Anyone else getting this today?
I left feedback for a recent purchase, but got the spinning circle after tapping the 'Leave feedback' (i.e. 'Submit') button - see screenshot. This was on the mobile site (not app) in Classic View.
After 30 seconds or so I got a pop-up saying "Looks like you've already left feedback for this transaction" (or something very similar). I checked the seller's feedback, and my feedback comment is there, although I had to switch from 'Most relevant' to 'Most recent' to verify this.
I then left feedback for a purchase from a different seller, and had a variation of the above issue, the difference being that I got the pop-up when pressing the 'page back' button while the activity circle was spinning.
(Full disclosure: it could be that I pressed the 'page back' button in the first example, too, rather than getting the pop-up automatically after 30 seconds. I honestly don't remember, I was just tapping on my phone trying to get rid of the circle).
Compared to other issues with the site (which we all know seem to grow in number, with no resolution) this may seem quite minor, but it is exactly the type of issue which may put casual buyers off leaving feedback on future occasions. That's on top of the poorly-structured feedback submission itself (even when working properly).
As a seller myself, I appreciate the importance of feedback, hence why I took the time to check that my feedback had indeed been submitted. I doubt that many other buyers, especially those who only make the occasional purchase, and/or those who aren't familiar with the necessary steps (go to Purchase History, locate purchase, click on seller ID, select Feedback tab, switch from 'Most relevant' to 'Most recent' - this last step may or may not be necessary, depending on the volume of feedback the seller receives, and whether or not eBay's algorithm determines the feedback comment as 'relevant' ) would go to such lengths.
A few other remarks on the feedback process (I've seen discussions about this on other threads, but will collate my views here):
- Probably the most problematic issue (for sellers) is the 'Dispatch time' rating. A buyer does not necessarily know whether or not the seller shipped the item(s) within their handling time. Most buyers will base their rating on when they received their purchase, which, of course, depends on factors beyond the seller's control (mainly RM/courier delays). This rating, like the EDDs, is seriously flawed, and can result in totally undeserved defects.
- The 'Seller communication' should have a 'N/A' option, since many transactions take place with no communication from the seller (or the buyer). I always rate 5 stars for this (unless I've messaged the seller, and not received a response, or received an unsatisfactory response), but don't really like doing so, as leaving 5 stars when there has been no communication is not an accurate reflection of the true picture. Yet leaving less than 5 stars seems churlish, since to do so implies that there has been communication from the seller, but that this communication has been less than excellent. The absence of a 'N/A' option presents the buyer with an unnecessary quandary, which may result in an adverse effect on the seller's overall ratings; when there has been no communication from the seller (and none from the buyer, either) I can imagine the buyer rating 3 stars as a kind of 'neutral' (when in actual fact it is not).
- For goodness' sake, eBay, please revise the contradictory wording in:
Tell us more about this item
Help the eBay community by sharing more details about your purchase.
The box that follows is (or should be) for leaving a comment on various aspects of the transaction itself (was the seller polite, friendly and helpful in their communication, was the item as described, was it well packed, etc.). The word 'purchase' is ambiguous - it can refer to the item purchased, or it can refer to the buying experience as a whole. I'll admit that I haven't checked for myself, but there must be cases where buyers are using the box to review the item itself (and this causes further confusion where the item is a present for someone else, or where the buyer feels that they are not yet in a position to review an item beyond its physical aspects, e.g. a book that they don't intend to read for a while).
So, it isn't at all clear what eBay wants from the buyer here. Do they want a review of the item or an assessment of the seller? Or both (in which case, clearly differentiate the two)? If they want a review of the item, do they want comments on the physical condition (e.g. "A few scuffs and marks, but these were clearly stated and shown in the listing") or comments on the buyer's experience of 'using' the item (which could range from something highly subjectively like "Fantastic novel, couldn't put it down" to something more objective like "The volume control is temperamental"). Or, again, do they want both?
eBay really should make all this clearer, mainly for the benefit of sellers, but also for buyers. Personally - and I'm sure I'm not alone - I don't want to read product reviews on eBay. I want to read feedback that helps me to gauge whether or not the seller is a person or company I'm happy to make a purchase from.
Sorry to cover old ground, but things like this - in addition to the numerous other issues with the site - are all feeding into my (and, probably, many other would-be sellers') reluctance to resume selling. Yes, as I'm a private seller who does not intend to promote listings, or to sell internationally, eBay won't be getting fees from me, but they have stated that increased seller activity drives up overall traffic, activity, and purchases on their site - so my holding back is yet another own goal for them.
