Ebay feedback 'etiquette'

[csmager]

I disagree, I was actually on about this today.

I always feel the seller should leave feedback first, after all, when he's paid you there is nothing else for him to do. He's done his part perfectly by giving you payment. If I sell something I ALWAYS give positive feedback if someone pays me, even before I send the object out.

What if the buyer claims the item never arrived? Claims it's broken? Starts demanding refunds?

As a buyer, I don't think I've ever got feedback until I've given some. The large automated sellers always say 'if you give us positive feedback, we'll automatically give you some'.

As a seller, I've always waited for either feedback or a confirmation the item arrived and was OK before giving any.

 

[PinkPig]

The buyer is being ridiculous by demanding that you leave feedback first. (Especially before the item has arrived!) Feedback is supposed to represent your satisfaction with the whole transaction - if the item hasn't even arrived yet, how can you possibly know whether the sale has gone well or not? If the buyer does have a complaint or problem how do you know if they'll be reasonable in dealing with it? I would be automatically suspicious of anyone desperate to get feedback as soon as possible.

In any case you're under no obligation to leave feedback at all if you don't want to, you're buyer seems to have developed some strange sense of fictional rules....

 

[Jambo]

It's not though. How can somebody desevere positive feedback if they've been unfair? There's more to a transaction than simply paying for the item IMO.

As a side note, if the card does get 'lost' due to the backlog, am I expected to give a refund?

It is because the reason you are leaving a neg is because they have left one isn't it?

They deserve positive feedback because they have paid you for their goods. Simple. Their opinion of the transaction is a different matter. What would you do if it was your website and you had a forum? If the customer posted a negative comment?

As I said though I would regard it slightly differently if it was a private sale though.

And yes like others have said you will be responsible for a refund if it gets lost.

 

[Keltyx]

As a buyer I always expect the seller to leave feedback as soon as I have completed payment, and as a seller I always leave feedback as soon as payment is received.

The buyer has completed his committment in full, why shouldnt you give feedback?

 

[Jambo]

Two days later, buyer got negative feedback (first I've left in 7 years).

Pretty childish IMO. It was only a neutral. You could have left a neutral if you didn't get the praise you thought you deserved.

 

[Jambo]

What if the buyer claims the item never arrived? Claims it's broken? Starts demanding refunds?

Then you better sort out that problem for them.

 

[Burned_Alive]

Buyer first, because if there is a problem and they act like an idiot then they don't deserve positive feedback no matter how quickly they pay. I don't view the transaction as completed till the buyer says they are happy with everything.

Agreed.

I disagree, I was actually on about this today.

I always feel the seller should leave feedback first, after all, when he's paid you there is nothing else for him to do. He's done his part perfectly by giving you payment. If I sell something I ALWAYS give positive feedback if someone pays me, even before I send the object out.

Not true, the buyer could start acting like a jackass on arrival or non-arrival of the package and this should be taken into account when leaving feedback.

I always wait for the buyer to leave feedback first, this indicates to me that they have received the item and are happy with the transaction, i will then leave feedback.

 

[jpmonkey69]

Buyer first, because if there is a problem and they act like an idiot then they don't deserve positive feedback no matter how quickly they pay. I don't view the transaction as completed till the buyer says they are happy with everything.

No, it should be the seller that leaves feedback first, when I pay for an item, my part of the deal is done, hence, feedback should be left for me.

When the item arrives, the buyer should leave feedback for the seller.

My reason for this is as follows, I ordered a DVD from ebay, and it took the seller over 2 weeks to post the item. I had paid within hours of the auction ending, and I was constantly fobbed off by the seller with the usual excuses (Oh.. I forgot to post it, I'll post it tomorrow, my fish died and I had to attend to its' family).

In the end I gave him neg feedback, fairly IMO. I was then the victim of some retaliatory neg feedback.

 

[csmager]

Then you better sort out that problem for them.

This isn't the point. The point is people lie - the item could have arrived fine. RM can say it's delivered, and they can still argue it hasn't. I'd want to wait until the transaction has ended before passing judgement on it - most certainly not when it's just been paid for!

 

[jpmonkey69]

This isn't the point. The point is people lie - the item could have arrived fine. RM can say it's delivered, and they can still argue it hasn't. I'd want to wait until the transaction has ended before passing judgement on it - most certainly not when it's just been paid for!

If the item is posted in a trackable manner, to a confirmed address then the seller has nothing to worry about delivery-wise.

As I said above, I think it is poor form for a seller not to leave feedback until the buyer has, when it should clearly be the seller leaving feedback first, seeing as the buyer has completed his part of the contract.

 

[Vanilla]

If a buyer has paid you they have fufilled their part of the agreement and should be left feedback.

Some people hold back because they want to have some kind of bargaining chip should there be a problem.

I don't care about feedback. People get all upset about neg feedback and it's quite funny.

 

[csmager]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree. If I as a seller leave positive feedback before the item's even arrived, then it gives the buyer free reign to do absolutely anything. They can claim anything and I'd be able to do nothing - they could claim it didn't arrive and force a chargeback on PayPal. The feedback system is there to rate the whole transaction, not just the fact they paid.

 

[Burned_Alive]

I wonder how many people who are claiming that the seller should leave feedback first are actually sellers?

 

[jpmonkey69]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree. If I as a seller leave positive feedback before the item's even arrived, then it gives the buyer free reign to do absolutely anything. They can claim anything and I'd be able to do nothing - they could claim it didn't arrive and force a chargeback on PayPal. The feedback system is there to rate the whole transaction, not just the fact they paid.

Yes, but to be honest, the only reason you (as a seller) don't want to leave feedback first is because IF you get a negative feedback comment from the buyer you want to leave one back...

 

[jpmonkey69]

I wonder how many people who are claiming that the seller should leave feedback first are actually sellers?

I have sold my fair share of items on ebay. I'm mainly a buyer though.

 

[chris.tarry85]

When I am selling, I always tend to leave feedback for the buyer as soon as I have been paid and have dispatched the item, seems I am in the minority though.

 

[4T5]

^^ I'm the same. If i am selling my feedback about the buyer relates to comms & speed of payment. I know my goods are what i said they were & he has done his bit by bidding,Comms & payment.
When i buy i Won't leave feedback until i have received it from the seller. He should judge me on Comms & quick payment. As has been said the respond to feedback is there for responding to neg feedback.

 

[SoliD]

Same here I thought i've always had buyer leave feedback first. Way I do it on MM too.

 

[csmager]

Yes, but to be honest, the only reason you (as a seller) don't want to leave feedback first is because IF you get a negative feedback comment from the buyer you want to leave one back...

It's so you *could* if the buyer does something wrong - it's more the threat of it still being a possibility that the buyer is less likely to try anything stupid or underhand. Not all people are trustworthy. If you've already given your feedback, you're allowing them to do whatever they like.

 

[DreXeL]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree. If I as a seller leave positive feedback before the item's even arrived, then it gives the buyer free reign to do absolutely anything. They can claim anything and I'd be able to do nothing - they could claim it didn't arrive and force a chargeback on PayPal. The feedback system is there to rate the whole transaction, not just the fact they paid.

Exactly.