posted on March 8, 2001 08:49:18 AM
I've been using the vrane.com power feedback tool over the past view months to see the negative feedbacks I have been leaving and the percentage of these to the total feedback left.
Well it started at 4.1% of all feedbacks and now it's up to 9.7%. Of these 75% are from bidders who had no feedback with my feedback being their first.
So far I've only left negative feedback for non-paying bidders (I'm happy as long as I get my money within a reasonable period).
I'm wondering compared to others is my negative percentage high or low?
Chris
[ edited by chris97 on Mar 8, 2001 08:50 AM ]
posted on March 8, 2001 10:55:01 AM
It sure is. I have seen more deadbeat bidders than ever before as a seller.
As a buyer, I had to leave my first neg. today after waiting for TWO MONTHS to receive a piece of fabric! The person I bought from is a seller with nearly 800 feedbacks. The two month wait is NORMAL! The best part is that most people are perfectly happy with her behaviour.
The trend of deadbeat bidders, sellers trying to get the most out of a "Shipping & Handling" fee, Non-exestent customer service, Ebay and other "SERVICES" nickel & diming us to death are making for a shaky Ebay existence.
posted on March 8, 2001 11:02:32 AM
In four years on eBay I've left 16 negs as a seller and one as a buyer (there was one more I should have left as a buyer but it was early in my "career" and I was chicken).
Nearly all the users I've negged are now NARU, so apparently my experience with them was not unique
posted on March 8, 2001 11:25:54 AM
sophie89... I buy fabric all the time on ebay... Please e-mail me the sellers name, so that I know to stay away from this fabric seller... I have one right now that is really slow, I wonder if it is the same seller.
posted on March 8, 2001 12:01:40 PM
I received 3 negs this week and 3 neutrals. All from late paying buyers with false claims of damages. I only sell new merchandise!! Retalitory feedback is going to be the demise of ebay's sellers if it continues! 30 days late with payments, false claims and the such ruin reputations of good sellers/buyers! Beware the nuts are looking for squirrels.
I went as far as reporting the one individual to the Dept. of Trans., his workplace for harrassing me with email. Imagine at work, surfing the net to buy on ebay! Our tax dollars pissed away!
[ edited by Empires on Mar 8, 2001 12:04 PM ]
posted on March 8, 2001 12:07:18 PM
dubyasdaman, I undertand, but, you can't be the welcome mat to the world either! Fire back when fired upon! Just use a bigger gun! (So, to say.)
posted on March 8, 2001 12:15:18 PM
I have one bidder who seems to be holding out payment for some reason and won't answer my email. Funny though, the last message I got from he said he mailed the check. He also wanted to know some details on the item I sold him (a pair of boots with unmatching zippers. Should have asked that before bidding!). That was the week of 2/21 and still nothing. I mentioned to him his check didn't arrive and I got no response. That's been over 1 week ago. That same week of 2/21 I contacted another buyer who hadn't paid but just forgot. I got her check within a few days. I'm giving him only a little more time then the red pen's going into action.
I don't see not leaving negs as being a "welcome mat to the world". I see it as good business sense.
If a bidder deadbeats, it affects that one transaction. I lose a little money and time and gain a little frustration. If I leave a neg and get a retaliatory neg in return, it affects every transaction after that. Bidders, when given a choice bewteen a seller with no negs and a seller with a neg or 2 will bid on the "negless" seller's auction every time.
To leave a neg (assuming you leave feedback first) isn't good business. It's really that simple.
posted on March 8, 2001 12:46:29 PM
dubyasdaman, you gotta leave negs. It's not an enjoyable thing to do and there's always the risk of being retaliated against. I would rather leave a neutral if chosing between the two. Yet, when the WBdr says they will send payment and they don't and you sweat out up to 1 month waiting (sending prompts of course) your last stand is to notify the auction site and leave appropriate -FB which it rates. Don't berate the person, just state the facts. As a buyer and seller for over the last year, I've only had to do this once. Most who I've bought from and sold to have been excellent clients.
posted on March 8, 2001 12:59:32 PM
"Bidders, when given a choice bewteen a seller with no negs and a seller with a neg or 2 will bid on the "negless" seller's auction every time."
