Guest buyers are still not understanding they can log back in.

[madelaine]

Oh, dear, Johnwash despises me! I leave pretty much the same feedback as a buyer unless something exceptional has happened.

[crafters_corner]

Oh, despicable me.

[rocks2dust]

I strongly disagree. That would just make f/b as useless as sellers' f/b is on ebay (because sellers can't leave negs). Feedback is an opportunity to say something specific about the other party, "Excellent packing and good communication", "Quick payment, simple trade" (i.e. very routine, but nothing too scary), "Slow despatch, but the necklace was well worth waiting for, thanks so much", "Lovely buyer, collected in person, promptly and efficiently"... and so on.

When I have a sale on ebay I always check the feedback left to others by the buyer (probably the best warning one can get on such an opaque site). Some just leave an anodyne "Good ebayer, ok" on every trade they do, identical wording. OK, at least they do leave f/b and help ones reputation counter. But I still despise these people, how many seconds would it take to say something specific?

Automated feedback? You might as well be dealing with androids.

I only suggested automated feedback when a buyer or seller is not motivated, or too lazy, to leave their own. I did NOT suggest that automated feedback override feedback left by a buyer or seller, nor did I suggest that sellers could not change feedback later on. It should be safe to assume that the transaction is viewed as positive by parties who haven't raised a dispute, and as I stated, the system could email them with a link that would allow them to change the automated feedback if they wish.

Thinking that sellers or buyers are going to compose unique comments for every transaction is unreasonable - perhaps for a situation where buyer and seller have had to communicate to deal with a problem or have a history of transactions, but the majority of sales aren't going to warrant that sort of effort. Platitudes come across as fake when buyer and seller know nothing more about each other than that payment was made and product delivered was as described.

Feedback is increasingly viewed as unnecessary by buyers (and many sellers). The exception are those situations where something has gone horribly wrong. As a seller, I leave feedback on sites where I sell, but am not motivated to do so on other sites. Buyers who do not sell at all are even less likely to bother leaving feedback. I should think that most sellers would rather customers not be presented with negative or problematic feedback with less representation of the many successful transactions where buyers or sellers weren't motivated to leave feedback.

[ropegg]

I only suggested automated feedback when a buyer or seller is not motivated, or too lazy, to leave their own. I did NOT suggest that automated feedback override feedback left by a buyer or seller, nor did I suggest that sellers could not change feedback later on. It should be safe to assume that the transaction is viewed as positive by parties who haven't raised a dispute, and as I stated, the system could email them with a link that would allow them to change the automated feedback if they wish.

Thinking that sellers or buyers are going to compose unique comments for every transaction is unreasonable - perhaps for a situation where buyer and seller have had to communicate to deal with a problem or have a history of transactions, but the majority of sales aren't going to warrant that sort of effort. Platitudes come across as fake when buyer and seller know nothing more about each other than that payment was made and product delivered was as described.

Feedback is increasingly viewed as unnecessary by buyers (and many sellers). The exception are those situations where something has gone horribly wrong. As a seller, I leave feedback on sites where I sell, but am not motivated to do so on other sites. Buyers who do not sell at all are even less likely to bother leaving feedback. I should think that most sellers would rather customers not be presented with negative or problematic feedback with less representation of the many successful transactions where buyers or sellers weren't motivated to leave feedback.

Instead of automatic feedback being left at any stage I would rather that after 30 days of no feedback being left that the sale be shown as no feedback given and not be included in the percentage. Those checking would see the sales/purchases that has been made and the viewer could make their own assumption as to why no feedback was left.

For Example
% Positive feedback
% Neutral feedback
% Negative feedback
Transactions with Unreported feedback

[JaBek1]

Alas! Feedback is, in my opinion, something that leaves itself open to abuse. While it hasn't really developed into something as bad here as it has on other venues, the potential is there. I would prefer a system that called for shady sellers and buyers to be reported and investigated rather than the leaving of opinions which are merely that, opinions.

Of course, such a system would require something of an investment in time and man power by the site to actually investigate disputes. Frankly, I'm not going to be holding my breath waiting for it.

[theElench]

Whenever ebid is mentioned on the other site, what is the first / usual / only response? -- "Nothing ever sells on Ebid". There is currently one poster there who has taken to calling the site ebidless.


After twenty years that reputation is so firmly attached to the site it has become the received wisdom and becomes more difficult to shift with every day that the situation continues.


Any buyer, new to the site is confronted by sellers who all to often look like they started selling a few months ago (to go by their low FB number). The buyer can't look at previous sales. Is there anything that might give them the confidence to buy here?


The same is true when trying to attract more sellers, the sites terrible reputation is backed up when a potential new seller has a look at the category they will sell in. All too often a handful of sellers with single-figure FB sitting on a few listings that have been there for years.

