Feedback NOT left by buyers for extended periods

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

as a modest suggestion to the ebay team, can we get some feature that will automatically leave positive feedback/5 stars for items sold with no returns/issues after say 90 days?

we do all the hard work on the front end but receive little of the benefits on the back end (besides a positive sale/transaction) when buyers refuse to leave feedback. i don't like asking them, not that it does much good, so some ebay intervention here would go a LONG way for some goodwill towards sellers.

thanks!

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

with the kind of numbers and %s i am talking about across many accounts (i know several people do strive to provide great transactions with complication-free returns) so having THAT many unsatisfied customers is beyond unreasonably and illogical. if it were a managable percentage, it would suck but could be tolerated but when a site CENTERED around feedback is being ignored by so many buyers (not just me but MANY sellers saying this) how can the site be operating properly?

while i appreciate the pureness of feedback of buyers, truly, i bet the majority of commerce world-wide gets done w/o any feedback; so while it is nice, it is important for buyers to have a voice and it is integral to the ethos of ebay what does it say when so many here DISREGARD the importance of feedback not being left OVER the pureness of feedback as a tool?

truly, i cannot exist both ways. it cannot be pure and important and ignored and it cannot be auto-left en masse even when it is ignored. where in the world is the fairness and protection for sellers (it actually helps buyers to see sellers getting active feedback too) when the literal center of the site is being shirked to the side?

i am ALL ears here but when people i talk to (many) stated they are experiencing 50%+ non-feedback being left, something is seriously broken and no one whom has responded in this thread yet can convince me all these buyers are not leaving feedback at all because of some minor issue and again, if buyers are having small to medium issues but don't want to neg, which is VERY nice and considerate, can leave positive and ding the stars. while buyers don't get to see that data (right?) the sellers will feel that pain, so it isn't like even if ebay did do some implementation of auto-positive feedback (maybe as an opt-in for sellers but leaves zero stars?) that sellers would be sitting high on the hog AND doing a poor job. i personally would rather take a few negs and get the many dozens of positive feedback so many inconsiderate buyers failed to leave and/or buyers that buy through an intermediary site.

i've probably skipped over sellers because of lack of recent sales data quickly and easily viewable from the feedback screen. i will still buy from sellers with negs because i know how fickle people can be buyers/sellers both and some of the mega sellers have literally THOUSANDS or more negs so those obviously aren't the end-all be-all of successful commerce.

in any event, i think i've covered about any decent and legit point i can and i will hope the ripples of this can cause some positive and upcoming change. (ebay seems to be in a big update mode right now)

thanks to those that chose to be so 1-sided as it made me dig deeper for the rationale/reasoning of the WHY i made this suggestion to begin with but you may not have seen if not for the type of responses left here. in retrospect, perhaps i should have done a reasons 1-10 but after all my other conversations, this is the first MAJOR resistance i've received and i didn't even have to dig this deep until now.

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

it is a good point. i'm 100% NOT trying to get undeserved positive feedback for myself or others but i think there has to be something in place here because as i've stated, not leaving feedback in such large amounts goes against the entire idea of the site.

buyers having a say-so but buyers on top of not leaving feedback en-masse, they are also HORRIBLY not communicating. because of the types of items i have been selling over the past 24-36 months, communication can be a key component to a buyer having a positive transaction because i as the seller often times have useful information but most buyers are not experts on the wide array of items they buy, which is fine a seller should be a bit more informed than the buyer but i also do count of buyers having some info that i don't of niche items and can check things on my end that i may normally miss or that may be a sticking point for buyers. that kind of exchange seems to be beyond the skill set of a lot of buyers (not all, ive had some great back n forths) but again, this is about the masses, the rule, not the exceptions. i wouldn't be here for a minor issue.

i don't go all 20 paragraphs in my messages unless there is a major issue that can be worked out. most of the time it is 1 or 2 sentences to ENSURE the buyer is buying the proper model/make etc because i've had many buyers, including sizes with clothing NOT ask despite my description stating as such, only to have those buyers tell me there is a random problem that could have EASILY been avoided by 1-2 communications. if the ethos is that buyers want some say so and a way to make a seller pay (metaphorically and literally), then the buyers need to be penalized some how for NOT finding an effective way to successfully operate in this type of environment. i understand there are tons of unreasonable sellers AND buyers but for my part, i think most are doing a good job and try to, despite these extraordinary times in which we find ourselves.

