posted on April 10, 2001 10:37:10 AM new
I try real hard to be nice with newbies and others who have problems, but this is a business. I just had to file an NPB alert for someone who hasn't paid on a three week old transaction. Sorry, but I can't play "Finance It!" on an item under $10.
With one or two exceptions, leaving a neg only underscored the fact that I was dealing with a major deadbeat, most people I neg go on to become NARU'd.
posted on April 10, 2001 11:11:38 AM new
LANETZLIVING
I could almost ditto your philosophy and it has been successful in over 2500 transactions with no negs received vs. 20 negs left. I always call before leaving a neg. (unless international) which has also saved many delinquent transactions. Also file a NPBA/FVC.
posted on April 10, 2001 11:16:43 AM new
Last year, I informed a buyer immediately following an auction that I was going on vacation within ten days and that I would be gone for two weeks. Therefore, if he sent a check OR if the payment got to me too late, I would not be able to mail it out until I returned from vacation. I got a check two days before I left on vacation.
About ten days into my vacation, this person left me a negative feedback stating he never received the item he purchased! At this point, I left him a negative rating.
About three months ago, I buyer wrote to me complaining about the condition of something he purchase from me. I wrote to him immediately and asked him to return it (btw, this was a repeat customer). Two weeks later, he left me neutral feedback stating that I offered him a refund. I left him neutral feedback as well.
So, to answer your question, I don't like to leave negative feedback... It would give me negative feedbacks and that WOULD hurt business.
posted on April 10, 2001 11:35:41 AM new
I only leave a neg for NPBs. To me, the more important thing is not the feedback, but filing for FVF, because THAT is what EBAY watches. THAT is where EBAY looses money. I try to look at feedback when I'm buying, but when a buyer has 1000 feedbacks and 5 negs, it's difficult and time consuming to sort through and find the negs and evaluate them, and so on. I understand why some people choose not to leave feedback, and that doesn't bother me, as long as they file for FVF
posted on April 10, 2001 01:26:42 PM new
As a seller, I consider feedback part of the transaction & I leave it for EVERY bidder (unless they become NARU'd beforehand).
You pay me, you get a positive.
You don't pay me, you get a negative, plus I file NPB & FVF.
posted on April 11, 2001 10:53:40 AM new
loosecannon:
No jellyfish here, just a shrewd businessman. There are other sellers in my category who sell the same basic items, same condition, pretty much the same basic descriptions and starting bids as mine. And their total feedback ratings are higher than mine with only two exceptions. The number of bids on my dutch auctions typically run 30 - 50% higher than the next closest seller. Why? The only real difference that I can see is my spotless feedback record. Will it stay spotless forever? Of course not. But it would be foolish of me to invite a retaliatory neg from a deadbeat when I'm the only person involved in the transaction to possibly be hurt by a neg. You keep saying (over and over again) that negs don't really affect a seller's business. My personal experience indicates otherwise.
My decision to refrain from negging deadbeats isn't spineless. It's simply good business. You choose to wear your negs as a badge of honor and I commend you for it. But the fact that the negs (in your opinion) don't hurt your sales have no bearing on my experience to the contrary. It just means we're selling different items in different categories.
posted on April 11, 2001 12:12:07 PM new
I have 800+ FB and no negatives. I have left something like 6-8, I don't recall, but one was as recently as last month.
I've expected to be neg'd about twice, due to leaving a neg myself out of inexperience [in other words, I was in the wrong]. I think I'm testament to people who show restraint in the face of getting neg'd by a rube. I don't know that I would be so generous myself, but fortunately, I have yet to find out.
posted on May 11, 2001 07:26:17 PM new
I don't typically follow these threads but wanted to express my opinion on the subject. I have completed close to 4,000 transactions on eBay. (Overall rating of 2,400+ with a FB rating of 1453 currently).
Personally, I have 6 negs, 4 of which are retaliatory from deadbeat bidders, and all of those were received within the same month.
It's not a coincidence that I haven't rec'd any further negs from deadbeats. I'm not saying that I don't still neg deadbeats, but I do so much more judiciously. If they have pre-existing negs, I check to see their responses or what type of FB they've left.
The reason I checked this thread in the first place is because of the AW update re: ebay's proposed revisions to the FB system.
eBay states that one of the "new" features will be the ability to check the feedback comments another user has left. You can already do that by clicking on the link to check their feedback and then typing the word "left" after the word "feedback" in the URL on that page.
Anyway, the real reason I'm writing is cause I didn't see in the proposed eBay revisions, nor in any comments above, the following suggestion: Why doesn't ebay provide an additional link from the "view feedback" page that will give a separate view of all negative or neutral comments posted to a user's account?
