Ebay thoughts from a seller

[Scott Loven]

I have been reading the thread on buying on ebay and thought I would start my own thread.
Thoughts from a seller
1) Don't send a money order or check without a clue as to what it is for. Include a legible name, address, item number, and item description. Best is a copy of the email.
2) Dint send emails like "Wheres my stuff? (see above)
3) Dint just look at the picture, read the description, ask questions if you arnt sure. I had a woman in California very upset because I wouldn't send her a mission roll top desk for $19.95 instead of the plans to build the desk. I try to anticipate issues like this, but don't anticipate them all. I got a negative feedback from a guy who wanted me to send him a $120 kreg jig for $10 because there was a jig being demonstrated on the jacket of the video. I gave him a full refund for the video.
4) Dint send negative feedback as your first indication that you are upset with something. Its your best leverage to get something resolved.
5) Dint expect instant response to your email. I may have taken the day off, be at a funeral (One of my 4 negative feedbacks came when I had to suddenly go out east for my sister-in-laws funeral), be at work, in the shop, asleep etc.

Scott
tall-corn on ebay for 7 years
3165 positive feedbacks
4 negative

[Frank Guerin]

I paid. I recieved the item. I posted possitive feed back. I recieved negative feed back stating I never paid for the item. Numerous e-mail to seller went unanswered and Ebay has been notified and nothing was done about it. Go figure.

[Scott Loven]

There is a way to have feedback mutually withdrawn, but I have never tried it, has anyone else ever looked into it? Do you have any proof of payment?
Scott

[Mark Cothren]

There is a way to have feedback mutually withdrawn, but I have never tried it, has anyone else ever looked into it?

BTDT...

I did a buy-it-now on a drill and sent payment only to receive an e-mail from the guy saying he had listed the drill in error, that he actually didn't have any more. He promptly refunded my payment (same day I think).

I was disappointed, but realize that things happen. So everything was straight/understood between us.

So when I gave feedback I put it as neutral. It was not a positive experience for me. Based on the circumstances I think he reacted/responded in the only way appropriate. But the guy was upset over the feedback rating. He expected me to give him a positive rating and said he considered neutral feedback to actually be negative. He returned my feedback as neutral as well, and made some "interesting" comments along with the rating.

So we discussed via e-mail and decided to mutually withdraw our neutral ratings (I just wanted the guy to calm down). There wasn't much to it - no big deal - on the mutual withdrawal.

[Scott Loven]

Interesting, I have just never seen the link that tells you how to do it.
I try to only sell what I have inventory for but every so often circumstances conspire against me. Its hard to balance ebay, web site, and store sales with demand. Usually I can order Kreg items and have them in less then a week. There was a time last year when Kreg had the band saw fence on back order for 6 weeks. It turns out that one of their key extrusion suppliers had a big order for items going to the government and couldn't supply what Kreg needed. My demand suddenly shot way up because no one else could supply the fence and my 3 month inventory disappeared in one day. I gave my ebay customers the choice of waiting or a refund.
Scott
Scott

[Frank Fusco]

Scott. most of your advice is just fine. But #3 doesn't make any sense to me. If an item is not received within a reasonable period of time, sending the "where's my stuff" e-mail is exactly what must be done. Sometimes more than one e-mail is necessary. Or many. I have a friend who once stayed up all night resending the same e-mail because the seller refused to respond. He got a call the next day begging mercy. The sellers computer had crashed under some 3000 e-mails. My friend got his refund. A seller that doesn't perfrom deserves no mercy. If e-mails don't work. Call me, I'll send my cousin Rocco from Chicago.

[Mark Rios]

Scott. most of your advice is just fine. But #3 doesn't make any sense to me. If an item is not received within a reasonable period of time, sending the "where's my stuff" e-mail is exactly what must be done. Sometimes more than one e-mail is necessary. Or many. I have a friend who once stayed up all night resending the same e-mail because the seller refused to respond. He got a call the next day begging mercy. The sellers computer had crashed under some 3000 e-mails. My friend got his refund. A seller that doesn't perfrom deserves no mercy. If e-mails don't work. Call me, I'll send my cousin Rocco from Chicago.



