Not leaving a feedback

[Radiophonicus]

If I wish to leave feedback for which I'll be held legally responsible, it's my decision to do so, and no supposed ebay netizen rules can force me to write something about the process if I don't want to.

No, no one can force you to leave feedback but an attitude like this is what perpetuates the problem to begin with.

 

[rackem]

Communication?

I look at it this way. I hand select the best example of the cue I am offering. I take pictures of it, sometimes extras when requested. I create an acurate listing. I pay to list it. I pay to sell it. I pay to accept your paypal or have to wait for a money order. I carefully package the order. I take it to the post office. I have done my job.
That's when it becomes their(post office) job to handle it properly and deliver it quickly.
Then it becomes the buyers job to tell me they got it safely and are happy with the transaction. The customary way to do that on ebay is with Possitive feedback.
When they complete their end of communicating we have had a successful transaction and I will leave them possitive feedback.
There is more to buying on ebay then just paying on time.

 

[Flex]

No, no one can force you to leave feedback but an attitude like this is what perpetuates the problem to begin with.

Call it an attitude if you wish. However, I highly suggest that before you leave negative feedback for someone who already has several, that you take a look at how they respond to the negative comments. Do they seem to be fair, or do they call the poster a "welcher" "dead-beat" "liar" and so on? If so, perhaps you'd rather leave feedback for someone else, unless you want to be on the receiving end of slime.

There are very few people for whom I've not left feedback. In just about every case, I've been able to convince them to live up to their obligations. And after all that, I'll probably leave them a positive note.

However, if they can't be reasoned with, and there are a few like that, I'll initiate the process with eBay to file a complaint. Things like asking for their contact info. When that happens, and that's only after they've taken their oh-so-sweet time to answer emails, telling me "not to worry" even though they don't pick up their certified mail-return receipt requested for several days, I'll contact ebay to get their phone to call them up, as eBay strongly suggests. Usually, that helps them to come to their senses.

I'm always polite, never rough, or rude. Just firmly polite. Works wonders.

What about my demeanor or attitude do you find to be a problem??

BTW, my rating on eBay is 80, with no negatives listed against me. Not even one neutral. I think I know how to deal with problem people. If they are responsible, there's practically never a problem. If they're jerks, they'll not like being treated kindly but firmly.

It really doesn't surprise me one whit though when a seller has been informed that doing what they are doing is deceptive advertising and is against the law in the U.S., and likely is also against the law in Canada. That ripping someone off by sending the wrong merchandise won't help get them brownie points on eBay, and so on.

Works like a charm

Flex

 

[Irish634]

If the buyer has completed their part of the bargain... communicated in a timely manner and paid in full, what's left to wait on as far as the buyer is concerned when it comes to leaving them feedback? They did what they were supposed to do, right? Unless I'm missing something, there's nothing else left to "grade" them on.

You are correct Timberly & I agree 100%. But there are some people that wait to see what feedback you leave so they are able to reciprocate the same. Which as someone said earlier is crap. Then if negative feedback is given, by both parties, it can be mutually withdrawn. It's just an observation, but it seems like there could be a better system for it.

JMO,
Craig

Edit: Sorry everyone for just reiterating the same things as everyone else (I missed the last page), my bad...

 

[dagnabit]

I have only purchased off ebay once or twice. I think I left feedback but really didn't know it was that big of a deal. Recently bought a new car - threw the customer survey away isn't that the same thing.

 

[TATE]

Feedback is voluntary and asking for is considered bad eBay etiquette.

E-bay etiquette, oh wow - that's a good one.

"I'm sorry sir, but I was taken aback at your request for, ahem, feedback. Do you not know it is impolite to ask for feedback?

Certainly, those socks were a good price, and they were, as advertised, almost new. The shipping was exceptional. What was that smell anyway? Parmesan chese? Cubana cigars? Raid? I also enjoyed the catheter I purchased. It is nearly leak proof.

But, may I suggest that you do not ask another e-bay member for feedback. They might think you're low class or something."

 

[Ummagumma]

What would or could you do if you sold a brand new item on E-Bay and the person receives the item but does not leave a feedback? Then you E-MAIL them and ask them to please leave a feedback and they do not respond...Forget about it???

I would not take it personally at all. I usually leave feedback for others, but usually only after I have ascertained that they have left feedback for me. Yes, I'm well aware that the other party could be operating under the same mindset. Oh well.

Out of some 60 transactions, I've only skipped feedback about 5 times. Mostly because I was lazy and they were a power seller with thousands of feedback already.

 

[NINEBALLART]

Basically it lets me know the item was received and also not damaged when delivered. Sort of like when my Mom sends me a present. I call to tell her thanks and I received it O.K...
I guess if it was not delivered they would then contact me but I still like to hear it came O.K. and if it was what they expected...
I don't think the person owes me anything, BUT, I think it is mature and good manners to let me know if you received it and how you liked it. If your personality is such that you are not that way, so be it,...

I ordered some MLB jerseys and jacket for my Grandson and they were really nice and delivered really fast and I wrote and told them so. Guess that is just how I am. We all see things differently and thats O.K..

