Open eBay feedback issues

[saltysam-1]

I am experiencing many issues with non-feedback with purchased items. Is it just me or are others seeing the same reaction? I know feedback is not mandatory, but it is happening more and more. I used to wait 30 days and then send a gentle reminder that the purchase is still open in my feedback file. I know you folks send out reminders as well. Years ago, feedback had 100% of the seller's co-operation, now it seems that percentage is going down. One seller told me that he was too busy to get involved with replies. If this is the new attitude, perhaps I should reconsider being active in the program myself......very disappointing. Can I leave a transaction comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback? Or will it be removed because it's not a required part of the sale?

[mtgraves7984]

@saltysam-1  "Can I leave a transaction comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback?"

As a buyer, I sure wouldn't want to read that ^^^ feedback. Prospective buyers may be put off by it.

I feel that 'less is more' and would prefer to see no feedback left at all by the seller.

As a seller, I don't 'send gentle reminders', either.

What if your buyer leaves a big red donut and writes, "Here's the feedback you pestered me for!"

I've heard tell that it happens...

Good luck!

[buyselljack2016]

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@saltysam-1 wrote:

I am experiencing many issues with non-feedback with purchased items. Is it just me or are others seeing the same reaction? I know feedback is not mandatory, but it is happening more and more. I used to wait 30 days and then send a gentle reminder that the purchase is still open in my feedback file. I know you folks send out reminders as well. Years ago, feedback had 100% of the seller's co-operation, now it seems that percentage is going down. One seller told me that he was too busy to get involved with replies. If this is the new attitude, perhaps I should reconsider being active in the program myself......very disappointing. Can I leave a transaction comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback? Or will it be removed because it's not a required part of the sale?

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Sure you can, but why???   Why do you as a buyer need feedback?? If I read that feedback left for a seller I would immediately increase by BBL total by one.

As a seller I leave the meaningless feedback for buyers shortly after I ship just for the reason that you posted.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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I used to wait 30 days and then send a gentle reminder that the purchase is still open in my feedback file. I know you folks send out reminders as well. ...

I would absolutely NEVER send a reminder about feedback. I don't even keep track of whether it has been sent.  Feedback is incidental to the main purpose of the eBay transaction.  Try not to worry about it so much. The feedback that a buyer receives is meaningless anyway, since sellers are only permitted to leave positive ratings and comments.

...Can I leave a transaction comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback? Or will it be removed because it's not a required part of the sale?

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If you start leaving comments like that, you might find yourself canceled and blocked by sellers who are concerned about your attitude.

[lex-talon]

Can I leave a transaction comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback? Or will it be removed because it's not a required part of the sale?

You are aware that buyers can only be given positive feedback by a seller? Even eBay says feedback is voluntary.

My trading partner won't leave me feedback. What should I do?

If you've successfully completed a transaction with another eBay member and they haven't left you feedback, it's fine to send a message as a reminder. Remember though, leaving feedback is completely voluntary.

Not every seller or buyer leaves feedback, so don't take it personally.

[japan-treazures]

@saltysam-1 

In my 20 years+ here as a seller I have never sent a feedback reminder to any buyer. However, as a buyer I received a few messages asking me to please leave feedback. 

In all my years here, I have always left feedback for everyone. I do feel that over the last few years sellers and buyers are leaving feedback less and less. I bought three items here back in late April 2020 and the seller hasn't left feedback. I have left it for them though. It is what it is! 

I used to let it bug me, but, now, it is less important to me and to eBay so why let it get to you? It is hard to let go sometimes because if you are a seller that cares and want to know how your buyers feel, we tend to start to feel maybe we didn't satisfy our customer. Sometimes you jus have to move on.

As for leaving comment like:  Seller does not participate in leaving feedback. I wouldn't recommend you doing that. It could upset your buyer and they may leave a negative comment about you. Not worth it. Your feedback should be about your experience with getting your payment in a timely manner and how the transaction went. 

[fern*wood]

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@saltysam-1 wrote:

...I know you folks send out reminders as well. Years ago, feedback had 100% of the seller's co-operation, now it seems that percentage is going down...

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I'm not clear who you are referring to with "You folks", but this folk has never and would never ask someone for feedback as a buyer or seller.   Even on my other ID when it first started out and could use a few -- nope didn't do it.   I believe ebay sends out reminders, which buyers can opt out of receiving, but unfortunately sellers can't do the same. 

Why exactly do you need more feedback?   Buyer feedback is useless and needs scraped, seller feedback isn't much better.  

[luckythewinner]

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@saltysam-1 wrote:

I am experiencing many issues with non-feedback with purchased items. 

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Just to be clear .. when you say "many issues", is the seller not leaving optional feedback the only issue and you are just experiencing it multiple times? 

If so, what problems are these many issues causing for you? 

[bearswatching]

Since buyers can only receive positive feedback, what good does it do? You’ve received 1202 as a buyer. What good would 1203 (or more) do to make a seller more comfortable with your purchase? EBay doesn’t even consider it anymore. I’ve purchased from sellers with ZERO fb and the transactions went as smooth as silk. Sending reminders, no matter how gentle, will just add your ID to many BBLs.

[nocoolnamejane]

The way you use the words “feedback file”, “co-operation”, “program” and “participate” leads me to believe you take eBay feedback a tad too seriously.

Buyers can only receive positive feedback and sellers’ feedback no longer effects a member’s status so feedback nowadays is nothing more than a pat on the back.

It’s still somewhat useful in gauging a transaction partner’s ability but in a world where online shopping has become the norm and where very few other online stores have feedback for buyers, you’d better lower your expectations as far as receiving feedback since it’s definitely on its way out...

[saltysam-1]

EBay should remove this feature if it has become meaningless to many of their participants. Nothing lasts forever. I will discontinue providing it unless requested by the seller. New members still feel it is important in order to gain trust in the community.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Sorry to hear sellers are not leaving you feedback, since it is obviously important to you. As a seller, i leave feedback for my buyers when they pay. But many sellers would not, preferring to wait until after the buyer leaves it.

Sellers have two choices in Feedback—leave a positive rating, or leave no feedback at all. So i recommend you accept and respect that choice. If it is a make-or-break issue for you, then vet your sellers carefully so you trade only with sellers who are amenable to leaving it regularly.

Keep in mind, when vetting, some sellers choose to leave no feedback in response to a difficult transaction. As they cannot leave negatives, that is their recourse. 

[mam98031]

I agree with the others.  At some point your "gentle reminder" will not be taken in a good way and that buyer may just leave you FB to reflect that.  You are putting your FB rating at more risk by sending these reminders than you would if you just let people decide for themselves if they want to leave FB.

I absolutely respect that for newer sellers, getting FB is important to building your business.  Unfortunately you just need to patiently wait for it and it can take a while.  I know for myself less than 1/3rd of my buyers leave FB.  That has always been one of my complaints about the system.  Less than 1/3rd of my buyers drive my FB reputation.  I see that and I've always seen that as ridiculous.

[quiltgeek]

The favorite comment about asking for feedback back in the time when eBay was changing from a tight knit community to a multi level selling venue was "Don't poke a sleeping bear with a short stick". 

eBay figured out that buyers that got negatives from sellers left eBay and didn't come back so they block sellers from negs and neutrals. Still allowing sellers positive feedback is, in my opinion, a waste of time and space on the servers.

[mam98031]

Does anybody know a site similar to Ebay that allows for the public shaming of it's buyers?

Just simply NOT a good business move.