posted on October 1, 2005 06:10:21 AM
I'm sure this has been asked many times, but I've been away from this board for a while and haven't seen it specifically discussed while I've been here. If there's an existing thread on this, maybe someone could point me to it.
So anyways, what do most of you sellers do with regards to posting feedback... do you post a positive to the buyer when you receive payment, or do you wait for the buyer to post feedback to you first before you give any sort of feedback?
In the five years that I've been selling part time, on & off on eBay, I've always posted a positive as soon as I get payment. Some buyers won't post a positive to you unless you give them a postive feedback first. As a buyer, I see this happening more and more frequently... I get no feedback until I post a positive for the seller, then I usually get a feedback in return. If the buyer doesn't make the first move, then nobody gets any feedback.
This may not seem that important, but most of my accounts have only a few hundred feedbacks and I'd like to build them up to around 1,000 each. Maybe then I'll consider waiting to post feedback until I get one first. And then I have leverage if they buyer threatens (or actually does) post a neutral or negative, I can do the same. Some people feel that once the buyer has sent payment, his/her obligation is done and they deserve the positive at that time. Many will refuse to post feedback first until they get one first, obviously to protect themselves incase of neutral or negative feedback.
posted on October 1, 2005 06:15:43 AM
Oh, I forgot to mention... what spurred me to write this was a recent transaction from a high volume seller. I bought a new computer monitor, I believe with shipping it was around $250. I got the monitor very quickly and it worked great. The same kind in Costco sells for over $350 plus tax, so I felt I got a good deal, and wanting to build up some recent feedback, especially for a higher ticket item, I posted a positive.
That was about three weeks ago. No reciprocation. I see they posted feedback to many, many people since then, but skipped me. I emailed them last week to politely ask if they would post a positive to me as I have already posted a positive to them. No reply to the email. Yesterday I get an automated "Feedback Reminder" to please post postive feedback to them and they will do the same for me. (BUT I DID!!!!) I emailed them back once again to say this, but of course, no reply and no feedback. I give up.
you're right, this has been discussed in here several times. some sellers have been burned over the course of time by leaving fb first. as a seller, it's a pretty good policy to not leave fb first. personally, i hate the occasional request from a buyer to leave them feedback first. i respond along the lines of saying that your fb is your way of letting me know that you've received the package and you're satisfied, a thank you. and mine in return is a basic "you're welcome" message. that said, i have a fb of about 2,400 on my selling account and i no longer really care if people leave fb or not.
posted on October 1, 2005 07:18:19 AM
Posting feedback (as a seller) before you get it is premature and dangerous. When asked for feedback, I have a canned response that basically says what vintage says.
I'm not sure that feedback matters much after a few hundred. I'm in no rush to get feedback; I probably get it on 2/3 of my transactions.
posted on October 1, 2005 07:41:38 AM
I agree with cash. If you have fewer than 200 feedbacks, you might want to give it first. After 200 or so, it just doesn't matter that much and you are FAR safer if you hold it till you get it.
Extortion is just too easy if you have already given up every bargaining chip. I sell brand new stuff that cannot be defective, and still I used to get feedback threats. Then I stopped posting feedback with payment and the threats stopped.
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Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum sonatur.
posted on October 1, 2005 07:49:07 AM
cash, when you said "I probably get it on 2/3 of my transactions" does that mean about two thirds of people ask you to post feedback?
But yes, good points really. I think even after 100 it really doesn't matter as much (all but one of my accounts are over 100 now). Maybe even 200 is a good point to stop giving feedback first. I think the next major milestones are 500 and 1000 feedbacks.
The trend I've noticed lately is that a lot of sellers do not leave feedback first, or at all (even if I post them a positive first when I'm the buyer). So maybe I'll adopt that policy too, to post only if and when I get a feedback. I used to think it was a good way to keep track of payments received, but now with automated software like Vendio and PayPal records, it's not really necessary. Also, isn't there a way to automatically post postive feedback as soon as you get one? I think I saw that somewhere, not sure if it was Vendio or another auction management I used to use.
