Private feedback on ebay?

building_with_lego

I'm looking at the feedback history of my current high bidders and one of them has 99.1%. I tried to look at the comments but they're set to private- I can see all those negatives and neutrals but can't read anything :mad:

So, should I be worried?! I'm a little uneasy at this stage- I've never come across this before.

Angie74

I'm always suspicious of anyone with private feedback, even if it's all positive. I cancelled someone's bid this week, as they had a new account opened on the 12th sept, and 3 feedback, all positive but set to private. I just couldn't be bothered to even worry about it. I've had enough hassle on there this week. Good job I'm not that bothered whether my stuff sells or not really, because I'm well suspicious since reading this board. I haven't got any negative feedback yet, but I bet I will have after this week lol. I've just totally lost my patience with rude people.

soolin

Any poor feedback cannot of course be from buying, so it is likely that someone has had problems with their selling account and is now using it for buying instead.

techspec

In some countries everyones feedback is private - due to privacy laws there.

Some people just don't like others seeing what they are buying - especially their other half/ ex's.

Ive never had a problem with private feedback, and can't see the problem.

porto_bello

In contrast to others, I've found a high proportion of US buyers with their feedback set to private are amongst the small percentage of unscrupulous buyers on eBay, who bounce from seller to seller, trying to obtain items for nothing and trying to hide a trail of dishonesty by hiding their own feedback.

Typically, they'll buy something of relatively low value but later, they'll want a refund because it's damaged or because it got lost in the post (they'll add that you should trust them and simply refund them without asking for a photo or approaching the Post Office, because they're an honest regular church goer, who has never had a problem on eBay before).

And if you don't, you'll be informed that as an upholder of Christian values, against their will, they will be forced by a deep sense of honour to leave you a negative... [I want free goods and full refund or I'll neg you].

If they have a relatively obscure eBay ID and you Google it, you'll find links to the feedback they've left for previous sellers: essentially, lots of negatives for sellers who fail to offer free goods, with free shipping.

If I get a bid from a 'private feedback' buyer, and it is registered in the US, (and if there is time before the auction end), I cancel it.

building_with_lego

Thanks for the perspectives all, Soolin especially, I'd overlooked that they would have had to come from selling- their stars are pretty good though.

They're no longer the high bidder :j so it may have been worrying over nothing. Porto bello, that's some interesting experience you've had there, and I'll certainly bear that in mind in the future.

forgotmyname

Mention the item you bought in the feedback.


Few dodgy car dealers pretending to be private sellers get caught on that when buyers say nice car all good etc. After a couple like that in a short space of time you know they are a dealer.

building_with_lego

forgotmyname wrote: »

Mention the item you bought in the feedback.


Few dodgy car dealers pretending to be private sellers get caught on that when buyers say nice car all good etc. After a couple like that in a short space of time you know they are a dealer.

Unless they've got private feedback, in which case you can only see the numbers of positive, negative and neutrals, no comments at all.

Crowqueen

Everyone in the real world has private feedback - so there's no point in buyer feedback at all. There's a legitimate reason for private feedback, in that mostly shops in the real world don't know what their customers have also bought elsewhere, or what they do for a job and how well they do it - and one might argue, why should they; it has no bearing on their ability to buy something in that shop.

My old selling account was wrecked; it would show 0% now but I turned it private so I could use it as a posting ID on the US forums.

rapido

porto_bello wrote: »

If they have a relatively obscure eBay ID and you Google it, you'll find links to the feedback they've left for previous sellers: essentially, lots of negatives for sellers who fail to offer free goods, with free shipping.

I had one buyer from Italy with private feedback. He bought some old Playstation adaptor or something or other (it was my brother's) for a fiver.

A week or so after posting, suddenly a claim was filed by the buyer for non receipt. I was quite annoyed that he hadn't messaged me first.

Cut a long story short, he left me a negative feedback before Paypal gave him a full refund.

When I did a Google search for 'scedevnet', I was floored to see the feedback he left for other sellers. Loads of negatives in the past few months, almost all for Playstation gear which "hadn't arrived", plus some comments that had been removed by Ebay.

Some of the items were over £50.

I suddenly felt angry but lucky at the same time.

And did he claim he was a "churchgoing Christian"? No! In fact his user picture (at the time) suggested he was a militant atheist.

soolin

With Italy the lost items could well be genuine. Even my Italian friend will not ship things home to certain regions as nothing ever gets there.