Feedback Blackmailing

[belldotseling488]

Hello ,

Recently I bought an item on ebay using Buy it Now option .

I paid for the item immediately , but the seller didn't left me a positive feedback.

When I contacted him to tell me why , when I have done everything on my part of the deal , I still haven't received positive feedback.

He replied me that when I left positive feedback for him he will left one for me too.

Isn't this illegal and kind of BLACKMAILING , because I have only 7 feedbacks and if I left him a negative one , he will do the same and my Feedback % will drop , He have a lot and my negative feedback will not do anything to his %.

Best Regards , Graig Bell

[afantiques]

Feedback is optional for both parties. The seller cannot leave you negative FB.

As a seller I always gave FB when the buyer indicated their satisfaction by leaving FB for me. The transaction is not complete till the buyer gets the item. Please do not nag the seller for FB.

[faircrochet]

I don't think you can leave buyers negative feedback, it's only positive or nothing.  You don't need to worry about that.

[femmefan1946]

This is the sort of 'customer service' that gets sellers fat red donuts with the comment " Here is the feedback you demanded."

Gee, I'm a nasty person.

[ditcherman.2009]

Hi everyone! Although this isn't directly related to this issue, it could be in the future.

  Ebay is going to directly affect my future feedback about my transactions by gouging me for shipping through their international shippinbg program. I recently made a purchase for less than $50. Because of this retarded process,the total bill is $185 and $ hrs of my life wasted on the phone with customer service reps that have yet to allow me to direct ship 2 small items in one package from Washington State to its nearest Canadian neighbor in BC. Instead they want the seller to ship to Kentucky,then all the way back across the continent in 2 packages. The only reason I can see for this is greed. it forces me to pay the seller shipping and handling and even more to ebay for the same service.

 i will be forced to give negative shipping feedback each time this happens and encourage everyone else to do the same.

[karl*katz]

Some sellers have an automated system that leaves feedback as soon as they receive it.

[afantiques]

The only reason I can see for this is greed. it forces me to pay the seller shipping and handling and even more to ebay for the same service.

If you hired a limo service to take you 2 blocks, you'd pay a lot for something you could have walked in five minutes, but it's not greed if the driver charges you the going rate.

In the same way, using the GSP inappropriately is expensive for the buyer, but it's not  'greed', it's the rate for the job. It might be a job you did not want done. but your time to decide what you wanted to pay for was before buying, not later, when the limodriver drops you off.

Why, Oh Why, he wails, do people buy first, and look second.

[patken123]

My advice to you is,don't leave the seller any feedback.and forget about your Fb since(for you as a buyer) it's more like a thank you note from the seller.
Let the seller wonder if or when he's going to get his,or whether it be positive or neutral.sellers need to know.

[duncangirl]

I had no idea sellers couldn't leave negative feedback! I know in most cases, they don't leave any feedback until you leave it first (silly, since I always pay right away).  I just assumed they could leave anything they wanted as feedback for a buyer. That being said, with the way eBay is now, it doesn't really matter what your feedback rating is as a buyer, it's kind of a moot point.

[gotwhatchuneed]

---

@ditcherman.2009 wrote:

Hi everyone! Although this isn't directly related to this issue, it could be in the future.

  Ebay is going to directly affect my future feedback about my transactions by gouging me for shipping through their international shippinbg program. I recently made a purchase for less than $50. Because of this retarded process,the total bill is $185 and $ hrs of my life wasted on the phone with customer service reps that have yet to allow me to direct ship 2 small items in one package from Washington State to its nearest Canadian neighbor in BC. Instead they want the seller to ship to Kentucky,then all the way back across the continent in 2 packages. The only reason I can see for this is greed. it forces me to pay the seller shipping and handling and even more to ebay for the same service.

 i will be forced to give negative shipping feedback each time this happens and encourage everyone else to do the same.

---

Negative shipping feedback isn't going to teach Ebay a lesson it's going to damage alot of small businesses that are just trying to follow Ebay policy.  It is a poor policy too I don't think the seller even knows how much Ebay and Pitney Bowes tack on for their shipping services. It's just another method for Ebay to become more profitable for it's shareholders. The big wigs at corporate headquarters don't really care about the little guy or the single parent trying to make ends meet anymore, I predict Ebay will eventually become "ChinaBay" because  local sellers will totally abandon it.

[dmil8030]

Hello Graig,

Have you seen the official ebay perspective on all things feedback?

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/feedback/allaboutfeedback.html

I really don't see what you describe as any sort of 'blackmail', not at all.  Ebay maintains that feedback

is voluntary - for buyers and sellers - so however one chooses to do it is perfectly okay.

Sellers can no longer leave negatives for buyers for the reason you mention, -- far too many sellers would

leave retaliatory negatives for good buyers who dared to leave one first.  Some sellers still venture to put code

into their feedback, like "Glad to finally be paid at long last. It was worth the wait", - to indicate a slow-poke.

The comment is, after all, positive, polite, and kind.

Some sellers leave it right after you pay, sure.  But over time, if all you ever got was an instant recoil

'prompt payment, thanks', -- other sellers would have no idea what sort of person you are, except that

you pay right away.

You don't really 'need' feedback for straight buying, but you do need it for negotiating and bidding.

That is why, those sellers who leave it at the very end will often make kind comments about how wonderful

a buyer is to deal with.  If you have things your way you'll never receive those.  And those reassuring comments

will later enable you to get international sellers to send things Surface Mail (so risky for sellers that very few use it)

and other cheaper high-risk shipping methods.

If you are wondering when/how a seller leaves feedback, click on the seller's outgoing and compare dates

and times with the incoming.  Sellers who leave it first will almost always have a higher outgoing amount.

Some leave it automatically after you pay, some leave it once it is in the mail, others leave it soon after you do,

and still others have it set to leave you a positive automatically after you've left them one.  There are those who

do it in batches, say, once a week, a month, or longer.  And yes, there are those who wait and watch, and if

you don't leave it in a timely fashion with a full set of 5 stars, you aren't getting any at all.

There is no one way which is 'better', and no way of doing it indicates a 'better' seller.  It is the choice of the

individual, and many factors influence a seller's personal feedback policy.  It's all okay with ebay.

One thing you can be sure of, -- the best way to get maximum positive feedback is to leave it as soon as

you have ensured the item is to your satisfaction after its arrival.  (If it is not, talk to the seller and work

something out.)

Happy ebaying.