posted on February 22, 2001 09:05:26 AM
I don't mean to start a seller bashing thread, excepting one I've had nothing but good experiences. I've been a buyer since September and have bought about 15 items. My feedback rating is 5.
My experience has been if I don't receive feedback when my payment arrives, I don't get a feedback at all. I usually don't ask (I always leave FB) but the last couple of times I have mentioned that I left positive FB for the seller when I email them to tell them the item has arrived safe and sound, dropping the hint hasn't helped.
Now I know FB can be overrated, but I sure would like to get out of the single digit total. One seller had 400+ FB (no negs or neutrals) and when I checked the FB left by them the total was zero.
I've read on AW about how some sellers wait until FB is left for them, or how they are too busy, but what about those who don't leave FB at all or very rarely? (Last buy was from a seller with 33 FB and has left only 3). While it hasn't happened to me yet, I've read here that some sellers will cancel bids of those who do not have at least 10 FB. What gives? Or is my average (5/15) about right? Thanks.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:11:28 AM
As a seller, my policy is this: When I mail the item out, I email the buyer that I have done so and ask them to let me know when the item has arrived so that I can know that everything went Ok and I can leave them feedback. If I never hear any more from them I do not leave them feedback. But if they either email me or leave feedback for me I immediately leave them feedback.
As a buyer, I leave the seller feedback when I receive the item whether he has left me feedback or not.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:15:21 AM
I tend to get feedback from most sellers, but probably only about 60-75% of buyers. Much of the newer breed of ebayers don't seem to realize the courtesy of leaving feedback. I have stopped worrying about that because I have a great feedback base at this point.
I am a seller who leaves feedback as soon as I receive payment and will probably always do it that way. I don't begrudge others of doing it differently, but this is what I feel comfortable with. It's too bad that many people don't have the courtesy to leave feedback at all, but after you build up a base from those who do, it will matter less.
______________________________
Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words can break my heart.
posted on February 22, 2001 10:39:46 AM
Buy from US - We leave Positive Feedback 100% of the Time (Sorry moderator, its not a Commercial for our Ebay listings!). But seriously, we use AW's Wonderful Auction Manager system (kiss, kiss) so sending notices that the item is shipped and sending positive is just a few keystrokes.
We know it just seems so many are too busy but that is an incredibly poor excuse. We are selling Products AND Service. We know we're old fashioned as we also send "Thank You" cards with each item because we Value the Buyers!!
Our "hit ratio" in buying and getting feedback is about 60% so your 5 out of 15 is about right.
HarmonyGroveAntiques
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking til you do suck seed" - Curly Howard
posted on February 22, 2001 10:55:46 AM
I leave feedback upon receipt of all payments (except if they have been a royal PITA) and then I wait until I know the bidder has received the item). I have a high feedback rating, but it seems the leaving of feedback has dropped substantially lately and since I've been shipping a lot of items first class, it's irksome because that's often the only way I know the item has been delivered. Some people just won't leave feedback - I had a buyer recently who has emailed three times after receiving the item - love it, do you plan to list more and keep me in mind if you do - and although the first time I emailed back I indicated I was glad they were so happy and would appreciate feedback when they had time...not so far (but they have lots of time to compose emails!). I also think a lot of people are unaware of the feedback forum and its capacity to let you leave a bunch at once!
posted on February 22, 2001 11:29:51 AM
Thanks everyone for your insights. Wierd thing is, I received FB for my first 4 buys but am now 1 for the last 11. Oh well, bad luck I guess.
posted on February 22, 2001 04:26:24 PM
As a buyer only with about 195 purchases, I have left feedback for every one (except the two sellers who had been NARUed by the time I went to leave feedback). I have received back about 170, about 87%.
From my point of view it is the sellers who have a worse record then the buyer .
posted on February 22, 2001 04:43:04 PM
I'm mainly a seller, but have bought on occasion the last 2+ years. My feedback is at 726, and I've left 1144. I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: I've found that there's lazy people everywhere...both sellers and buyers.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
posted on February 22, 2001 05:04:51 PM
I leave feedback after the transaction is over which according to eBay is the buyer recieved the merchandise. The problem is, many sellers that share my policy don't leave feedback and it gives sellers who do a bad name. I ALWAYS leave my bidders positive feedback when a transaction is over. I have had a handful of comlaints but after reading my terms, bidders have understood my policy. I have noticed as a buyer a rarely ever get feedback from sellers.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:51:22 PM
In the last few years I estimate I have left close to 10,000 feedbacks.I have gotten about half back of which 1/3 have been unique.
Only 23 to go and I hit 3000.Boy has that been hard work.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:53:50 PM
As a seller, I usually wait until people usually try to leave feedback once a week. It is really hard to leave feedback every single day. I also wait until the buyer gives feedback first. Manytimes they will forget.
-Tre
***********************************
"If your mind can concieve it, and you believe it, then you probably can achieve it."
posted on February 22, 2001 10:47:26 PM
Guilty here. I *very* rarely leave feedback. Nine times out of ten, if a person leaves feedback for me, and then emails me... asking that I do the same for them, I will leave feedback immediately.