To me it's remarkable that the situation has been allowed for so long. The tone of discussions is so often "When the world recognises how great the site is they will flock here and all will be well". Something that hasn't happened in twenty years. Equally remarkable that there is still any debate that something needs to be done to at least attempt to break out of the straight-jacket.

"If at first you don't succeed then get up off your posterior and try doing something (anything) different." At least you won't be any worse off and you might surprise yourself and improve the situation.

[cornishmaid1961]

Instead of automatic feedback being left at any stage I would rather that after 30 days of no feedback being left that the sale be shown as no feedback given and not be included in the percentage. Those checking would see the sales/purchases that has been made and the viewer could make their own assumption as to why no feedback was left.

For Example
% Positive feedback
% Neutral feedback
% Negative feedback
Transactions with Unreported feedback

That's a good idea Peggy. Etsy shows a sales count for sellers since they started on the site no matter how much feedback has been left, so how about it eBid ? I would like it to show by the seller name rather then incorporated with the feedback so it's 'in your face' so to speak !

I would still like the original problem sorted though so guest buyers find it easy to leave feedback if they want to.

[sheffieldtony]

Whenever ebid is mentioned on the other site, what is the first / usual / only response? -- "Nothing ever sells on Ebid". There is currently one poster there who has taken to calling the site ebidless.


After twenty years that reputation is so firmly attached to the site it has become the received wisdom and becomes more difficult to shift with every day that the situation continues.


Any buyer, new to the site is confronted by sellers who all to often look like they started selling a few months ago (to go by their low FB number). The buyer can't look at previous sales. Is there anything that might give them the confidence to buy here?


The same is true when trying to attract more sellers, the sites terrible reputation is backed up when a potential new seller has a look at the category they will sell in. All too often a handful of sellers with single-figure FB sitting on a few listings that have been there for years.

To me it's remarkable that the situation has been allowed for so long. The tone of discussions is so often "When the world recognises how great the site is they will flock here and all will be well". Something that hasn't happened in twenty years. Equally remarkable that there is still any debate that something needs to be done to at least attempt to break out of the straight-jacket.

"If at first you don't succeed then get up off your posterior and try doing something (anything) different." At least you won't be any worse off and you might surprise yourself and improve the situation.

True and well Expressed.

[theElench]

That's a good idea Peggy. Etsy shows a sales count for sellers since they started on the site no matter how much feedback has been left, so how about it eBid ? I would like it to show by the seller name rather then incorporated with the feedback so it's 'in your face' so to speak !

I would still like the original problem sorted though so guest buyers find it easy to leave feedback if they want to.

Yes, it is a good idea and one that I think they introduced after they set up in the UK. At least I never noticed it when I first visited, a few years ago when there was only a couple of pages of the glass I collect. When I went back about eighteen months ago the category had grown enormously and I started buying pieces I couldn't find either here or on the other site. The last item I bought was from a seller who had over 100 successful transactions and only a handful of reviews, so they suffer from the same problem as we do here.

I now feel that in some ways it would be a better solution than relying solely on FB. It's always nice to get a personalised comment from a happy buyer but when so few bother another digit added to the count would be better than nothing. With the count being run by the site, it looks more "official" and would help to dispel accusations of manipulation.


Your point about it being "in your face" is a good one. On the craft site it was up near the listing title when the item was viewed. Reviews down at the bottom of the page. Some of my listings here have had over a thousand views, but not sold. A timely nudge of the real number of transactions I've been party to might just get a buyer over the hurdle and click the BIN button.

[cornishmaid1961]

Yes, it is a good idea and one that I think they introduced after they set up in the UK. At least I never noticed it when I first visited, a few years ago when there was only a couple of pages of the glass I collect. When I went back about eighteen months ago the category had grown enormously and I started buying pieces I couldn't find either here or on the other site. The last item I bought was from a seller who had over 100 successful transactions and only a handful of reviews, so they suffer from the same problem as we do here.

I now feel that in some ways it would be a better solution than relying solely on FB. It's always nice to get a personalised comment from a happy buyer but when so few bother another digit added to the count would be better than nothing. With the count being run by the site, it looks more "official" and would help to dispel accusations of manipulation.


Your point about it being "in your face" is a good one. On the craft site it was up near the listing title when the item was viewed. Reviews down at the bottom of the page. Some of my listings here have had over a thousand views, but not sold. A timely nudge of the real number of transactions I've been party to might just get a buyer over the hurdle and click the BIN button.

Yes, I also enjoy having a nose at what people have sold over there as the sales count also has a link with photos of the items which in turn take you back to the original listing.

I don't know if that would be possible here though as eBid seems to delete our photos after 75 days. I always wondered why that was in this day and age when there is now cloud storage available ? Quite often I have gone to the archives to find an old listing for reference and find the photos gone so am not sure if it's the right item !

Anyway even a number count for sales with no link would be an improvement to show there is activity here !