posted on October 26, 2000 10:42:01 PM
I am sure this is just me but this has been bothering me for awhile. I need to know what I am doing wrong! I buy ALOT on EBAY but do all my selling on Yahoo. So I know both sides of the transaction. I ALWAYS leave feedback for my bidders and 99% of the time it is always positive. I have been buying longer on EBAY that I have been selling. I have noticed recently that after the transaction is completed, I used to receive get an email within 48 hours from the seller notifying me of payment arrangments etc and would receive feedback when the transaction was completed. NOW things have changed. It is like the sellers on EBAY dont care anymore. I end up emailing the seller for the payment info! I always send the payment right away. I never receive an email from sellers telling me the item is on it's way unless I email the seller and ask for that info and NEVER receive feedback!(honestly out of the last 8 transactions, I have received 1 feedback and it was very positive) I have finally given up trying to contact the sellers after the intial contact because of this. I have found that dealling with sellers who use Paypal or I send a MO priority with delivery confirmation to make sure it gets there. and then only contact them after the initial contact if the item hasnt arrived in 3 weeks. ( hate being one of those irrating bidders who email every second!)THAT IS WHEN I FIND OUT THAT THEY HAVE HAD MY PAYMENT FOR 2 1/2 WEEKS AND ONLY SENT ITEM OUT THE DAY I EMAILED THEM. and I leave feedback for sellers AFTER I recieve one.As long as I receive the item, I ALWAYS leave positive feedback. Dont get me wrong, I am sure that there are alot of great Ebay'ers out there. I think I am just unlucky! To date I have 150+ positives on Yahoo with no negatives and 30 + positives on Ebay and no negatives. Have things changed that much on Ebay over the last year and a half? Thanks for you help ahead of time.
posted on October 26, 2000 10:51:40 PM
I guess you haven't purchased anything from me. I send out EOA almost immediately. When I receive payment I email the buyer and say I receved it and when I am going to mail the item and then I leave feedback. BUT I have many buyers that never acknowledge when they receive the item or 3/4's of them never leave feedback so I guess it can go both ways. When I buy I always email them when the item arrives and then I leave feedback. I always leave my selling feedback before my buyer.
[ edited by Libra63 on Oct 26, 2000 10:52 PM ]
posted on October 27, 2000 05:09:23 AM
My auctions usually close around 10:00 Eastern time, so I usually send my end of auction notices out first thing in the morning. I feel bad when I get tied up and they don't go out till afternoon! As far as feedback goes - generally I leave it the day the item ships, though I have to admit that this week I got behind and did them all in one day - New England's fall foilage is beautiful until it hits the ground and you have to pick all the leaves up!
Out of the three purchases I made last week, two contacted me promptly, the third I contacted after 24 hours without hearing.
posted on October 27, 2000 06:52:12 AM
Thanks Libre63 & hinz, I really appreciate your replies. I am with you, when I sell, I notify my bidders right away of the status and let them know that their payments have been received, the items are in the mail, feedbacks left etc. I guess I am just having bad luck with Ebay sellers. Out of the last 8 transactions, only one notified me that the item was on it's way and this person left feedback right away for me so I did the same for her! Go figure!
posted on October 27, 2000 09:30:04 AM
It would be my guess that most of the sellers who post to these boards are giving good service to their buyers. However, I too have encountered a lack of enthusiasm among some eBay sellers. My guess is it is the low bids and outages that have caused them to become less than thrilled with my winning their auction. Many of the auctions I win lately--I am the only bidder--so I get the item for the minimum bid. I go to watch the auctions as they near ending to see if any snipers will show up--and....nada! Perhaps I am just bidding on items no one else would want--but I used to get outbid regularly.
cybercat
--
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
posted on October 27, 2000 09:51:30 AM
I usually EOA bidders within about a half-hour of close unless it's a weird hour or it's a Yahoo first win auction that closes whenever someone bids. Promptness is a given in my business strategy; this is a service business.
Maybe the reason bids are down is lousy service on the part of sellers who aren't clear on the concept. My own experience leads me to believe that some sellers have had their clue phone disconnected from day one.
posted on October 27, 2000 10:00:28 AM
I try to have my EOA's out within an hour of the close of the auction. I always provide good feedback as soon as I receive payment from the buyer, and ship on the next business day. The problem I have is that the buyers rarely leave any feedback for me.
posted on October 27, 2000 11:51:40 AM
Agree with you--I always leave feedback to my buyers the day I receive payment. Most of them return the favor when their item is received, but lately I have noticed that a lot of buyers could care less about leaving feedback. I usually ship my items the day after I receive payment--that should count for something!! Oh, well,back to my auctions......
