Moderator: spencer
thecountryowl wrote:Rarely happens anymore. I pay for items all the time. No feedback. I won't get any unless I post it first. Sellers are too afraid of idiot buyers I guess.
tobyjugg2 wrote:You needed trust from him to buy it, he should expect the same from you.
If you are a good seller that should not be an issue. Clearly you have doubts on that, You are effectively holding the buyers rating to ransom.
Just to add my tuppence to this rant, it is something I now feel strongly about as I have had my fingers burnt on a few occasons when I did leave feedback upon receipt of payment. As far as I, and eBay are concerned, feedback should be left upon completion of the transaction, but this surely only happens after the buyer has received the item and has confirmed they are happy with it? If the transaction ends with a buyer paying, then there's gonna be a lot of items that are not sent - surely despatching an item means the transaction is still continuing? Even eBay state that the buyer should leave feedback first - Source
I advertised an item with a damaged box, and clearly stated this in the listing, as well as reducing the price. Buyer paid, I left feedback, then had the privilige of receiving a neutral as the box was damaged. I've also had a neutral that simply stated "Where's my Item?"
I made a post on another forum after being asked "As a Buyer who has paid, what more is the seller waiting for?" Here's a few examples that answered their question...
-Confirmation they are satisfied with the item;
-communication in the event of problems;
-not receiving pushy emails demanding to know where the item is within hours of payment;
-not being asked where the item is 2 days after an e-cheque payment has been started;
-not being asked for the item to be posted to an unconfirmed or differing paypal address;
-not being pestered every morning at 9.05am because the postman hasn't arrived yet;
-no complaints that the buyer had to collect the parcel from the post office because a bundle of 7 DVD's would not fit through their letter box;
-no complaints that the postman got them out of bed to sign for the parcel;
-no complaints that the packaging was damaged even though it was listed as shop soiled;
-no complaints that the postman joked that the brown jiffy bag contained porn, I should be using white ones;
-no complaints about combined postage charges when the items are ALL listed as free postage;
-no neutrals for a PS2 game that it does not work on the buyers PSOne;
-no complaints that the Region 1 DVD where the listing boldly states that a multi-region player is required does not work on their UK DVD player;
-no paypal disputes relating to fraudulent use of a credit card chargeback because it was hubby buying wife a present that she did not like;
-no emails a week after dispatch asking for a refund because they have had an unexpectedly large gas bill and need the money;
ad nauseum....
All genuine, and some from personal experience. I don't fear a neg for poor service or late despatch, mis-description etc - these areas I have fully under control, but a neg from an idiot needs to be replied to as a warning to other sellers. I can tell everyone how quickly a buyer paid, but I also want to be able to warn people if the buyer is a numpty!! I can't do this until I have had chance to (hopefully not) experience this for myself.
Recently eBay have changed their seller performance policy, so that Neutrals are just as damaging to sellers as a negative is.
Most neutrals are left by naive buyers without prior communication, and are easily avoidable with a bit of contact. The fact that eBay want to use a series of unsubstantiated comments as a further stick to beat sellers with is morally wrong. Source
I could easily wipe out a competitor by purchasing a series of their items on my numerous buying accounts, leaving a pithy neutral for each of them, and that is them out of business. I'll be damn certain that this will NEVER happen to me, and at the moment the only weapon that sellers have in their self-preservation arsenal is the ability to withhold feedback until it is left for them.
If I now receive a neutral, I reply with a negative, as so far each neutral I have received has been left without prior communciation, and as a seller, I feel other sellers should be warned about inconsiderate buyers who are not willing to resolve problems. If buyers do not like the neg that I leave them, then they can always apply for a mutual feedback withdrawal - again, eBay actively encourages this to invoke discussion between dissatisfied parties, but surely this discussion should happen BEFORE feedback is left? Source
Unfortunately the buyer always has the upper hand, as I have very little way of controlling who bids on my items, how they pay, and if they have a confirmed Paypal address or not. A buyer can find, buy, and pay for an item before I have had the chance to check their feedback, where they have had ample opportunity to check mine before deciding to purchase.
As a (power)seller I have 100% faith in my abilities to provide and accurate and efficient service, but I can not rely on every one of my buyers being smart enough to engage conversation if they have mis-understood something, or are not completely satisfied.
Until eBay quit their blatant double standards on the importance of feedback on evaluating sellers performance, yet it's complete arbitrary and subjective nature, then I can see the majority of sellers adopting this stance. There is also regular discussions on blogs and newsletters about a boycott of feedback that is gathering momentum in the USA. Many sellers are now at a level where their feedback is high enough to prove their worth without receiving any more.I am happy with my 3800+ postives, and to be quite honest, if I do not receive any more, then it is not the end of the world - if a buyer can't trust me after this number of of positives, then I need to consider if I can trust them as a sensible member of the eBay community.
Rant over....
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
AuctionCut.com © 2009. All rights reserved.
"phpBB3 One Shot" by Cosa Nostra Design