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Morning.
Do you leave feedback for buyers before or after they leave feedback for you? In the past, as a buyer, I was a tad put off by sellers who stated that they left feedback after I, as a buyer, did. When I started selling a short time ago, I adopted the same policy thinking that leaving feedback after a buyer would give me a chance to "explain" or correct a situation. (So far, haven't needed to, thank God.) Well, about a week into selling, I had someone protest SO much, that I reconsidered my policy and changed back to leaving feedback for the buyer as soon as their payment cleared. Problem, as I suspected, is that some people NEVER come back to leave feedback. Would you mind sharing your policy on this? Thoughts? Experiences?
Thanks & have a great day. Smile
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I used to leave FB as soon as I received payment from my buyers...until I had to deal with 2 cases of FB extortion a few years ago ("give me a refund or else I'll neg you!")

For the last 3 years I have been leaving FB after it has been left for me, which is what EBay advised me to do, and I have not had a problem with that. I have a note in all of my listings that says "To save time I have my ebay account set-up to leave FB automatically after it has been left for me." This is not true, of course, and I am still doing it manually after I receive FB. Why? Originally it was because I didn't want to deal with buyers threatening me and I wanted to be able to work out problems with buyers before either of us left FB. Now, because of the new "no neut or neg FB for buyers" rule that eBay implemented earlier this year, I feel it's absolutely necessary to wait since Buyers can neg sellers for no reason and there's nothing we can do about it.

Is this unfair? Depends on if you are a buyer or seller. As a seller, I must do everything I can to keep my nose clean and running smoothly on eBay. If that means that someone who paid immediately after an auction ended won't get their FB, that's an unfortunate casualty. Seller's hand's are tied right now in more ways than one on eBay, and when you feel cornered and backed up against a wall, you have to protect yourself any way you can.

My 2 cents Wink
Last edited by californiadreamin
As a seller, as soon as payment is received I immediately e-mail buyer with a "thank-you for your quick payment" note. I then leave feedback for them.

As a buyer, I leave feedback as soon as I receive and inspect item.

Either way, I have rarely had a problem. No matter what changes have been made, buyers will still look at your feedback # and your %.
Ditti, mxknitter, I do it exactly the same way. I also send them a tracking number for free, and a shipping notification.... I hate those "when did you mail my __________ out?" emails! Don't you? Now they know!

As a Buyer, I do the same as you. Immediately upon satisfactory inspection of the item.

Cheers, barb
I now leave feedback as soon as payment is cleared. The buyer, after all, has completed their part of the deal.

I also let them know :
1. That payment is cleared
2. I am posting today (or tomorrow if they've missed today's mailout)
3. I have left feedback, and please leae feedback for me when they receive item, or contact me if a problem.

I am big on communication. I acknowledge every step and my customer appreciate it.

Being upfront and honest with buyers has never caused me any problems, the opposite in fact. I have many repeat customers because they know they will get they pay for, with great customer service. Yes, it takes a little more time, however it's worth it. :-)
I guess it doesn't matter either way if you think about it. I always leave mine after the buyer does so I know that we had a smooth transaction. If there was something wrong, I'd like to fix it before feedback is left and I leave feedback for them. I don't feel confident if the transaction happened to have loose ends before feedback is being made. Luckily I had never encountered a problem with any transaction before. I consider myself lucky... but I'm always careful usually before mistakes arise. Like some people here, I was send off kind little notes. I noticed that some people cared about them and some people don't care either way... why? Because they never leave feedback! Then again guess it might be another reason...
Oh yeah and I always notify them when I shipped out an item. I noticed people dinging my stars a bit when they first did the system...and I was like wtf??? I didn't ever tell buyers I shipped the package out because I thought they usually receive an email from paypal on tracking. But since then I started "communicating". Some buyers even said "thank you" when I did. I have 4.8 in communication, but it's been like that for a while.
quote:
I leave feedback whenever I find time. Sometimes it's right after payment, sometimes it's weeks later.


I ditto that... I usually visit my sales page once a week, and update my shipping status, and use the Auctiva "default" feedback tool to leave feedback for ALL my buyers for that week. I make it a point to say "thanks for your business" no matter how long they took to pay me. Smile

If someone is going to neg you there isn't much you can do about it anyway. Except to do all in your power to be proactive in avoiding issues which generate a negative feedback in the first place.