posted on October 27, 2000 03:28:10 PM
Hi All,
Try this one on for size. I have a full time job, so sometimes I can't email the winner as soon as it's done, but I do when I get home. I've lately had people who don't even respond at all to my email, but then their payment shows up a week or so later! I mean don't people read the rules? You're supposed to respond within 3 business days after an auction. One lady, when I emailed her about the auction said - oh sorry thought I had already paid you! Sheesh. I think if you're going to bid you need to get a handle on what you're bidding on. If you're forgetting something as important as replying or sending the payment you need to find a new hobby. Just my humble opinion Happy Friday all!
posted on October 27, 2000 05:22:53 PM
Well, I haven't posted for ages, but was thinking lately of starting a "Thank you to Great eBay Sellers" thread, so my comments perhaps fit here.
I'm strictly a buyer and have had 70+ transactions with only one bad apple seller (who didn't send the merchandise after payment, didn't respond to emails, and then, about 4 months later, finally sent the merchandise). But my experience is that eBay sellers are--in general--nice people. I do my part, too, by responding RIGHT AWAY to EOA notices, sending payment out within a day or two, etc., but I have to say that, at least in my experience, eBay sellers are great.
I had one who, when she learned I had won an item that was to be a gift for my mother, offered to gift wrap it at no charge, for example. Most have responded in a friendly way to friendly emails (I try to be "friendly," without a suggestion of "Will-you-be-my-new-best-friend" friendly, if you know what I mean.)
So I guess I'm just chiming in to say that I've had an overall good experience with eBay sellers. Bless you all who want to do right by your buyers--we'll keep bidding.
posted on October 27, 2000 07:13:04 PM
I was out of town for a funeral this week ( the 3rd in 3 weeks) and had a buyer email me 5 times that day for the address to send payment. Each one she got alittle bit angrier I guess. I sent her the notice which was like 24 hours after she had won which by eBay rules is fine, and I got a reply that she thought I had tried to cheat her. Now seriously how could I have CHEATED her by not sending my address for 24 hours. Anyway I don't always get my notices out within hours as sometimes things happen we can't control. Sometimes it seems to me that buyers think all sellers sit at their comps 24/7 and have no other life at all. Oh well tomorrow is another day.
posted on October 27, 2000 08:09:40 PM
I use eBud for auction management and it really helps for sending out congrats notices, payment received, leaving feedback, and sending Item shipped notices. most of my customers give me very good positives. I don't have a neg yet.. ( I know it'll come )
But, this is a side business for me. Yes I am one of those evil people who just enjoy yard saleing, and convention going to find products that I can sell at a profit! My real job is also in sales and I love it and make to much money at it to quit. I guess sales is in my blood or is that I have many hobbies that cost alot of money?
Anyway, I normally get out my Congrats notice with all payment options as soon as the auctions end, however, eBay's outages for the last few weeks have been causing me to have to do this the next evening when I get home. Sometimes this is getting close to 24hrs. after the auction ends. Even though eBay says it doesn't effect the auctions ( outages ) they do!! All the way through the auction process for me. I'm just hoping they get their act together!!
posted on October 28, 2000 06:40:21 AM
I am using Auction Tamer for my auction management since I sell on multiple sites and AT supports that.
Auction Tamer (like Ebud--which I used to use) has the letters that you just click a couple of times and BAM! the person has their EOA, I received your Payment, your item has shipped and I have left feedback.
I try to always get the EOA's out right after the auction ends or within just a few hours (I use AW to bulk upload and with Ebay's problems of late, sometimes my items don't actually get listed on Ebay until many hours after the intended time--which is WAY after my bedtime. ) and I try to keep everyone informed all the way through the process. I always leave feedback right after receiving payment and shipping the item. I think I am running about 66% return feedback, perhaps a bit more.
I think that many of the sellers on Ebay now are large businesses who are not used to having to communicate other than to ask for your money.
As large e-businesses continue to list on Ebay and the smaller mom and pop sellers are squeezed out, I believe that you will see less and less "keeping in touch" with buyers from sellers--just because of sheer volume and the way that these larger e-tailers do business off of Ebay's site.
posted on October 28, 2000 12:54:19 PM
I think that eBay is no different from antique shows, flea markets and the retail world.
My wife and I went to a large antique show in Atlantic City last weekend. Among the 1600 dealers there, some were very friendly, helpful and conscientious. Others were indifferent, and still others were just plain rude. I think that eBay becoming more like the world in general and it attracts all kinds, including those who think that selling something to a customer is a pain that must be tolerated.
Happy Friday all! 
) and I try to keep everyone informed all the way through the process. I always leave feedback right after receiving payment and shipping the item. I think I am running about 66% return feedback, perhaps a bit more.