Frustrating things I see as a buyer

[steelernation2007]

There's a lot of posts lately about how sales are down or very slow so far this year. So I'm going to offer some personal insight into the problems that bother me most, when I have bought an item or am considering buying something. I am mostly experienced with buying and selling collectibles, so my advice  pertains to that category. These are the things you want to avoid as a seller, in my opinion:

1. Vague open-ended descriptions of only one sentence, that say little about the item or the condition of it.   If it is a used collectible you need to be transparent about any defects or issues it may have. This prevents you from getting a SNAD later.

2. Using only one photo, a stock photo, or blurry poor quality cell phone photos. Also dark photos. It makes you look lazy as a seller and gives the look that you really don't care if your item sells or not. Ebay gives you 12 spots for photos, so make the most of them!

3. Charging ridiculously high shipping fees that are way higher than it actually costs to ship the item. This will turn off a LOT of buyers.

4. Copying and stealing the ad of another seller, word for word. Again, this is a lazy look, and also against Ebay rules.

5. When you sell an item, mark it as shipped, and then it sits at your house for 2-3 days. It satisfies the Ebay service metrics but drives your buyer crazy!

6. When you ship an item and don't include any tracking info at all. It's very annoying when I have to beg for the tracking from a seller. Then one time I find out my package ended up taking a long detour to Florida on it's way from NJ to PA. I had no idea what was going on until I was finally given the tracking after 4 days. 

7.  When you don't leave the buyer feedback after purchasing. It's a show of goodwill and starts the transaction off on the right foot. If you don't leave feedback how can you possibly expect to get it back?

8. When you pack a condition-sensitive item inside a flimsy plastic bag or mailing envelope. It's  a cheap-out on the shipping fee but sets you up to get a damaged item complaint.

9. Offering info that is inaccurate or poorly researched. An example- calling a vintage bottle Pre-Prohibition when it's actually post-1933. This can also set you up for a SNAD case. Some sellers intentionally call an item older than it is to get more money from it.

This is all I can think of at the moment. If others have more to add to this, feel free. I hope this helps.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I think we are all pretty clear that many buyers like to get feedback. We see it on the boards every day. When sellers leave professional feedback for their buyers, that’s something some buyers look at and for. Just like some sellers look at feedback that buyers leave.

Even if it only makes 10% of your buyers happy it is worth doing it for a very small effort (or automated).

if sellers don’t want to leave buyers feedback then whatever. However I do not understand the shortsighted comment that some sellers make. The fact that they can’t punish bad buyers means that no buyers get feedback? What’s that nose face thing?

[city*satins]

I directly tell my buyers thank you and that I appreciate their business and on weekend I also tell them when I'll be shipping and how they'll know.

I ship what they ordered, on time and in the condition described. That appears to make them happy. Or at least satisfied.

If  10% of them would be even more happy to receive a comment on their feedback profile, they haven't said so, although those might be the 10% who leave me feedback and who (most, not all) get it back.  Maybe one in every 500 buyer directly asks for feedback, and if they do, I provide it.  But I don't do it as a matter of habit for all buyers.  I leave it only for those who leave it for me (and then because it's the easiest, quickest way to do it) and for those who directly ask for it.

As for buyers in general, I'm not sure how making them happy with feedback is worth it, or what worth it looks like at my end such that I could distinguish between worth it and not worth it.  Some people talk about it like it's some kind of investment or part of the transaction package. I really don't know what that means, although once upon a time, there were people who wandered through the boards proselytizing about it - today there's only one poster who still seems to beat that drum, and it's the only drum she beats, and has been beating for over 15 years.   She never posts any advice, or help, or comments on anything.  I expect you know who I mean, I'm not a phan of hers.  *nudge nudge wink wink*

There also used to be feedback junkies, some of whom wandered onto the Feedback Board and a percentage of whom became converts and talked other feedback junkies down.  But that's a long while ago now.  But some of our best helpers on the Feedback boards had old feedback-left-for-others profiles that would make you weep before they saw the light.  They never liked to be reminded of those days.

