Decreasing feedback participation.

[richard1rst]

Years ago a much higher percentage of my buyers left feedback. Today not so much. So I got to wondering why and while this is not a scientific reason I have one maybe to offer.

I recently made a purchase on Amazon because I couldn’t find it on eBay. Right after it was delivered I got an email that my package was delivered along with a picture of the delivery AND a question.

How was your delivery?

with a choice of a thumbs up or a thumbs down. I clicked the thumbs up and on the next page it said

You can also leave a compliment for your delivery driver:

Notice that the requested feedback is for the DRIVER not the seller or the product.

SO

I can’t help but think that if someone routinely buys on Amazon and only occasionally on eBay that they don’t leave feedback because Amazon has never asked for it so it just never occurs to them to do so.

Just a thought.

[linda7913]

I too get the email with a photo of the package at my door, but this is a new thing. Until this past month or so, I got the usual "please rate your experience with your Amazon seller" or words to that effect. A lot of times, I just ignored it because it meant logging into my account, and I just wasn't able to break away from another commitment to pursue it. 

I also never leave feedback if it is a third-party aggregator doing the survey or feedback. 

[luckythewinner]

Years ago a much higher percentage of my buyers left feedback. Today not so much. So I got to wondering why and while this is not a scientific reason I have one maybe to offer.

I think it is simply because most eBay buyers have figured out that leaving feedback provides no benefit whatsoever.  

[chapeau-noir]

I doubt it has as much to do with Amazon's weird FB system as it does with general feedback exhaustion. People are now so pestered with every transaction with every entity desiring some kind of feedback that they just don't bother.

Also, buying online is no big deal and hasn't been for years.

[rugerskick]

Thats a specious statement.

Maybe its not important for some buyers, but other buyers do review a sellers feedback to see if they've got recent problem orders, if they buyer who left bad fb was a bad buyer, the response of the seller, or if it was fb from a long time ago.  

And ebay takes it seriously as its factored into your seller metrics/item listing algorithms.

[mam98031]

@richard1rst 

Those types of emails on Amazon come out if they are shipped from an Amazon facility.  They don't always send them out, but when they are trying to get a handle as to how their shipping practices are going they send them.

Ebay sends out FB reminders if a member has their Site Preferences set up to allow them.

[chapeau-noir]

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@mam98031 wrote:

@richard1rst 

Those types of emails on Amazon come out if they are shipped from an Amazon facility.  They don't always send them out, but when they are trying to get a handle as to how their shipping practices are going they send them.

Ebay sends out FB reminders if a member has their Site Preferences set up to allow them.

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@mam98031 

If this is a preference we sellers can set, PLEASE post where it is. All I can find is:

If your buyer hasn't left feedback after about a month

If your buyer hasn't provided feedback a month after purchasing your item, we'll send them a feedback reminder.

There is no toggle. I would dearly love to opt out of this - I don't like my customers pestered with these 'reminders'.

[psfhobbies]

I think people are afraid to leave positive feedback in case they want to return or to make sure an item works for a certain amount time. Some people cant wait to neg you if the tiniest issue arises like its so hard to email and ask if seller can fix the issue before at that stuff occurs.in the 24 years I have been here I bet I only left negative feedback less than 10 times but I 100% always return positives...

[luckythewinner]

Thats a specious statement.

Yes, it was exaggerated. But leaving feedback for a seller takes time and IMHO the buyer receives no direct benefit from his own feedback and therefore has little incentive to leave it. 

And ebay takes it seriously as its factored into your seller metrics

How is feedback figured into your seller metrics? 

[evry1nositswindy]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

@richard1rst 

Those types of emails on Amazon come out if they are shipped from an Amazon facility.  They don't always send them out, but when they are trying to get a handle as to how their shipping practices are going they send them.

Ebay sends out FB reminders if a member has their Site Preferences set up to allow them.

---

@mam98031 

If this is a preference we sellers can set, PLEASE post where it is. All I can find is:

If your buyer hasn't left feedback after about a month

If your buyer hasn't provided feedback a month after purchasing your item, we'll send them a feedback reminder.

There is no toggle. I would dearly love to opt out of this - I don't like my customers pestered with these 'reminders'.

---

@mam98031  I swear there used to be a toggle here!  

[evry1nositswindy]

I don't know the reasons why @richard1rst , but FB left is definitely down.  Many buyers are quick to leave a negative, but not a positive.  I have been selling for 10 years, have sold 6.2k items, but have only received 2768 as a seller.  Pitiful.  

[farmalljr]

I'll offer an opinion why people don't leave feedback. 

First, feedback has no real meaning anymore. Used to be it was a way to gauge if a seller was a good one or a bad one. Reason being, refunds and returns were not as easy and as widespread as they are now. Today, if you are an unhappy buyer, most platforms give you a 30 day return window for about any excuse. Then too, you have CC companies allowing anyone to do a chargeback without having to provide any real proof of the reason. 

Second, as a buyer, why should I really care about giving feedback. Most transactions are "meh". There is nothing spectacular about it. You got your item in one piece, in the time frame it was supposed to arrive. Buying online is way more common then it was even 10 years ago. It's an every day thing at this point, not something out of the norm. For goodness sake, Walmart delivers to your door. I don't rate walmart for doing what they are supposed to do. 

Third, people are busy and they aren't going to waste their time rating everything they bought. Less than 10 percent of my sales have got me a feedback. It's cool when people do it, but even I have changed how I give feedback after the sale. No more feedback given unless it's received as a seller. And I rarely give feedback as a buyer. If I buy from someone new or someone with just a couple of items in their store, then I always give feedback to help them. 

I think people RARELY look at seller's feedback anymore. I don't bother unless the feedback score is below 90%. No need to worry anymore, we have too many buyer protections. The buyer protections made feedback irrelevant. 

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

See I look at the leaving feedback issue different.  It's just the proper thing to do, especially when it's personal and not a canned fb. 

    When I order and receive my item and inspect it I always take a few short minutes to leave the seller a feedback. If there is a problem than I'll message seller and 100% of the time they are grateful. 

    I've been lucky on ebay all these years and it's the only site I buy from. Sure I've made some goofy decisions on some purchases but I own it not the seller. I sound like a cheerleader but so what, I adore shopping on the bay.

[psfhobbies]

I should have over 100,000 Im nearing 40,000

[gloryglorygifts]

True. I rarely buy on here but just last week I was looking for Christmas cards and decided against a seller because of their feedback. I bought from someone with a much higher fb score.