eBay

troyzie · ‎04-11-2019

I've said it from day one, and I've used eBay since last century. The feedback system here sucks. First off, that little number next to your user name, that's not based on how many sales or purchases you make. That number is solely used for the amount of feedback received. Not everyone will leave feedback. I think the number of sales should be listed next to the sellers name. Feedback is important, but it says nothing for the total amount of sales. The amount of sales says more than feedback alone. If this isn't an option, then feedback should be mandatory before allowing people to make another purchase. And it could be a feedfack rating system, they can remain annonymous and don't need to type anything.

privacy60 · ‎04-12-2019

I refuse to participate in ebay's idea of feedback.. I would love just once to write for a buyer who asks for feedback "hooray you're an adult you paid your bill"

troyzie · ‎04-19-2019

I agree with all but your last paragraph. "the idea of making something mandatory shows just how arrogant you are, to force you own way on someone." No.. eBay could certainly have a pop up to have buyers rate their last transaction before completing their next purchase. There's nothing arrogant about that. But it will never happen anyway

mudshark61369 · ‎04-19-2019

@troyzie,

Twice now you have written;

"feedback should be mandatory before allowing people to make another purchase...

eBay could certainly have a pop up to have buyers rate their last transaction before completing their next purchase".

I will write it again!

The underlined suggestions would not work. Do you expect people to leave sellers feedback before they receive items, just so they can make another purchase? Would you leave feedback for a seller before receiving an item?

"I think the number of sales should be listed next to the sellers name. Feedback is important, but it says nothing for the total amount of sales".

What good is the total number of sales or purchases for that matter, without feedback to let people know how a seller performs, or if a buyer is problematic as evidenced by the feedback they leave for sellers?

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

jeannicho22 · ‎04-19-2019

@privacy60 wrote:
I refuse to participate in ebay's idea of feedback.. I would love just once to write for a buyer who asks for feedback "hooray you're an adult you paid your bill"

Funny!!!! Not advisable, but really really funny.... and true

castlemagicmemories · ‎04-19-2019

But the amount of sales says nothing about the satisfaction of those who purchased. Dollar value does not guarantee satisfaction. Many save negatives for truly egregious offenses, so they choose to not leave feedback if they feel a negative is not warranted. They leave a neg in truly horrific situations. Manipulation of the feedback system for automatic feedback for sellers could see buyers leave negatives to be sure a sub par transaction was not awarded a positive that they chose not to give.

Feedback is voluntary and should not be mandatory. Many buyers just want their widget. Make feedback mandatory before they can buy something else and you just may find there are less buyers as they won't play that game.

castlemagicmemories · ‎04-19-2019

will write it again!

The underlined suggestions would not work. Do you expect people to leave sellers feedback before they receive items, just so they can make another purchase? Would you leave feedback for a seller before receiving an item?

And this is the most obvious reason why this wouldn't work. I bought three things yesterday. If I had to leave feedback before I could buy anything else, I couldn't as I had not yet received anything.

As for doing away with feedback for buyers~why not leave it alone? It thanks the customer and is something that means something to many. It is a good advertising tool for the seller.

mudshark61369 · ‎04-20-2019

@castlemagicmemories,

"As for doing away with feedback for buyers~why not leave it alone? It thanks the customer and is something that means something to many. It is a good advertising tool for the seller".

Before the advent of electronic payments, buyer feedback meant something. They had to either write a check, or go purchase a money order then mail it. How fast they did that, meant something back then because the time frame for the completion of an average domestic transaction was often 10 to 14 days or more. Once ebay basically put an end to paper payments, making PayPal the prime method of payment. There wasn't much excuse for payment to be delayed, and the removal of non-positive feedback for buyers meant their reputation was based solely on the feedback left for sellers.

Feedback isn't really a good advertising gimmick for sellers, but it is for ebay. Everything I have ever sold had a Thank You note in the package which takes care of thanking a buyer. I have never considered doing the bare minimum required for a task, as being noteworthy. None of the buyer feedback I have left says thank you or mentions paying. It does say I am happy to have them as a customer, and I hope to deal with them again. If ebay were to switch to a transaction count, would you really miss getting feedback as a buyer? Would it cause you to use ebay less often?

Like privacy60, I too have considered leaving an experienced buyer who begs for feedback a flippant comment;

"We are ecstatic you found and used the Pay Now button so quickly".

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

fjbet13 · ‎04-20-2019

On the other hand why does a seller feel they should get positive feedback for just shipping me an item that I paid for.

castlemagicmemories · ‎04-20-2019

@mudshark61369 wrote:
@castlemagicmemories,

"As for doing away with feedback for buyers~why not leave it alone? It thanks the customer and is something that means something to many. It is a good advertising tool for the seller".