also citing 1, 2 or even a few bad transactions as a way to justify not leaving a neg against dozens or hundreds of transactions isn't really reasonable. from the numbers alone, it would be justified that a sellers gets a few undeserved positive feedbacks as they are probably doing a good job but have a hiccup or an unreasonable buyer and most sellers/buyers are here for the long term and if they get a few undeserved pos feedbacks vs the times they don't get the ones they have EARNED  when the ones actually equal dozens or hundreds is not even remotely logical, fair or effective for the site, the buyers or the sellers.

can anyone that has posted to this thread think that a few undeserved pos feedback against dozens or hundreds a seller has earned is a proper balance?

i see now we can edit but it must be limited to just a minute or two then the option goes away?

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

i believe that would be the case but what i'm asking is for the feedback to be left AFTER the return period expires so if a buyer is lazy and doesn't want to leave feedback for whatever reason wouldn't be able to even receive any refund/return the forfeits their right/option and if a seller is doing a good job, getting a few extras isn't a big deal imo because at the current status quo, sellers are missing out on a HUGE amount of deserved feedback.

i THINK i've read that buyers can request after the period has expired but sellers have the option to accept or not at that time. that is the last update about that i've heard.

i do like that people may buy some extra stuff (not NIB) they normally wouldn't buy and it does work out a lot of the time but buyers really need to understand how detrimental everyone thinking they are the exception when everyone starts thinking that. oh i'm not perfectly happy with xxx, or xxx or xxx so i'm not leaving feedback. while there is tons of NIB stuff, there is a ton of also used or open box and transactions like that are not going to have items that are NIB and will be prone to some minor problem and would most likely be purchased at a discounted price. i see some of the used items i sell is WAY under half of NIB prices, so expecting a perfect transaction is ludacris for a certain amount of used goods. ever buy a car with 50k, 100k, 200k miles that didn't need an oil change, tire replacement, brake pads or, or, or.

perhaps there needs to be nuance for transactions of used goods for NIB? i'm not saying i have a solution but there is NO way any reasonable person can read this entire thread, especially now and expect a seller to do all the hard work on the front end when a buyer can simply choose to be inconsiderate or perhaps not really understand the many residual benefits a seller may receive (not even for TRS status) that comes with leaving feedback and again, this seems to be happening en-masse.

i have check random sellers with stores with that transaction number being visible against their feedback and it is SHOCKING!

of course there are going to be some transactions where laziness, emotions, a missed defect/error etc happens but i'm not asking the exceptions be addressed but the bulk.

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

here is an example of a very well known, lifetime achiever in his field, highly respected millionaire:

i stumbled across his account doing something COMPLETELY unrelated to this topic but clicked and saw his account showed the total transaction number, so thought i'd share here.

99.5% Positive feedback
91K Items sold
38904 Feedback

really? 42% feedback for someone like this? i understand multi-item purchases paid for under one payment will only get 1 feedback added to the main number but i gotta believe this is A LOT of non-feedback. the seller has a lot of 5 figure items which is why feedback isn't in the mid 6 figures.

you may be doing a lot right and the recent changes, for my part, i think are a good thing but feedback needs some SERIOUS revamp and has for a LONG time. either the number counts for something or it doesn't.

there is no need to post more examples, they are out there for everyone to see. i appreciate holding sellers to higher standards to make it good for buyers but you must remember the sellers as well.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@janet9988 wrote:

So you are willing to leave buyers who cause you problems a positive feedback?

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Actually, @amazingly_eclectic_selections has done so and in at least 6 cases, those non-positive comments left by the OP for buyers were removed! 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@amazingly_eclectic_selections wrote:

i've probably skipped over sellers because of lack of recent sales data quickly and easily viewable from the feedback screen.

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So sellers' recent sales data isn't "quickly and easily viewable from the feedback screen" so you skip them when it's just as easy to look at that seller's completed/sold listings? 

@amazingly_eclectic_selections wrote:

i will still buy from sellers with negs because i know how fickle people can be buyers/sellers both and some of the mega sellers have literally THOUSANDS or more negs so those obviously aren't the end-all be-all of successful commerce.

