Meaning of auction bidder feedback number

[andresmit384]

Hi, I'm an eBay newbie. The lead bidder on an auction item that I'm interested in has a feedback number of (9876) after their anonymised name a***z [not the actual name and feedback number]. Evidently they have done a lot on eBay and are likely to be a trading business.

1.  Do bidder feedback numbers include total sales feedback as well as total purchases feedback?

2. Do they include all transactions over the account lifetime or are they limited to a shorter period of time? 

[tressygirl]

The encrypted a***z ID is to protect the bidder's identity,  it is only visible to the seller. 

You will not find out any information on that, or any bidder, bidding on an item that you are not selling.

@andresmit384 

[plpmr]

All it means is that they have a total of 9876 feedback recorded over the lifetime of their account.

It does not indicate if they are a private or business account.

[andresmit384]

Dear Tressygirl

Thanks for your answer. 

I understand that (as a potential bidder) I can't see the actual user account name. Is their bidder feedback number accurate, and what does it mean?

[andresmit384]

---

@plpmr wrote:

All it means is that they have a total of 9876 feedback recorded over the lifetime of their account.

It does not indicate if they are a private or business account.

---

Dear plpmr 

You imply that the user account's purchase and sale feedback is aggregated. Am I right?

[*vyolla*]

---

@andresmit384 wrote:

1.  Do bidder feedback numbers include total sales feedback as well as total purchases feedback? Yes, it includes all feedback received as a buyer and a seller.

2. Do they include all transactions over the account lifetime or are they limited to a shorter period of time? 

It's a running total since the account was opened.

---

[andresmit384]

Dear *vyolla*

My apologies for not thanking you earlier. I didn't see your message before I was called to supper. Thank you, tressygirl and plpmr for explaining this. I think the answers to questions 1 and 2 should be in eBay's FAQs. One might add there that the bidder's feedback number is that at time of bid and will remain constant while the item is on sale. 

eBay moderators please note.

As the auction item I'm interested in is classed as a collectable, I'd say that the current bidder is likely to be a trader (or perhaps a specialist collector with very deep pockets) unless they also buy their groceries on eBay. Which happens ....!

Thanks again everyone and have a great evening.