I began selling on Ebay back in 1996. It has been a blessing mostly but I have felt the pain as Ebay migrates from a business that treats buyers and sellers equally to one where buyers can do no wrong. I get it, we need a buyer friendly environment in order to attract sales but I have as of late felt like sellers are low on Ebay's totem pole.
Back in the day, buyers and sellers were afforded the opportunity to leave both positive and negative feedback on sales transactions. No longer is this the case. Buyer doesn't pay, ties your item up for at least a week and all sellers get is the satisfaction of having the buyer receive a non paying strike, Allegedly sellers are able to block non paying abusers but I have no proof that this actually happens. I do occasionally leave positive negative feedback for buyers who clearly have manipulated my sales by taking my item out of commission for over a week. I do so to help my fellow sellers. With so many of us reliant on income from our Ebay sales, tying up and item can create a financial hardship.
Personally I think that Ebay allows far too long for a buyer to pay. Forty-eight hours and then another 4 days before the item can be relisted and fees be credited back. Why Ebay thinks buyers deserve a personal layaway system puzzles me. Find a brick and mortar store that has layaway polices, they are far and few in between.
As a seller, I would like to see stats on buyers, much like the ratings we receive for item description, shipping rates, communication, etc. Sellers are rated and even expelled for shipping handling time so why are buyers not also given statistics for things like promptness on paying, return request percentages. As a seller, I would be more open to a best offer if it came from a buyer who pays quickly and does not abuse Ebay's return policies.
I have had over 6 best offer sales this week where I have not received a payment and no communication. I am forced to sit on my hands, watch my items sit in a corner while thinking of the potential sales I might be loosing out on. Sellers live for the Holiday season and the few months after. They are our busy season. Ebay needs to move the markers back to a place where buyers and sellers are afforded equal protections. They need to reflect on seller's concerns. Why can they not institute a policy where buyers are forced to care about their online reputations too. Why drag out a transaction for 6 days when a buyer does not even have to communicate with the seller during this time. C'mon Ebay, you need us too!!