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You're talking out of both sides of your mouth! You want ebay to give sellers automatic positive feedback when buyers don't leave feedback because (according to you), those are good sellers who didn't get hit with disputes, yet you'll buy from sellers with negs because of the fickleness of buyers. 

SMDH!

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@amazingly_eclectic_selections wrote:

 as i've stated, not leaving feedback in such large amounts goes against the entire idea of the site.

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No, actually, the idea of the site is to connect buyers and sellers with each other. 

Are you here to sell items or are you here to buy feedback? 

[transamcc]

Never should be automated!!!  It even frustrates me when Ebay autorates you at 5 stars on no communication, slow shipping and shipping cost when ship was any price other than free.  If you stoop to asking me for feedback, I will provide it as  a red donut negative with the comment "seller asked for feedback, here it is". Buyers feedback to a seller is supposed to be that buyer's perception of the transaction, not ebay's  nor the seller's opinion.  If I EVER fail to give feedback it is because  I am not 100% satisfied, but not pushed far enough to provide the  neutral or negative that  is deserved.

[reallynicestamps]

Feedback is a legacy of the 20th century internet, when buying from strangers halfway around the world was exciting and scary.

If you look at the earliest FB on eBay, before it was necessary to have a transaction to leave it, you will see some freaky messages among those early adopters.

But that was nearly 30 years ago.

Today FB is as sincere and as useful as the Have a Nice Day the supermarket cashier gives as she turns to her next customer.

Personally, I'm here for the money not to make friends.

Although I have made a few and had some interesting convos with customers.

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

this is untrue as ebay did this of their own accord and sent out messages about how the account was protected. i MAY have had a store at those times and that service comes with it? or maybe they do it anyway. i'm not certain.

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

So sellers' recent sales data isn't "quickly a

You're talking out of both sides of

etc

i thought about your post before i made this post because i'm not here to nitpick or debate, although a decent debate would do good to accompany this type of suggestion made by me.

i'm not here buying feedback, trying to look better than i am, trying to help sellers not doing a good job, so i'll say this AGAIN. this IS an issue that needs addressed. obviously feedback IS important, just look at the passionate responses regarding my suggestion BUT what i'm trying to get through people's heads here is that BECAUSE it is important, NOT leaving any for 50% of a seller's transactions is asinine and not addressing that point is even more so. like it said already, it CAN"T go both ways. you cannot say it is important, vital, precious AND then shirk my point that the majority of feedback NOT being left isn't being done out of pure inconsideration/laziness and that is is NOT having an detrimental effect on sellers. people aren't perfect and having all the positives most sellers have earned help to offset some less than perfect transactions is a good thing imo.

do any of you reading this REALLY think 50% of a long-term sellers lack of feedback is because ALL or even most of those transactions are terrible? really? i've had some real doozy transactions in the 10-15 years i've been on ebay (i have several active accounts, mostly older) but the vast majority of transactions, especially in the past 7-8 years or so be pretty good when i take the time to do a basic vett of a seller and what it is they are selling and i've become much better and have better transaction success because of it and ALWAYS have left feedback with just a few negs and probably NO negs for a very long time. someone will have to work really hard to get one of those outta me these days .

thanks for the responses and counter-arguments.

i'll respond only to legit points that are on topic to my suggestion from here on out or inaccurate accusations like i had feedback removed because of (fill in the blank).

[amazingly_eclectic_selections]

while i appreciate the response, it is the pretty much the same thing everyone else is saying w/o addresses the problem.

do all of you against the idea or something similar think it is reasonable that sellers are receiving a fraction of their due and earned feedback, which does have a very negative effect? if the number of transactions was put on the main page beside/underneath the feedback, the stark contrast would leave many wondering, what the heck is going on here, which is probably why it isn't put there.

i haven't even addressed how bad this is for TRS because i wanted to keep it simple and refined and not have a 10-20 page debate. the issue is simple yet powerful and for my part, i really will say after this, patiently until some solution is proposed/implemented and i am also not leave feedback for any buyer that doesn't leave it first and i haven't been for a while.

i don't look at this platform as buyers VS sellers. we all have to work together and a lot of us are in both categories so people whom are only or very mostly only buyers will not be able to appreciate as easily how one-sided this particular issue is. i'm glad buyers have this power for feedback but treating it like a sword for the many transactions it is not intended for or significantly underestimating how detrimental it is to NOT leave feedback is not an acceptable standard to me.