It's not going to solve the problems associated with retaliatory FB, but it will allow a potential bidder to easily review the negative comments rather than searching and searching through "umpteen hundred" pages of feedback; they can quickly make a better-educated decision whether to bid or not.
eBay says they will soon allow the ability to sort by buyer- and seller-related feedback, so why not by type of feedback, too?
posted on May 11, 2001 08:08:25 PM new
Boy, what a bunch of wimps! You don't neg 'cause it's a bad business decision? That's like a B & M saying they won't have a shoplifter arrested 'cause they don't want their other customers scared off by the police! You don't think letting all the NPBs run around loose will hurt your business 'cause you're afraid to do your duty and report them? Maybe your business will INCREASE once you get rid of those deadbeats! I have left a number of NEGs for NPBs and NEVER had a retaliatory. Probably 'cause I was objective and factual, not "DEADBEAT BIDDER, THIS GUY SUCKS, BEWARE!!!" type of feedback. I'd retaliate, even if I were dead wrong, if someone left a comment like that!
"If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem."
posted on May 11, 2001 10:07:05 PM new
Hi Alexis!
If you go to www.vrane.com you will find free tools that will give you what you are looking for!
only ZOOMIN here
As I mentioned to you in the other thread, your posts are insulting and a violation of our Community Guidelines. You are required to treat your fellow members with respect and courtesy at all times.
Consider this a warning: To continue down this path of rudeness could result in the suspension of your posting privileges.
Please review our Community Guidelines before you post again.
posted on May 12, 2001 01:23:33 PM new
The following was posted by a user in another thread:
Below is the story I wrote on hear last week, now one week has gone by and my sales are down 95% I warn ebay this was going to happen! I am a really good seller. My 800 postive feedback state that. 6 of my 8 total negative feedbacks are from deadbeat bidders! but the last 2 neg's are killing me! This is the wrost week I have every had. Ebay will always let deadbeat bidders have more rights then the sellers!
posted on May 12, 2001 11:14:47 PM new
I only have one comment on this thread and that is that I feel like ebay sellers owe it to other ebay sellers to post negatives for Non paying bidders.......this is the only way we as sellers have of realizing we are getting the "run around" about where the payment is and when it is coming....when it fact it's just the same old run around and the buyer has no intention of sending it, just stalling for time.
I also have my share of retalitory negatives, it has not hurt my business at all, but I get disgusted when I hear other sellers state that they do not file negatives against non paying bidder, only file the forms with ebay. Where is your obligation to help other sellers sort out the "sport bidders" etc......
I do my part and I take the retalitories that come with it, but my feedback comments will speak for themselves and I think most people who follow the feedbacks that are posted can read between the lines and will know when it is a retalitory negative.
posted on May 13, 2001 06:11:40 AM new
Someone please explain to me how leaving negs will weed out deadbeats when a fresh new eBay ID is only a mouse click away.
posted on May 14, 2001 01:23:30 PM new
I don't understand something here....
Presently I am a buyer only...
If I buy something from *A* and I'm not happy (for whatever reason), don't I have the right to complain via negative feedback (naturally I mean to go this route only after all other venues have been tried and failed), the same way I would do if *A* had a retail store in the local mall? I mean if I go to a retail outlet and receive lousy service, or get inferior products, or I go to a restaraunt and get cold food, I am going to tell my friends, my family and anyone who will listen to me that this store sells crap etc! Don't you do that too? So here's the thing...if we do and are allowed to do that in reality, why can't we do that in cyber space? I just had a thought...could it be that in reality we remain annonymous but in cyber space we are always being scrutinized under our pseudonyms (pen names) and when we dash off into oblivion in reality, our only viable cyber entity is still known? Interesting ain't it? If we can slam someone annonymously we will do it because we don't have to worry about the repercussions but give us a name and we cower into the corners of the universe and let the deadbeats and the unethical sellers have their way with the rest of us. Isn't that kinda like being raped people? I don't know about you but if someone does an injustice to me, I want to let others know because I believe we are supposed to look out for one another.
posted on May 14, 2001 01:36:40 PM new
Some big assumptions being made here. First, how many bidders really check a seller's feedback before they bid? Not many, or there wouldn't be so many sellers with so many negs still successfully selling!
How do you tie your sales results with receiving a retaliatory neg? Given ebay fluctuations from week to week, mostly totally unexplanable, I'd hesitate to say that a negative feedback was impacting my sales.
I've left a few negs without being retaliated upon - more luck than skill. But I keep the negs factual and short, and only file them after I've emailed, NPB, FVF, and at least pulled the contact info to let the buyer know that I can get in touch with them if I want to! Generally get a response and payment before I get to the feedback option.
posted on May 14, 2001 01:49:19 PM new
reddear- just wait until that "nice" bidder bends you over the other way to kick you in the butt. Unfortunatley, it happens and it's EBAY's fault, not individuals that buy and sell on EBAY.
posted on May 14, 2001 01:49:28 PM new
Reddeer and Amy
I couldn't have said it better myself. I want to give you both a cyber hugg. Thank-you for being honest and real! Just treat others how you would want them to treat you...I personally got into trouble with a seller just because I was new to the online auction world and the the ways of the particular auction site. I am very easy to get along with as long as you treat with with respect. Through that out the window and I take my gloves off...sorry...but that's how it is.
