Thoughts on sellers messaging buyers about leaving feedback

Buynhisellnlow · Feb 15, 2012

Due to my work, I am often away from the address I have cards mailed to for extended periods of time. I typically wait to provide feedback in bulk once I get back. This is one reason why, at times, I take quite a while to leave feedback for a seller.

However, there are also times where I just fail to leave feedback as a buyer.

I recently received a message from a seller telling me to leave feedback and that he'd do the same once I did. I've had other sellers message me about leaving feedback and I'd leave it after confirming I'd received the card. The issue I take with this, is that in my eyes, he's essentially trying to leverage his withheld feedback to me in order to get feedback from me.

As a seller, I always strive to leave immediate feedback for buyer as soon as I receive his payment. I may follow up with the buyer to ensure that they were happy with the purchase but I never ask for them to leave feedback.

I'm not concerned if he leaves me feedback as the buyer or not but I do not like him attempting to hold his feedback in exchange for mine. If anything, I believe the seller should leave feedback first. I

What are your thoughts on this matter?

markakis8 · Feb 15, 2012

I'm like you. I buy so much that I leave my feedback in bulk. It could be up to a month before I leave feedback for a seller.

I've had sellers contact me in the past asking me to leave feedback. If their feedback is low, I do it right away b/c I can understand why they asked. If they have over 1,000 feedback or something, I just ignore the email and they get feedback from me when I do it in bulk.

They all get feedback from me eventually...

As a seller, I leave feedback as soon as I ship the cards, which is generally a day or two after payment.

CollectorsCorner · Feb 15, 2012

I'm guilty of not leaving feedback as a buyer, I try to remember but I have way more important issues to worry about. As a seller I have it set up to automatically leave feedback once I get paid.

Musial Collector · Feb 15, 2012

Feedback = OPTIONAL

/thread

rsmath · Feb 15, 2012

i get around to feedback in 1-3 weeks after receiving an item just because I have to remember to go onto the site to do it. Most stuff I do is snipe bid setup and pay for the item when I get the invoice email.

I do like this thread - maybe if a seller is too impatient to wait for my feedback, I should auto-NEG feedback them for feedback begging! :lol:

chadwright · Feb 15, 2012

I leave feedback on everything I buy. The iPhone app makes it easy. If everything doesn't go smoothly usually you'll get no feedback. If it goes to Hell, then you get a negative.

Side story:

I had a guy send me five or six messages about leaving feedback one time. I was in the middle of launching a few big projects so I didn't take the time to respond but all the cards smelled like smoke so I had already decided not to leave any feedback. By the fifth or sixth e-mail he was almost begging for the feedback. It became really irritating.

rymflaherty · Feb 15, 2012

With how dumb the star system is (basically forcing you to hold to 5's when a 4 on the scale in above-average)......and the inconsistent expectations of Buyer's.......as a seller, I'd just assume Buyer's don't leave me feedback.

As a buyer if somebody was bothering me about leaving FB all that would do is make me not leave feedback, especially if they had not left any for me yet.

George_Calfas · Feb 15, 2012

Ebay should not credit the ebay bucks until FB is posted.

Rocketman12 · Feb 15, 2012

In some cases, doesn't Paypal prevent a seller from withdrawing funds until positive feedback is left?

bballcardkid · Feb 15, 2012

I'm the same way. Leaving feedback for me is a means of finalizing my records for the transaction. Generally, I don't leave feedback until the purchase has been recorded in my spreadsheet. It just so happens that I hate to constantly record purhcases. I would rather do them in bulk (which has it's limitations but I won't got into detail). As a result, I do my book keeping periodically. Once the purchase has been recorded, feedback will be left simultaneously because it provides me a way of quickly looking at my ebay summary to see what has and hasn't been recorded. Essentially, less confusion on my part, but sometimes feedback does fall through the cracks if I go an extended period of time not recording.

jbrown · Feb 15, 2012

Musial Collector said:
Feedback = OPTIONAL

/thread

^This^ - I don't see what the big deal is. :?

ThoseBackPages · Feb 16, 2012

They can burn in hell.

i leave feedback when and if i feel like it.

ktho540 · Feb 16, 2012

I pretty much leave my feedback in bulk also,I think its more convenient for me that way.....And if they keep bugging me,itll take quite a long while before they get theyre feedback,If Ever!!

i43770 · Feb 16, 2012

Rocketman12 said:
In some cases, doesn't Paypal prevent a seller from withdrawing funds until positive feedback is left?

Yes, that or 21 days.

I understand that feedback is optional and that it is easier to do it in bulk. But I know that if my funds were being held by PayPal, and the only thing that was preventing me from getting the money for the card that I sold and shipped was getting feedback, I would probably send an email to the buyer. But I wouldn't threaten to not leave feedback for a buyer if I hadn't received feedback as a seller, since buyers can't receive less than positive feedback.

RZimm11 · Feb 16, 2012

I leave feedback:

as seller, when I receive payment
as buyer, when I receive item

That's how I keep track of what is outstanding.

I hate when sellers message about giving them feedback. I had someone email me a day or 2 after I bought something asking to leave them feedback. I told them I'd be happy to...once I receive the item!

Bottom line is, as said earlier, it is OPTIONAL. Just because you may have a system with it, doesn't mean everyone will oblige.

Personally, I've left 5004 feedback. I've received 4220. I'm not losing any sleep over the 800 or so disparity.

onionring9 · Feb 16, 2012

Feedback is optional and a courtesy.

It's not something that has to be done, but it is a courtesy to not just the seller, but the rest of the ebay community of potential buyers as well. As part of the ebay community I feel its something I should do, but not something I should drop everything to get done.

I always leave feedback, but sometimes its up to a month after an auction. My time is extremely valuable and feedback is usually the last thing on my mind. I will however do it.

I've left close to 4000 feedbacks over the years and there's only one person I never left it for. The reason was because he emailed me three times for feedback before the item arrived. I responded to 2/3 of his emails saying I'll do it after I get the item and when I get the time. He emailed a fourth time about 48 hours later (the same day the item arrived) but I was at work so I told him it I'd get it done when I had free time. He emailed me again the next day and again I told him I'll get to it soon. He emailed again that same night and I said "the amount of time I've spent responding to your emails was more than I would have spent getting you feedback, you've wasted my time, no feedback for you". He tried again two more times and finally stopped.

I don't think I'll ever let it get that far again.

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Thoughts on sellers messaging buyers about leaving feedback

Buynhisellnlow

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markakis8

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CollectorsCorner

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Musial Collector

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rsmath

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chadwright

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rymflaherty

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George_Calfas

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Rocketman12

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bballcardkid

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jbrown

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ThoseBackPages

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ktho540

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i43770

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RZimm11

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onionring9

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