Interesting take on "who should post feedback first: buyer or seller?"

[steveold]

I was checking out some auctions earlier, and came across this seller's ME Page. ME pages usually make for some good reading...

Anyway, I always personally felt that the seller should leave feedback for the BUYER immediately once payment is recieved and good. This guy has a different P.o.V and well, check it out:

----

5. We had a very good transaction. Can you please give me positive feedback?

May I first remind you that ebay states that leaving feedback is purely optional, not mandatory. Therefore I am not obligated to leave any feedback should I choose not to. In short, leave feedback if you truly want to, not because you want something in return. My personal policy is to leave feedback for as many people as I feel necessary, and to leave positives for all smooth transactions. However, I leave feedback in batches of 30 or more usually. This comes around to about one batch per month. In most cases, this means you would have left a feedback perhaps weeks in advance of receiving a possible feedback from me.

I have this policy for two reasons. First, I believe the seller should be graded first in most cases. The SELLER is providing the service and should be the first one to be graded. The seller is placing the ad, providing the artwork, answering any questions, packing the item, and shipping the item. The buyer is only placing a bid, responding to one email, and then sending in payment. Secondly, it would take a much longer time to leave appropriate feedbacks one at a time as they happen.

I assure you that I leave feedback according to how I felt the transaction went, NOT what the user left for me. Contrary to peoples' opinions, I have not nor have I ever held up a person's rightly earned feedback for 'ransom'. I do NOT leave retaliatory feedback if I receive a legitimate negative feedback from a bidder. As an example, I have left positive feedback to a user that gave me a neutral.

----

What do you think: who should leave feedback first, the seller or the buyer?
For that dude up there, I understand the points he made... but I still stick to my original theory that hell, as a seller, once you get the payment and it is good, you oughta leave feedback for the buyer as soon as you can.
In my experience, I found out sellers who leave me feedback immediately once payment arrives, are the ones who were most truthful with their auctions.

Those sellers who wait for me to post them feedback first, usually their items have some fault with them that was not mentioned in the auction description, so therefore the seller can do some sort of retaliation tactic... but maybe that's just been my experience.

 

[SonGohan]

Both parties are leaving feedback for the complete transaction. That's how I feel about it. If the buyer pays fast, and the seller sends out the item, and the buyer decides he doesn't want it for whatever reasons, and wants a refund, the buyer could take it back, and mark the transaction as "bid then decided he didn't want it, wouldn't deal with. Next time make sure you know what you want", or something of the sort.

Personally? I leave feedback once I've been paid/received my goods and am satisfied.

 

[td741]

For me, I think feedback should be posted once the whole process is over. If I'm selling, I won't post feedback until the buyer received the item and is satisfied. If I'm buying, I won't post feedback until everything is settled (haven't had many difficulties, however).

 

[bokmeow]

When the seller completes his half of the transaction, he should provide feedback to the buyer. When the buyer receives his ware, he should provide feedback to the seller. To do otherwise kind of stinks of retaliation. I had a seller that scammed me out of an artbook. He left me positive feedback, wee. Then gave me numerous excuses and said he'd send his own copy, then just didn't answer my emails altogether. I didn't leave him negative feedback, which I should have.

 

[c.t.h]

I don't leave positive feedback untill I receive it from the buyer (usually).

Why?

This is my way of making sure that the buyer was satisfied - I don't have time to follow up each auction to see if they got the item and liked it etc, so I rely on them leaving me feedback. I consider a deal "completed" when both partys have left feedback.

 

[16-bit]

Slightly off topic, but I really would like eBay to give buyer feedback some value.

Right now, a buyer with zero feedback has the same privledges as a buyer with 1000 feedback. Sure, you can state "no zero feedback bidders", but what is that to stop a zero feedback bidder from sniping or placing a BIN?

 

[Yodd]

16-bit:
Slightly off topic, but I really would like eBay to give buyer feedback some value.

Right now, a buyer with zero feedback has the same privledges as a buyer with 1000 feedback. Sure, you can state "no zero feedback bidders", but what is that to stop a zero feedback bidder from sniping or placing a BIN?

Hmmm...perhaps when setting up the auction, give the chance to checkmark something like:

Do not allow Negative feedback users from bidding or placing a BIN.

Do not allow such and such amount of feedback users to bid or place a BIN.

 

[SNKJorge]

I have dealt with about 10+ people who have
never thought about leaving me feedback...

After I paid, I sure did get my item, and left
them + feedback, but they never did. Sucks. shame

I think both parties should leave + feedback once
the deal is over. Payment has been received and
goods have been received.

<small>[ August 19, 2003, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: xtoo_short20x ]</small>

 

[EMAGDNIM]

I like getting feedback after my transactions have finished...usually if I'm the seller and a persone pays quickly, I leave feedback (Or once payment has been made)...usually they leave me feedback once they get the item...

