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Abacus Ink Cartridge Blog Spot - Ramblings of a full-time eBayer
18 comments

eBay Feedback: Buyer/Seller.......Who should leave it first?

Posted 05-Aug-06 00:04:52 BST Updated 11-Aug-06 01:26:10 BST
Feedback is close to the heart of all of us on eBay. It is our reputation as both a buyer and seller.....................I haven't put my opinion out there anywhere yet and just thought: "What better place than my blog?"   I would be very happy to have anyone reading to post your comments too! What do you think? If you don't agree......why?
In thinking of how best to post my thoughts I came up with this idea...... Here are some quotes of e-mails received from customers regarding feedback and then following is one of my recent e-mail replies on the subject.

~~ Quotes from Customers ~~

"Hi, I paid in full for an ink cartridge. Please leave feedback for me. Thank you"

"I have been waiting for you to leave feedback, as the seller, before I proceed with leaving your feedback. It has always
been our policy to expect feedback after our part of the transaction was complete . (payment received buy the seller in
full)."

"So, You don't leave feedback until the customer does because you have an automated system. Well, that certainly explains it! I have a bridge you may be interested in! I'll leave feedback after you do. I have one negative feedback on Ebay, it was from a very large ebayer who, after ripping me off, left negative feedback as retribution for my negative feedback. It appears as if you may be inclined to do the same. You should have explained to me that you use feedback as leverage. If that isn't true, then your "automated" system would leave positive feedback as soon as you receive payment for the item."

"I have been waiting for you to leave feedback, as the seller, before I proceed with leaving your feedback. It has always been our policy to expect feedback after our part of the transaction was complete . (payment received buy the seller in full)."

"Yes you can give me good feedback when I pay rather than waiting til I leave you feedback. Your feedback to me should be totally based on my
paying in a timely fashion."

"The reason I have not left feedback is that I used to always leave feedback but I noticed that many times sellers did not take the time to reciprocate so I decided that since the seller received "service" from me first I would leave feedback about my satisfaction after the seller expressed satisfaction with my timliness paying, etc."

 

~~ My Reply (Opinion) ~~

"I know there are many users on eBay that feel the way you do, but let me explain our position.....We feel that feedbackshould be a reflection of the entire transaction. If we leave feedback as soon as the buyer pays, there is no accountabilityfor the buyer's actions beyond that point. The buyer can choose to initiate a chargeback without explanation.....They mightuse the threat of negative feedback if we don't meet some demands....If these or other situations occur, there is nothing wecan do to warn other eBay users if we have already left feedback.

We can't completely prevent this by our feedback policy, but we can guard our reputation, prevent some fraud and cause someusers to work with us if there is a problem that might not otherwise.

We always leave positive feedback when positive feedback is left for us and we do not leave retaliatory feedback. Thisdoesn't mean that we have never left a negative for somebody who left us negative, but only if they were unreasonable towork with. There are times we've received negative feedback and deserved it, we're big enough to accept that and try tosolve the problem, even after receiving negative feedback. I would be happy for you to look through our feedback andfeedback left for others and you will find this is true.

I hope you can respect our differing opinion. We do greatly appreciate your business!"

 

~~ Summary ~~

In a perfect world, we could leave feedback right away. But then again, in a perfect world......we wouldn't need feedback. Also, if this was a cash transaction, there would be no possibility for fraud and no reason to delay leaving feedback. The buyer couldn't get their money back without coming back to you to resolve the problem and nobody else could say..."It wasn't their money, it was mine. Give it back". The only reason I can see for a buyer to have a concern about leaving feedback first is if they plan to leave a negative for the seller, and if the seller really deserves it, you should do it without concern anyway. If you get retaliatory feedback, you can respond to it in your feedback profile and I, for one, will respect that you "took one for the team!"

I know there are different opinions out there, but have never seen anybody explain very well why they believe the buyers responsibility is over as soon as they pay. If you can...please do!

