eBay

[123everton]

Is it just me? But I think once you've won an item on eBay that's the moment the seller should leave feedback? Once You've paid you've kept your part of the deal, and should be rated accordingly.

[CheekyChops]

I leave feedback once I have received payment off the buyer. There is no point leaving it as soon as the item is won if they never cough up the money!

[123everton]

Thanks, that's exactly the point I'm trying to make if you look at the supplementary part of the question, I've bought things on eBay, paid within minutes and not a word said until I've posted my feedback. I think the people who indulge in this type of practice are very rude and downright ignorant! I suppose I should say that on the feedback, or maybe some bright spark could think of an acronym to describe this practice.

[fairkatrina]

I buy and sell a great deal in ebay and this practice is both very irritating and getting extremely common. As a seller I always leave feedback once payment has cleared, and I am not above harrassing a buyer for feedback if I've not got any after 2 weeks or so. As a buyer if I don't get feedback I message the seller upon the item's arrival saying that it has arrived, I'm happy and I will leave feedback once they've left feedback for me. It usually works!

[littleoldme]

I agree with you totally, but it's amazing how many sellers wait to get feedback from the buyer first. As you say, once you've paid, you've fulfilled your obligation, so there shouldn't be any reason for the seller to wait to give you feedback. They're obviously looking to protect their reputation while having the chance to get revenge should you dare to give them a bad report - it's not right though.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I've even seen people write in their listing that they will automatically give bad feedback to a buyer if someone dares to give them negative feedback. Shocking stuff, and it should be stopped.

[123everton]

Keep em coming, thankyou, I've yet to hear a good reason why this practice persists. Come on you sellers you know who you are, speak up.

[Ollie_P]

I paid for an item within seconds of winning the auction. After 7 weeks I left neutral feedback about the fact the seller hadn't acknowledged my prompt payment. He left me neutral feedback using the lame excuse that ,"You dont leave FB about not getting FB Most Sellers wait to leave FB all at once". What a crock of s**t.

[123everton]

I agree whole heartedly, it's just a matter of manners and etiquette. Your seller clearly lacks both! Many a time I (and many others) have paid within minutes, that is worthy of comment. They're quick enough to send the invoice when you need to know about the postage. Sellers get it sorted!

[joko]

i agree, its a real cheek.

it is protection, but what some don't realise it that i don't give a toss if i get bad feedback (haven't had any yet) as i am a buyer, and if i pay up who cares about my feedback?
it is the sellers whose sales suffer because of fb...

i wait unitl i have the item, tested it and are happy before i leave fb.

[123everton]

If you have a trader who deals in alot of items then bad feedback is largely swallowed up by the volume of trade, if you're mainly a buyer then the amount of transactions will be fewer so the insult is disproportionate. I know what you're saying I would'nt lose sleep over bad feedback either, the point we're (see above) trying to make is that when you've met your obligations as a courtesy the seller should acknowledge it first. You can't judge them or their item until you recieve it. It's called fair play.

[cazzz1975]

I have found that some sellers wont give feedback until you post your feedback for several reasons

a) when the buyer posts their feedback it signals the end of the whole transaction, therefore safely acknowleging that the item was received, often some buyers try to pull strokes by claiming thay did not receive the item or it was poorly pack/ripped ect...(they can go through the paypal appeal process and normally get refunded without question)

b) the seller can post his feedback safe in the knowledge that he knows he has not been accused of trying to rip off the buyer if the buyer posts negative feedback after the seller has already posted feedback he cannot change it, then he is saddled with red marks.

I pay in the same way as you (immediately after auction is over) if the seller would like to wait until I post my feedback I have no problem with it. does the number next to your name really matter that much when you think of all the other possibilites that can happen *(as listed above)

[123everton]

Feedback comes in 2 halves, as a buyer and as a seller. All one can do at the end of an auction is pay, for the seller to withold feedback on the presumption of an undefined mischief goes against logic and the principles of eBay. If an item is poorly packaged it warrants a mention, the seller needs to send his item by recorded delivery anyway to insure himself from card fraud. If a buyer does'nt recieve their goods, they can not in good conscience leave negative feedback if a copy of the proof of postage is provided. Once you've paid your money, you take your choice. Upon receipt of money, a seller should not assume the buyer is a fraudster, is'nt that what feed back is for?