 

[CraigPilecky]

I believe a seller should leave feedback when the payment is recieved. However I can understand holding back until the buyer has recieved the item and is satisfied with its condition etc.

However if a seller doesn't leave feedback when they recieve payment, they should send an email to the buyer letting them know. I cant count the number of times ive sent payment, waited 2 weeks or so and heard nothing. Then when I email them to ask whats up they say they just mailed it that day, or will the following day.

I mean I can understand some sellers do dozens or more auctions a week. So they only want to run to the post office once a week. But there needs to be some urgency to get the item out ASAP.

They wont admit it, but I think alot of sellers hold off on leaving feedback in order to prevent getting neutrals or negatives. I know alot of people ive dealt with deserve it, but I dont want my feedback messed up so I let it go.

 

[thundr51]

16-bit:
Slightly off topic, but I really would like eBay to give buyer feedback some value.

Right now, a buyer with zero feedback has the same privledges as a buyer with 1000 feedback. Sure, you can state "no zero feedback bidders", but what is that to stop a zero feedback bidder from sniping or placing a BIN?

This may be a step in the right direction to stopping shill bidding

 

[chris1]

I always leave feedback once a payment is received..I even notify the buyers that I received their payment.
I always send out the the right stuff and make sure whatever I listed works..So I have no reason to hold back feedback for retaliation.

I go through a lot of things to make the buyers happy with the transaction..

But,I've found that..since I always leave quick feedback for payments..Some buyers use this as an edge to pull some crap off within the transaction..
One time this buyer emailed me changing their mind after winning one of my auctions..they sent the payment,I left them positive feedback for payment ..As soon as I left the feedback they then threatened to Neg me if I didn't send them back the $3.00 money order because they changed their minds and didn't want the games anymore.
The newbie buyer actually said I no longer want the games anymore..
So I sent the $3.00 back but I couldn't leave that person a negative now and I was threatened of getting a negative myself..

Everytime a New Ebay user bid/wins one of my items I always worry now..
I've sold tons of stuff to New Ebay users,but they are usually the ones who never leave feedback..

Ebay selling really sucks...I get some of the stupidest questions...
I don't mind answering questions but some of them are ridiculous.
I had one guy ask me if I could take a $5.00 down payment for $100.00 item I had listed..and if I would ship it after I received the $5.00 eek!
He wanted Layaway..WTF!!!

I still leave positive feedback once a payment is received..because I sell good stuff...but I often thought about not doing that anymore..especially for the buyers who take way to long to pay for the auctions...
I have a 7-10 day limit on payment..if they can't read that part and take forever to pay..somethings not right...

<small>[ August 20, 2003, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: chris1 ]</small>

 

[Bluevoodu]

16-bit:
Slightly off topic, but I really would like eBay to give buyer feedback some value.

Right now, a buyer with zero feedback has the same privledges as a buyer with 1000 feedback. Sure, you can state "no zero feedback bidders", but what is that to stop a zero feedback bidder from sniping or placing a BIN?

I agree... these punks cost me about $30-40 a month.

I know that is not much but that adds up to $480 a year... and I could pay my domain hosting for all my sites.. and aliases... (2 sites, 11-13 aliases) on that money.

CURSE THE 0 FEEDBACK BUYERS THAT DISAPPEAR!
BUT you know what I hate more... is those ebayers that are deceptive. they email you, have good feedback ratings of 30-150 (that is the min-max I have seen so far do this) and then when it comes time to pay... they disappear.

argh... they should have a MORE STRICT penalty system for those users. they should make users who have been there longer hold up higher to a stricter code of ethics.

†B†V†

 

[Domino-chan]

I leave feedback when the item arrives and it's in good condition.

Recently I pre-ordered a set of Guilty Gear XX figurines. The seller was someone I've dealt with in the past and had great service. So I received my figures, but one of them was missing a part. I emailed the seller and enclosed a pic of what needed to be added. And, within a little while, I received the missing part and a bonus Johnny figurine. And I was happy to leave him positive feedback.

One thing I learned from all those lessons in customer service: 7 out of 10 people who complain will do business with you again if you resolve their problem in a satisfactory manner.

I do feel feedback, though not mandatory, is vital. I mean how would you feel if you had like 5 great transactions, you leave feedback to your buyer/seller, and none of them leave any for you? You're still left with 0 and potential customers would be wary of dealing with you.

 

[bokmeow]

xtoo_short20x:
I have dealt with about 10+ people who have
never thought about leaving me feedback...

After I paid, I sure did get my item, and left
them + feedback, but they never did. Sucks. shame

I think both parties should leave + feedback once
the deal is over. Payment has been received and
goods have been received.

I know how that feels. I left positive feedback to buyers, but roughly 30% of them don't leave positive feedback once the transaction finishes. What's up? It's not like I want to take a blood sample or anything.

 

[abdul]

i have bought 20+ things on ebay, and i only have like 3 feed back.....i always leave feedback, why the hell dont they