I don't believe that is necessarily true. If the "negged" and "neggless" seller are offering the same items for the same price, I would agree with you. However, if the "negged" seller is offering something I want more than the other I'll take the chance. I think most online auction participants do also or they wouldn't be on eBay or any online auction site period. I think the items themselves and their quality determine the # of bids more than the FB ratings do. I've mentioned eBay to many of my friends and I tell you, some don't like it because they don't want to take a chance getting stiffed. It's all risky business and they're right!
posted on March 8, 2001 01:03:03 PM
I'll agree that not leaving a neg, will draw less firepower, but I think it's a dream world at that point and not fair to sellers/buyers. Neutral? Yeah maybe, but some are deserving of much more attention. I wish you luck either way. Happy selling/buying.
posted on March 8, 2001 01:17:33 PM
I think I've only negged two people in the past year, and I have one hanging right now. Neither retaliated, and both were NARU'd. I think it's really more effective if everyone files the NPBs, and FVF requests because those are the one's EBAY acts on. Someone had a thread a couple of days ago of a bidder with -11 rating. If the credits were requested he would have been gone. Of course they may still neg you for having the nerve to request your fees back.
as a seller: 13 Negatives left - 3.095% out of total 420 feedback(s) left
in return: 4 Negatives received (2 from the same person), 3 retalitory, 1 because someone was a weenie (None are for no payment, bad merchandise, etc)
eBay ID #2
as a seller: 10 Negatives left - 2.075% out of total 482 feedback(s) left
in return: 2 Negatives received, both retalitory.
I leave feedback for every single transaction, positive negative or neutral. Last one I left was about 2 weeks ago. I hate leaving them, I hate the thought of a retalitory negative but you gotta warn the other seller's.
[ edited by libbyparsons on Mar 8, 2001 01:33 PM ]
posted on March 8, 2001 01:41:41 PM
this is what i do about feedbacks now
FEEDBACK ON EBAY
We give feedback on Ebay once feedback is given. We have two reasons for giving feedback this way.
1)We are extremely busy packing orders, so we have created automated program that gives positive feedback when positive feedback is given to us.
2) We have sold for over two years on ebay. We have come to understand that Ebay's feedback system has some flaws in it. The biggest flaw we have seen is
We would leave feedback once the product was paid by the bidder. Some bidders would have unusual requests once the product would arrive. They would threaten to leave negative feedback , unless we gave in to the unusual demands.
What do we consider unusual demands.
a) bidder chooses not to insure product , it arrives damaged and they want a refund
b) bidders product does not arrive and they chose not to insure product & they want a refund. (please remember we will scan manifest to show product went out)
c) bidder is unhappy with the product and wants to return product and is not willing to pay for shipping back to origin.
posted on March 8, 2001 01:56:04 PM
I hate leaving -FB also and I feel the same way that others must be warned. I look at it like this. Positive FB is letting others know ("warning" others in a good way) what a great buyer or seller you've had the chance to work with. I give eBayers the benefit of the doubt with this retaliation stuff. It shows the character of the posting individual and others see it. When I sell or buy and the transaction was pleasing and successful, I pour on the good stuff. I want that person with a conscience to be accountable and responsible to succeed. That kind of character will make eBay (and other auction sites) a better place to work for everyone. In dealing with hucksters and deadbeaters I will state only the facts which are negative. You know, I've seen several on their auctions actually threaten (IN UPPERCASE TYPE) they will leave -FB with people who don't pay. They even go into how they've been cheated. That's the wrong approach and inviting trouble. All of us have the option to neg others and we all know it. No good sense in broadcasting that.
posted on March 8, 2001 02:55:07 PM
>>I hate the thought of a retalitory negative but you gotta warn the other seller's.<<
I get 30 deadbeats or more each month, about 10%. I don't leave negative feedback, I just file FVF. Why should I expose myself to that much retaliatory feedback for the sake of other sellers? I understand your reasoning, but not when it costs me my business.
eBay has sold you on the idea of a community. If you've got a complaint, take it to eBay. I'm sorry, but it's not my responsibility to watch out for your sales.
posted on March 8, 2001 03:01:50 PM
I agree with Twinsoft & Dubays, I quit leaving negs [as a seller] a long time ago.
I'll bend over backwards to help fellow eBayer's, but not if it affects my bottom line.
Screw me over as a buyer [with my buying ID] and that's a different story altogether.
posted on March 8, 2001 03:09:23 PM
I actually like leaving negatives. When someone has gone so far, ie: no paying for an auction and costing me $$... it gives me pleasure to neg them.... and let others know what is up.
If the neg back... reply like an adult and move on.
posted on March 8, 2001 04:27:33 PMBidders, when given a choice bewteen a seller with no negs and a seller with a neg or 2 will bid on the "negless" seller's auction every time.
dubyasdaman
A neg or two doesn't really hurt a seller. I've got two negs from jerks that retaliated. I see high feedback sellers all the time with 50, 70, 80 negs and they sell sell sell.