It was the first time someone did not leave me a feedback and I was sort of wondering about it...Didn't know some of you would get so uptight over the subject...I was just curious....Thats all...

 

[rackem]

Way Wrong Thinking

Of course, forget about it. Neither the buyer nor the seller is under any obligation to leave feedback. It is a courtesy, nothing more.

EDIT:
I originally posted before reading all the posts. Now after reading all the posts... screw all you sellers. The buyer does you a favor buying from you, he owes you NOTHING other than payment in a timely manner. If he doesn't give feedback because he forgot, reserves it only for really bad or really good sellers, or is just too damn lazy, YOU HAVE NO COMPLAINT.
I may never leave a feedback again after reading these attitiudes.

That is right it is a courtesy. If the Buyer does not have the coutesy to let me know that they recieved their purchase safely and they are happy I don't feel that we have had a successful completed transaction. Therefore I will not leave feedback.
If for some strange reason they are unhappy(it has never happened) and don't they don't contact me, BEFORE leaving a neg or not leaving any they have in my opinion not lived up to there end of the deal. Again it would have been a unsuccessful transaction. I would leave either none or the apropriate never contacted me negative feedback.

Plus, NO at my prices and meager profit I in no way feel the buyer is doing me a favor. Quite the contrary!! Let them go pay retail

 

[catscradle]

That is right it is a courtesy. If the Buyer does not have the coutesy to let me know that they recieved their purchase safely and they are happy I don't feel that we have had a successful completed transaction. Therefore I will not leave feedback.
If for some strange reason they are unhappy(it has never happened) and don't they don't contact me, BEFORE leaving a neg or not leaving any they have in my opinion not lived up to there end of the deal. Again it would have been a unsuccessful transaction. I would leave either none or the apropriate never contacted me negative feedback.

Plus, NO at my prices and meager profit I in no way feel the buyer is doing me a favor. Quite the contrary!! Let them go pay retail

Unless you are losing money, and that would be your own fault, the customer is king in any business. It is sometimes a hard nut to swallow, but it is fact. The customer can make things a lot more pleasant or unpleasant for everybody based upon his attitude, but he is under no obligation to be "nice". For that matter neither is the seller, but he has something to lose by being rude. Even a meager profit is a profit. My old man's meat business made maybe 2 or 3% profit (you have to push a lot of beef at that rate), but he still treated his customers like gold even the jerks (and there were plenty of those).
As I said in another post ... business is business, not a social event.

 

[acedotcom]

I used to sell a lot of baseball cards and books on ebay. If someone left me feed, I'd leave it for them but I was never obsessive about it. I just checked - I've had 201 positive feed backs, no negatives or neutrals. I'm guessing I completed more than 500 transactions. Of course, in the old days it wasn't so easy to keep track of the feedback situation. I think over all the years I've only contacted one person about feedback. It was a situation like yours - I wasn't looking to pad my numbers, I was just concerned that the buyer wasn't pleased with the item. It was an Orvis split bamboo flyrod that went for over $400. He never got back to me. Hopefully, he's hooked into old granddad by now and your buyer is shooting lights out.

 

[rackem]

Unless you are losing money, and that would be your own fault, the customer is king in any business. It is sometimes a hard nut to swallow, but it is fact. The customer can make things a lot more pleasant or unpleasant for everybody based upon his attitude, but he is under no obligation to be "nice". For that matter neither is the seller, but he has something to lose by being rude. Even a meager profit is a profit. My old man's meat business made maybe 2 or 3% profit (you have to push a lot of beef at that rate), but he still treated his customers like gold even the jerks (and there were plenty of those).
As I said in another post ... business is business, not a social event.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. If you coward down to your customers when you absolutely know you are in the right they will continue to take advantage of you. If I know I am providing a great product at a great price well below retail, I would exspect my customers to be apreciative of that and leave possitive feedback. If on the off chance there is a problem I would have no way of knowing unless they did the proper thing and contacted me privately. Negative feedback should never be necessary
I hope your friend is enjoying the Cue I sent him. Thanks for the referal.
Have a happy and safe Holiday

 

[Black-Balled]

Another possible scenario is the buyer is waiting for you to post your feedback first. Happens to me quite a bit.

Craig

That's what I was thinking. WHy should the buyer go first? Why should the seller go first?

That's it. ebay is closed.

 

[Roadie]

You should never ask for feedback. It is totally voluntary. I always leave feedback and don't worry about it if I don't get any back. When I sell, I always leave feedback when the buyer pays. At that point they have satisfied their obligation to me and the feedback reflects whether they have paid quickly or not without being negative. If I ever were to ask for feedbck it would be something like a gentle request, like "please consider leaving your feedback for me if you were satisfied with my service and allow me a chance to fix it if you weren't."

 

[Roadie]

Also, the whole feedback system is predicated on the overall quality of the feedback and not the quantity. So it is best to let feedback happen naturally so as to guarantee quality. I would rather have 100 sincere feedback comments than 1000 boilerplate ones. Sincerity cannot be purchased. It is earned by doing a good job and when given it is apparent to all who read it.