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Comments
iiapco
I leave feedback after it's left for me and I know the customer is happy with their purchase. I don't just "rate" how quickly the customer paid, but rather the entire transaction. ~kris
05-Aug-06 00:07:26 BST Report this comment
frogmom1010
i as a buyer leave feedback once i have gotten my purchase & i am happy & the transaction is completed whether the seller has left it for me or not. if i am not happy i talk to them & we work it out one way or the other! as a seller i mostly leave feedback once the buyer has left theirs... i do this for this reason only, it is usually the only way i know my customer actually got their items & are happy. i mean how else will i know? i don't know too many people here on eBay that hop on the email to tell the seller that they got the item in the mail... feedback is the way i know the transaction is complete.
05-Aug-06 00:12:18 BST Report this comment
tapmakeup
mom i left you feedback let me know if your not happy lol toni ps, im working on my # 50 as u can see im only 49.....
05-Aug-06 00:17:31 BST Report this comment
*dolphinmama1960*
When I sell an item and the buyer pays, I go ahead and leave fb. When I buy I leave fb as soon as I receive the item, and I`m satisfied. To me fb completes a transaction though a lot of ebayers do not bother to leave any at all. It is unfortunate, but we have to deal with it. God bless :)
05-Aug-06 00:21:05 BST Report this comment
jaye8698
Here's my philosophy (and keep in mind that I'm a small seller, dealing in fairly low-cost items, and the transactions are simple): Feedback is optional. I leave it for my customers the same day I ship, which is generally within 24 hours of receiving payment. I am very grateful for my buyers. I am grateful when everything turns out well and the buyers are happy. Most do leave feedback within a very short time of receiving their items. If a person is disappointed, or if something happens between here and there, I don't blame the buyer. I can't always give them what they think they want, but I do everything in my power to give them what I promise. When to leave feedback is up to the individual's philosophy and policy. I think buyers and sellers who look for a method that fits with their way of doing business and who strive to make it a part of good buying and selling practices will do just fine.
05-Aug-06 00:26:04 BST Report this comment
goldenshovels
I as a seller always leave fb when I ship signals to the buyer item is on way, I dont always get return fb but sometimes it shows up 4 month later, and well sometimes never, some buyers dont know what fb is and then theres some buyers maybe I would rather did not leave it, cant please them all.
05-Aug-06 00:26:49 BST Report this comment
frogmom1010
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! TPSHREVESPORT YOU HAVE A BLUE STAR NOW. LOL.
05-Aug-06 00:28:54 BST Report this comment
aswegrow2
I leave feedback after buyer, but if I do not hear from them at the mid- to end of the next month after transaction, I leave feedback but also email them stating "I have not heard from you after 30 days so I assume you are satisfied with your purchase Thank you and look foward to trading with you again" and most of the time thier feedback is left as soon as they read the email. D
05-Aug-06 00:52:05 BST Report this comment
hereathingthereathing
As a seller, i am similar to jaye. Most of my items are low cost and I usually don't lis more than 6 items at a time. Therefore it is easy for me to pay special attention to each buyer and I leave feedback as soon as I am paid and the item is shipped (which is the next day for me also). Recently my feedback from buyers has been running over 90 percent so it has not hurt me to give feedback first. I used to be staunchly against leaving any seller feedback first, but since these blogs, I can see both sides. If a seller has a reputation of leaving feedback for their buyers, I will go ahead and leave feedback if I was pleased with the item. However, I will state that I have hesitated to leave even neutral feedback because of retalatory feedback. I recently bought a so-called vintage izod shirt that was anything but. I happened to be around when Izod shirts came out so you can call me vintage. I did tell the seller since she sells on consignment and I thought she would like to know. she never responded and her return policy was for the item only- not shipping with a 10 percent restocking fee. By the time I got done, it would have cost more to return it. I was only out 10 dollars but it did annoy me. In that case I should have left a neutral- shipping was somewhat inflated, but I am not going to risk my reputation for 10 dollars. You wonder how many others this happened to and that others should be forewarned. I think the shirt was maybe a knock-off as it was paper thin and not sized correctly.
05-Aug-06 00:55:28 BST Report this comment
rickjp55
Call it rating the total experience. Call it protecting one's reputation. Call it whatever you like. Sellers are just as big of jerks as buyers. Most sellers act responsibly leaving feedback when I pay or when I give feedback. All too often though I ( as a buyer )have to beg for my feedback and even then don't get it. Just yesterday, I closed out 5 items where I had not been given feedback. I pay usually within 2 minutes of an item closing. I communicate as needed. I am patient when delivery takes longer than expected. I give feedback as soon as I receive the item. There should be no reason for a seller to give me a negative, but as soon as I give my first Neg I know I will get one back. In a highly competitive marketplace I look for the seller who gives service with a smile. They are the ones who will most often get my money.
05-Aug-06 01:28:40 BST Report this comment
fjbfjb
When a buyer pays for an item, and the funds are there, I agree that it should not be encumbent upon the buyer to be the first to leave feedback. The seller now has funds from a prompt payment without having supplied any goods, and one would think that the seller appreciates this payment from the buyer without the buyer having received any goods and would show his appreciation with prompt positive feedback. I did see a comment about automated feedback response from the seller once they receive feedback from the buyer, I feel that this type of seller has put the "cart befor the horse".
20-Sep-06 02:11:26 BST Report this comment
readertown
The seller should be the bigger person and post feedback for the transaction FIRST. After all, THEY put the item up for auction FIRST and the bidder bid on it 2nd. Right? This was the order. Of the two (seller and buyer) I think the seller should be expected to act more professionally.

