eBay

lucky_analogue · ‎07-11-2023

I honestly don't know how the removal of full feedback on buyers has survived this long. It's literally turned eBay into a free-for-all for scammers.

Shipping scam buyers, ultimately resulting in tied up item and need to relist - can't leave negative feedback.

Constant no-pay buyers, resulting in tied up item and need to relist - can't leave negative feedback.

Serial return scammers, well documented all across the internet - fully positive feedback on Ebay because... can't leave negative feedback.

Buyers with history of dumping negative feedback weeks or months after receiving an item, with no responses to messages that attempt to resolve, no refund request - can't leave negative feedback.

heckofagame · ‎07-11-2023

Being allowed to give negative feedback to buyers will in no way prevent them from scamming.

lucky_analogue · ‎07-11-2023

Nothing prevents anything 100%, but it gives a warning to other sellers.

ckimodog · ‎07-11-2023

@lucky_analogue

I doubt that would happen. It hasn't since 2008. And not sure how it would prevent and warn others about being scammers or how it would come into play. They can be suspended only to open another account and start all over again. I agree it's an ugly problem and the only way to avoid it is by using a fixed buy it now price, immediate payment required & NO best offers. I stopped using auction style listings years ago and now when I have a sale I always get paid. You know what your items are worth, ask the price that you want to sell the item for and problem solved. And start accepting returns too, especially on used items. No returns does not mean no refunds.

Happy Selling.

pereirahawk · ‎07-11-2023

A healthy dynamic between seller and buyer would be for both buyers and sellers to see honest and truthful feedback. This would require Ebay to allow for honest and truthful feedback for buyers.

Additionally, a seller should be able to cancel a transaction for any reason, especially those the seller suspects of creating a new account to by-pass a block.

After all, it's the sellers who have the items. Ebay has never carried our inventory, nor a fulfillment center like Amazon.

The old belief of putting all the power in the buyer or customers hands doesn't work. Back in the 1980's and early 90's, this was the belief system carried by big retailers, especially Walmart. Many of them had a no receipt return policy. For those alive during this time period you know the policy attracted scammers like flies to doo doo.

Putting the power in the hands of the buyer, as it relates to feedback and transparency or lack of, causes the buyer to lose respect for the process, for sellers and for Ebay. It has the opposite effect of what was originally intended.

heckofagame · ‎07-11-2023

@lucky_analogue Using it to serve as a warning to other sellers will not be effective. If the seller cancels the sale based on the feedback, the seller may get a mark against his/her metrics, only harming the seller and the buyer goes on to do what they do. We need a better solution than feedback.

lucky_analogue · ‎07-11-2023

That's 100% my thoughts on the issue.

lucky_analogue · ‎07-11-2023

I think it's full and transparent feedback, combined with the seller's ability to refuse to sell to anyone with impunity, as pereirahawk said above. It's not eBay's inventory, it's mine. EBay isn't going to cover me if someone steals it, rents it, damages and returns it, etc. It's not like sellers are going to be out there cancelling sales just for the fun of it. We're here to... sell.

coolections · ‎07-11-2023

Immediate payment required will solve your problems. Just so you know if you set up your requirements you will never have a buyer that has not paid 2x or more.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎07-11-2023

How it survived? Because this is a selling venue. Nothing else. A venue designed to bring people in to buy things. The last thing ANY selling venue wants to do is poo on their customers. (there are no large face posters in the windows of Target that says 'Bad Customer').

2nd- since there is no license, training, certificate program requirements to sell here, there have been mean, nasty, vindictive sellers that would leave Neg feedback for buyers simply because they buyer wanted to return something or a myriad of other reasons.

As stated, Buy It Now, Immediate Payment Required solves much of the 'non payment' issues.

Checking the box in your 'preferences' stops those from buying that have had 2 or more in 12 months 'non paying' reported.

house*of*paws · ‎07-11-2023

Hi @lucky_analogue

Leaving feedback for buyers at all doesn’t make sense IMHO … at least not since ‘swapping’ of items was abandoned long, long ago. Is there any other venue that rates buyers?

