Ebay Feedback

[ajbrun]

How do you manage your ebay feedback? Generally, my 'rule' is that the seller should give feedback first as the buyer is the first to complete their side of the process. If I'm the buyer, then I usually don't give feedback until they've given it to me, as in my opinion, that's the order in which it should work.

However, something I bought arrived today, basically said on a note that the seller wants feedback first before they give any back to me. On this occasion, I'll comply, but apart from just selfishly securing feedback, I see no reason why the seller should receive feedback first.

What do you guys do/think?

[jimbouk]

I always expect the buyer to give feedback first. By doing this they confirm that the goods did arrive and everything is ok. Otherwise the seller could give good feedback then the buyer mess them around saying it arrived broken or whatever.

Touch wood haven't had any real trouble with ebay...

[Whalefish]

Personally I think the seller should give the first feedback. If I pay as soon as the auction is finished what more can I do? I am not impressed when a seller waits for me to give them positive feedback before they reciprocate.

[Iain M]

I've never sold anything on ebay, but the few times that I have bought stuff, I give feedback when the item arrives, then the seller will leave feedback...

[Colossous]

As a buyer, if the seller has been communicative and pleasant then i'll leave feedback regardless. If they have'nt contacted to say the items been dispatched etc then i'll wait untill they leave feedback !

[g8ina]

I would also expect sellers to give FB first as I always pay immediately, but that's a non happening ideal

I always leave FB whatever happens.

[Steve B]

I've never sold anything on ebay, but the few times that I have bought stuff, I give feedback when the item arrives, then the seller will leave feedback...

thats how i work it as well. however, as per ajbruns post, the seller was a bit of a nark

[wombar]

I think buyers should leave feedback first as they effectively close the deal by receiving the package. Just because someone pays promptly for a package doesn't mean they're a good buyer.

Once everyone has received what they are owed, that's the point where feedback should be left.

[pr0p4g4nd4]

Buyer first, it just makes the most sense to me.

[uchiha_itachi]

Seller first, due to what has already mentioned above, that the buyer has performed their part of the sale, to pay.

As a side note, I can see where the seller is coming from when they expect buyers to leave feedback first, I suppose its their only indication of knowing that the buyer was happy with the service.

[Howard]

I leave feedback as soon as I've posted the item if I'm the seller, and as soon as I've received it and know it's as described if I'm the buyer

[Tarffie]

Buyer first. Transaction isn't complete until they've received the item, and 10 times out of 10 the only confirmation I get of that being the case is when the buyer leaves me feedback.

[[GSV]Myocardial]

After trading on eBay for 3 years we now set that buyers should leave feedback before we will. The main reason being that (in our experience) if the buyer has a problem and we have left feedback they tend to unjustifiably neg you rather than drop you a quick e-mail explaining that there has been a problem, giving you no time to either resolve or people decide that 2nd class post should arrive next day and have gotten really miffed when their item has taken till wednesday to arrive (ordered on fri/sat/sun).

If we as a seller don't leave feedback until the buyer has left theirs then we tend to get better communication of problems aswell as recognition that the item was received and is still in one piece.

When we trialled leaving feedback upon receipt of payment we had many problems with people just not communicating issues like they'd ordered the wrong colour and wanted to swap, or the item was too small and they needed a larger one but they would do this with a neutral or negative feedback which we wouldn't even get notified of until we actually checked our feedback (and they wiz down the list when your getting 100+ fb a day so we didn't always spot problems).

I think one major problem with eBay's feedback system is that if a buyer wants to leave a neg then they should have to enter into a dispute type situation so that they at least have to communicate with the seller. The number of times I've received neg's/neutrals for the buyers mistakes is silly.

We tend not to leave any negative comments unless the buyer has been either abusive/threatening. Any problems such as non payment are better dealt with through the non paying buyer dispute console where they operate a 3 strikes and your out type approach and is a much more effective system for a seller to rate a buyer.

[Akwaaba]

As a buyer, I am happy to leave feedback first - it lets the seller know I've rec'd the item and am happy with it. As a seller I expect the same.

Some ebay members rarely, if ever, leave feedback. These are usually buyers - so not automatically giving feedback might encouage them to join in with letting others know what they think of their purchases.

I think that a transaction is not complete until the item is rec'd and the buyer is happy with it.

[tigerboyce]

Always buyer first but i still always leave it if they dont so then others can know what they are like. Id give them 3 weeks to respond max

[0iD]

I don't think it matters, but what annoys me is sellers who don't bother to give any feedback. I always leave feedback whethdr the buyer of seller.