I used to leave feedback on every item, until one night (I was tooo tired!) I accidentally (and absentmindedly) left positive feedback for a lady who'd never paid for her item! LOL
Now, it's a very last on my priority list. I've also had MANY, many buyers who email me, tell me their item arrived and that they love it... and they never leave feedback. I don't ask for it (figure I'm not going to ask someone else to do what I'm not doing myself! LOL)
I'd say to keep emailing each seller after you've left feedback for them, and you'll be in the double-digits soon enough. Most sellers won't cancel bids just because your feedback is less than 10, and if they ARE cancelling those bids, you probably are better off without them.
posted on February 22, 2001 11:07:25 PM
Here my run down on feedback... I use it as a tool... I hate sending e-mail and I don't really like getting it because I have to clean it up.
As a seller I use feedback to let my buyer know the item has shipped. They get the date of shipment in their feedback along with positive comments. I do not e-mail the buyer when payment arrives or I ship. I leave feedback the same day I ship.
As a buyer... I'd rather have a feedback from my seller the same day they ship. This way I know it has been shipped. I DO NOT expect an e-mail from the seller that they received my payment or that they have shipped. (that's just extra e-mail I have to clean-up later) My seller gets feedback in return after I get the item in the mail within a week after I have it.
As you can see I have left my fair share of leaving feedback for both my buyers and sellers... ( I don't check to see who I left me feedback or not...) In otherwords I don't hold back because I have not personally received it myself.
My Bidding ID;
I have left 434 and received 383 in return.
My Selling ID;
I have left 946 and received 563 in return.
Buyers are more than likely not to leave feedback as many of my buyers still have low feedback ratings and where people that just got on an eBay kick temporarly and are now gone. (Probably because they have enough stuff of their own).
posted on February 23, 2001 12:19:56 PM
As a buyer, I always leave feedback when I receive the item.
As a seller, I leave feedback immediately if I get an email that an item was received, or if I notice that a buyer has left me feedback. I feel that means the the transaction is complete to everyones satisfaction. Otherwise I check it every month or so and leave feedback on those that I can remember were prompt on payment.
posted on February 23, 2001 05:04:49 PM
As a buyer with less that 10 feed back you do not have a star and that is the first thing I would try to get. To the 10 sellers that have left no feed back for you, I would send a request simular to this one.
"We have left you Positive Feedback in your Feedback Profile at eBay.com to help improve your online reputation. If you are happy with this transaction, please leave some Positive Feedback for us. As you may be aware, feedback is very important to online shoppers, so your feedback will certainly be appreciated by everyone."
I once saw this posted and saved a copy
and have used it and it seems to work.
Good luck!
[ edited by chizlemon on Feb 23, 2001 05:05 PM ]
[ edited by chizlemon on Feb 23, 2001 05:10 PM ]
posted on February 23, 2001 05:38:28 PM
As a seller, I always leave feedback on payment. Since I offer a no questions asked money back guarantee, and remind the buyer of that when I notify them of when I ship, I've never had a problem.
As a buyer, I notify the seller when the item arrives that I am satisfied. If they leave feedback, fine; I then leave it for them. If they're too busy to do so, so am I.
After all, as a buyer, I am bidding because I want the item, not because I want feedback.
posted on February 23, 2001 05:40:34 PM
As a seller I used to leave positive feedback for everyone as soon as payment was received. I have recently changed my policy due to the fact that too many buyers can't be bothered leaving feedback.
I did a little investigating and found that most of the buyers that didn't leave feedback for me didn't leave feedback for anyone even though they themselves had fairly high feedback numbers. We're not talking newbies here.
I now only leave feedback for people who realize that the feedback system should work both ways.
posted on February 23, 2001 05:41:08 PM
The other thing I meant to mention: I use my feedback file as a 'bookmark' of sellers I have had good experiences with, and use it to browse listings. After all, why browse 5000 (or 5000,000) listings when I can go through the listings of the sellers I have had good experiences with.
posted on February 23, 2001 07:07:24 PM
I think feedback is too easy to leave with AW's post sale support for any seller not to leave feedback. I leave feedback every time I process payments coming in. Simple & quick. It's part of CUSTOMER SERVICE. You will be remembered by your winning bidders for giving more than they expected. Doesn't necessarily mean they will come back for more. "Giving more" can be a thank you note, very well packaged, swift feedback, whatever.
I request feedback about a week after I sent the item if it hasn't already been left. It's just way easy with the post sale management. And no, I don't work for AW! I'm just gritting my teeth for the day they start charging.
What I REALLY want is for AW to put that link to my eBay feedback in my one-click reminder I can send them for leaving me feedback.
I want to see my feedback number climb. It's a little over 100. If I send an email request for feedback and they don't leave it, I have realized it's likely they are either lazy or a newbie. To make it way easy for them, I email them again with a link to my feedback page and the item number. Then it's a no brainer for them.
Take pride in your work. Be a professional at whatever you do. Just because the customer doesn't see you face to face does not mean your courteous and thorough attention to the sale is wasted. Okay, so I'll step down off the soapbox!