[shineybomb]

You're assuming everyone has a conscience! Some sellers and buyers don't.

I think its up to the individual when or whether they leave feedback at all.

As a buyer I leave feedback once the item is with me and works and as a buyer I hope someone would do this for me too. If they don't leave it then thats their choice

[123everton]

I appreciate what you're saying, but the closest analogy I can think of is something akin to my not holding the door open for someone once I've passed through it, on the off chance they won't say thanks in return. Once the payment has cleared one has to assume the buyer is honest. If the payment is prompt in coming (or if it's not) then the seller has every right to comment or complain. I view this as a simple courtesy, if an item is substandard, not as described, poorly packaged, late in arriving or broken. Then as a buyer I have every right to object without being held to ransom (almost) with negative feedback. It should go bid, win, pay, THANKS, post, recieve, THANKS and good night. Or am I being unreasonable?

[joko]

everton, the point i tried to make is that as a buyer they cannot ''hold me to ransom'', as my feedback doesn't affect me, so they may think thats why they do it but it is largely inneffectual - unless someone is a buyer/seller.

i think sometimes neg fb is left for the seller just because the item is not what they wanted or not how they expected it to be - through no fault of the seller, they have just purchased the wrong item, or not read the listing properly - such as a video that is not PAL - not the sellers fault they were unaware it is the wrong format...

or they pay �1 and expect top of the range, brand new etc.

so i can understand their waryness, but i agree the seller should leave it first, just that i understand why some don't

[Bird Legs]

I only sell and give positive feedback immediately the buyer has paid. However, despite having glowing feedback from the buyers commenting on speed of service, I also have lots of buyers who have not given feedback at all. This does NOT bother me and I do not hassle them, it is up to them to give feedback when it suits them. I sell new lingerie etc. and if people wish to wear it for some time before they judge the quality, that is fair enough. If then they forget, or just cannot be bothered, so what?. My aim is to give quality and service, and I succeed.

[annie0000]

I always pay immediately too, and it really hacks me off when the sellers don't leave feedback after I have concluded my side of the bargain - I usually leave feedback, I sometimes didn't if I wasn't happy at first, because my mum always taught me that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything, I have since changed because I think it is only fair to others to let them know when you have had a bad experience. I once left feedback for an item which was positive as the item was imaculate, however, it was not the size advertised and I mentioned this in the feedback - (it was a skisuit that was advertised as age 6-7 but was 5-6 when it arrived - I had been hoping to get two years out of it!). However, they never left me any feedback as I had obviously annoyed them! I paid within 3 minutes of the auction ending - what more did they want me to do? Anyway I bear a grudge - I am like an elephant, I never forget!!!!

[123everton]

Bird Legs you do the right thing in the correct manner, I can say in all honesty that I view the people you refer too with the same contempt as the others. A seller can only say (as you point out) what the purchaser is like with regard to payment, what they think of your goods is their perogative. If you do alot of selling on eBay then positive feedback is important and should be posted when warranted, I respect and appreciate the fact that you don't go after them looking for feedback, there's no point, such people have no compehension of the basic idea of manners. But at least you know you've done it right. Joko has a point when he says that negative feedback has little effect as a buyer with regard to making a purchase, but to have unwarranted negative feedback is an insult, a bit like someone writing an untue obscenity about you on a wall. Annie got it right also, you don't go back and buy off them again.

[joko]

i have occasionally seen negatives saying things such as ''didn't like the shade of blue'', or ''item didn't suit me'' or ''wasn't the one i thought it was'' or something that has nothing to do with the seller - the rating is supposed to be on the service and quality, not about personal taste for the item, so i suppose i can see why some may hold back.

i wish people would leave descriptive fb - not just say great ebayer etc
i always try to describe the transaction, such as, fast delivery, well packaged, good condition, clean, bit scratched, etc etc .

[123everton]

The seller can only rate you in terms of payment, not in terms of whether you like what you've bought, they also have the ability to offer a rebuttal on the feedback page. I agree some complaints are nonsensical. The reality is that all the sellers who have replied rate their purchasers in the correct order (once paid they leave feedback) the ones who are staying quiet are the very people we're talking about. Come on all you non-feedback leaving swines.
SPEAK UP!