Feedback System on eBay Could Use Improvements

I am glad you are a buyer that is good about leaving feedback, but
many are not. I wouldn't necessarily call it "blackmail" for a buyer
to wait to leave feedback. Sometimes it's the smart thing to do.
Sometimes, I have transactions with buyers that I can tell are going
to be difficult based on communication from the buyer. In those rare
instances, I would rather wait to make sure the buyer is happy with
his or her purchases rather than leaving + FB right away.

For example, I sold a purse on eBay and shipped it. A few days after
receiving it, the buyer told me she didn't want it because it was "too
big." I explained that the measurements were included in the listing
and pointed out that return shipping would make it to where she would
have LOST money even with a refund on the item. She then told me that
she regretted ever doing business with me and that I should pay for
return shipping. I never left feedback for her and she never left any
for me (much better than a negative). I am glad I didn't too, because
her failure to read my product description and return policy made her
a bad buyer, in my opinion. Sure, she paid promptly, but then
proceeded to make unreasonable demands expecting me to make an
exception for her because my policies were not to her liking.
Sometimes buyers are justified to wait.

I wouldn't mind waiting for feedback until the seller is sure the
transaction is complete, but the fact of the matter is that sellers
are refusing to leave feedback at all unless they get positive
feedback first.

Telling a buyer AFTER they have committed to the purchase that
feedback will be left only if the seller receives positive feedback
first is blackmail. The only way I can get feedback, no matter how
quickly I pay or otherwise fulfill the contract, is to first give
positive feedback, whether or not it is justified.

According to my dictionary, blackmail is defined as "to force or
coerce into a particular action."

If sellers post their feedback policy on their auction sites, then
buyers can choose to buy elsewhere and I certainly would. After I've
agreed to make a purchase, I have no option but to complete the
purchase and a hidden clause in the purchase agreement demanding
positive feedback is wrong.

In the last four eBay purchases I've made (I just checked), none of
the sellers have left feedback for me, even though the most recent
purchase is 17 days ago. The sellers are doing just what they told me
they would do AFTER I bought their product -- withholding feedback
until I give them positive feedback, deserved or not.

It is this kind of attitude that caused eBay to change their feedback
policy in the first place. Too many buyers were being punished by
sellers who didn't get the feedback they wanted, hence eBay's decision
to ban retaliatory feedback.

I'm sorry that there are dishonest people in the world that try to
ruin everything for the rest of us, but as a buyer something like this
kinda protects us a little. Maybe ebay should prominently post a ratio
for buyers, ie, out of 100 items they only received 30 positive
feebacks or something.

I was really badly burned once as a buyer. I ordered an item as a gift
and paid for it promptly. After two weeks, I emailed the seller asking
when it would arrive. S/he told me that they were sorry but they were
out of stock on that item and would refund my money. As a result, I
left nuetral--not negative--feedback saying that they had
misadvertised having an item. (It was a regular auction, not a store
or buy it now). They turned around and left negative feedback, saying
I hadn't paid for my item.!!! I was so mad, I asked them to remove it
since that was totally false. S/he wrote back and said they would if
I'd remove mine!

I wrote ebay about this but they said there was nothing they could do.
That kinda ruined the idea of the feedback program, since from then on
I had no idea whether or not buyers were manipulated into removing
negative feedback from a seller.

My opinion should be that the number of unpaid item strikes a buyer
has should be made public, along with the dollar amount and item
title.

For example, among all the positive feedback could be a red
highlighted box that says

***"UNPAID ITEM STRIKE! "supercute blue hoodie w/ sparkles from a&f
sz. s L@@K!!!" $25.71 12/8/08***

It includes all the details, including the typical tacky eBay title,
price, and date.

Interesting letter. I've mostly been avoiding eBay these days, but I
definitely think you have some good points - and you did a good job
explaining them and putting together a good suggestion letter. :)

I agree that mandatory feedback - or at least a reminder, would be
great. I always like to leave feedback (usually positive), but
sometimes get distracted or just plain forget. ^_^ It'd be nice if x
number of days past a purchase, I received a follow up email saying
"hey, go leave feedback!"

I also understand the reasoning behind the only positive feedback on
buyers, but I wish they would find a way to at least allow neutral
feedback, or some type of non-positive comments. I think it's pretty
obvious (and bound to occur) that both buyers and sellers will
misbehave, and it's unfair if only the sellers are docked for it.

Good letter!

I didn't look at all the posts, so I'm sorry if someone said this
already, but looking at my DH's ebay feedback page, it says you CAN
leave whatever feedback you want, you just have to wait seven days
(They want you to try to work it out first). So I'm confused, is this
a planned change? Because it doesn't seem to have been implemented
yet.

