eBay Feedback

[ukpuffy]

When should you leave feedback following a transaction on ebay? Should the buyer or seller go first?

[paddy_36]

The seller should technically go first; the buyer has to wait for the goods to arrive before passing judgement. In saying that, I've noticed that some sellers don't leave feedback. If you're happy with a transaction, I would leave feedback whether seller has done it or not.

[joko]

i agree seller first.

[Cetti]

I don't agree. Both should wait until the buyer has received the goods and this way the Seller can reply if the goods haven't been received, there's been poor communication...or if everything has gone well.

[kempie]

I disagree with Cetti - the seller could use Follow up to Feedback Left For Others or Reply to Feedback Received from the buyer for the situations described.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/services/forum/feedback.html

[LeMarchand]

I would say seller first, as (in theory) their involvement in the sale should be at an end. Unfortunately very few sellers do so, which sometimes seems not such a bad idea when you see some of the negative comments buyers leave: "Postage too high" being one that I can never understand - don't these people check the postage first?

[Steve_Luts]

I sell a moderate amount on Ebay, usually sending stuff by Royal Mail special delivery, which is guaranteed by 1pm next day.

On the day of delivery I mail the buyer to check they have received the goods safely and that they are happy with everything. This gives me the upfront opportunity to deal with any problems before they give me negative feedback; it seems to work, I always get an immediate 'great ebayer', and am happy to reciprocate that.

However, I never leave it first, just in case someone lower than a snake's belly tries to stiff me with a negative when I've given them a positive! Such people exist out there, just beware.

[Ethel]

I have been an eBayer user, as buyer and seller, for 4 years and have over 1500 transactions.

I leave feedback when I am satisfied the transaction is over regardless of what the other person does.

As a seller I leave positive feedback on receipt of payment or negative on refund of final value fees because the buyer hasn't paid. Neutral for delayed payment.

As a buyer I leave positive feedback on receipt of goods or satisfactory resolution of faulty goods/non delivery, negative if the transaction has been bad.

I have never been in receipt of spite feedback, and in any case there is provision to make a calm and factual reply to any feedback received.

I believe that honest feedback is the only way to make the feedback system worthwhile.
If people leave false positives out of fear of retaliatory negative feedback, they whole thing is worthless.

[joko]

but if they do nothing dodgy, why should they fear a neg? once a neg has been given theres nothing they can do about it so 'leaving themselves wide open' is irrelevant because returning a neg doesn't alter the one they have

cetti - both should wait until end of transaction in case of problems but seller should eventually go first

though, once the buyer has paid, their part is done so feed back could also be left immediately

[tugger2chews]

In a Pickle is 100% correct the buyer should leave feedback first. I have 4606 feedback which consist of 9 negatives, and those 9 negatives were left by buyers who tried to use feedback blackmail or just went ahead and left it rather than contact me to resolve an issue. I used to leave feedback first but 9 months ago I changed my policy and now leave it after the buyer. Since then I have had no bad feedback, however I still have problems but these are sorted peacefully. In my listing I have the wording 'Being human I do make the odd mistake but on these rare occasions a solution is always at hand....NO NEED FOR NEGATIVES!

How can a seller leave feedback first? a buyer should be judged on all aspects of the transaction and not just because he paid!

[KRUSTY]

I have only ever purchased good on Ebay - 150 or so to date - and I prefer to receive feedback on the speed in which I pay and the reliability of my keeping to my end of the bargain. When leaving feedback regarding the quality of the products that I have bought or the speed of delivery I try to be as honest as possible and if there is a problem I try to sort it out with the seller first. To date I have never left a negative feedback but it does annoy me when sellers wait to see the feedback that I have left before leaving their own. So, in answer to your question - the seller should definitely leave feedback first.

[tugger2chews]

KRUSTY

You are so wrong!

I have had buyers mess me about, completing checkout and not sending the payment which means I then have to go through the process of sending a non-paying bidder alert. It usually happens after the buyer has received the alert they finally pay, sometimes 28 days later, so in that instance I should theoretically leave a bad or neutral feedback, however if I was to do that what do you think the buyer will do...Leave me a positive? I don't think so!

[kempie]

tugger2chews - there are two parts to any transaction...

1. The Buyer pays for the item - at which point feedback should be left by the Seller since that half of the transaction is now completed.

2. The Seller ships the item - and upon receiving delivery of said item the Buyer then leaves appropriate feedback for the Seller.

If the Buyer abuses the feedback system in any way (e.g. by leaving an unwarranted negative) there is the facility for the Seller to leave Follow-up Feedback and to Reply to Feedback to set the record straight.

[tugger2chews]

Absolute rubbish Kempie!

Although the facility is there to leave a comment or follow up it does not show up at the top part of the page where the total feedback is added. If a buyer comes along to check a sellers feedback all they see is the amount of negatives, who on earth searches through pages and pages of feedback to read every comment. I have initiated a system that works for me and possibly a lot of other sellers in which time none of my buyers have complained about me leaving feedback last. I have in the last month had over 200 sales and out of those 200 sales only 6 have not left feedback, not bad considering I am doing it wrong according to you

[tugger2chews]

One last point, as previously mentioned I clearly state in my listing that I leave feedback once I know the buyer is fully satisfied. I never force anyone to place a bid but in doing so they are agreeing to my feedback policy. If a buyer doesn't like it they shouldn't bid, but strangely enough they do and regularly.

[kempie]

Why are you taking this so personally and attacking me in the process?

I have just stated my opinion that the feedback system is not being used as intended by eBay i.e. to give a true representation of each transaction.

"...who on earth searches through pages and pages of feedback to read every comment."

I'm on Earth and I check through a Seller's Feedback to ensure that I, as Buyer, reduce the likelihood of entering into a fraudulent auction.

I do not expect all Sellers to maintain a 100% feedback rating because occasionally idiots who do not read listings properly leave unwarranted remarks and so I seek out the Neutrals and Negatives (and their associated responses) to confirm that they are indeed atypical of the Seller's record.

I presume that you must have feedback in the order of hundreds, if not thousands, and yet you are frightened of your rating dropping by 1%.

[marshman]

Sorry folks but I disagree with most of you,I believe that the buyer should leave feed back first,when I buy I always check the goods straight away and leave feed back,when selling I wait untill I have recieved feed back.

[kempie]

I am well aware of the erosion of courtesy in our society but how far away is it before Christmas presents are exchanged in the manner advocated be eBay Sellers...

Person A gives a present to Person B
B does not say 'Thank you'
B gives a present to A
B will not thank A until they first receive thanks from A

[tugger2chews]

Nobody is having a pop at you Kempie I just can't see what the reasoning is behind everybody thinking that Sellers must leave feedback first. I will answer a few of your points however; firstly you mention that you are one of these people who checks back through ratings and read all comments. How on earth can you form an opinion on a follow up as 9/10 times the reply is to a negative, usually abusive or at best a tit-for-tat response and after a few months you can no longer view the item it concerns anyway. How can you get a clear picture from that?

Your Xmas scenario is basically agreeing that the buyer responds first for instance: I'm the seller (giver) and you the Buyer (receiver) I give you a present (Send Goods) to which your reaction would be 'Thank You Very Much', (you have just left feedback). I would then respond with something like 'Thats quite alright I hope you enjoy it' therefore it is polite & courteous for the receiver to speak first.

[kempie]

No, the Buyer gives the first present i.e. payment.