posted on December 10, 2001 10:33:28 PM
I am very interested in bidding on item but the buyer's feedback is "Private." I have never encountered this before. I always check the feedback before bidding and obviously I cannot do this with this seller. Why do you think they would want their feedback "Private?"
posted on December 11, 2001 10:02:48 AM
What are their numbers like? Anyone can make feedback private, but I agree with others, it makes the seller look really bad, I would NEVER bid on an item with a seller who had private feedback
posted on December 11, 2001 10:24:47 AM
I agree, I would never buy from a seller with private FB. I know there are supposedly valid reasons for it, but I am suspecious by nature....I would email the seller and let them know I am interested in an item, but hesitant to place a bid due to their FB being private. Ask them why they don't want potential bidders to see comments left about them. If nothing else is accomplished, perhaps this seller will realize that having private FB is hurting their business!
posted on December 11, 2001 10:53:15 AM
I only ever had one buyer with private feedback. Their total numbers were good - one negative and over 100 positive. I never did understand why this person chose private feedback, but they paid me promptly and the transaction was completely smooth. I considered asking them why they chose this, but since they clearly weren't fluent in English (though better than my Japanese), I didn't want to risk of offending them through a poorly misinterpreted word. Plus, it's really none of my business.
I checked their feedback again just now - they're still "private" and accumulating positive feedbacks by the rate of about six a week. Go figure.
posted on December 11, 2001 11:36:21 AM
I think some BUYERS think that by having private FB, nobody can tell what they are buying, since the item number and link to the closed auction isn't viewable with private FB.
I was on eBay as a buyer for almost a year before I discovered that all anyone had to do to find out what I was buying, and from whom and for how much, was to use the search feature toggled to Buyer! I learned that here on AW.
I like my privacy. I actually stopped buying on eBay for that very reason. It's not anyones business (not even a seller's) what I am buying or whom I am buying from or what I am paying. I believed that was what the FB was for. If a seller didn't like my FB rating, they could cancel my bid.
Anyway, I still think that's why you see so many buyers with private FB.
I believe it works against a seller more than a buyer.
posted on December 11, 2001 12:04:09 PM
You are right about buyers wanting privacy. Of course, it takes 3 minutes to open a new ebay account, and if you attach it to a yahoo email account, you will have your privacy.
I honestly don't care if a buyer has their feedback hidden. I never really even look anyway, the only time I may look at a bidder's feedback if the overall number is negative. It's when a seller has their feedback private, it can only mean to me they have something to hide...
posted on December 11, 2001 12:04:10 PM
You are right about buyers wanting privacy. Of course, it takes 3 minutes to open a new ebay account, and if you attach it to a yahoo email account, you will have your privacy.
I honestly don't care if a buyer has their feedback hidden. I never really even look anyway, the only time I may look at a bidder's feedback if the overall number is negative. It's when a seller has their feedback private, it can only mean to me they have something to hide...
