A question to sellers - when do you leave feedback?

[lovingroger2020]

Hey guys. I wonder when do you leave feedback to your customers. As I buyer I almost always get a feedback already after purchase and payment "fast payment, quick response bla bla bla" or don't get any feedback at all.

I usually track my shipments so I leave feedback when the item is delivered. When do you leave? After payment? Or you wait a little bit because the buyer could be a scammer and you can't report him after positive feedback? Maybe you wait for a positive feedback from buyer. Or never leave feedbacks?

I always leave feedbacks. I saw few negative feedbacks of my friends and sellers I buy from. "The seller didn't leave me a feedback so I'm gonna leave him negative feedback because I purchased 3 items".  For me as a buyer, it's pretty funny. As a seller: scared me that no feedback could be a such big problem for customers. 

[phanoto]

It looks like just about all sellers agree on when is the best time to leave feedback for their customers.

Sellers leave feedback at a time which will satisfy the CUSTOMER.

Back in the days before negative feedback for buyers was eliminated, I left feedback at the time which satisfied ME, which was after the customer left feedback.

[ted_200]

I bet I could get the first rep to see it my way.

You must have better luck than me.  I bet I could get the first rep to insist I got neg.d for poor communication, and tell me "there is nothing we can do". 

[pur3_madn3s5]

I always leave feedback as a buyer and seller. I leave feedback after the item has been delivered for 2 or 3 days. I do this just in case the buyer was a problem person so I could mention that in the feedback. Of course, I can only leave positive to them, but at least I could mention if they tried to pull something.

[phanoto]

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@pur3_madn3s5 wrote:
I always leave feedback as a buyer and seller. I leave feedback after the item has been delivered for 2 or 3 days. I do this just in case the buyer was a problem person so I could mention that in the feedback. Of course, I can only leave positive to them, but at least I could mention if they tried to pull something.

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There are a couple of problems sellers run into when they wait until the buyer receives the item before the seller leaves feedback.

1.  Other sellers don't read the "feedback received" by the buyer.  They read the "feedback left".

2.  Sellers cannot say anything bad about a buyer in the feedback.  Sellers want to have left feedback so if the buyer does something bad, the seller can do a "follow-up".  The seller still cannot say anything bad about the buyer in the follow-up, but other sellers are more likely to see a follow-up and may suspect that something happened. 

[phanoto]

"I only feedback buyers when they dont ask for a refund and return. 

Otherwise why the heck would I leave them any positive feedback when they may have scammed me?"

I think it is important for a seller to leave feedback for a buyer who is going to scam the seller before the buyer gets the item.

There are two good reasons for doing this:  1.  NOT leaving feedback for a dishonest buyer might displease the buyer, causing the buyer to leave worse feedback;  2.  The seller will want to do a "follow-up" on the buyer's "feedback received" profile telling what the seller did, but not saying anything bad about the buyer. 

Of course, the seller could leave feedback after being scammed, but most sellers would not like to do that. 

[babja]

As a seller, If a buyer takes the time to leave feedback, out of respect, I feel obligated to do the same.   If a buyer asks me for feedback, I will leave positive comments because the buyer took the time to ask me.  I do not dole out precious time to leave feedback when the buyer doesn't care one way or another.

As a Buyer, I almost always leave feedback and I try to be positive, even when I was disappointed with the product.  

[exir]

When I purchase a product and the seller doesn't give me a positive feedback after the payment has been confirmed and the item marked shipped, I will also not leave any feedback for the seller. However I will instead, inform the seller (through a message) that the item has been received, thank you but, I do NOT leave feedback for sellers who don't do the same.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@percgrabbe-0 wrote:

This is a perfect example of ebay failing in diversity.

They treat buyers one way and sellers another. 

The thing is both are ebay customers and both pay ebay money.  In fact many sellers are also buyers!

Sellers are a treated like a disposable commodity by ebay and not even allowed to voice a negative opnion about a buyer (seemingly a protected ebay class of person).

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No, sorry, it's not a perfect example of Ebay failing in diversity.  It's not an example at all.

This is the definition of diversity:

di·ver·si·ty

dəˈvərsədē,dīˈvərsədē/

noun

1. the state of being diverse; variety.

   "there was considerable diversity in the style of the reports"

   • a range of different things.

     plural noun: diversities

     "newspapers were obliged to allow a diversity of views to be printed"

     synonyms: variety, miscellany, assortment, mixture, mix, mélange, range, array, multiplicity;More

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I think you mean failing in equality.

[harleyman49-us]

We spent many years working brick and mortar retail, when a customer made their purchase we thanked them right away on the spot. We treat our on-line purchasers the same way, right after the purchase is made.

[rustydalmatian]

When the buyer pays with good funds,  their part of the sale has been fulfilled.  They get + FB from me at that time.  

[castlemagicmemories]

With all due respect, many sellers don't leave feedback when the buyer pays because the buyer has not fulfilled their part of the sale.  The transaction is not yet over.

They wait until the item is received and the buyer posts positive feedback, indicating they are satisfied, and only then do they post the buyer's feedback.

This was the original Ebay procedure, and many still follow it.  They don't want to leave a positive that may  not be true, as most bad behavior will occur post payment.

[yuncreations]

I only give feedback when the buyer gives me feedback.
I was scammed once, buyer opened "unauthorized transaction" claim with paypal, lost my money because the tracking didn't work anymore (it was almost 6 months after the sale) , and I have given positive feedback . neither Paypayl or ebay protected me, buyer won. So after that experience I don't give feedback until the buyer does first. am I wrong?

[lewisburggold]

We always leave feedback.  But not untill the buyer leaves theres.  We used to leave it right away but there is a lot of buyers out there that will leave negs just because had a bad day or somthing and that kept biting us.  Best regards

[harleyman49-us]

I enjoy reading your comments as your advice is generally very solid. But I look at it this way if I have customer come into my brick and mortar store and they make a purchase and pay, I am going to thank them right away whether they thank me or not. Why? Because as soon as they pay they have fulfilled their end of the transaction and I am grateful they chose me over my competition. I do not feel when someone gives me their money that they owe a thank you or positive feedback, we just hope they keep coming back. Once again not knocking your comment as your consistent good advice has earned our respect.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

This was the original Ebay procedure, and many still follow it.  They don't want to leave a positive that may  not be true, as most bad behavior will occur post payment.

I don't remember there ever being a PROCEDURE on Ebay for leaving feedback that the seller had to go first. In fact before I started in 1999 you didn't even have to be in a transaction with someone to leave them feedback. I was an active poster on many of the Ebay boards including the Feedie Forest and there was never a procedure for the order of feedback. 

Since the benefit of selling on Ebay is to run your business the way you want within the Ebay confines, sellers (and buyers) should leave feedback when it makes sense for them.

When we see some of the dregs of Ebay humanity showing up here I don't understand why anyone would want to give bad sellers a chance to drive away your good buyers. So I totally understand why Ebay does not allow equal access to feedback any more. It's never a good idea to insult your paying customers.