If I want to punish someone, I really don't choose a passive aggressive method such as inertia.  If I'm not leaving someone feedback, I promise that I'm not sitting at my desk rubbing my hands in glee and saying Hah!  Don't take that, my pretty!  No feedback for you or your little dog either!  That'll teach you!!

Over 10 years ago, I commented, when I was still leaving feedback first, that I had left about 1600 more than I'd received but wasn't grieving the fact.  Today, that 1600 is still about the same, but would be much greater if I'd continued to leave feedback first.  IMO, that's time I didn't waste.

[ifyouloveit]

I have one I think loses a lot of sales for some sellers.

"See photos for more information, they are a part of the description."

The majority of listings I have seen with this lazy statement written where the description should be is kind of astounding to me. I have found most of these 'see photos ads' are useless as they usually have very few photos and not all angels and many times they are blurry. Always seem to be missing important photos too like makers marks, bottom of object, you name it.

I have a prime example of how this lost a seller 2 sales for 2 years here. She had 2 vintage collectible items I really wanted to buy and could find no where else. She had 2 dark, out of focus photos on both of them (each were separate listings). I had messaged her with no reply back.

Listing rolled over and over again, price dropped a few times, still too high to take a chance. Same truly terrible photos and no information other than used or something similar. I kept them favorited, hoping she would re shoot them, no one was going to buy them they way they were yet she didn't change them for 2 years.

At about the 2 year mark a friend of mine who knew I was looking for these messages me. Friend had no idea about these 2 pieces here on eBay. She found them here on her own, messaged me excitedly and said, "I just found 2 here on eBay!!!"

I asked, "Dark blurry photos and no description?" Yep, same ad. I told her I had them favorited but didn't TRUST the listing so I hadn't bought them. She said she wouldn't have bought them either and that was that, as seller didn't answer her.

A few months later, they both show up here in the mail. She took a chance later when they were still up for sale and bought them for my birthday. They were EXACTLY what I wanted and they were in perfect condition and I was/am still delighted. I would have bought them at a higher price 2 years earlier had she bothered to take decent photos or make any effort to get them sold.

Why do people do this? It's a super common practice here, especially in collectibles. Why?

[uncseniorsportsfan]

My buyer gets a thank you enclosed with their purchase along with a request to confirm safe arrival.   If they let me know the item arrived safely - I leave them feedback whether they leave it for me or not, and I have left more feedback than I have received.   

[yuzuha]

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@ifyouloveit wrote:
I have one I think loses a lot of sales for some sellers.

"See photos for more information, they are a part of the description."

The majority of listings I have seen with this lazy statement written where the description should be is kind of astounding to me. I have found most of these 'see photos ads' are useless as they usually have very few photos and not all angels and many times they are blurry. Always seem to be missing important photos too like makers marks, bottom of object, you name it.

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I'm the same way-- I've passed up many listings because the photos were so bad that I didn't trust what I was buying.  To me, that signals that either a) the seller is lazy, and if they're lazy about taking photos, what else will they be lazy about?  Packing?  Shipping?  Describing the item correctly? or b) they're purposefully trying to hide flaws or defects on the item.

There is zero excuse for not having good photos in this day and age of cellphones with cameras that can rival a dedicated digital camera in terms of photo quality.  If I see bad photos, I won't even consider purchasing. Why take that risk?

[steelernation2007]

I'm always surprised by what people in Ebay forums are willing to assume. You literally have no idea what my privates messages are about so don't try to take this in a negative direction. Being that my username is Steelernation I often encounter a buyer or seller who is a  fellow fan and the discussion is friendly banter about our favorite team.  That's what you get for assuming.

[steelernation2007]

I agree with you 100 percent and could not have worded it better. If they are lazy with their ads I don't trust that their shipping will be much better.

