ebay automated feedback

[marfy1965]

I have a basic policy of only leaving feedback for sellers who leave it for their buyers.  If I haven't received any feedback from a seller when my item has arrived, I will check their feedback to see if they leave it in response.  

If they don't, sometimes I will message the seller to say item has been received and I will be happy to leave positive feedback on receipt of theirs.  Some will then leave it, some won't.

But now ebay have introduced the automated feedback so the choice of not leaving it has been taken away from me.  What happens if something has gone wrong but not enough to justify a neg or neutral and I just want to move on?  Seller still gets a positive feedback.

[asleepingdragon]

My recent experience is that sellers no longer bother leaving feedback.  They don't need to because they're going to get eventual feedback anyway.  I reckon for every 50 feedback I leave these days I might get 5 back. 

Plus I've noticed something very odd. That my feedback left total number sometimes increases overnight by random amounts, between glancing at the totals moving further apart one day (left/received) and the next, when I haven't personally left any. Which I just can't work out at all.   

[krafty-kreations]

 I generally leave feedback for good sellers but sometimes they dont warrant it and leaving neg/neutral feedback will almost invariably result in retaliatory feedback from a seller if you do. 

Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers and if they leave a positive with a negative comment you can report it to eBay and have it removed.

[marfy1965]

Where do you think a buyer gets the money to pay sellers for items?  They've had to work just as hard as a seller does, so a seller should be grateful they have spent that money with their listings.

[marfy1965]

I really don't know what the answer to my query is - should all buyers leave neutral feedback for every transaction where a positive isn't deserved just to prevent ebay leaving an automated positive?  Or leave a neutral where the transaction has gone fine but the sellers don't bother leaving reciprocal feedback for their buyers?  

[jonatjonatjonat]

should all buyers leave neutral feedback for every transaction where a positive isn't deserved just to prevent ebay leaving an automated positive? Or leave a neutral where the transaction has gone fine but the sellers don't bother leaving reciprocal feedback for their buyers?

If they did do that, they wouldn't be buying from me again on that account.

[marfy1965]

So what do you think should happen then?  Let sellers get positive feedback when either they don't deserve a positive or they don't bother leaving a positive for their buyers?  

IMO ebay should drop the auto feedback and let buyers and sellers decide.  It's all getting biased towards sellers now with the change of who pays the fee - from seller to buyer.

[jonatjonatjonat]

I still have no idea what exactly a seller has to do in an order to not warrant a positive but ‘doesn’t quite warrant giving a neutral’ for doing the bare minimum required of shipping on time and getting it there in an undamaged state and on time. That is a positive experience.

 As for those who don’t leave a positive for a buyer that playground game is a rule that you seem to have made up.

[marfy1965]

I'd give a positive for the scenario you described if I knew the seller would return that positive.  If the seller doesn't give feedback to their buyers then I would not leave it for them - it's a two way transaction, just like customer and shopkeeper saying thank you to each other.  But obviously I don't want to leave a neutral, so what would you suggest I do in that situation?  If I don't leave any feedback then ebay will automatically leave a positive.  Where is the incentive for sellers to leave any feedback for their buyers in that case?

I have come across many sellers who don't leave feedback for buyers despite receiving many positives from them, now ebay have made that situation worse.  

Would you like all buyers to leave neutrals for sellers who don't reciprocate positive feedback?  If not, try to be more proactive in your comments.

[jonatjonatjonat]

I thought I’d made it clear. I’m happy with the approach of eBay leaving automated positive feedback on the basis the item is delivered on time and no case is opened.

Be proactive? Do you actually mean agree with you?

[marfy1965]

So you don't think sellers should leave feedback for their buyers?  You don't believe in good manners?

By proactive I meant make suggestions on how this could be resolved rather than take an "I'm happy because this suits me, stuff the rest of you" attitude.  Clearly not going to happen.  I'm outta here, talk to yourself if you want.

[jonatjonatjonat]

I don’t think you even need feedback for buyers in the first place.

But ok just just automate that as well. If the buyer pays and doesn’t open a case for a seller - that’s a positive. An given only positive feedback can be left for buyers - it would make no difference to the sellers anyway. From a seller point of view if they really felt the positive was unwanted there, you could request it be removed.

thats fair on both sides now. A means of automating positives based on meeting the bare minimum of the requirements of an online transaction. Means by both sides to remove a positive if they wish.

[moonlight-rhapsody]

I always find it a bit odd when a seller gives feedback before the buyer has confirmed that they have received the item and are happy with it.  Sometimes a seller will leave immediate feedback saying “Excellent buyer, A++++++” etc, when they don’t know whether the buyer is going to be a PITA after they receive the item. The buyer might try to nit-pick about something that they should have seen in the description or the photo, or they might even try to scam the seller in some way.  

On the other hand, the buyer knows exactly what the seller is like, from the accuracy of the listing, to prompt despatch, careful packaging etc.  

So the buyer risks nothing by giving feedback on receipt, whereas the seller risks giving incorrect feedback if they do so before they know that the buyer is happy.  That’s not in anybody’s interests, least of all other potential buyers who could be misled by early generous feedback on a buyer who in practice does not deserve it.

[jonatjonatjonat]

That is automated. As a business seller you can automate the sending of feedback to buyers basically provided they pay.

reason? The reason the OP gave. I won’t until you do.

[marfy1965]

I did not give that as a reason.  

Did you know that ebay send me notification of replies?  Or did you think you could just write whatever you wanted to make me look unreasonable and I wouldn't be able to call you out on it.

My reason for not wanting to give positive feedback to a seller is when they don't leave feedback for buyers - that doesn't mean a seller has to leave it first but will reciprocate - so I'm happy to leave a positive if the transaction went okay and I know the seller has the decency to thank their buyers.  And if they don't leave feedback for buyers then I will at least notify the seller that the item has been received and I would be happy to leave them positive feedback on receipt of theirs.

[marfy1965]

Sellers don't have to leave feedback first, just leave it when they are able to after the buyer has left feedback for them.  Not an unreasonable request.  Many buyers go on to use their accounts as sellers so appreciate building up their feedback.

But now buyers do not know exactly what a seller is like because if a buyer does not think the transaction deserved a positive then ebay will automatically leave one unless they buyer leaves a negative/neutral which may not be deserved either.

[jonatjonatjonat]

Fair enough apologies I misunderstood what you were on about.

truth be told I’m not entirely sure what you are on about. I personally feel I’ve given a good account of my opinion on feedback. You want me to be proactive or whatever it is. I’ve no idea what you mean so I’ll leave this thread alone now.

[*devils.advocate*]

I buy items, not green dots.

[sml192]

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@marfy1965 wrote:

Sellers don't have to leave feedback first, just leave it when they are able to after the buyer has left feedback for them.  Not an unreasonable request.  Many buyers go on to use their accounts as sellers so appreciate building up their feedback.

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Whilst that is true, personally I don't think feedback received as a buyer has any relevance to their ability as a seller.  Just because they are a good buyer doesn't necessarily mean that they will be a good seller.  There is very little a seller can say about a buyer anyway, other than thanking them for their custom, so it's pretty meaningless.