I'm a seller with closing in on 1400 feedback. I have to agree;
they're actively trying to chase small sellers like me off the site.
They forget that small individual sellers are what built them in the
first place, and what really feeds the beast. The buyers are going to
take a hike too, the ones not already chased off by Chinese
counterfeit merchants (which is a whole new rant), going where the
merchandise is. Some of us stick around because there's no viable
alternative yet.

As soon as Google gets around to starting an auction site (and you'd
better believe the idea has been floated) I'm casper. A lot of
antique dealers and jewelry dealers are already gone. They're off to
their own websites, other venues, closed down entirely.

Ebay's new CEO has big plans to revamp Ebay into an "Amazon Lite". He
was quoted as saying that Ebay is "too much like a flea market" and
his intention is to drive small sellers, who are what made Ebay so
successful, and to move to becoming more of a Wal-Mart like online
store.

The first step was raising FVF's and listing fees, then creating a
feedback system buyer based, which is more akin to shoppers leaving
feedback on here than a typical online forum of bidders and winners.

Ebay wants you and I to GO AWAY. Even Power Sellers are being treated
like yesterday's newspaper. Have you seen their stock price lately?
Mr. Donohoe is working overtime to crash this ride so he can rebuild
and reshape it into what he wants it to be.

and enjoy Craigslist while it's still unmolested, Ebay owns a part of
it too...only a matter of time before Donohoe takes that over too.

There is an issue with FREE SHIPPING. Looking at the DSR's...if you
receive free shipping, some buyers have marked a FOUR STAR....thinking
it was a good thing. Actually that can drive your rating down.

Your rating drops so low & you're suspended for 30 days.

I've used ebay only two or three times in my life, so I find all this
technical information interesting. I think donno has provided some
info as well. I like this exchange.

I like the idea of mandatory feedback--I think people like me, who
hardly ever use the site, should have to provide some feedback. It
would never occur to me to return to the site to do so.

Great letter.

I am going to try to stay on target. There are a lot of aspects of
Ebay buying/selling, and I see a few others in the other comments.

I have about 100 purchases and 100 sales on Ebay. I have one
negative, as a buyer, that was completely undeserved. The seller sent
me a damaged item, refused to admit it was damaged going into the box,
and as they had done with other buyers, left a retalitory feedback
after I left a negative. I saw it coming before I left the negative,
given the seller's history, but I "took one on the chin" for other
unsuspecting buyers. Eventually that seller stopped selling on Ebay,
after enough buyers left negatives.

I understand what you mean about slow payments, not to mention NPB,
but I pretty much support the "no negatives for buyers" switch after
my experience. I think they must have decided to handle NPB more
vigilantly, and you know 2-3 weeks isn't the end of the world. Yes,
if you do hundreds of transactions a week, keeping track of slow
bidders isn't fun, but since I used to only accept checks/MO, 1-2
weeks doesn't mean much to me.

It is interesting what Bill found below - they have begun limiting
what you can write in the comment relative to the rating you leave. I
admit leaving "slow to pay" would be a nice option, which appears to
no longer be possible. I'm glad Bill posted that, because I didn't
know about that or the other new changes in this area.

As far as feedback being mandatory, well, *not* leaving it is one way
a trading partner has to let the other know they could do better next
time. I have done that when I didn't want to leave a negative.

They must have looked at this carefully before making the changes, I
think. Given the number of transactions they have on any given day,
I'm sure they didn't do it lightly. I have to admit, all the changes
that have taken place make it difficult for me to keep track, as my
trading has slowed.

This is good letter. As I said, I think they thought pretty carefully
about the change, but giving feedback will help them understand how it
affects the user.

I, too, use Ebay. Feedback is important to us sellers. I had one bad
buyer, what a story! She left neg. fb. I have not left any for her
yet, but I do intend to leave a positive with this notation: feedback
meaningless, blocked bidder. For those of us that check a sellers
feedback left for others, it will be seen for a while. Hence raising
the flag. Any user interested can email you and ask what happened.
You can also reply to feedback left. Note that you will be able to
accept paper payments if your buyer insists. Sellers cannot solicit
paper payment. Paypal also collects a fee for shipping charges, which
is factored in with its other fees. Europe paypal now has bank status.
Might be here soon in the US.

Lynn,

I too am a regular eBay seller and I understand your concern with the
"enhancements" to the Feedback System.

My issue with eBay and recent changes is the mandate to use PayPal.
Case in point this week I sold a christmas ornament for $ 71.00. The
fee to use PayPal was $ 2.57. The fee to get a check from PayPal was
$ 1.50. In the good old days I could take Money Orders and Personal
Checks.

Stop back when you hear back.

BillR.