eBay

phanoto · ‎09-20-2019

Many buyers like to know what to expect when buying on any website. Therefore, it would be best if buyers knew what to expect about getting feedback from sellers.

Just about all sellers know that feedback for buyers is not useful for letting other sellers know that a buyer acts fairly and is honest, or that the buyer is unfair and dishonest. Therefore, it is logical that sellers would want to leave feedback in such a way that displeases the smallest number of the seller's customers.

Sellers can use the following facts to decide when to leave feedback and what to say in the feedback in order to displease the smallest number of customers:

1. Fewer buyers are displeased by the seller leaving feedback before the buyer receives the item.

2. Fewer buyers are displeased by the seller thanking the buyer in the feedback or by saying something nice about the buyer. Other sellers know that the good things said about a buyer in feedback do not indicate how fair and honest the buyer is.

3. When more sellers leave feedback soon after payment is received, buyers will leave feedback for a larger percent of their purchases from other sellers.

Comments that are often made which are true but have nothing to do with what is the best way for sellers to use the feedback program for buyers:

1. Leaving feedback is voluntary.

2. Buyers do not need more feedback after they get enough to cause sellers to be comfortable selling to them.

phanoto · ‎10-27-2019

Someone said:

Since 2008 sellers have had the choice of leaving positive feedback for buyers or none at all. Many have chosen to do the latter and leave none at all. That is their prerogative.

My comment:

Yes, that is true.

I wish those sellers who have chosen to leave no feedback would tell us how that is more beneficial to their business.

Someone said:

I check a buyer's feedback left for others and their retraction record if there is time before the listing ends. Other than that I don't find buyer's feedback very useful.

My comment:

The buyer's "feedback left" is the only kind of feedback I check. I don't read any of the buyer's "feedback received".

Yes, since sellers usually do not look at a buyer's "feedback received", I don't understand why some sellers don't leave feedback for all customers. Do some sellers think that "no feedback" for the buyer will warn other sellers about a bad buyer?

phanoto · ‎11-02-2019

@1786davycrockett wrote:
Don't you think that, since May of 2008, most eBay sellers are far more concerned with nearly all the HORRIBLE changes that eBay has forced upon sellers, rather than whether or not to leave feedback for buyers? Leaving feedback for buyers is WAY, WAY down the list of issues that most eBay sellers find noteworthy.

I don't see why a seller would be concerned at all about leaving feedback. I know that I am not concerned about it.

It is just a normal part of selling and takes very little time. So, there is nothing to be concerned about.

However, if a seller decides to leave feedback for buyers who prefer to not receive feedback, that would be something to be concerned about. Most sellers prefer to not displease their customers.

Since it takes so little time and effort, a seller needs to decide whether it is best for his/her business to leave feedback or to not leave feedback.

I wonder what percent of sellers think it helps them more to leave feedback and what percent thinks it helps them more to not leave feedback.

pink.fish.rule · ‎11-02-2019

Because you've never ever asked that question before, right? = )

7606dennis · ‎11-02-2019

@phanoto wrote:
Someone said:
Since 2008 sellers have had the choice of leaving positive feedback for buyers or none at all. Many have chosen to do the latter and leave none at all. That is their prerogative.

My comment:
Yes, that is true.
I wish those sellers who have chosen to leave no feedback would tell us how that is more beneficial to their business.

Someone said:
I check a buyer's feedback left for others and their retraction record if there is time before the listing ends. Other than that I don't find buyer's feedback very useful.

My comment:

The buyer's "feedback left" is the only kind of feedback I check. I don't read any of the buyer's "feedback received".

Yes, since sellers usually do not look at a buyer's "feedback received", I don't understand why some sellers don't leave feedback for all customers. Do some sellers think that "no feedback" for the buyer will warn other sellers about a bad buyer?

As, I believe, being the someone in your "someone said," that many sellers simply feel it is a waste of time and energy to leave feedback for buyers rather than them thinking that by not leaving it they can warn others about a bad buyer. Personally, I leave feedback once the buyer has indicated that they are satisfied with the transaction. However, if I feel that the testimonial I leave as to the buyer's good actions cannot be accurate, I simply leave none at all. It isn't beneficial to one's business to leave or not leave feedback, but can be detrimental to one's reputation to leave a testimonial to someone's good character when it isn't true.

I'm more interested in a bidder's retraction record than the feedback they leave for sellers. My position on these boards regarding my view of bid retractions is probably fairly well know so I won't bore everyone with repeating it now. However, I do read the comments left for sellers by buyers rather than just count the number of green and red donuts. Although I must admit that much of the boring comments left are of little use and ranting comments accompanying some negs are useless.

