eBay

val7772 · ‎05-27-2020

Received neutral FB because I didn't communicate. The Emails had nothing to do with the item, cost or shipping. Was selling a piece of pottery her father made and she wanted me to know. She did buy the item for $9.95 it was shipped quickly and received in perfect condition. Then Emailed me to say she bought it. Then gave me neutral feedback because I didn't communicate! I know, maybe I should have made small talk.... but. I guess she wanted me to praise he father or say I was happy she won the auction. To top it off, I gave her positive feedback and said her father was a great potter. She waited until I gave her feedback to give me the Neutral FB. I'v had only Positive feedback for the past 300+ transactions. Not fair!!!!

1tuna · ‎05-28-2020

.....................general reply................

this is getting to me,you are not required to be a pen pal.Ebay makes a note of all communication after the sale,communication with a thank you after the sale will automatically lower your dsr`s .Ebay does not see the need for communication after the sale and sees communication as a problem because it could be related to the sale..No communication gets 5 stars................saying thanks will get you less automatically

Germantown proud Germantown strong
up the whiskey hickon
moving right along
19144

atikovi · ‎05-28-2020

@7606dennis wrote:
Some people just need to socialize.

That is not safe yet. Please practice social distancing.

atikovi · ‎05-28-2020

@val7772 wrote:
She waited until I gave her feedback to give me the Neutral FB.

#1 rule for sellers about leaving feedback. Never leave feedback until you have received feedback.

1tuna · ‎05-28-2020

best way to get more feedback is to leave it first....that is my number 1 rule.I used to think about leaving it after but its just easier to leave it as soon as I ship.I do not believe I am giving up a strategic position, giving feedback 1st

why woud I want to make my regulars wait for feeback,any bad feedback for me means no more repeat business anyway

Germantown proud Germantown strong
up the whiskey hickon
moving right along
19144

atikovi · ‎05-28-2020

What small bit of leverage you have is gone once you have left feedback as a seller.

fern*wood · ‎05-28-2020

Obviously, there are two camps on this subject, but there can be neutral territory in between. The key is learning how to hit that ground safely. A couple times I have gotten myself into a quandary by replying to buyer's emails (I hate to ignore emails), which led to far too much conversation for the situation. Once I ended up being asked for marriage advice. I had to just stop responding, and that coincidentally lead to a not as described case. I missed the safe ground entirely that time.

In your situation, I would definitely have felt the need to respond. Even if only by sending the note you added in the feedback. They probably felt receiving no reply was disrespectful to their father, and possibly, his memory. I know it was just a small sale, but people on the other end still have feelings. A neutral may not have been fair, but I also don't feel saying they just wanted to chat was very helpful to your feedback and it did have to do with the sale even if it wasn't a question. I imagine your follow-up came out of frustration for not taking the thirty seconds to respond to their email.

sabsh9516 · ‎05-28-2020

Life ain't fair.

With that said, a quick reply to buyer saying I'm happy the piece made its way home to your family would have probably saved you a neutral, and your reply makes you sound like the kind of seller who thinks they are too good to communicate with a buyer

itsjustasprain · ‎05-28-2020

@1tuna wrote:
Ebay makes a note of all communication after the sale,communication with a thank you after the sale will automatically lower your dsr`s .Ebay does not see the need for communication after the sale and sees communication as a problem because it could be related to the sale..No communication gets 5 stars................saying thanks will get you less automatically

Not true. If there is no communication at all then Ebay automatically gives a 5 star rating for communication. Which doesnt make a whole lot of sense but whatever. If there is communication either way then the buyer can rate the seller on communication from 1 to 5 stars. If he gives 5 stars then your DSR for communication is not lowered. I have a 5.0 for communication in my selling account so it cant be that hard to maintain it while communicating with your sellers at the same time because mine all get a thank you note after we ship.

