Default Feedback

[tha*goods]

As sellers, we depend on positive feedback. Like many consumers nowadays, people don’t always leave feedback unless they have a complaint.  There should be a default positive feedback setting that kicks in after a certain amount of days if nothing is left.  Most cases, there isn’t a problem. Just a thought. Positive feedback earned.

[pburn]

Here's my thought--as a buyer.

My last purchase was lousy. I bought a DVD, and when it arrived, there was a chunk of plastic in the bottom of the padded envelope. Interesting thing was, the DVD case was tightly shut. When I opened it, sure enough, the plastic piece holding the second DVD was broken, and the whole piece was moving freely inside the case.

Now, if this interior piece of the DVD case had been broken in shipping, that means the case would have had to open in transit, the plastic chunk would have had to break off, and then the DVD case would have had to again magically shut tightly again.

It was obvious the piece had been broken off before it was shipped, and the seller just tossed the broken piece in the bottom of the padded envelope and mailed it anyway.

The seller, of course, denied this, but had no explanation of how it might have happened.

So, I filed a SNAD, and the seller refunded me--but only the price of the DVD and did not refund me for shipping. I had to ask eBay to step in in order to get a full refund, as required by eBay's MBG.

I didn't leave any feedback at all--mainly because sellers look at buyers' feedback "left for others" and can blackball a buyer based on negative feedback about other sellers.

Do you think eBay should automatically give my seller positive feedback after a certain number of days, when I consciously, intentionally left no feedback?

If your idea is implemented, sellers may find they're receiving negative feedback more than they did before . . . I know I would leave negative feedback instead of none for the transaction I just described.

Be careful what you wish for. You may find yourself a victim of the Law of Unintended Consequences.

[luckythewinner]

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As sellers, we depend on positive feedback.

What do I depend on positive feedback for? 

There should be a default positive feedback setting that kicks in after a certain amount of days if nothing is left

That would be lying because it would not be feedback. It would just be a transaction count. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

As a buyer, I don't leave feedback for transactions that were not that great, they could have been better, but they weren't worth possibly damaging someone's selling career over.  

For example, it pains me greatly when I get booklets in an envelope without being backed or sandwiched, but as long as they get to me in one piece and not damaged, I'm not going to hurt a seller over it. Not everyone packs like I do, so I'm not going to ding another seller because they do things differently. I may not buy from them again if there are things I really don't like, but I'm not going to hurt them publicly.

If I knew Ebay was going to automatically leave a positive after X amount of days, I'd be forced to start leaving neutrals or negatives. 

As far as Ebay is concerned, no feedback = positive feedback.

[mtgraves7984]

"As far as Ebay is concerned, no feedback = positive feedback."

I agree... Less is  more.

[gracieallen01]

You might want to rethink the automatic positive feedback approach, as there are any number of threads on this topic - over the past 3-5 years - where many of those buyers who responded to the threads said they would leave a negative or neutral - for minor things -before letting ebay or someone else leave a positive for them.

It all falls back to 'Be careful for what you wish.'

[mam98031]

I personally would like Ebay to do away with Buyer FB all together.  Like similar sites have done long ago.  Leaving FB for buyers has no purpose except to make a buyer feel good about their FB.  Sellers are restricted in that they can ONLY  leave positive FB with positive comments.  So buyer FB has no real value and isn't honest FB.

Looking at a buyer's FB left for others is the only think that is useful on a buyer's FB page.

For sellers.  FB is far more important.  But let it come naturally.  There are lots of buyers that don't leave it.  And if you are one that reminds a buyer to leave FB, at some point that will backfire on you.  So that isn't advisable at all.  

[femmefan1946]

@luckythewinner 

hat would be lying because it would not be feedback. It would just be a transaction count.

And I think a transaction count would be much more reliable than feedback.

A point for every successful transaction/ paired with a count of all transactions.

It's easy for longtime members like myself (one of my IDs was opened in 1998) to downplay the value of feedback, and it is important for new sellers.

But frankly, most buyers just look at the percentage and think 95% is an A, instead of absolutely horrible.

A new seller is wise to do some buying from sellers who leave feedback on shipment. The newbie's customers will not understand the difference.

[2015mhfashions]

There should be a default positive feedback setting that kicks in after a certain amount of days if nothing is left

That would be lying because it would not be feedback. It would just be a transaction count. 

How would that be lying ? Feedback is flawed, it should be based on every transaction, many people purchase and don't return for weeks, many never leave feedback, some only where there is a problem, so for that fact alone a generic feedback should be left after a period of time for all transactions. If they are completed without issue where's the lying ?

[2015mhfashions]

You wouldn't be forced to do anything, it would still be your choice.

[2015mhfashions]

Totally agree, other sites operate with far fewer issues due to not using a flawed one sided feedback system.

[gracieallen01]

Personally, I think the problem with feedback is that it is not used just to say 'yes' or 'no' about the transaction.  It is used by many to show approval or disapproval with the transaction.  It is also used for extortion, as well as being used to game the system, among other things.  It  is being used by many 'people' to help accomplish whatever reason they want, to gain whatever advantage they are after.

If feedback were only about the actual transaction - accuracy, quality and other specifics, without ulterior motive - fine.  But, it isn't.  The most factual part of the current feedback is when it isn't left, sort of like the forums - most people don't come here unless there is a problem or they want something (like more feedback).  In today's society, one can hardly go anywhere or do anything without being asked for leave 'feedback' or 'take a survey'.

[pburn]

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@2015mhfashions wrote:

. . . a generic feedback should be left after a period of time for all transactions. If they are completed without issue where's the lying ?

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You might want to re-read my Message #2 and @southern*sweet*tea's Message #4.

To summarize those, if eBay started leaving positive feedback every time buyers didn't leave feedback for a seller, they just may be submitting a lot more negatives. 

Currently, I often choose to skip leaving feedback if a transaction is unsatisfactory. I'd change that to leaving a negative in a heartbeat if eBay started leaving positive feedback on my behalf.

In your opinion, would that be better for sellers for buyers to submit negative feedback instead of just skipping it altogether?

[clu3]

Feedback was important when sellers could dictate their own return policy. With the Ebay money back guarantee, it's really rather pointless now.

[luckythewinner]

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@2015mhfashions wrote:

How would that be lying ?

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Because feedback left by eBay is not feedback left by a buyer.

To assume that silence on the part of a buyer indicates a positive experience is a guess at best.

In fact, the only time I refrain from leaving feedback as a buyer is when I did *not* have a positive experience.