Question:
The subject of feedback is a rather contentious one in this group; people seem firmly entrenched in one camp or the other. As a seller, I always leave feedback first and as a buyer, if I don’t get it, I ain’t givin’ it. You should do what you’re most comfortable with; I’ve never had my method come back to bite me, so I’m happy with it…
For a bit of added detail, I’ll say that I just got feedback within a half an hour of sending my PayPal payment. If I have the choice in future of bidding on this person’s items or bidding on the items of somebody who says he’ll leave me feedback but only after I’ve left mine, guess who I’m going with 
? I suspect it’s less burdensome for me to buy elsewhere than for the seller to make a point of selling elsewhere, so I’d say there’s a reasonable chance that the seller is likelier to suffer from a "you first" policy in the long run than I am. Deborah Stevenson
Response:
In other words, you are saying it aint over until the buyer leaves you feedback first?
Not at all. I’m saying it ain’t over till the buyer verifies receipt of the product by email. We will usually leave feedback at that time. If anything is obviously unresolved, we will equally obviously wait till later. I could not care less when or whether they leave feedback. Say you are running a retail store. You sell something to a customer who promptly pays. Later the customer comes back and, because of their own stupidity and ineptness, irrationally and unjustifiably complains loud and long. Causing you a tremendous loss of time and energy and community bad vibes. Weeks later at a merchant association meeting, you are asked if this is a satisfactory customer. Your response is… ??????? It ain’t over till its over. If you don’t like it, don’t bid. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Response:
That might be in one or two cases..I mean if they can register, place a bid and complete the transaction then they should know how to leave/give feedback. I recently finished a bunch of sales and on a whim decided to check two recent newbies both w/positive feedback under 30. Neither left any feedback..zip, nada. They obviously can’t be bothered and neither can I. To a new buyer on Ebay it is not plain what feedback is or how to do it. John Lorrie
Response:
That might be in one or two cases..I mean if they can register, place a bid and complete the transaction then they should know how to leave/give feedback. I recently finished a bunch of sales and on a whim decided to check two recent newbies both w/positive feedback under 30. Neither left any feedback..zip, nada. They obviously can’t be bothered and neither can I. To a new buyer on Ebay it is not plain what feedback is or how to do it.
I would hardly say that. When you first join ebay and read (or even skim) through the entire process, it’s explained pretty straightforwardly just what feedback is and how to leave it. If newbies had no idea what feedback is or how to leave it, I should think that we would be seeing those questions posted to the newsgroup on a regular basis. They know, they just don’t care. And I’m willing to bet that those two newbies you dealt with were probably ebay veterans on their third or fourth account that just don’t give a rat’s kiester at this point. Many genuine newbies that I’ve dealt with are very aware of what feedback is. They want to build up theirs as quickly as possible and tend to be good about giving feedback as well.
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
My question is – you’re running your auctions, so why would you care what anybody here thinks?
Response:
All I know as a new ebay bidder, I would hope more people would be willing to leave me feedback. Out of 5 auctions, only 3 have left feedback. No one has ever had to ask for payment, if anything I should probably wait a little longer before paying. I also have always left feedback upon receipt of the item. I don’t want to email and ask them to respond with feedback, but at the same time it’s frustrating not to get feedback, when everything went smoothly.
Response:
I see nothing in ebay rules that say that the buyer must verify receipt of product.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In other words, you are saying it aint over until the buyer leaves you feedback first? Not at all. I’m saying it ain’t over till the buyer verifies receipt of the product by email. We will usually leave feedback at that time. If anything is obviously unresolved, we will equally obviously wait till later. I could not care less when or whether they leave feedback. Say you are running a retail store. You sell something to a customer who promptly pays. Later the customer comes back and, because of their own stupidity and ineptness, irrationally and unjustifiably complains loud and long. Causing you a tremendous loss of time and energy and community bad vibes. Weeks later at a merchant association meeting, you are asked if this is a satisfactory customer. Your response is… ??????? It ain’t over till its over. If you don’t like it, don’t bid. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
Thats what we expect…no feedback from a buyer means???? Bad deal, wrong color, lousy seller? If they leave it, we (seller) leave it. — Friends, Howard Lute -kell- eBay Rating: 975 LPFM Page: http://pw1.netcom.com/~optcamel/fmradio.htm
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In other words, you are saying it aint over until the buyer leaves you feedback first? I totally disagree. When the seller receives the money, the buyer has completed his part of the transaction, and he should receive his feedback then. I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have completed their part of the deal???? No I don’t. It ain’t over till its over. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Hold it! If I send something it’s no guarantee that the person receives it LIKES it or it arrived in ONE piece…if I leave him positive feedback and he hates the item…what then? No, no, no./..buyer leaves the feedback…then the seller responds, that’s when the deal is done. — Friends, Howard Lute -kell- eBay Rating: 975 LPFM Page: http://pw1.netcom.com/~optcamel/fmradio.htm
Response:
Been trying to stay out of this argument, but that one crossed the line of silliness. Are you really going to send a $1000 laptop uninsured without a signature required? Are you going to refund his money before you check post office or UPS records to see if they say the package was delivered? Is a person who is set on stealing merchandise and reselling it going to be deterred by the risk of receiving a negative feedback? A person who thinks up a con like this isn’t going to figure out he could take the negative, and start up a phony account somewhere the next day? I’ll admit there are two sides to this argument, but when you go this far overboard you don’t help your case. Richard Ward – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have completed their part of the deal???? They should get FB right then. Let’s say you sell me a $1,000 laptop. I pay you $1,000 and you leave me positive feedback. 2 weeks later, I say the laptop never arrived and demand a refund, although I’ve already received and resold the laptop. That’s why you don’t leave feedback mid-transaction. Vic www.aboutpdx.com
Response:
Naturally, anyone suggesting reciprocal feedback gets none from me. Nor does anyone who holds my check to clear before sending the book. I don’t mind giving + fb to someone who holds my purchase until the check clears. (I take it that’s what you meant to say above) I’ve been in business long enough to know no matter how kind a soul, if they can’t "balance their checkbook" it might bounce. I never mind if someone hold off ’til it clears. I do understand and don’t hold that against them.
