback from approximately one in ten transactions.

Other sellers receive feedback in similar proportion. Feedback is more than just a count of transactions, though; you can see the number of items  a seller has sold on the seller's profile page if that is what you are interested in.

To the extent that feedback is valuable, it is valuable because it is voluntary. Making it automatic just reduces the value of the actual feedback ratings a seller receives.

Many buyers only leave feedback if a transaction is exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. Make feedback automatic, and some of those buyers will start leaving negatives instead of no comment rather than allowing an automatic positive be given -- so be careful what you wish for.

[rose359]

In a community, some people need to be encouraged to do the right thing. Twenty years ago, I would receive feedback from 9/10 transactions. Now it is 1/10.  eBay once was a special marketplace; now it is just another online option for buying and selling. 

Rather than resist the devolution, I should just participate by not providing feedback on sales and purchases.  

[eburtonlab]

Feedback is entirely voluntary, so you can leave or not as you choose.

I find that leaving feedback first, regardless of whether it has been left for me or not, seems to result in the maximum amount of feedback received. Some users will only leave feedback when it has been left for them; when two such users are involved in a transaction together, neither leaves feedback as each is waiting for the other to blink.