(I think he means #2)

;)

[skip coyne]

There is a way to have feedback mutually withdrawn, but I have never tried it, has anyone else ever looked into it? Do you have any proof of payment?
Scott
you can but somebody needs to pay


Use a dispute resolution service. A third-party online dispute resolution service, such as Square Trade, can mediate the dispute. If both parties agree to third-party mediation and also agree to remove the negatives, then eBay can remove the feedback. There is a fee for these services. Post a response to the comment (http://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/responding-to-feedback.html). We encourage you to leave a professional reply to any comment on your profile that you feel is inaccurate. The feedback system is set up in such a way as to make retaliatory and undeserved comments easily apparent. When a potential trading partner sees that you have a large number of positive comments mixed in with a negative comment or two, the positive comments you have received will always outweigh a negative comment.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/questions/retaliatory-feedback.html

[skip coyne]

Sellers , I bid , I pay I've compleated my part of the deal

either leave feedback or dont but dont keep spamming me Demanding I leave it for you .

the old seller game dont leave feedback for the buyer untill he leaves it for you in case its a neg.

when I sell I leave feedback as soon as I receive payment.

[Matt Warfield]

when I sell I leave feedback as soon as I receive payment.

Gee, and I thought I was the only one!

It seems as though many sellers are to unorganized. I've purchased some items and have received no communication from them at all. I received the product so not a big deal. I always notify the winning bidder when I've received payment, when I expect to be able to ship, and the tracking number when I have it. Occassionally, I'll even follow-up after an item has been delivered but I never ask for feedback!

Matt

[Roger Bell]

As a long-time buyer (since 1999), I now have a "policy" of leaving feedback ONLY after feedback is left for me by the buyer. I always pay, usually within minutes to hours of the deal....without fail....no exceptions....ever. It seemed that I was getting about a 50% feedback rate...even after I was conscientious about leaving it for sellers within a day or so of receipt. It seems to me also that many more sellers than ever are getting disorganized and downright lazy concerning feedback postings.

And, at this point, although I have 100% positives....I really, quite frankly, no longer care what my feedback rating is. Why should I? If the seller assumes that I want his item more than he wants my money, that is his error. As far as I am concerned, those selling on ebay are "in business"....... and part of the cost of doing such business is (sadly...and I feel for them) dealing with flakes. From the buyer's perspective, customer service from the seller are well within my "rights", since it is I, (and never the seller), that is assuming the "risk" given my up-front payment prior to delivery, and with no subsequent guarantees worthy of the name. Caveat cybor emptor.

[Frank Fusco]

Roger makes a good point. The feedback system is still important. I won't do business with someone who has a substantial percentage of negatives. At the same time, many folks do not leave feedback. And some use negatives as weapons when they have been the wrongful party in a deal. If I have a good experience with either buyer or seller, I will post a positive, write the party telling them what I did and ask for likewise. For the most part, people buying and selling on eBay are good people. My wife has had lousy luck with merchandise being damaged in shipment. Without fail the sellers refund or replace quickly. A Hong Cong seller shipped a wedding cake topper extra fast before receiving payment when he learned it was for our daughters wedding. Despite all the complaints, the experiences are generally positive. And, yes, I could list some bad experiences, I have had them too. But, generally, very good.

[Scott Loven]

Scott. most of your advice is just fine. But #3 doesn't make any sense to me. If an item is not received within a reasonable period of time, sending the "where's my stuff" e-mail is exactly what must be done. Sometimes more than one e-mail is necessary. Or many. I have a friend who once stayed up all night resending the same e-mail because the seller refused to respond. He got a call the next day begging mercy. The sellers computer had crashed under some 3000 e-mails. My friend got his refund. A seller that doesn't perfrom deserves no mercy. If e-mails don't work. Call me, I'll send my cousin Rocco from Chicago.
I should have been more clear, I was speaking of people who ask "where's my stuff" without telling me who they are , what they purchased, what the auction number was. A lot of people use multiple emails, so I cant always trace them by that.
Scott