I don't sweat it much when buyers don't leave me feedback. No news is good news...but who doesn't LIKE to receive good feedback. Some buyers care about their feedback numbers, so I do my part to keep them happy.

LDC
quote:
Originally posted by BtoB:
Morning.
Do you leave feedback for buyers before or after they leave feedback for you? In the past, as a buyer, I was a tad put off by sellers who stated that they left feedback after I, as a buyer, did. When I started selling a short time ago, I adopted the same policy thinking that leaving feedback after a buyer would give me a chance to "explain" or correct a situation. (So far, haven't needed to, thank God.) Well, about a week into selling, I had someone protest SO much, that I reconsidered my policy and changed back to leaving feedback for the buyer as soon as their payment cleared. Problem, as I suspected, is that some people NEVER come back to leave feedback. Would you mind sharing your policy on this? Thoughts? Experiences?
Thanks & have a great day. Smile


Even before the change against sellers and we were unable to leave appropriate negative feedback, it was unwise to leave feedback of any kind for the Buyer until AFTER the Buyer left POSITIVE FEEDBACK.

If you left pos. FB the buyer might later, ev en a MONTH later decide to try and get is money back, make up a bogus reason, effect a successful charge back on the seller account and THEN leave Neg FB to boot.
Granted that is a worst case scenario, but i6t only has to happen once or happen to a friend to teach the lesson do NOT leave feedback period until the buyer confesses all was well and as expected and there were no problems and he is just tickled with the product.
Then and ONLY then leave feedback.
And NOW w, when we can leave ONLY Pos FB, my strong suggestion is to leave NO Feedback if the transaction was rocky or bad, make an appropriate complaint through the skimpily provided channels via Safe harbor AFTER communication via email and Phone to effect resolution.
In a case where you would have left neg. FB leave none at all.
If the BUYER Never leaves you feedback, Never leave him FB.
Once you do, he can come in an tank your score .
Now... Not all, in fact only the smallest percent of buyers fall into this malicious category, BUT, there are enough, and it happens often enough, and eBay's new CEO believes that Sellers are the trash of the world, and dead beat buyers asre allowed to rip off hoinest sellers.

Case in point a lady who had sold her dolls on ebay for close to a decade and had a 100% positive feedback score over all of that time was recently booted off of eBay, her account CLOSED. Why? Because ONE buyer making multiple purchases, whose items were delivered within three days by Priority mail USPS Insured w/ delivery Confirmation PRINTED through PayPal, left feed back saying her shipping was too slow. Tanked her score in the stars, and she was summarily shut down, even with a paper trails proving her rates and ship habits of a decade ebay has still not reinstated that account.
That one example is sufficient.
Sadly it is not an isolated event.


EBay is NOT, I repeat, NOT on our side.
But they should be.
we pay the fees that pay them.

So my thoughts are never leave FB until the buyer leaves POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
And if Neg FB would be appropriate make a complaint via the dispute console, and leave no feedback.
quote:
Originally posted by grateful:
I now leave feedback as soon as payment is cleared. The buyer, after all, has completed their part of the deal.

I also let them know :
1. That payment is cleared
2. I am posting today (or tomorrow if they've missed today's mailout)
3. I have left feedback, and please leae feedback for me when they receive item, or contact me if a problem.

I am big on communication. I acknowledge every step and my customer appreciate it.

Being upfront and honest with buyers has never caused me any problems, the opposite in fact. I have many repeat customers because they know they will get they pay for, with great customer service. Yes, it takes a little more time, however it's worth it. :-)

have a friend who left POS FB for the buyer.
Payment cleared. Item delivered and confirmation via USPS tracking and all shipping printed via eBay/Paypal.
Buyer complained shipping took too long and left neg FB.
The Seller would not have left Pos FB (at the time we could still leave FAIR feed Back) if these comments had be4en left first.
This buyer felt safe doing this and he was. He had already been left POS FB by and honest seller.
There aren't many out there, but they do have the greatest potential and importunity to do great damage to seller accounts in good standing with only two nasty tanks.
be careful.
leave FB only when POS FB is left and not before.
Otherwise you leave yourself open for any one who feels like taking their mood out on you.

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