[steelernation2007]

I can understand not needing 12 photos for T-shirts. But I'm not a professional either and also have a life outside of Ebay and am not connected to it 24-7.

[lightlily_arts]

Good list.  However, the one thing I don't agree with is leaving feedback immediately after purchase.  I don't see the point of leaving feedback simply because they paid.   Payment is expected with any purchase no matter the venue, and they get a Thank You message with their checkout confirmation. Since Buyers can leave feedback based on multiple areas I would rather wait until their purchase has been successfully received as delivery is part of the  completed transaction.  Only about 30% of buyers actually leave feedback.  Feedback is voluntary and for buyers it's somewhat  meaningless as sellers can only give positive feedback.  

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

Interesting read from a buyers POV......

I see a lot of people guilty of both #1 and #2...a lot more now than say, 10 years ago.

# 3. There will always be buyers who think shipping fees are ridiculously high...even when what they pay is exact to the penny what it costs to ship.

#5. I don't consider 2 days an unacceptable amount of time all things considered.

Not every seller has a shipping department full of employees. 

#7. Feedback is not about starting a transaction off on the right foot...it's about the overall experience. How can a seller truly & factually rate a transaction based simply on payment??......

As a customer, whenever I'm at a restaurant, purchase something online or in person, I'm often asked for my Feedback by filling out a simple survey..... 

.....Ebay is really the only backwards place I know of where it's considered normal for sellers to leave FB before customers do.

[clu3]

LOL

Who started this thread with a rather long list and is now accusing a respondent of overthinking?

[steelernation2007]

You are in clear violation of rule number 8 of the rules of engagement guidelines for Ebay Forums. Since you have chosen to go this way, I refuse to have any further interactions with you.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/About-the-Community/Rules-of-Engagement/td-p/26164369

[Anonymous]

Loved your comments about lack of photos and one line descriptions!!! LAZY seller and I just keep going on to someone who takes the time to show me what I want to purchase. Even at a higher price, I KNOW what I'm getting.

[writertypes]

Re. Feedback --

When I wrote: "A buyer has one job -- Pay. If they've done that, there's no reason to withhold positive feedback for even a minute. The opportunity to demonstrate generosity of spirit should never be missed. It comes back multi-fold...."

City*Satins replied: "no reason to withhold positive feedback?

That's c'mon baby I bought ya dinner - get in the back seat  talk."

Ha-ha! I appreciate your reply, City, and am tickled by your illustration. But what exactly are you saying or thinking with that statement? Inquiring minds gotta know.

[city*satins]

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@steelernation2007 wrote:

You are in clear violation of rule number 8 of the rules of engagement guidelines for Ebay Forums. Since you have chosen to go this way, I refuse to have any further interactions with you.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/About-the-Community/Rules-of-Engagement/td-p/26164369

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When a poster makes a claim about how he conducts his business (including but not limited to how he leaves feedback and when and why) it's customary for readers to look to see if that claim is true if the poster is not using a posting ID. 

Verification of a statement made by the poster himself or herself does not fall under the naming-and-shaming guideline.

It's like when a poster says that he offers free returns and when the listings are checked, it's revealed that free returns are not offered on that poster's listings.

Similarly when a poster claims to leave feedback upon payment in order to start the transaction on the right foot, it's natural to check this out and enquire about what appears to be contrary data.

Whenever one gives advice, it's natural to have ones credentials questioned.

Take my own feedback profile.  You won't see me claiming never to have left negative feedback for non paying buyers. When that was possible, and sellers actually read buyers' feedback profiles, I left plenty of negs for the non-payers. Now I can't and don't.  But it would be ridiculous for me to claim that I never did, knowing that readers would make a beeline for my feedback profile to check. If I raised the matter, posters would be free to comment on it.  If I didn't, then posters would be expected under guideline #8 not to bring it up to name-and-shame me.

See the difference?