Feedback for sellers, or the lack of.

[affordableluxury]

Having been a member for over 20 years with about 8000 transactions, I have noticed a disturbing trend.  I  leave feedback for ALL my purchases, and if at times I forget, eBay sends me a reminder and Immediately comply. However, as a seller I have noticed a sharp decline in feedbacks I receive for my sales. Example; for the last 30 or so of my sales over the past few months, I have received only 2 feedbacks. I'm puzzled by this trend, as I feel that it's common courtesy and ethical business practice to leave feedback for all transactions, weather buying or selling (especially on a venue such as eBay). Has any other seller experienced the same?  

[albertabrightalberta]

I wouldn't worry about it. IMO, no news (or feedback) is good news. If they were unhappy, you'd have heard! 

Sometimes poking a sleeping bear gets a result you weren't hoping for. 

[fern*wood]

Read a few of the threads where sellers are complaining about receiving negative feedback and it might give you a different perspective about receiving no feedback. 

[conservitvs]

Feedback is, and always has been, voluntary. 

“Ethical business practice”? lol

Are you selling items for the money, or for the feedback?

I don’t care about more positive feedback. One more (or less) makes NO difference.

[12345jamesstamps]

No news is good news.

Some buyers can mark you are slow with shipping & price , communication and such.

And show good feedback at the same time.

The ones I feel who leave feedback will be the ones who receive their purchase quick and has excellent packaging of item. Nowadays, anything with tracking is taking forever.

I manage to get feedback because I don't use tracking for inexpensive items and those items will arrive faster than with anything with tracking.

[murph1727]

My opinion is that people in general are inundated with feedback and surveys about their experience with every purchase they make. I get feedback surveys from Home Depot, Lowes, Kohl's, Walmart, my health care provider, USPS and more. If a store has my email, then I get a feedback request. Ugh! I never answer any of those because it is too time consuming. I will however, as a seller, always provide feedback on ebay.

[doc-holmes]

Honestly, of all the things in life that could be considered disturbing, lack of ebay feedback would be pretty far down the list. 

[chapeau-noir]

@affordableluxury  Feedback is about 20-30% overall across internet purchases. Buying online is no longer a novelty and hasn't been for years, and I don't think many people distinguish eBay from any other venue they purchase from. It makes it tough for a new seller trying to get some kind of reputation here, but beyond that, IMHO it's not a big factor.

I leave FB for all of my buyers thanking them and letting them know their item has shipped - if they leave me FB, I appreciate it very much, but don't expect it.

[snoopwiz]

You show having gotten 8,814 FB

You show having given 10,544 FB

To date, you have received a way, way above average 83.5% FB's

WOW!!

The drop you are seeing is more an "on trend" thing than it is anything else. People just tired of being inundated by way too many requests for it.

I know outside of FB for my buyers here, I rarely, very rarely leave it any more.

You are a great seller. Keep doing what you are doing. Don't sweat FB %

[femmefan1946]

Never ask for feedback.

You might get it.

FB is a relic of the20th century internet when buying from strangers thousands of miles away was edgy and scary, not something you use to buy dog sweaters and rubber duckies.

[soh.maryl]

We all know it's voluntary/optional, not mandatory/required.

Doesn't it seem that 6280 would be more than enough FB to prove your reliability and honesty? 

[ed8108]

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@affordableluxury wrote: 
I have noticed a disturbing trend.         ... a sharp decline in feedbacks I receive for my sales. 

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If ebay cared , ebay would likely offer some incentive to buyers for leaving feedback for sellers.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Ebay has always and still does have buyers leave FB more often than any other site.

It is a part of the established Ebay culture since the days when the only recourse a buyer had when mistreated by a seller was negative FB.

The Ebay culture is not being adopted by many of the buyers who are used to shopping online and are not doing most of their online shopping on Ebay. They are as unlikely to leave FB as Amazon buyers who leave FB on substantially under 10% of sales.

FB is not a good predictor of whether a sale will go well. So buyers do not feel any value to them in leaving it. Ebay does not rely on FB to rate sellers. Buyers are protected by the Ebay Money Back Guarantee and by their credit card issuers so many of them ignore the entire process.

It will not go away totally because neither Ebay or any other internet marketplace wants to see the one sided press coverage of the screaming sellers who have nothing going for them but their 100% FB.

I never leave FB for sellers on Ebay. But I say thank you to the cashiers when I buy in a store. I rarely notice someone in front of me in a line saying thank you. If people do not thank a human being, why should they leave FB.