Feedback Requirements???

[pls-consignments]

First, let me begin by saying that I'm in favor of public feedback for both buyers and sellers. Providing feedback, especially for sellers, is a healthy way of keeping "snake-oil sellers" in check. However, eBay's feedback policies need an overhaul in order to keep it fair and purposeful, especially for TRS sellers. For example, why can't eBay force buyers to contact sellers about a problem BEFORE being allowed to leave NEGATIVE feedback for a seller?  Might this give a seller a chance to resolve any issues? If the seller ignores the buyer's correspondence or fails to resolve the problem, then negative feedback is justified. But when sellers (especially TRS sellers) aren't given a chance to satisfy their customer's issue, how can a seller make things right and retain their customer before being subject to public venting that often rides on the border of libel with the intent to defame the seller's business? Such a "loophole" could become problematic for eBay businesses.  Anyone have a thought on this?

[veronicabooksandart]

Sales are down. Seller/buyer income has been diverted from Paypal to bank accounts. eBay is toying with the idea of off-site ads.
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I don't see eBay alleviating that pressure point any time soon.

[itscalledapostingid]

They do make the buyer wait one week before leaving neutral or negative feedback for TRS sellers. So there is that. Qualifying for TRS+ on listings makes negatives eligible for removal if the buyer returns an item.

As a side note free returns are not required in all categories to qualify for the TRS+ benefits and discount. I recommend reviewing those categories and requirements when assessing your return policy for each category.

[katzrul15]

When you click on the FB and it is anything other than Green Donut, it asks the person leaving the FB if they have contacted their Seller, etc.

Enforcing that?  Doubtful.  Giving an irate Buyer 500 characters to vent an Opus that leaves blisters?  Nope, do not think 500 characters make sense.  Oddly, e-Bay never seems to ask my opinion on the things I care about on this site.  lol

[hotcofee]

Yeah, my mom had a bad experience buying on Ebay and relates the story to friends and relatives every chance she gets. I recently convinced her to give it another try after explaining how things work on ebay and that it truly is buyer friendly platform and I explained how  my Ebay hobby works.  I sell stamps really cheap so that kids can afford them and not lose interest in the hobby.  So cheap that mailing the lots with tracking would cost more than the price paid.   Instead I mail the stuff  first class postage and I use an interesting array of Old time stamps for postage for most of the items I send. So this morning I got the first negative feedback I have had in many years. The buyer sent the negative feedback citing  item not received  in the morning of the first day of a 4 day delivery window. The buyer says in the feedback remarks that i refused a refund and that I was rude , but in realty is the buyer  never contacted me to let me know there was a problem prior to leaving the negative remarks. So now, someone like my how mom was , will take feedback remarks like those I received this morning as confirmation of their impression of Ebay as an unsafe marketplace.  I dunno, I guess us little fish just gotta eat it.

[luckythewinner]

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@pls-consignments wrote:

Such a "loophole" could become problematic for eBay businesses.  Anyone have a thought on this?

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"Become"? This loophole has existed on eBay for well over a decade. 

That aside ... 

IMHO the type of buyer who leaves a negative without contacting the seller is the type of buyer who would leave a negative even after the seller addressed the issue.

For some buyers, the initial problem is the "negative experience" and making up for it will not appease them . 

[tdumonde2014]

The "7 Day Waiting" period is for Powersellers, not TRS sellers.

[tdumonde2014]

Perhaps there should be a 7 Day Waiting period before sellers can respond to Negative feedback, this way they have sometime to think about responding professionally to the feedback.

[ittybitnot]

 For example, why can't eBay force buyers to contact sellers about a problem BEFORE being allowed to leave NEGATIVE feedback for a seller?

@pls-consignments 

Be real careful about what you ask for> LOLOL  I am so OLD that I remember what happened last time...sure, buyers contacted the seller which IMMEDIATELY gave the seller some sort of "ding" just because the buyer hit the "contact seller" button after the fact...  Though I don't recall specifically, it may have accounted for the seller's "stars" showing up missing arms and legs.   

The ebay system is automated now.  Red donuts don't count for squat, and basically nobody cares as far as buyers go. Sellers  with 100s of negs a month are still selling.  Buyers don't have to read the description, nor vet their sellers to get their money back due to "unhappiness" ....

[lamber9347]

@hotcofee Well your situation sounds like your buyer got you confused with another seller and left you that negative FB erroneously. Hopefully you reached out to that buyer. Best of luck to you....

[hupham-56]

Hmm, business on Ebay have numerous things to do and to handle.

[*madison]

The negs wouldn't stop me from buying from you,

but your replies to the negs would stop me.

You come across as a seller with an attitude, who wouldn't be happy about fixing an issue even if contacted..

Replies to negs are very important, and sellers only get one chance to do it...

[hotcofee]

Yes I did reach out... and I also had ebay reach out to them.. and wadda ya know?  they changed their feedback. Yeaaayyyy!!  it was a case of the buyer confusing me with someone else just like you said....

[rhma54]

Holy smokes, your replies to bad feedback make you look rude and a tad unhinged, which is EXACTLY why eBay shouldn't make buyers contact sellers before leaving negative feedback.

Why should a buyer be subjected to having to contact someone who clearly doesn't actually want to work something out?

[dnasilver]

If the buyer made false claims on the feedback - like you refused to refund, but never contacted you, eBay should remove since their system has the proof buyer never contacted you.