Buyers not leaving feedback

[tranceenthusiast]

Hi guys, 

I'm pretty new to eBay. I've sold a few items now. I've made sure buyers get the item safely packaged, quickly ( usually dispatched same day if possible ) and fully tracked..

The first couple of sale,  I got great Feedback. But my next few sales, despite providing the same fast service, going to great lengths to get everything right. And despite me leaving them positive feedback. 

The buyers are not giving feedback? I understand they aren't obliged to give feedback. But as a new seller this is vital really. 

Should I jog their memories and ask for feedback or just leave it? Kind of frustrating when you've gone to great lengths to go " above and beyond " and then get no feedback. 

Cheers 

[junk.monkey]

I've taken to not leaving feedback for buyers until they have left it for me.   I don't chase them up but if they play fair, and leave me honest feedback, I will do the same.  If someone can't be bothered to acknowledge that their goods have arrived and they are happy with them I feel no obligation to tell the world they paid on time and didn't cause me any hassle.

Do as you would be done by.

[tressygirl]

Think most sellers will follow that lead,  that is,  to wait  for a buyer to leave feedback before leaving good feedback for that buyer.

Leaving any sooner,  you may end up with the buyer from hell, and to rub salt in the wound,  you've left non retractable,  good feedback.

End of the day,  feedback is voluntary and neither member obliged to leave any.

[technthread]

I leave feedback automatically for the buyer once the sale is made. It saves a lot of messing around on my part checking that I haven't missed one and I would recommend it just for the time saved. 

If a buyer turns out to be a problem it really doesn't matter to me that I gave them a +1 feedback on their score, the feedback I leave is fairly anodyne, I manually typed

a very basic one instead of eBay's cringy ones. It doesn't say anything about how the buyer was to deal with, it is fairly meaningless other than to let the buyer know I will be posting the item shortly. 

One downside of doing it is that I have noticed some buyers who seem to leave a lot of positive feedback, don't leave it for me which seems out of character. I may be losing a few positives from those

buyers who decided that there is no longer an incentive to leave feedback to receive it reciprocally but it seems to be a very small percentage of buyers who will do that.

*and by that logic - maybe I gain some feedback from people who wouldn't leave it if I haven't left it for them first. 

In general I just think the feedback system here is outdated and more buyers can't be bothered anymore. If feedback received notifications were sent out, eBay might be able to revitalise it but I don't think it is high on their list of priorities. 

[carolina0070]

I blocked a buyer once because he never ever leaves feedback, emailed them to explain why but got no response. Checked back sometime after and they actually started leaving feedback, so maybe they just needed a kickstart.

[plpmr]

"I blocked a buyer once because he never ever leaves feedback"

Absolutely amazing, so your first priority is not to sell, but to gain feedback.

[carolina0070]

Yes. A buyer who has been on eBay for 3 years and never leaves feedback. My decision not yours.

[tressygirl]

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@carolina0070 wrote:

I blocked a buyer once because he never ever leaves feedback, emailed them to explain why but got no response. Checked back sometime after and they actually started leaving feedback, so maybe they just needed a kickstart.

---

You say later this is your decision and yes of course it is,   but I must admit this is a first for me , to hear someone is blocked for not leaving feedback,   which in the end,   is entirely voluntary.

Most nowadays do not leave feedback,  your blocked list is going to go into overdrive.

[sml192]

You do realise that leaving feedback is entirely voluntary?

[carolina0070]

Of course I do but this guy was habitual about not leaving feedback, after all without it there's no community left. As I said he now leaves feedback so is now unblocked, by the way that's the only time I have blocked anybody, it just got my goat up that's all.

[plpmr]

Of course it's your decision to block a member for not doing what's voluntary to do.

" without it there's no community left"

OK, so lets block all members from the boards who after getting help don't say thank you.

[technthread]

I support that motion. Who raised some of these people. 

[carolina0070]

I was raised up very good thankyou very much, cant see what my mother and father has to do with this discussion but thats your mentality i suppose, cant discuss without being rude.

Anyway everyone to his own, discussions over for me.

[technthread]

You misunderstand. I wasn't disagreeing with you or aiming that towards you. 

[carolina0070]

Sorry mate you must have clicked on the wrong reply link, ignore what I said and I apologise.
Take care.

[technthread]

No worries. I felt bad that you took it like that.

It is people who come onto the forum and get help and don't reply afterwards are one of my bugbears. Sometimes they wait weeks and then when they want follow up advice they ask more questions, read the replies and ghost again. 

[woolly_jumper]

. Was going to leave feedback but they they have changed it to a 500 letter essay which is hard to do for a bra

[robbtyke132010]

When you work in a shop & serve people there are customers who say "Thankyou" & there are customers who do not say a dickie-bird. That is exactly like on here.

[plpmr]

members are not forced to use all 500, they can still leave a brief feedback.

[crg_music]

I just leave it automated on payment, there are a couple I wish I could take back but in my eyes the buyers role is complete once paid and i'll be the better man, the idea of witholding for any reason is pointless as buyer feedback in almost worthless.

As for receiving some will leave it the moment they unpack, some will leave it randomly days, weeks, months later or even not bother. I know when I bought a lot more i'd probably be leaving 50 in 1 sitting.

I would definitely advise against reminding them as you'll just annoy them, let ebay remind them as im sure they will.

What really matters is what ebay thinks, list accurately, post fast and add tracking to show delivery within your stated time and you'll be fine. Report bad buyers and ebay will deal with it, negative comments on positive feedback can be removed so pointless.

[elabam-42]

I have the same problem and

 it’s really rude. Every time I bought, I left feedback and the same with selling. A lot of people were really great at this but in the last few months I have sold at least 30 items and not one feedback from any of them. I decided prior to this, due to leaving FB for them and not getting any in return was unfair, as why should I boost their score with positivity when I got zero back, so now I pop a note in AND leave message on the sale page saying please leave feedback on receipt and I will do the same. Still nothing! So if they don’t give, they don’t get. What’s even worse is that I am an incredibly thoughtful and caring person, and as well as keeping buyers up to date with transactions I have even included free items sometimes, including a children’s book I wrote, but heard absolutely nothing- no thanks, FB or any email etc. I even sent them a message asking if they had received it all. NOTHING- SO RUDE ITS UNBELIEVABLE.  I agree with you that it’s really not on, as it’s part of eBay policy to help other people buy and sell. EBay should put + FB on automatically as they are great are taking money but do nothing to help with this side of things. 
It really is total laziness and not the way eBay works so they should remedy this with their systems that seem to do everything else! So, only leave FB when they get item, if they have left it for you, or don’t bother. Your score stays low whilst theirs gets higher??!!! Come on eBay- sort it out- even if just to say “delivered and all great”.