FEEDBACK......Who's first?......What's second?......I don't know!

[cpm9ball]

No, this isn't a take-off on the Abbott & Costello comedy routine.

 

A few days ago, I got into a conversation with a casual acquaintance and we got onto the subject of eBay Feedback. I told him that it rankles me that some sellers have the audacity to tell you they will not post feedback until the buyer has posted his feedback. As a buyer, I feel that the seller should post feedback when I make prompt payment. I have lived up to my end of the agreement by doing so.

 

My acquaintance has been an eBay seller for more than 7 years. He has more than 3000 feedbacks, but he stated that 30-40% of his customers never leave feedback. As a result, he now includes a note in his invoice that he will leave feedback only after the buyer has left feedback. I think this is wrong and I told him so.

 

For one thing, you can't force anyone to do something they don't want to do. They will continue to be inconsiderate SOBs in any circumstance short of having a gun held to their head. Why should 60% of the buyers have to be subject to unnecessary demands "If you leave feedback, then I will!" just because a seller has been "put off" by the bums?

 

I don't like being held up for ransom like this, and I tend to stay away from sellers who put these stipulations in their listings. Nobody forced them to be an eBay seller. Why shouldn't they accept the fact and take the good with the bad? To me, they are just compounding the problem for a lot of buyers who do everything right and live up to their end of the agreement.

 

Chris

[braddick]

I always leave feedback, as the seller, first. Most of the time this means as soon as payment is received. I will check on low feedback buyers and check their history though before doing so.

 

If I find "issues" with their feedback then I'll write them, via the eBay system, and let them know I've received their payment and please advise me when the coin has arrived safe and sound. I follow this sentence up with letting them know I'll be pleased to be the first to leave positive feedback upon notification they've received the coin and they're happy.

 

The last thing you want is for an opportunist to hold the feedback to you as hostage by claiming issues that don't exist.

[cpm9ball]

Pat, you brought up another issue that I neglected to address. I only use the "feedback process" as a last resort to resolve problems. I prefer to contact a seller, privately, and keep eBay and the buying public out of the loop. In this manner, I can get much more accomplished than by backing a seller into a corner and giving him no alternative. It goes back to the old adage, You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar!"

 

While I'm in a ing mood, does anyone ever notice how many sellers ship items with no invoice, their username is not mentioned and much too often their real name is not given in the listing? Sometimes I have as many as 20-30 items due about the same time, and you really have to do a lot of backtracking to figure out which is which.

 

Chris

[gmarguli]

Nope, you (seller) should only post feedback after they know the item arrived and the buyer is happy. Otherwise you get jerks who threaten you with negative feedback if you don't jump thru their hoops.

 

Unless I know you fairly well or you are a good repeat buyer, this is on my standard invoice:

 

I hope you find the items to your liking and my descriptions and photos to be accurate.

 

I will be more than happy to leave you positive feedback as soon as you contact me to let me know the package arrived safely and you are pleased with the item.

 

If you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me so that I may address them.

 

Note: I do NOT make the buyer leave feedback first. All I ask if you send me an email letting me know it arrive and you are happy.

[HaydenTubbs]

I never leave feedback until after the buyer has left feedback.I made the mistake of leaving feedback before the buyer had left it once and will never be such a fool again. If the buyer never leaves me feedback I never leave them feedback...

Quite simple...

[cpm9ball]

I never leave feedback until after the buyer has left feedback.I made the mistake of leaving feedback before the buyer had left it once and will never be such a fool again. If the buyer never leaves me feedback I never leave them feedback...

Quite simple...

 

What would you do if you went into a car dealership (bicycle shop in Hayden's case ) and were prepared to pay cash immediately for a new car, but the salesman told you he would refuse to service the car if you so much as had an oil change performed somewhere else.

 

It seems that some sellers have the attitude that eBay is there specifically for their convenience. WRONG!!! It is there for the convenience of the buyers. If more and more sellers adopt your attitude, there would be no reason for eBay because there would be no buyers.

 

Chris

[HaydenTubbs]

I never leave feedback until after the buyer has left feedback.I made the mistake of leaving feedback before the buyer had left it once and will never be such a fool again. If the buyer never leaves me feedback I never leave them feedback...

Quite simple...

 

What would you do if you went into a car dealership (bicycle shop in Hayden's case ) and were prepared to pay cash immediately for a new car, but the salesman told you he would refuse to service the car if you so much as had an oil change performed somewhere else.

 

It seems that some sellers have the attitude that eBay is there specifically for their convenience. WRONG!!! It is there for the convenience of the buyers. If more and more sellers adopt your attitude, there would be no reason for eBay because there would be no buyers.

