I like it when sellers help OTHER sellers to get more feedback. They do it by PARTICIPATING.

[phanoto]

One of the reasons I leave feedback for every customer is to help other sellers to get more feedback. 

The Principles of Reciprocity is well documented as it relates to individuals.  Also, eBay tell us how it works with a buyer and seller:  If the buyer leaves feedback, the seller is more likely to leave feedback;  if the seller leaves feedback, the buyer is more likely to leave feedback.  There may be some exceptions, but we know this is the way it works in most cases.

The Principles of Reciprocity also works as it relates to two groups, but documentation is more difficult to find.  When one group does something nice or beneficial for the other group, the other group is more likely to do something nice or beneficial for the first group. 

Buyers and sellers are Reciprocal Groups with "feedback" being the thing which can be reciprocated.  When more  members of one group leave feedback, more of the members of the other group will leave feedback. 

[wpt05]

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@phanoto wrote:

... If the buyer leaves feedback, the seller is more likely to leave feedback..

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Yes, this happens more often than not.  

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@phanoto wrote:

...if the seller leaves feedback, the buyer is more likely to leave feedback...

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I disagree.  They are less likely to leave it.  

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@phanoto wrote:

....  When one group does something nice or beneficial for the other group, the other group is more likely to do something nice or beneficial for the first group. 

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I would like to believe this is true.  I would alter this statement slightly and say "When one person does something nice or beneficial for another, the other person is more likely to do something nice or beneficial for somebody else.  "

This is concept is called "Paying It Forward".  They actually made a movie about this.  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223897/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[wpt05]

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@mg152 wrote:
None of that is true. I write FB for my buyers, I do not use ebays canned comments, I include a packing slip with a “we appreciate 5 star FB sticker and a handwritten thank you, an eBay Printed thank you card with a handwritten note and a couple eBay stickers as gifts and I rarely get FB back from buyers. I leave fb as soon as I pack the item up, I pack very well for safe shipment.
I’m tired of trying so hard so I no longer care about FB.

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If you wait until the buyer leaves it first, you are more likely to receive it.  Although on occasion you may run into a buyer who is complaining that they have not received their feedback yet.  I did get a couple complaints like this in the past, but now they are rare.  Most buyers can see that I always leave feedback immediately after they do.  

[castlemagicmemories]

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@18704d wrote:

Why do buyers and sellers need more feedback?

Thanks,

Lynn

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It's a warm fuzzy?  

[castlemagicmemories]

The Principles of Reciprocity is a tool of manipulation when used as a selfish device to elicit desired cooperation.

On the other hand,  The Principles of Altruistic Actions, not unlike The Principles of Unconditional Love, is a default and selfless act without desired expectations and frankly, without principles or even rules.

Indeed.  No one is owed feedback.  It is voluntary.  Recognizing that, everyone had the right to post or not post.  It is incumbent upon each to not demand that which the other does not have to give.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

My feedback ratio on our 3 selling accounts disproves your theory.

Too many buyers now that do not care about meaningless feedback.

Too many that buy as guests.

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That's true, many buyers just want their widget.  

And sellers who leave feedback at payment for every buyer report receiving only 20% ~30% feedback in return.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

Feedback is dying. I leave it as soon as my buyers pay as I no longer care about FB, I care I get a sale at all. I need more sales, not more feedback.

Agreed. Leaving it first yields a lower FB return rate than waiting for buyer to rate. I just don't care anymore about any of it, leave it, don't leave it, just buy stuff 🙂

A few weeks ago I was ill in bed, but got an auction win out for someone on time. For the first time in months I forgot to leave this buyer feedback. She wrote me to say I paid you. I realized she wanted FB, I left her glowing FB and told her sorry, I was ill. She left me none in return.

FB is a joke. A dinosaur that gets people in an emotional state over a simple business transaction. It gets personal, nasty, weird, exploitive, manipulated, removed, I'm sure everyone can add to my list.

People start collecting feedback like Facebook friends, which is another phenonemon I never understood.

I can see needing to have X amount to make buyers and sellers comfortable, since they insist on using a feedback system, sellers and buyers are literally forced to get to at least 100 FB before they don't look like scary newbies to either party.

It's a flawed concept, but shows no signs of changing anytime soon.

I don't want Kudo's as much as I want sales. Sales, sales, sales!!!!!

[castlemagicmemories]

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@lovefindingtreasures2 wrote:
Feedback is dying. I leave it as soon as my buyers pay as I no longer care about FB, I care I get a sale at all. I need more sales, not more feedback.

Many do!  Some sellers want it to go away, but it is an important part of buyer's due diligence, to avoid problems.

Agreed. Leaving it first yields a lower FB return rate than waiting for buyer to rate. I just don't care anymore about any of it, leave it, don't leave it, just buy stuff 🙂

Although I can see and understand the advantages of posting either way, buyer first, or seller first, old school Ebay here, it made sense to me to have the buyer to leave it first, then the seller.

A few weeks ago I was ill in bed, but got an auction win out for someone on time. For the first time in months I forgot to leave this buyer feedback. She wrote me to say I paid you. I realized she wanted FB, I left her glowing FB and told her sorry, I was ill. She left me none in return.