Once the check clears, the buyer's obligation is over, and the seller should post feedback. When I started ebay many years ago it seemed this was the way almost everyone did it. 1) item sold 2) buyer pays 3) seller posts feedback for buyer 4) seller ships item 5) buyer receives item and 6) buyer posts feedback. Now it seems sellers expect buyers to post feedback first.

But I still believe that sellers should NOT demand feedback from the buyer before they will post feedback. If this happens to you as a buyer, I think you have every right to just not leave any feedback for them at all. (Feedback is optional, after all.) If the seller REALLY wants a feedback from you that badly, then he should be willing to post one for you first. It's true that retaliatory feedback does happen, and nobody wants to ruin their perfect record. Still, an honest seller will not hold their feedback "hostage" until the buyer posts feedback first. I believe this is just wrong. However, it will go on indefinitely until ebay fixes the flawed feedback system. See my blog post for more:

http://blogs.ebay.com/readertown/entry/PET-PEEVE-RETALIATORY-FEEDBACK/_W0QQidZ23562011
27-Sep-06 04:31:06 BST Report this comment
rm_plastics
I agree with readertown. The order of the transaction is critical, and no honest seller should withhold fb until the buyer posts fb. That is holding fb hostage. I think this "entire transaction" theory is a load of you-know-what! Once the buyer pays for the transaction and supplies their shipping/mailing address or any other pertinent information, they have done their job and completed their obligation in the transaction. If the buyer has done a good job they should receive positive fb right then and there. If not, well the that's a different story, we all try to work with the other party, etc. The excuses given above, like the threat of negative fb in exchange for the buyer's demands or a reversal of funds, can all be dealt with through different methods. I have never given anyone negative fb and I pride myself on paying for my auctions super fast and communicating with a seller immediately after the sale, but I expect to get positive fb once I've done my part. I found this blog, because I've had it with deadbeat sellers who take forever to respond to emails or to ship something or to honestly deliver exactly what the auction described, and I'm to the point now that I won't provide fb until I receive it. That's my way of knowing the entire transaction was successful. LOL. Sarcasm intended.

There is no question in my mind that a seller not giving fb first, is simply holding it hostage! If you do your job, then there should be no fear of receiving negative fb, and if you do receive it unjustly there are other options. If you are honest, you have nothing to fear in stepping up and providing fb first. That sets the tone for the transaction, and as long as a seller performs their duties, there is no reason they will receive negative fb. I know there are exceptions to the rule, but those are rare, and that's why they're called exceptions. So deal with them as an exception.

