Quick q..do you do automated feedback?

aliasojo

Just curious to know if this is something a lot of sellers do or not?

I bought an item which was reasonably priced, postage costs ok, sent soon enough. All good. BUT the email I got telling me my item had been dispatched also asked me to leave feedback and that their feedback system was automated and that as soon as I left positive feedback for them....then it would automatically trigger positive feedback for me.

Now, although I am happy with the item and the transaction....the feedback thing has raised my hackles. My part in the transaction was flawless so if feedback is given at all, it should be given freely and not as a tit for tat.

Do many of you as sellers do this? If so, why? It is incredibly annoying imo and just plain wrong. I dont give a toss about the feedback itself, just the process. I'd really like to understand why people think this is a good or acceptable thing to do.....as right now, I don't.

RFW

aliasojo wrote: »

Just curious to know if this is something a lot of sellers do or not?

I bought an item which was reasonably priced, postage costs ok, sent soon enough. All good. BUT the email I got telling me my item had been dispatched also asked me to leave feedback and that their feedback system was automated and that as soon as I left positive feedback for them....then it would automatically trigger positive feedback for me.

Now, although I am happy with the item and the transaction....the feedback thing has raised my hackles. My part in the transaction was flawless so if feedback is given at all, it should be given freely and not as a tit for tat.

Do many of you as sellers do this? If so, why? It is incredibly annoying imo and just plain wrong. I dont give a toss about the feedback itself, just the process. I'd really like to understand why people think this is a good or acceptable thing to do.....as right now, I don't.

I do. Sorry if its annoying, but with a lot of feedbacks at once (around 500/month) it is way too time consuming to do them all individually. For the record you can set the automation to be either at time of payment received or after feedback received.

As payments can be reversed/stopped/bounced, mine is set for after feedback received.

I do also automate emails after close of auction, payment received and items dispatched, again it is for ease of time, lets my customers know how my system works (how to pay, goods sent next working day, etc). I do answer all other emails/messages personally as soon as I see them.

I'd estimate I save an extra day a week by automating these things, time (and money!) which is put to better use ensuring goods are sent out in good time and keeping my running costs down (which if higher would inevitably be passed on to the customer).

I'm fully aware of how annoying it is to essentially be dealing with a machine (I deal with Ebay, Paypal and Parcelforce on a regular basis!), so as far as possible I make all the automations as personal as I can, in fact most of my customers don't know that they are! None of my emails/messages ever ask for feedback to be left, IMO that is going too far.

POSSETTE

a seller wont be able to leave neg feedback soon...so they cant respond with tit for tat feedback...what happens to automated FB then?

RFW

POSSETTE wrote: »

a seller wont be able to leave neg feedback soon...so they cant respond with tit for tat feedback...what happens to automated FB then?

I've never had automated to leave anything other than positive (at least via Ebay you can't do it any other way), so no change. If you are left a neutral or negative, the automated system just ignores it and doesn't leave any feedback.

FloFlo

Do you have to sign up to selling pro for automated feedback?

pinkgem

FloFlo wrote: »

Do you have to sign up to selling pro for automated feedback?

i think so

RFW

FloFlo wrote: »

Do you have to sign up to selling pro for automated feedback?

I did read somewhere that there are other ways, I know some of the account management systems have it. Possibly available with Andale and some others, but I use Selling Manager Pro.

aliasojo

I had completely forgotten I had started this thread!

Thank you RFW for the explanation. Perhaps the buyer I dealt with also has a high number of feedbacks to deal with too.

I understand the practicality of going automated.........however it still ends up as a tit for tat exercise which is the bit I have a problem with.

I haven't left feedback at all purely because of it, so he's dipped on another positive for his collection. :rolleyes:

FloFlo

They were probably just letting you know how it is set up for them to save receiving the countless emails from buyers repeatedly asking for feedback.