The reason? The people who actually look at feedback before bidding must be in the vast minority.
posted on March 8, 2001 06:02:04 PM
I can't be bothered with negs. My auto program leaves bulk positives but negs I have to put in by hand. Not worth my time. I discontinued my powerseller logo (still use the services but don't advertise on my auctions) so could care less about the idiotic negs left by unrealistic buyers. I have never had an honest neg for something I did or didn't do. Mine have all been flakes or scam types or novices who did not understand that the USPS does occasionally deliver priority mail two weeks late.
posted on March 8, 2001 07:19:46 PM
The category that I list in has about 6 or 7 "regular" sellers, myself included. I'm the only one who has zero negs. We all sell very similar items and for the most part we all have decent listings and pics. The difference between our prices for comparable items is neglgible as are our S&H fees. My feedback is ~300 right now while a couple of the other are around 700 or so. I have zero negs, each of these guys have 3 or 4. Not bad IMO.
Listing dutch auctions only, my bids range from around 18 to around 30 per auction. The 2 guys with higher feedback usually pull in around 5-9 bids per auction each. I have had bidders tell me that they bid on my auction because of my great feedback. So I would disagree that a neg or 2 doesn't make a difference in the number of bids.
I'm sorry, but until ebaY does something to eliminate retaliatory feedback from deadbeat bidders, I won't leave negs. I'll let the competition do it and take the lumps. This is a business not a playground.
posted on March 8, 2001 07:41:53 PM
Oh boy, here we go.
That's funny. I've been complimented on my feedback too and I have two negs and two neutrals, all retaliatory, but over 900 total positives. Not bad but I guess I should bury my head in the sand like you and leave no more negs so I don't become further tainted.
No, screw that. Someone screws me over, they'll get the neg they deserve.
I'm not saying that your way of doing business is bad. I am saying that (at least in my experiences) negs do in fact make a difference, everything else being pretty much equal. And when that difference affects my bottom line I'm not gonna take it on the chin just for the satisfaction of knowing I left a neg for a jerk who desperately deserves it.
I admire your taking a stand on feedback based on your principles. I also take my stand due to the fact that the feedback system unfairly penalizes sellers that leave negative feedback. I don't feel any obligation to support a corrupt system. Well, I DO pay taxes but it isn't like I have a choice.
posted on March 8, 2001 08:33:56 PM
I have heard it said that a spotless feedback record is not so impressive because everyone knows how you keep it spotless--by not giving negs when deserved.
I still say that the majority of buyers do not study and probably do not even click on feedback. They see that number, be it 150, 600 or 3000 and for many that's enough.
I do not buy your idea that a spotless feedback record really helps your sales all that much. Oh, I believe that you believe it does, but I don't think it's reality. I'd bet that it's something else, tangible or intangible, that gets you better bidding activity than your competitors. Perhaps friendlier terms, a more interesting description, or?
Even with a couple of negs and neutrals I have people that trust me with their hard earned money, sometimes in very large amounts--trust me to ship what I have promised. Now if I saw someone with 5% or more negs, maybe even 2 or 3%, well sure. That raises some red flags and I'm probably fleeing from that seller. 1% or less? I'd give them a chance for sure.
Some negs are meaningless anyway. Anyone that wants to can read them and make up their own mind if they were deserved or not.
spelling
[ edited by loosecannon on Mar 8, 2001 08:38 PM ]
posted on March 9, 2001 11:59:17 AM
In protest of a bad feedback engineered by ebay and tooled by it's community, I've changed my pref's to (private), in midst of a protest against ebay doing anything regarding their feedback policy. Plain english -it stinks! NPB someone and get negged! Absurd. Spotless feedbacks make me more leary than not.
posted on March 12, 2001 06:26:56 AM1. Given partial refunds. (Let a buyer keep the merchandise, and given a chunk of the $$$ back).
To date no refunds have been asked for or given.
2. Eat 2 way shipping on "buyers remorse" deals.
See answer to #1 above.
Your "spotless" feedback record probably costs you money, cuz it makes you a target for the crazies.
Actually, I don't think I've ever had a "crazy". A few non-payers here and there, yes. Crazies, no. I just file my NPBs and FVFs and let it go. Fewer headaches and more business. Leaving negs just brings the crazies out of the woodwork. If you need proof just read these boards for a while.
[ edited by dubyasdaman on Mar 12, 2001 06:27 AM ]
If you've never had to deal with a "crazy" and your feedback is over 300, you are a lucky person. (as you've told me, "If you need proof just read these boards for a while"
I've left 25 neg's for nonpayment, and none of them retailited. The 2 neg's I got where from people who wanted to keep my merchandise, and wanted a partial refund. (both flatly refused to send the merchandise back for a full refund. Why would someone who isn't pleased with a peice of merchandise refuse to return it for a refund???? "Crazy" if you ask me.)
(None are for no payment, bad merchandise, etc)