Ebay feedback system

Not that my feedback has been tarnished by the feedback problem I will describe, but I think a problem with the ebay's feedback system exists in such a manner that ebay should figure out a way of addressing it. When I'm looking to purchase something on ebay, I typically (as I suspect most people do) check the feedback of the person selling, just in case there have been problems. Obviously problems can arise, and the feedback system ebay uses exemplifies the unique benefits of a check and balance in this particular free market system because it permits a potential purchaser to make a more informed decision.

I've noticed, however, that many sellers are beginning to use the feedback system in such a manner to deter negative feedbacks from being left. So I am clear, these sellers tend to be the ones who charge an arm and a leg for shipping, largely to circumvent ebay's fees, and in some cases, their descriptions are also quite misleading in describing the shipping method or the quality of the item itself.

Obviously the little users who have driven ebay to its current levels do not sell as much as these so-called "power sellers" who basically have found another way of peddling their wares online. And it's good that they are tapping the internet market, I'm not making a commentary one way or another about this because e-commerce is great and should be used much more than it currently is. What bothers me is that in this limited situation, if your transaction has gone badly or was otherwise poor, the simple remedy of leaving a negative or neutral feedback leaves the buyer with a real possibility of the seller leaving an equally poor or negative feedback in retaliation.

The seller's excuse for this feedback trade-off, according to the many related discussions on the feedback forum is that the transaction isn't completed until you leave feedback, and waiting deters unhappy or impatient buyers from posting negative or neutral feedback. This spurious logic defeats the purpose of the feedback system in the first place.

The transaction on their end, in my opinion, is completed the second they receive payment and ship the item, and assuming the payment arrived in a timely period (and with appropriate communication explaining any delay) and the check or paypal payment cleared, the only feedback option that really exists for them to leave is a positive response. If their poor sales practice leaves the customer unhappy, the customer's true remedy (besides reimbursement, which may yet prompt a positive feedback) is to leave the appropriate feedback so other prospective buyers are aware of potential problems (And this feedback should be detailed, not like the normal "A+ transaction, etc." which is unhelpful for some, but not all items). And yet some of these sellers wait until they get a response and then simply copy the feedback grade. With business acumen like that, I'm surprised they are still in business. Nevertheless...

As someone who has both bought and sold on ebay, I tend to leave three types of positive feedback largely dependent on the communications via email, the timing of the payment, or the receipt/prompt shipment of the item. Unless I get a deadbeat buyer, which has happened twice out of all the 119 times I have left feedback, I tend not to use neutral feedback at all, and any negative feedback given is usually detailed. There have been two instances of transactions which probably warranted a neutral feedback, but I chose not to leave it for the reasons explained in this post.

Essentially, I am leery of leaving a neutral or negative feedback where one is warranted against certain sellers who appear to retaliate against such feedback postings as described in the aforementioned manner. I don't know if there is any adequate solution to this problem.

The obviously remedy against a neutral or otherwise poor seller who still held up their end of the bargain albeit slowly or in a manner differently described is to simply leave no response, which obviously does not inform a future buyer or ebay of the problem. Most sellers with these problems appear to not leave feedback first, so the buyer can't draw any attention to a beef with the sale lest risk the buyer's (probably perfect) feedback rating.

The only other solution I have come up with, but have not actually employed, is to wait until the 89.5th day (or later) before your feedback response possibilities have run out and hope that in between the time frame that you post, the seller misses the deadline to retaliate. But honestly, who would put that much effort into it or actually remember to do it? Ebay should just shorten the feedback time period, to say 60 days, and if enough people employ this last-minute method, maybe some of these poorer sellers will get the idea. That's the only solution I can offer to this problem; hopefully ebay has been tossing around a better or at least equally appropriate one.

Tags: ebay, ebay feedback, feedback forum