Just passed 700 total FB and got my first neutral. The buyer has a 7 FB and left a comment consisting only of "fair price."
I emailed him to ask what the problem is, don't know if he'll answer. The item was a book with pages loose, which I described clearly in the auction listing.
I would like to reply to the neutral, but not sure what his problem is, unless the book arrived late or in worse condition than I described it [how can it be worse than "pages falling out" as I described and showed in an attached photograph?]
Grr, I'd rather get a neutral for something I really did wrong, if you follow me.
posted on January 15, 2001 08:02:14 AM
If you haven't left him feedback already, mabe you should leave a neutral comment that says "fair understanding of the feedback system".
posted on January 15, 2001 09:24:48 AM
I got my one and only neutral from a new bidder who probably had no idea of how to use feedback. I had already left them a positive when I received their payment. I also got an email saying the item arrived and they were "thrilled" with it. The neutral comment says that too.
posted on January 15, 2001 09:30:49 AM
I may be wrong to do so, but I have made it a policy to only leave feedback for my sellers when they have left it for me first.
I KNOW this isn't how it is normally done, but I have feared being in a situation like yours where you leave positive when you get payment only to have them leave neutral or negative feedback when they receive the item when you truly didn't deserve it.
As an example, I don't feel I deserve negative feedback if the post office crushes their item due to poor handling and I would have been more than happy to replace the item or give a full refund had they just contacted me first.
I also wait because seeing their feedback tells me they have received the merchandise undamaged and are happy. I ONLY THEN consider the transaction over and leave them feedback, which has always been positive.
I had one buyer give me a hard time about this, but I do it to protect myself. Maybe I'm wrong, but with to many odd people out there... I don't consider just getting their payment the end of the transaction.
posted on January 15, 2001 09:34:34 AM
Same thing happened to me.
I have over 600 positives & got a neutral a few months ago. It was a newbie & they didn't say anything bad, just something like, received item, thanks. I emailed them to ask if there was a problem, and they said no. I put follow up feedback to that extent. They said they just didn't know what to say. Has it hurt my business? No.
One thing I just wanted to mention. You had already left positive feedback for them (as did I). The fact that they gave me a neutral doesn't affect what I would have given them. From my standpoint, they paid promptly, that deserves a positive. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. Don't change your process just because of one person, it's not worth the grief. Don't wait for yourself to receive feedback before you you give it... Why change something when you didn't do anything wrong?
Just my opinion. I didn't change my process....
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
posted on January 15, 2001 10:31:27 AM
I chandged my feedback policy but it wasn't over feedback, it was because of bad checks!
Over the last 3 years, I think I've gotten 3 or 4 neutrals,no negs and over 600 positives. A couple of the neutals were 1) a newbie who wrote glowing terms and then probably hit the wrong button and 2)someone Naru'd so the positive turned.
I did have one recently that kind of upset me, he bought a brand new mug for a whole $2 and then said it was black inside (yeah there was a little dust from the packing materials), dirty and scratched. I told him to return it and I'd return his money which I did. Thought he was pulling the old switcheroo on me, but no the mug did have 2 fingerprints on it from the packer using newspaper under the bubblewrap and the decal from the post office was not perfect. What got me tho was that he threatened me with telling all my bidders and auctions that I sent damaged merchandise.
Anyway,my EOA now says "if you will return this e-mail then I will know that you received it safely and are satisfied with it and I will consider the transaction completed and leave your feedback". I figure that way all they have to do is send it back even if they don't leave feedback or want to go back and look up my name or transaction and by that time the check will have cleared.
posted on January 15, 2001 10:34:01 AM
I also leave FB upon payment, though I understand why many sellers do not. In my case, it's mostly a matter of keeping up. I won't remember to go back and leave it later.
My buyer did reply to my email and say it was his first time leaving FB and he left a neutral because of the condition of the book, but now he's sorry because he knows it was his fault for not reading the description.
No, biggie. It's mostly ironic because I've pulled some foolish stunts over this past year like forgetting to mail someone's book after they paid, yet they either declined to leave FB or gave me a positive.
I have another book here in bad condition though, do I dare list it? ; - )
posted on January 15, 2001 01:08:10 PM
Neutral feedback, what's that? There is only positive, negative and less negative feedback. The reason people are sensitive about their feedback is that it is quite personal. Since most sellers and buyers are individuals, the criticism is a direct assault on their psyche.
Neutral feedback is just another way of saying, I'm unhappy but I'll cut you some slack. It serves little other than to provide fodder for feedbackholics.
In a better world, people contact each other and work out the little things.
posted on January 15, 2001 01:14:05 PM
Sounds like the neutral fb my mother got! I could start a whole thread about her, but I wont! Anyway, she gets this neutral feedback "Nice shirt"......She was tempted to give him a neutral "Nice Bidder"...
Tempting..........
This is related to a previous post (although I'm sorry to hear about your neutral).
I lost the thread on the other post about fiction. Please email me - I have done pretty well with fiction - I can send you some authors/types of books that seem to do well. I'm kind of hoping that you can do the same for non-fiction for me - I'm at a complete loss there.