 

Chris

 

Chris,

I don't think you fully understand the situation.You have only bought coins on eBay and have never sold anything there yourself,so you really don't know what it's like to be in a seller's shoes.First of all when I first started on eBay I only bought coins,and I had basicly the same attitude as you:I paid for it so the seller should leave feedback right away. It wasn't until I began to sell on eBay that my attitude changed. Put yourself in my shoes for a few minutes. My whole purpose on eBay,of course, is to make a profit however I don't do this by ripping people off.I offer quality coins with accurate descriptions and pictures up for auction and I work as hard as I can to provide a pleasant experince for the buyer. I send out invoices as soon as the auction is done,send a thank you e-mail as soon as payment is received and keep the buyer updated via e-mail as to the status of their purchase.I carefully package the lot and mail out it out either that day or the next regardless of whether or not it's the only package or if it's just a $5 coin.So I usally end up riding my bike to the PO every day,rain or shine(got a bit wet today to mail out that lot of 18 wheatie rolls ) I think that if the buyer can't spare 30 seconds to leave me positive feedback I have every right to not waste my time leaving them positive feedback. Secondly,I sure as heck am never going to leave feedback till I am assured that they are happy with their purchase.In this case it would be them leaving positive feedback to let me know that they were satisfied.If they aren't(something that I might add has never happened,other then the crazed Canadian whom we'll get to in a moment ) and would like to return the item they can e-mail me and we can work out the refund from there.

You may remember my post months ago on my one and only negative feedback;the buyer negged me because he had to pay customs fees and apparently(and idioticly) thought that it was my,as the seller's, responsiblity to pay for customs. He never responded to any of e-mails(which I might add were polite and respectfull,basicly trying to figure out what he was trying to say.French-Canadian? ) He obviously was pleased with the coin(a nice cameo Austrian gold piece) said he never asked for a refund or tried to return it.He didn't even try to make me pay for customs fees or anything like that.The jerk just sent me some nasty e-mails and negged me. I am most certainly glad that I had not left him positive feedback when I received payment from him or I would not have been able to give him what he truly deserved; a big juicy negative that sticks out like a sore thumb in his pitiful record:

"Sellers beware!Buyer negged because he had to pay custom fees!No reply to e-mail"

 

It would have been quite a shame had I left him positive feedback!

 

This was the only problem I have ever had with a buyer on eBay and all other sales have been a breeze.

As to this whole ordeal of you thinking that the seller should leave feedback before the buyer I find rather silly.It's not that big of a deal,there isn't any eBay regulation that says who has to leave feedback first,and you're the only person I can think of off-hand who has whined about it.I know a few sellers who leave feedback before the buyer but almost every seller I know waits for the buyer to leave feedback first.I have no problem with this when I am a buyer and obviously there isn't any dis-content among my buyers: eBay feedback

And if you were to check the bidding on my auctions many buyers keep coming back to bid,so apperently they don't have any problems with my "attitude"

 

Ok,Chris? Hope I didn't offend you to much,now if you'll excuse me I need to leave feedback for some buyers

 

-Hayden

 

PS You're probably as stubborn in your views as I am,but perhaps you might consider apologizing to your friend...

[IGWT]

I don't think you fully understand the situation.

 

Hey, that isn't a cow that Hayden's riding in his sig line . . . It's a high horse. Just kidding, Hayden, because I agree with you even though I'm not an eBay seller. Reputable sellers have a return policy, which means the transaction is far from complete even though the buyer has already sent his money. In most cases, the deal is done when the buyer waives the return privilege, so it's just natural that the buyer leaves the first feedback. Feedback should not be posted, in my opinion, until the transaction reaches a point of finality (be it a good or a bad ending).

[BankNote1]

I leave feedback as soon as the bidder pays for the item. I don't hold feedback hostage like many sellers do. Although, I don't sell out of the good ole U.S.A.!!!

 

[midwest]

I leave feedback as soon as the bidder pays for the item. I don't hold feedback hostage like many sellers do.

 

and so it begins

[BankNote1]

What begins???

[midwest]

What begins???

 

the second I saw this thread I knew at least one person would say the word " feedback hostage". This is going to be a whole new discussion. Every one of these threads always go that way.

 

Now who will be the lone person who supposedly " never buys from sellers who leave feedback once they know the item arrived safe"

[TomB]

When I sell on ebay I never tell the buyer that positive feedback for them is contingent upon their feedback to me. I believe that the buyer has shown good faith by paying for product, usually from someone they do not know, and it is now time for the seller to show good faith toward the buyer. There have been a few times where sellers have stated that they would leave positive feedback after I, as the buyer, have left it for them, and in those instances I have simply ignored their request and declined the option of feedback completely.