Buyers unite! Stop the feedback hostage game!
03-Mar-07 14:47:57 GMT Report this comment
flowers-in-vancouver
I agree with the buyers who feel feedback should be received once the payment is made.
As a seller I leave feedback as soon as I receive payment.
As a buyer , I used to leave feedback first, anticipating a great transaction. However after excessive shipping times, no show items and bad Customer Service, I now wait unitl I receive the product. Even if it takes a long time to get the item, as long as its as pictured , I still leave postive feedback. I will chose neutral if the product is shipped on time , but not quite as pictured. Only chose negative if its truly warranted.

Thanks for letting me vent on the subject.
03-Apr-07 17:05:17 BST Report this comment
onetwoizm
I agree with you completely, well almost completely. I do feel that if the buyer successfully paid, for instance via paypal, then the seller really should leave feedback after the payment is received. After that the rest of the transaction is entirely up to the seller. This will hold true except when you would like feedback to reflect returns. Although if this were to become the predominant method, then it would make more sense to leave feedback at the end of the warrantee or return period. Which would become a feedback tracking mess.
13-Jul-07 19:57:23 BST Report this comment
tkbayes
I was just searching about this because I have encountered this lately and am annoyed by this new practice. I totally agree with rm_plastics! As a buyer, my part is completed once I have paid and given my address. For a seller to withold my feedback until they see what I think of them is a load of cr@p. If I pay and provied any necessary information in a timely manner and then still get a neutral or negative based on my feedback to them - how can anyone justify that? What about me is negative at that point other than my opinion of the seller or their product? I also agree that there may be instances when holding off on feedback may be necessary, such as if there is a time period for returns. In that case, feedback should be left at the end of that period. That way the seller has allowed time for the buyer to resolve any issues. Honestly, I have been lucky enough not to have a reason to ever leave negative or neutral feedback... but I fear that if the opportunity ever presents itself that I probably won't do it for fear of screwing up my rating. Surely that is not how the system is supposed to work... but it is definitely a way for bad sellers to not have to worry so much about poor service. For now, I don't leave feedback for sellers who hold my feedback hostage. I figure if that is how they choose to do business then they don't deserve my positive feedback... regardless of how good the transaction might have been.
11-Mar-08 05:47:22 GMT Report this comment
poorgradstudent_73
Have to chime in here.

I'm an occasional Ebay user, have only been the buyer, and have bought items from $10 to a recent purchase of a $2000 bike. I always promptly pay the seller, have 100% feedback (albeit limited in number), and am simply happy to have Ebay as a shopping option.

However, as a buyer, I do not like having feedback kept as hostage. I have two outstanding transactions right now that i have not given feedback for because I've decided that the seller should leave it first. The reasoning is simple: If I promptly pay the seller *and* they're confident in their description of the item and their shipping of the item, then what is the seller afraid of? And further, why are they treating me with suspicion as a potential dishonest person even after I've promptly paid???

This concept of fearing buyers who unnecessarily leave negative feedback is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The vast vast VAST majority of Ebay users are honest people, and what sellers don't understand is that as a buyer only, I resent being treated with suspicion by the seller *even after* I've promptly paid for the item. To rationalize the buyer-must-leave-first due to the actions of 1 out of 5000 users is not justified.

To end off, I have decided that in the future, I will not provide repeat business to sellers who do not leave feedback first (provided I've promptly paid for the item). I trusted you to buy an item sight unseen, so the least you could do is to trust me *after* I've paid for the item. I realize that going to some other seller won't assure me of receiving feedback first. However, I will know that I have voted with my pocketbook against a seller who automatically treated me with distrust and suspicion.

There you have it... from a buyer's perspective.
26-Mar-08 19:07:03 GMT Report this comment
tad551
I find it EXTREMELY annoying when the majority of sellers expect me, as the buyer, to leave feedback first. I won't do it! When I have paid, and I almost always pay immediately, my end of the deal is done. I expect positive feedback from the seller at that point. So, basically, I may be lucky to get 1 or 2 out of 10 sellers who will leave feedback first. So be it. We both lose out.
30-Mar-08 02:18:00 BST Report this comment

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