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎05-28-2020

One advantage we small sellers have over the large sellers is that many buyers view us as the online equivalent of the Main Street Mom and Pop store. We are "human", not a soulless, giant corporation that is too busy or too focused on the bottom line to engage with customers.

As sellers, we can embrace that advantage, or we can throw it away.

This buyer might have turned into a great repeat customer, or might have sent the seller other buyers. This buyer might well have turned into a source to buy pottery from as well. So, even for those who insist on looking at every communication as "business", this was very likely a case of a seller squandering a business opportunity other sellers would have jumped at.

emerald_door · ‎05-28-2020

EBay has become impersonal over the years, but in the earlier years it wasn't unusual to have more communication between buyers and sellers.

Along those lines I recently sold an item and received a message from the buyer thanking me for accepting his Best Offer. He said it was a birthday present and I had made "an old vet" very happy. We exchanged a couple of quick messages. It turned out that he had spent his birthday alone because of the pandemic, but friends had sent him money which he used to buy this item. It took me only another minute to write Happy Birthday on the packing slip and to wrap it in some bright paper so could have the pleasure of opening his birthday present. You don't have to go that far but a quick response, as others have suggested, is just common courtesy.

And if you think eBay is always going to be "fair," you must not have spent much time reading the discussion boards.

wesk_36 · ‎05-28-2020

@atikovi wrote:
@7606dennis wrote:
Some people just need to socialize.
That is not safe yet. Please practice social distancing.

LOL!

You took and isolated that comment out of context.

Internet communication is about as distant one can be socially.

It's obvious 7606dennis was referring to the buyer wanting to chat online through messages.

Perhaps you know of electronic transmission of viruses via the internet? Do tell!

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Posting ID

atikovi · ‎05-28-2020

@wesk_36 wrote:
@atikovi wrote:
@7606dennis wrote:
Some people just need to socialize.
That is not safe yet. Please practice social distancing.
LOL!
You took and isolated that comment out of context.
Internet communication is about as distant one can be socially.
It's obvious 7606dennis was referring to the buyer wanting to chat online through messages.
Perhaps you know of electronic transmission of viruses via the internet? Do tell!

Nope. I read in the paper and see on the news government officials and doctors saying, Practice Social Distancing. So that means stay off your phone, stay off Facebook, stay off Twitter and other social media. If they are preaching it, it must be right.

wesk_36 · ‎05-28-2020

@atikovi wrote:
@wesk_36 wrote:
@atikovi wrote:
@7606dennis wrote:
Some people just need to socialize.
That is not safe yet. Please practice social distancing.
LOL!
You took and isolated that comment out of context.
Internet communication is about as distant one can be socially.
It's obvious 7606dennis was referring to the buyer wanting to chat online through messages.
Perhaps you know of electronic transmission of viruses via the internet? Do tell!
Nope. I read in the paper and see on the news government officials and doctors saying, Practice Social Distancing. So that means stay off your phone, stay off Facebook, stay off Twitter and other social media. If they are preaching it, it must be right.

Oh I get it, you're joking.

I'm a little slow

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Posting ID

buyselljack2016 · ‎05-28-2020

@atikovi wrote:
What small bit of leverage you have is gone once you have left feedback as a seller.

How absurd🙃

What possible leverage could you be retaining by withholding a meaningless positive feedback?

Buyers have leverage. Sellers do not.

*madison · ‎05-28-2020

The Emails had nothing to do with the item, cost or shipping.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't stand it when buyers do that, some sellers have done it to me too.

I don't want to chat, I just want to buy and sell stuff.

It's an instant block if a buyer starts chatting to me, unless they are actually asking questions about the item or shipping. If the buyer has already purchased something, and then starts chatting, it almost makes me cry and I don't know what to do..If a seller starts chatting after I've purchased an item, I ignore them, and I think--just ship the item..

I don't mind chatting, I can chat all day, but it has to be face to face, or on the phone, I don't like chatting via messages, or social media..