Before the advent of electronic payments, buyer feedback meant something. They had to either write a check, or go purchase a money order then mail it. How fast they did that, meant something back then because the time frame for the completion of an average domestic transaction was often 10 to 14 days or more. Once ebay basically put an end to paper payments, making PayPal the prime method of payment. There wasn't much excuse for payment to be delayed, and the removal of non-positive feedback for buyers meant their reputation was based solely on the feedback left for sellers.

Feedback isn't really a good advertising gimmick for sellers, but it is for ebay. Everything I have ever sold had a Thank You note in the package which takes care of thanking a buyer. I have never considered doing the bare minimum required for a task, as being noteworthy. None of the buyer feedback I have left says thank you or mentions paying. It does say I am happy to have them as a customer, and I hope to deal with them again. If ebay were to switch to a transaction count, would you really miss getting feedback as a buyer? Would it cause you to use ebay less often?

Like privacy60, I too have considered leaving an experienced buyer who begs for feedback a flippant comment;
"We are ecstatic you found and used the Pay Now button so quickly".

@mudshark61369

I remember the days of money orders and checks, and when feedback was supposed to be a review of each trading partner's performance, buyer and seller. It evolved (or devolved, depending on how you look at it) into a simple thank you to buyers, and thank you can be accomplished in other ways as you say, a note to the buyer. To each his own. I think it can be good advertising as the buyer might see your id in their feedback, such as thank you from mudshark61369 Please come back for your toy needs, or something like that.

Many buyers do really like that thank you on their page and feel passionately about that, but I have always believed in respecting other's right to leave feedback as feedback is voluntary and like you, I think paying is not noteworthy~it's what you do when you buy something~and I have no problem with posting you are happy to have them as a customer and that you hope to deal with them again. Many sellers do just leave a thank you, though.

I don't make feedback an issue but there are many who do and since it costs nothing, I see no reason to do away with it. But feedback is not crucial to me~I leave it or I don't, and I feel the same about having others leave it for me~they leave it or they don't. But I know some buyers won't buy again from a seller who didn't leave them feedback, and won't leave feedback first.

There are other things far more important than feedback. I don't make it an issue but many others do. Like many, I want my item in the condition specified in a somewhat timely fashion, which isn't unreasonable.

Love that "ecstatic" feedback!

iguanaspike · ‎05-01-2019

There is a small present of Buyers that are making a purchase only to defraud the Seller.. Purchasing from a Sellers, and then claiming the item received was not as described, arrived broken, or any number of other issues that they will not prove with a simple photo.. Then eBay becomes the judge and jury and usually just takes your money to refund that Seller.. EBay then their allows that Buyer to leave you a Negative Feedback.. "Sellers" are the people that make eBay the money that pays their employee's with their sales high Fees, final value fees, listing fees, etc.. Yet, eBay has no problem punishing those Sellers with higher FEES based on the Negatives left by those Buyers.. Sellers should be able to leave the same Feedback as Buyers.. By having Selling and Buying Feedback categories, a Seller could see what others have said about a particular Buyer, he should then be able to cancel that sale without any type of fear of having that Buyer leaving a Negative.. A problem that now exists..

femmefan1946 · ‎05-01-2019

Personally, I think the feedback system should be dropped entirely in favour of the number of successful transactions the member has participated in.

Bought 500 items- no disputes or claims-- FB as buyer 500

Sold 500 items- 10 returns w/o Dispute, 5 refunds with Dispute --FB as seller 485

Every transaction counted. Buyer opinion meaningless. Sorry buyers. If you don't like it, file the dispute.

I believe this would let eBay see how poorly some of the giant sellers treat their customers, particularly on very low value transactions where the buyer doesn't understand that FB will not result in action.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎05-01-2019

Sellers make Ebay the money? That's funny. Many sellers pay no listing fees. How long do you think they would list here if nobody bought?

Buyers bring the big money to the table AND are the group in shortest supply.

Both buyers AND sellers are critical to Ebay success but buyers bring most of the money.

berserkerplanet · ‎05-02-2019

Sellers pay the FVF's - the "big money" - not buyers. Buyers pay eBay nothing.

mam98031 · ‎05-02-2019

@berserkerplanet wrote:
Sellers pay the FVF's - the "big money" - not buyers. Buyers pay eBay nothing.

I think the point was there would be no FVFs for Ebay if there were no buyers. Without the buyers there is no reason for the sellers.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

castlemagicmemories · ‎05-02-2019

@berserkerplanet wrote:
Sellers pay the FVF's - the "big money" - not buyers. Buyers pay eBay nothing.

With all due respect, don't you add your fees into your selling price? Most sellers find it prudent to work their FVFs and other fees and expenses into the purchase price so the buyer pays this. So yes, actually, the BUYERS pay the FVFs (and other expenses as well).