I don’t hold it against them, I just don’t feel they deserve praise. I send them my check without knowing who they are or if the book even exists. 100% of the risk is on me, 0% on them. Geoff Baere
Response:
please dont bid on any of my auctions there are enough idiots on ebay u just make 1 more
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Naturally, anyone suggesting reciprocal feedback gets none from me. Nor does anyone who holds my check to clear before sending the book. I don’t mind giving + fb to someone who holds my purchase until the check clears. (I take it that’s what you meant to say above) I’ve been in business long enough to know no matter how kind a soul, if they can’t "balance their checkbook" it might bounce. I never mind if someone hold off ’til it clears. I do understand and don’t hold that against them. I don’t hold it against them, I just don’t feel they deserve praise. I send them my check without knowing who they are or if the book even exists. 100% of the risk is on me, 0% on them. Geoff Baere
Response:
My rate of fedback is about 60%. I thought that it was abnormal.
I think I get easily over 60% of buyers leaving feedback on my status, and easily over 80% of sellers leaving feedback. — Rid
Response:
In other words, you are saying it aint over until the buyer leaves you feedback first? I totally disagree. When the seller receives the money, the buyer has completed his part of the transaction, and he should receive his feedback then.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have completed their part of the deal???? No I don’t. It ain’t over till its over. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Response:
Geoff, Please watch your attributes. It looked like I said this: Naturally, anyone suggesting reciprocal feedback gets none from me. Nor does anyone
whoholds my check to clear before sending the book." When I really quoted you saying it.
Response:
My rate of fedback is about 60%. I thought that it was abnormal. igor
I think it depends on what you are selling – I sell a lot of one-shot stuff – my % of 0 or 1 or 2 feedback buyers is pretty high. To a new buyer on Ebay it is not plain what feedback is or how to do it. John
Response:
Trevian wrote I don’t hold it against them, I just don’t feel they deserve praise. I send them my check without knowing who they are or if the book even exists. 100% of the risk is on me, 0% on them. Geoff Baere
Really? I guess I’m the only eBay bookseller who incurs listing fees and final value fees. Even before I receive funds from the buyer, I’ve incurred costs. And….since I do ship before checks clear, I’ve incurred bank fees on a few that have bounced. The buyer’s risk may have been $30, but I ended up losing my book *and* $30 plus $12.50 in banking fees. Luckily, I’ve had buyers who always made it good – but some day, I’ll run into someone who doesn’t. Trust goes both ways. If you bid on an auction where the seller says something like "checks must clear", why does the seller deserve no positive feedback if they abide by their auction terms? You’d certainly expect them to abide by everything in the auction description, wouldn’t you? Kris
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first
I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have completed their part of the deal???? They should get FB right then. Most sellers seem to get from 30 to 50 % feedback from buyers – the other buyers either don’t understand it or just don’t want to mess with it.
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
Oh, here we go again 
My own opinion is that you should leave feedback as soon as possible, without worrying who does it first. As the seller, I’m usually first to do it and find that I get more feedback by doing it that way. Kris
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
I frequently hear from sellers, "Please leave feedback and I’ll reciprocate", but I’ve never heard that from a buyer. Naturally, anyone suggesting reciprocal feedback gets none from me. Nor does anyone who holds my check to clear before sending the book. Geoff Baere
Response:
Naturally, anyone suggesting reciprocal feedback gets none from me. Nor does anyone who holds my check to clear before sending the book.
I don’t mind giving + fb to someone who holds my purchase until the check clears. (I take it that’s what you meant to say above) I’ve been in business long enough to know no matter how kind a soul, if they can’t "balance their checkbook" it might bounce. I never mind if someone hold off ’til it clears. I do understand and don’t hold that against them.
Response:
I always leave feedback when I get paid, at the same time I ship. Others do it differently. They’ve got their reasons, I’ve got mine. This question generally leads to a brawl in this newsgroup about every other month. Richard Ward – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
Response:
Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the buyer who leaves feedback first?
As sellers, we leave feedback only after the buyer has reported receipt of the item. We feel the transaction is not complete until that time. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Response:
I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have completed their part of the deal????
No I don’t. It ain’t over till its over. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com
Response:
I get about two-thirds. What’s normal depends on what you sell. I think my percentage is pretty normal for what I sell, but it would be amazingly high for someone selling video games to kids. Richard Ward – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – * * Most of the time, I am a seller on ebay. * * My question is, what is the protocol for leaving feedback. Should it be the * buyer who leaves feedback first * * I don’t know about protocol buy don’t you think when a buyer pays you they have * completed their part of the deal???? They should get FB right then. * * Most sellers seem to get from 30 to 50 % feedback from buyers – the other * buyers either don’t understand it or just don’t want to mess with it. My rate of fedback is about 60%. I thought that it was abnormal. igor
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