While receiving feedback as a buyer helps increase a seller’s Feedback Score … and allows ‘buyers only’ to have a ‘Left for others’ profile that sellers can evaluate … I think it’s much more likely that feedback for buyers will be eliminated entirely before it goes back to the way it was.

lucky_analogue · ‎07-11-2023

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
How it survived? Because this is a selling venue. Nothing else. A venue designed to bring people in to buy things. The last thing ANY selling venue wants to do is poo on their customers. (there are no large face posters in the windows of Target that says 'Bad Customer').

That's not entirely true. Go repeatedly abuse a store's return policy and see if you don't eventually get flagged and told to pound sand on your tenth rental "return". Multi-seller marketplaces like eBay give buyers a single venue to engage in habitual abuse - like being able to buy/return scam every major retailer in existence without the hassle of dealing with having to visit numerous physical locations.

Typical retail doesn't need buyer ratings because a single business entity is:

1. The owner of the inventory

2. The tracker of the abusive buyer behavior

3. The one directly impacted by the abusive behavior

There's simply no need for public buyer feedback in a standard retail setting.

Other multi-seller market places like Amazon don't need it because unlike eBay, they too actually track and deal with abusive buyer behavior, because Amazon *used to be* the sole seller, so the infrastructure is already in place.

chapeau-noir · ‎07-11-2023

@house*of*paws wrote:
Hi @lucky_analogue

Leaving feedback for buyers at all doesn’t make sense IMHO … at least not since ‘swapping’ of items was abandoned long, long ago. Is there any other venue that rates buyers?

While receiving feedback as a buyer helps increase a seller’s Feedback Score … and allows ‘buyers only’ to have a ‘Left for others’ profile that sellers can evaluate … I think it’s much more likely that feedback for buyers will be eliminated entirely before it goes back to the way it was.

Mercari does, but it's the only platform I've sold on (out of a number) that even has FB for buyers.

Agree - eBay will probably drop FB for buyers before it implements the ability to leave negs/neuts for them, which they will never do. When sellers had that ability, there was too much revenge feedback. eBay has plenty of sellers, but it desperately needs buyers. They're not going to alienate them.

When you dine with leopards, it is wise to check the menu lest you find yourself as the main course.

#freedomtoread
#readbannedbooks

stainlessenginecovers · ‎07-11-2023

@lucky_analogue wrote:
@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
How it survived? Because this is a selling venue. Nothing else. A venue designed to bring people in to buy things. The last thing ANY selling venue wants to do is poo on their customers. (there are no large face posters in the windows of Target that says 'Bad Customer').

That's not entirely true. Go repeatedly abuse a store's return policy and see if you don't eventually get flagged and told to pound sand on your tenth rental "return". Multi-seller marketplaces like eBay give buyers a single venue to engage in habitual abuse - like being able to buy/return scam every major retailer in existence without the hassle of dealing with having to visit numerous physical locations.

Typical retail doesn't need buyer ratings because a single business entity is:

1. The owner of the inventory
2. The tracker of the abusive buyer behavior
3. The one directly impacted by the abusive behavior

There's simply no need for public buyer feedback in a standard retail setting.
Other multi-seller market places like Amazon don't need it because unlike eBay, they too actually track and deal with abusive buyer behavior, because Amazon *used to be* the sole seller, so the infrastructure is already in place.

It's 100% accurate and true.

There is a reason and small Mom & Pop shops used to post 'bad checks' and Driver License with address blacked out. Said person would walk in, see it and walk out.

You can go to Walmart 10 times before they catch up.

I can (and will) block you the 1st time you return something so you cannot come into my store 9 more times and abuse me. I don't need 'feedback' for any of that.

I can go to 10 Walmarts in a 40 mile radius and return many many times before being 'black balled'.

Bottom line, again- who left the negative feedback for that buyer? Do I know them? Do I trust them? Is the 'leaver' even telling the truth? or, do I take it (if negs were allowed) with a grain of salt. I'd do the latter.