Feedback question

[brrab-6]

Today I received an item. I'm perfectly satisfied with the item, but the shipping left something to be desired.

Firstly, the seller provided the tracking number a couple of days after payment, that's not unusual. But then he took a week to actually give the item to the USPS, which significantly prolonged the shipping time. When the item arrived, it wasn't packed very well: it was wrapped in bubble wrap, but it was still somewhat loose in the box and judging from the holes in the box I can tell it rattled around a lot. Luckily a solid metal item wasn't damaged that way, but you know what they say...pack your items expecting the box will be thrown off a cliff. Will YOUR item survive that with how you packed it?

So, my question is. How do I reflect this in the feedback? I kinda feel I'm not "allowed to", because sellers can have feedback removed for various reasons. E.g. if I select positive, and put anything critical in words, that's grounds for removal. Many sellers don't want you to leave neutral or negative without contacting them to "make it right", but there's nothing to "make it right", I certainly don't want money (I paid for the item fair and square and I got the item undamaged, luckily).  I just want to let other buyers know that the handling time might be somewhat long and to be aware of packaging. I hope it won't result in someone getting a damaged item one day. I could message the seller, but judging from our communication before, he probably won't care. I definitely don't want to sound like I'm prying for some partial refund or anything, as I said, I'm happy with the item.

So, what do I do? Let it go? Privately message the seller? Do a positive feedback (as the item itself is just as described, so no complaints there), but with my points in the comment, risking removal? Do neutral feedback, risking removal? Not say anything, just put fewer stars in shipping?

Thanks!

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

You can leave a low score for the rating for shipping time. Otherwise, IMHO if your item is undamaged and as described then there's no reason to leave neutral or negative feedback, nor to contact the seller.

[kathiec]

There's no rule that says you have to leave feedback. Personally I don't leave anything less than positive without giving the seller a chance to make things right. Since your item was fine, there's nothing the seller can do to make it right. I'd just not leave any feedback.

[brrab-6]

This is what I ended up doing. Left a positive feedback with a positive note, but docked points for shipping.

[ken*fl]

I've adopted a new personal rule: 

If my item wasn't shipped in box* but arrives undamaged, I don't leave feedback and I make note of the seller and go out of my way to never buy from them again.  Buyers can't block sellers so when I say 'go out of my way', I mean I literally look up the Seller to see if they are on my do not buy from list.

If the item arrives and the package is damaged but not the item itself, I may leave positive feedback (start with something really typical like 'Fast shipping!')  and mention the damage due to not being a box.

If the whole thing is damaged, well thats going to be a return for sure and a different story, but so far hasn't happened.

Also want to point out some sellers have this history of feedback where buyers state "well packed" or "well protected" and I end up getting a thing wrapped in a ziploc in a flat envelope. Had I know upfront this is how the seller operates, I would have never bought from them.  So I can't trust what other buyers considers "good packaging".

* Let's be fair and clear: I'm talking about collectibles, things that should never ever be sent in bubble mailers or bags.  If I was buying a bag of metal washers, then I wouldn't care about bubble mailers. 

[soh.maryl]

Even though it appears to have been sent later, did it arrive within a day or two of the last estimated delivery date? 

[gosimus]

@ken*fl 

< where buyers state "well packed" or "well protected" [in the feedback comment] >    

You could have been talking about me.  When a seller sends my item in a box, I always acknowledge it in feedback.  Sometimes I will say well packed or something similar, if packing was adequate for the item, even though not a box; for example, I remember an item that the mailman left on my porch in the rain and just blithely drove away without ringing my doorbell or knocking.  They do that a lot.  But the seller had double-bagged it, i.e., waterproofed it. 

By the way, did you know that this thread is from three months ago?