I agree that feedback received as a buyer is pretty much useless in my view.

"It is an intelligent man that is aware of his own ignorance."

phanoto · ‎11-03-2019

Someone asked me how do I know that some buyers will often wonder why the seller thought the buyer did not deserve a feedback when the buyer can easily look and see that the seller left feedback for many other buyers.

I know this because many buyers have stated on the discussion boards that they were dissatisfied because a seller apparently thought the buyer did not deserve feedback.

And, I know this because when a seller leaves feedback for some buyers but does not leave feedback for other buyers, it is only natural that some buyers will wonder if the seller thought the buyer did something that the seller disliked.

pink.fish.rule · ‎11-03-2019

And maybe they did.

Feedback is VOLUNTARY (on BOTH sides).

magicjohnsonsvariety · ‎11-03-2019

My Guidelines for leaving feedback have always been the same from the beginning.

As soon as I know the customer is satisfied, then I leave them FB....this seems to be the most logical approach.

phanoto · ‎11-09-2019

3. When more sellers leave feedback soon after payment is received, buyers will leave feedback for a larger percent of their purchases from other sellers.

Someone commented on the above statement and said the statement is not true for him/her as a seller.

I don't know if that seller is getting more feedback because I and other sellers leave feedback for every customer, but it is a proven fact that when I and other sellers leave feedback, it causes more buyers to leave feedback on more of their purchases from other sellers

phanoto · ‎11-16-2019

Someone said:

Few buyers bother to look at when or even if a seller leaves feedback.

My comment:

In that case, I will try to be sure that those few buyers will be completely satisfied when they buy from me. It takes only ONE dissatisfied buyer to do something that I won't like just because the buyer is not satisfied.

uncseniorsportsfan · ‎11-16-2019

You've been beating this dead horse for years.

Personally, I have always viewed leaving buyers feedback a courtesy earned by the buyer either letting me know the item arrived safely via email or leaving feedback to say all is well. If the buyer cannot be bothered to do that - then I can't be bothered to leave feedback which Last I checked is still voluntary.

magicjohnsonsvariety · ‎11-16-2019

I will never understand this sudden hurry to leave FB for buyers who simply have paid.

I do see a growing trend on ebay...almost every item I buy the seller gives me an automatic positive just for paying.

I too would love to play "make believe", where every paying customer is a positive sale...but we all know that is not the case.

div_style · ‎11-16-2019

True, that sellers have choice of when or if to leave FB for buyers.

My choice is to leave FB upon payment (done automatically by eBay) because buyers like it, and it lets them know you have responded to the sale. It does not matter whether FB is useful or valuable or not. It does not matter if the sale goes sour for some reason. It does not matter to me that I may have left FB for a rotten dirty scoundrel of a thieving buyer. It costs me nothing in time or money to have eBay leave FB for buyers. And if there is some problem with the transaction, buyers who have already received positive FB are generally friendlier and easier to work with.

List more, sell more. Goodwill that other, uh, stuff.

Feeling sleepy? There's an app for that.

phanoto · ‎11-17-2019

Someone said

that perhaps the reason sellers do not use the same guidelines for leaving feedback is because people are different, and they have different ideas about feedback for buyers.

My comment:

The trouble with that is a buyer does not know what a seller is thinking when the seller does not leave feedback. Buyers often believe that the seller thought the buyer did not do good enough to deserve positive feedback.

Is it really good for business to tell buyers that the buyer has to be pleased with everything the seller did in order for the buyer to deserve positive feedback?

magicjohnsonsvariety · ‎11-17-2019

@div_style wrote:
True, that sellers have choice of when or if to leave FB for buyers.
My choice is to leave FB upon payment (done automatically by eBay) because buyers like it, and it lets them know you have responded to the sale. It does not matter whether FB is useful or valuable or not. It does not matter if the sale goes sour for some reason. It does not matter to me that I may have left FB for a rotten dirty scoundrel of a thieving buyer. It costs me nothing in time or money to have eBay leave FB for buyers. And if there is some problem with the transaction, buyers who have already received positive FB are generally friendlier and easier to work with.

I guess it really is a matter of opinion then. Personally, I would rather not give a thief a positive which remains permanent and possibly untrue.

As a retired cop, it would be against my principles to reward those who prey upon the public...I've locked up and wrestled with too many thieves over the years, and it makes me sick that ebay protects so many.

FB was, at one time, a means to help keep ebay a safe marketplace for all...giving positives to everyone with a pulse kinda defeats that purpose.