I hope you are feeling better.  Sorry you got a super focused feedback buyer.  At least she didn't leave you a neg!

FB is a joke. A dinosaur that gets people in an emotional state over a simple business transaction. It gets personal, nasty, weird, exploitive, manipulated, removed, I'm sure everyone can add to my list.

Yes, unfortunately, lots of drama connected to it.  For me, it's simple~it's voluntary.  That means neither side determines how feedback is handled.

People start collecting feedback like Facebook friends, which is another phenonemon I never understood.

I guess some need that approbation.

I can see needing to have X amount to make buyers and sellers comfortable, since they insist on using a feedback system, sellers and buyers are literally forced to get to at least 100 FB before they don't look like scary newbies to either party.

It's a flawed concept, but shows no signs of changing anytime soon.

It is what it is, as they say.

I don't want Kudo's as much as I want sales. Sales, sales, sales!!!!!

Wishing you all those sales, and many, many more!

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[castlemagicmemories]

IMO, sellers participating may or may not have the desired effect of getting any feedback, let alone more.

[phanoto]

eBay tells sellers how to get the most feedback.  Here is a statement by eBay:

"Get great feedback and DSRs: The key to getting positive feedback and ratings is excellent customer service. Always represent your item accurately and honestly. Make your terms of sale easy to find and understand, especially concerning payment terms, shipping, and returns. Respond to questions quickly, be patient and courteous—and be sure to leave positive feedback to encourage your buyers to do the same."

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Must be Saturday

[phanoto]

Some sellers say they get more feedback by not leaving feedback for the buyer until the buyer leaves feedback for the seller.

Apparently, those sellers have customers who want to receive feedback and are willing to leave feedback for the seller first so they will get a feedback from the seller.  If the seller had left feedback first, those buyers would not have left feedback for the seller.

Since many of those buyers will be displeased because they had to leave positive feedback in order to get a feedback from the seller, I am wondering if the additional feedback the sellers get is worth having some buyers who are displeased?

[frjen-85]

I'm wondering why you're so hung up on feedback

[phanoto]

Some people wanted to know why I am so interested in feedback.

I am not much interested in feedback.  I am interested in what people have to say about feedback. 

Also, I believe there are more different things that we can say about feedback than any other subject.  Thinking about those different things and writing about them is good for my mental health.

Another reason I post about feedback is that more buyers and sellers are using feedback the wrong way for it to be the most beneficial.  Buyers are using it to give low ratings or bad feedback on things that they should not, such as:  (1) Giving lower ratings because the item was not what they expected, even though the seller described it properly; (2)  Giving lower ratings because the Postal Service or other carrier took longer to deliver the item than usual.

Some sellers are using feedback for buyers as if it still was meant to be used the way it was before negatives for buyers were eliminated.  I, and many other sellers withheld feedback until the buyer gave us a positive.  We thought that the buyer probably would not give us an unfair negative knowing that would cause us to give the buyer a negative.  It did not work just like that though.  Sometimes we got a negative just because we did not leave feedback. 

I never criticize or say anything offensive to or about another poster.  This was a very big problem on the old feedback board.

[turquoisetulips]

In today's ecommerce, participating in feedback by buyers is becoming less and less. Most just do not want to bother spending the time. They buy their item and move on to the next most interesting venue, website, blog, newsfeed etc. They are not checking into the menus within their buying accounts to see what might be there or are there any tasks to complete. Most only look at the other menus of their buying accounts when there is a problem they need to resolve and then they move on from there. 

At this point I get about 25% feedback from buyers and it will only go down from there in the future. calntom 

I used to receive  feedback  for about  40 % to 50 %  of my selling transactions . However in the last 6 months or so my feedback received has actually increased to about 70 % . I can't explain it because I don't do anything different  than  I did before  . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

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@phanoto wrote:

One of the reasons I leave feedback for every customer is to help other sellers to get more feedback. 

The Principles of Reciprocity is well documented as it relates to individuals.  Also, eBay tell us how it works with a buyer and seller:  If the buyer leaves feedback, the seller is more likely to leave feedback;  if the seller leaves feedback, the buyer is more likely to leave feedback.  There may be some exceptions, but we know this is the way it works in most cases.

The Principles of Reciprocity also works as it relates to two groups, but documentation is more difficult to find.  When one group does something nice or beneficial for the other group, the other group is more likely to do something nice or beneficial for the first group. 

Buyers and sellers are Reciprocal Groups with "feedback" being the thing which can be reciprocated.  When more  members of one group leave feedback, more of the members of the other group will leave feedback. OP

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I have always left feedback for my buyers as soon as they  pay  or  right after I ship their purchases . The amount of  feedback I've  received has always been  fair to good  in numbers  but  now  is  showing  a dramatic increase  especially within the last few months . I do not ask my buyers for feedback . The only things I do besides leaving prompt feedback for them is  wrap their purchases in bubble wrap tied with colorful ribbon and then place a thank you sticker  on top and  then ship quickly with tracking   . These methods  seem to  work fine . Tulips