[ edited by powerwebmedia on Oct 1, 2005 07:51 AM ]
posted on October 1, 2005 08:17:58 AM
I only give feedback after I receive it. NEver ever ever under any circumstances before. Too many times it saved me from unwarranted neutrals or negatives.
If someone emails me asking for feedback I tell them I use an automated response that leaves feedback after it's left for me.
I meant that I receive feedback on 2/3 of my transactions. I get a request for feedback first every 50 transactions or so, and have a canned response (two clicks and that's it).
Aside from the extortion potential, the transaction truly isn't over until you know they're satisfied (positive feedback).
The buyer still has the upper hand, because how many of us sellers really look at buyers' feedback until it's too late?
posted on October 1, 2005 09:22:45 AM
Good points cash and Helga. I think from now on I'll leave feedback only after I have received it. My feedback rating is high enough on most of may eBay accounts that I don't desparately need it. Just that I've been off eBay for a while and didn't have much recent feedback.
posted on October 1, 2005 12:27:42 PM
I almost always leave feedback after receiving payment. I have 3 negs with a feedback ratign of 4654 (over 5900 transaction). For my first 2 negs, it wouldn't have made a difference. I received my 3rd neg a month ago, because I didn't respond to feedback extortion. The last neg makes me consider about waiting to give feedback, but I am not too worried about it.
I would guess about 15-20% of people do not leave feedback at all (don't know how? don't care? or just too lazy?).
I don't know if waiting to give feedback would increase or decrease the amount of feedback received.
posted on October 1, 2005 01:33:00 PM
I never leave feedback until after I receive feedback from the buyer. Part of what you are rating is the entire transaction - if they have a problem with an item, do they try to work it out with me, or do they go postal? I consider that part of the transaction as well.
Also, as others mentioned, it definitely gives you leverage. I used to not play the 'feedback game' and I paid for it.
posted on October 1, 2005 02:17:33 PM
The more I read what's here, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to wait until "I" get feedback first. I used to think people would think I'm rude if I didn't post feedback right away, and a book I read about five years ago, when I was just starting out on eBay, suggested to leave feedback first. But that was just his opinion. It may work for getting more feedback, but once you're at a point where you've got a decent amount, or even over 100, it doesn't seem as important to build up feedback.
Sounds like most people here post feedback only after they get it. Does Vendio have an automated system that will post positive feedback as soon as the buyer leaves positive feedback? I've seen that before, might have been with the auction management I used before Vendio.
posted on October 1, 2005 03:02:18 PM
Having only been on since July of 1997, I'm from the old school of leaving positive feedback after the buyer receives the item AND is satisfied. If I receive none and time goes on, I will then post a positive.
Either way, I receive at least 75% feedback response on all transactions which seems to be common regardless of seller.
However, I operate basically on the idea of "What is a legal and binding contract?"
I don't believe the contract to be complete until the buyer has received his merchandise under the terms set in the individual auction. Until that point, I don't believe the contract to be complete (even if the buyer paid as he is required to do). Only one party to the contract may be satistied (the seller when paid!). A contract is not complete until BOTH parties are mutually satisfied and I don't know if the buyer is satisfied until I hear that he is.
posted on October 1, 2005 05:15:24 PM
I never post feedback until feedback is posted for me.
Getting burned with three neutrals years ago when I was wide eyed and bushy tailed and gave immediate feedback upon payment receipt. They nuetraled me without contacting first. I then became gun shy.
However, when I mail their item, I always write a note to assure them satisfaction is guaranteed and if they have any problems email and the situation will be remedied.
I also state I will gladly reciprocate feedback.
So far everything has been feedback OK.
posted on October 1, 2005 05:16:25 PM
Returning feedback automatically isn't always a good thing. I've had buyers who wait till they receive notice from eBay that they have a NPB strike against them, to send pmnt. Then they give me Pos feedback when they receive the item. I won't give them any feedback.
posted on October 1, 2005 05:27:58 PM
I almost always give feedback first (I have Vendio set to give it in case one slips through the cracks). Frankly it just isn't worth the exoplaining and all the buyers griping about when you should give FB to deviate from this policy and I haven't really been burned by it
I get no satisfaction from giving buyers negs. The buyers who have left me negs are generally newbies who need more hand holding than I am willing or able to give them..if they want more comminication than: 1) invoice 2) payment received notice 3) item shipped notice then I am afraid leaving a neg after they leave theirs won't do much to allay that.
