Do people not bother leaving feedback?

hermum

Apricot wrote: »

I've never understood this - buyer has fulfilled their part of the bargain as soon as they have paid so surely you should leave feedback straight away? Apart from the fact that you can only leave a positive anyway?
You'd never get feedback from me in that case...

Nor me, I used to leave it as soon as a buyer paid, but now do it when I get back from the post office as a belt & braces affair, so that I know it's been posted.

gemmalouanna

aeb wrote: »

As a seller I leave feedback when the buyer leaves it for me. When they leave it for me I know they have received it - it's like a receipt. Once I know they are happy I leave feedback straight away.

Same here - I leave FB when the buyers have.

Generally most people leave feedback so I leave feedback, just the odd couple of buyers don't in which case no FB is left either way

When buying I also leave feedback on the day of receipt.

Phils_debt

aeb wrote: »

As a seller I leave feedback when the buyer leaves it for me. When they leave it for me I know they have received it - it's like a receipt. Once I know they are happy I leave feedback straight away.

Same here ,i find this works best i used to leave feedback straight away but around 90% of people didnt leave me feedback but so far 100% of people now leave feedback well so far anyways

Crowqueen

Yup, I usually leave it on payment now. I don't mind whether I get it or not as a buyer, but because it keeps a lot of people happy to give it out, and the buyer's only responsibility is to pay (anything else is the seller's duty to sort out) there's no real need to mess about. When I sold a lot more stuff I used to do as Jazz said and leave it in bulk, and the number of people who would respond was always interesting.

Really, tbh, although it's not important from a rational point of view, irrationally I think that the reason so many people do still leave feedback for sellers is that it is still possible to receive it as a buyer. Although I don't agree with eBay's "community" branding (where money is involved it's very unwise to invoke that kind of thing because it suggests people have a more equal relationship than is the reality in commercial transactions), I must say it quite often works to stroke people's egos.

The buying account I set up for posting on the forums a couple of years ago has just got its turquoise star, so I'm rather chuffed at the moment.

mikey72

If sellers want feedback they can leave it first, if they don't want feedback that's fair enough.
As I buyer, I don't want feedback, I certainly don't need it, so I don't leave any if the seller hasn't got the manners to.

The exception would be if it wasn't a particuarly good transaction, then I'd knock a star or two of the comms for it if I had to leave feedback first.

olias

Thanks for all your comments so far. From day one, I have left feedback as soon as a buyer has paid.

From a new business seller POV, I do think is it important. It gives other buyers confidence in you as a seller, and personally, it helps my confidence to know that a seller is pleased with the product and service I am offering.

I recently had one feedback where the buyer said how he felt the quality of an item was really great, and that he was chuffed to bits with it. That really made my day! Far better, than just to send stuff out into a black hole, never to be seen or heard of again.

I do think feedback is important (for sellers to have, and for buyers to see a sellers feedback). I'll bet there is not a buyer on here that does not look at feedback before buying (even if it just a look at the figure on the listing, if not at the actual written feedback itself).

Olias

Crowqueen

Seller feedback is extremely important. I always leave it on eBay (and very rarely on Amazon) though because (irrationally) I can get it myself. I agree that it is frustrating when you don't get it but it usually gives you an accurate record even so. One of my theories for the reason the DSR ratings have such a high benchmark is that most people still leave feedback for positive transactions, whereas thresholds are lower on other sites because buyers leave feedback less except when they have a problem.

It may be to do with the items you are selling. Consumer durable items (flip-flops, hair items, batteries) are probably likely to attract people who just want the item and when they get it don't bother coming back to eBay until they need more. As a collector and a researcher, however, when I use eBay I am usually looking for something out of the ordinary and probably have more attachment to the transaction than I do when I buy a new pair of headphones on Amazon.

A non-aggressive note in the packaging with the item - "Hi, please don't hesitate to contact us if there is a problem, please feel free to leave us feedback if you are happy with your item" - without demanding good DSR ratings or trying to "educate" the buyer more than is reasonable whatever might help.

Otherwise as long as you leave it yourself then perhaps there's nothing more you can do, sadly.

Mrs_justjohn

As a buyer I leave feedback on receipt of item - to let the seller know it has arrived safely.

As a seller I leave feedback once the buyer has as I like to know they are happy before 'finalising the transaction (and in my mind once feedback is left it is all done and dusted). I NEVER leave feedback on receipt of payment - there is more to being a good buyer than just paying!

techspec

A sale is only complete once the buyer is happy - so if i sell, i return feedback ONLY once left for me. If the buyer does not leave feedback - then the sales is not yet complete - as they may come back to you.

If i buy - i leave feedback once it arrives or i have used the item and know its ok. This tells the seller its arrived and i am happy.

All you buyers saying "once a buyer pays they have fulfilled their part" have clearly not had to deal with buyers who try it on after the item as been posted. Leaving feedback for a buyer who then openly abuses you or scams you after the sale, is hardly sensible. There are also fraudulent payments to deal with and chargebacks. A buyer paying is only the start of the process.

Quantity of feedback is unimportant after the first 20 or so - its the quality.

Crowqueen

Mrs_justjohn wrote: »

As a buyer I leave feedback on receipt of item - to let the seller know it has arrived safely.

As a seller I leave feedback once the buyer has as I like to know they are happy before 'finalising the transaction (and in my mind once feedback is left it is all done and dusted). I NEVER leave feedback on receipt of payment - there is more to being a good buyer than just paying!

Sorry, but I disagree, and this is what I was getting at earlier. In a commercial situation, the only thing the buyer has to do is pay. eBay has engendered this attitude of "manners" etc. but in reality there's nothing different to buying on eBay than there is on Amazon (where buyers can't get visible feedback) or in an offline shop where there is no need to keep references with me when out shopping. Yes, I suppose you could argue that someone can behave politely or impolitely, but it also depends on how sellers sort the problems out and to a certain extent your job as a seller is to deal with stroppy customers without letting them know about it.

Claiming that eBay is different is misleading. In fairness to you, you're probably not a bad seller, but I don't consider that I have many more responsibilities when I press "Pay" and I resent the implication I have to somehow roll over and beg if I want my item. I don't give a hoot about feedback as a buyer, but I know my rights as a customer.

If an item doesn't arrive or is damaged in the post, it's the seller's responsibility.