posted on December 11, 2003 09:07:14 PM new
I would be much interested in your policies on the timing of leaving feedback.
So far, I have left it when the buyer pays, by a reliable means, i.e., PayPal, BidPay, money order. Usually, that is on the day I ship the item. However, because of a few recent bad experiences doing that, I kind of wonder now if that is a wise practice.
Is it smarter to delay my seller FB until the buyer has left theirs? And, I recently saw an auction where the seller said, in so many words, "I leave you FB like you leave me". Is that a good idea?
posted on December 11, 2003 09:09:52 PM new
I think it's only proper to leave feedback when the transaction is completed -- that is both parties have upheld their ends and are satisfied.
I do not leave feedback upon payment. Once done you are at the buyer's mercy and have no leverage at all. They have your stuff, can reverse charges, etc. and you cannot do anything.
------ "Bend over backward for the customer. Don't bend forward."
posted on December 11, 2003 10:00:29 PM new
You're going to get the whole gamut of answers on this one! This topic comes up every 3 months or so. I leave feedback when I receive the money. I have 775 or so positives, no negatives. Someday I'm sure I'll be bitten in the butt for this policy of mine, but so far so good.
I did get two neutrals from Half.com book buyers, the bane of our existences, I think. I responded to their neutrals.
___________________________________
"In order to avoid poverty, just do three things: finish high school, marry before having a child, and don't have that child until you're at least 20 years old. Only 8% of people who do all three of these things wind up poor, but a staggering 79% of those who fail to do them wind up in poverty." ~William Galston
posted on December 11, 2003 10:14:22 PM new
We would not word it to say "I leave you FB like you leave me".
We do however offer feedback after feedback is left for us.
"If this was an auction purchase, I
appreciate your feedback. My Feedback
Service automatically leaves Positive
Feedback for you after it confirms
a good transaction and receives your
Positive Feedback."
posted on December 11, 2003 10:23:34 PM new
I leave feedback when I receive the payment. That works fine on 999 out of 1000 buyers. Some sellers get so uptight on the need to give a retaliatory negative that they gear their feedback policy for the 1 instead of the 999.
As a buyer I leave feedback if I'm even remotely satisfied provided the seller has left me feedback. I feel I've trusted the seller with my money and him leaving feedback first is a fair exchange of trust.
posted on December 11, 2003 10:38:55 PM new
I leave feedback on the day I send out their item--which is usually the day after I receive payment. I also send an email "XXX on its way! Hi! Your item was mailed out today, and I have left feedback for you on eBay. Thank you for a great transaction."
I have 533 unique FB (578 including return buyers), all positive. I've been selling since 1999 and have never had a check bounce, either.
Edit: Unique FB now 534
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
[ edited by bunnicula on Dec 11, 2003 10:56 PM ]
posted on December 12, 2003 05:14:16 PM new
I leave feedback when I receive payment. I also email the buyer that I have shipped their purchase & have left a pos. fdbck & hope they will do the same. Works for me.
posted on December 12, 2003 07:57:17 PM new
I am reminded of a similar thread here several months ago and I adopted the email note that Tom & Ralphie leave when payment arrives. Here it is in part ...
"Auctions should be fun! If you have any questions about your purchase after it arrives, PLEASE contact me! I check my feedback profile at least once/day and reciprocate immediately.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on December 13, 2003 09:09:07 PM new
The sellers part of the transaction is not complete until they leave feedback first. Not when the buyer leaves feedback first.
posted on December 13, 2003 09:35:33 PM new
I don't mind leaving feedback first as long as I know the customer is satisfied. When I mail an item, I enclose a note and ask them to let me know when the package arrives so I can leave their feedback immediately. Most of the time they will leave feedback first, but I only request an e-mail from them. I would never leave feedback until the transaction is completed, and NO transaction is completed until the buyer has the item in his sweaty little hands!!
posted on December 13, 2003 10:40:26 PM new
Once feedback has been left for me, that is when it is time for me to do the same. My policy says all positive feedback is returned, and it is. However, if I get an email from someone saying that they got the item and are satisfied, then I will leave positive feedback and thank them for letting me know it arrived.
My goal is to basically do what I can to prevent a negative, which would happen more without that policy, and my relatively new one where the transaction is over if they neg me without contacting me first. It all comes down to negatives hurt sellers, not buyers.
posted on December 14, 2003 01:01:53 AM new
Stonecold,
A seller's transaction is not complete until the customer is happy. Most buyers are happy to show their appreciation for a good sale with positive feedback.
Regards,
Adrian
posted on December 14, 2003 07:45:23 AM new
I've been selling on eBay for over five years and have tried several methods of leaving feedback. The following is now in my item shipped notification and works well for me:
FEEDBACK: Positive feedback will be left for you the day you leave positive feedback. By
doing so indicates that your package arrived safely and that you are satisfied with your
purchase. If you are unhappy with your purchase please let me know so we can resolve the problem.
I have:
7264 positives. 5205 are from unique users.
18 neutrals. 3 were converted from users no longer registered .
10 negatives. 10 are from unique users.
Negative feedback is a fact of life. If you stay on eBay for any length of time you will get negative feedback. It's been over 6 months since I got one, so I'm due.
I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch.
posted on December 17, 2003 11:06:28 AM new
I agree with "peiklk". I just had my first
ever PayPal chargeback (two months after the
item was confirmed delivered). If I had
left feedback when I was paid I would have
had NO recourse. As it stands, I had one
avenue to pursue, Negative feedback. He had
not left it for me, so I was still waiting.
I noticed that the one right before me was
that he had backed out on another deal
(that seller left a Neutral). Lucky guy.
He paid me and I still got screwed! :^)
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
posted on December 17, 2003 02:45:25 PM new
Hello,
This thread has been here many times but what is old to us is new to others.
I have sold on Ebay since 1998 and two years ago I developed the following policy after some problems.
In my TOS "Boiler plate" I state in part. ....I return like type Feedback...
I have stuck to that though some have tried to get me to change. ( I just copied and pasted that section of the ad and sent the reply).
I do NOT neg bad buyers who simply refuse to pay but I DO file for ebay funds back in ALL such cases. As you know three non paying bidder reports and buyer is gone at least with that address.
After the above change I have not yet received a neutral or a Neg even though their have been several minor problems
Remember you are on Ebay to make money and large amounts of bad Feedback hurts sales