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posted on October 1, 2005 05:33:07 PM
I leave fb after it is left for me as a seller. As a buyer, I leave fb first whether it's left for me or not. It lets the seller know that I received the item.
As a seller, I have been burned by leaving fb first. If I receive a request to leave fb first, I give 'em my stock answer: I do not participate in Ebay's fb program; however, as a courtesy, I do leave fb left for me in kind.
posted on October 1, 2005 05:57:47 PM
Ok, I've got it! I'll try posting feedback only after I get it on one of my accounts. And on the other eBay account I'll continue leaving it as soon as I get payment. Then after a few weeks or months I can make a judgement on which I prefer. It may also depend on what sort of items are being sold. As some of you stated before, there are certain categories that are more prone to complainers and non-paying bidders than others, low priced or high priced items didn't seem to matter.
Max40, I can see the drawback to having Vendio automatically post a postive upon receiving one, but it doesn't sound like it's a really common occurence, so I'd be willing to put up with the odd positive that slips through. In my selling experiences, I can think of only a few times this would have happened.
As a buyer I almost always post positive feedback once I get my item and I'm happy. If I'm not happy, but not overly upset, I just don't post anything, or a "not so positive" postive feedback. You know, it's counted as a positive but the comment is somewhat less than cheerful.
posted on October 1, 2005 07:05:09 PM
Vendio's automatic feedback isn't instantaneous - I think there are a few options to how you can set it up. Going by memory only here- I think mine returns positive feedback about 24 hours after you receive it. In any case if you're online often - as most of us are - you usually have time to change any individual transaction that you want to, rather than using the automatic feedback feature.
posted on October 1, 2005 07:58:05 PM
I used to have the feedback automatically left for the buyer once I received feedback.
Well its not a good idea to use this feature because a buyer can leave you a pos. but say Neg. remarks and the system won't know it.
But I tell my buyers that I have my program set to leave feedback once it is received.
One customer emailed me saying,...I think you feedback program is broken......lol I left you feedback and I didn't get feedback from you.
I told him I will check the settings right away........
I just leave feedback when I get a chance every couple of days but he was worried.
posted on October 1, 2005 10:55:55 PM
I love it when buyers tell me they way I am supposed to leave feedback, how I am somehow doing something terrible for not leaving feedback first. The first thing I tell them is that there is no set way to do things, as feedback is an optional part of ebay, and something that is not even necessarily or required to leave. While I usually only get about one a month that complains (and I have about 2500 to 3000 transactions a month, so it is a low %) I've grown tired of answering that question, so my usual response is that I leave feedback in return as a courtesy to buyers, and have that process automated. I really don't have time to be leaving 100 feedbacks a day manually anyway.
..this "veteran" has 1328 total positives; 760 rating...IMO, very good repeat business .. considering her performance on posting f/back and retaliation when things dont go her way, IT matters NOT to this seller.
..from 3/05 to 6/05, she received approx 30 positives, and never posted one for her customers..then i listed her attitudes and practices in a letter to ebay..she posted return f/back, all, in a few minutes...
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..calls me a liar; denied ever advising paypal to stop our transaction[two paypal service reps confirmed her emails to paypal.
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..IMHO, this seller could give a rats about feedback...
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..someone also said: "Posting feedback (as a seller) before you get it is premature and dangerous"...CORRECT CORRECT CORRECT!!
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..some, after having viewed this seller's retaliations, would consider NOT posting anything! again, IMHO, that is THE mistake.. i refuse to let the bad guys win! at any cost! and this seller has now received 4 since my 6/24 posting...
..of course, this would all me moot if i had not sold to her in the first place..
posted on October 2, 2005 06:13:10 AM
I took a look at that link, yes she's got some pretty bad negatives. I've run across sellers like that before and simply chosen to pass on what they were selling and get it elsewhere. But yes, she's got a very good repeat business going, strange that she's been able to pull that off. It's good that you and those other people gave her the negatives she deserved, but it's not enough to sway some people from her auctions unfortunatley.
Caroline 
