Buyers, please read this : Most misunderstood areas of buying and selling

[hep-cats-c.a.r]

This is a friendly thread to help clarify and bring buyers and sellers closer together in understanding some of the most misunderstood areas of buying on ebay. 

 I will start with the very misunderstood process of buyers leaving DSR. "Shipping time" rating is NOT the total length from the day the item is purchased to receiving day. The correct answer is "shipping time" rating is to rate the amount of time it took the seller to drop the package to the shipping outlet based on the agreed time that the seller posted on their listing. If the seller agreed on a 5 day handling time (remember it is 5 business days, which too is misunderstood), then a 5 star rating is the only rating the seller should get if the seller drops off in the agreed time. In addition, there may be "payment clearing " time too, which leads to the next most misunderstood area.

 "Payment Clearing Time" is defined as the amount of time that the payment takes to clear from the minute the buyer pays with paypal to the time it takes to fully deposit into the seller's bank account. This time period can be 5-7 business days.

 Ok, so if the seller claims a 5 "business day" handling time, there can also be a 5 business day clearing time ,therefor totaling up to 10 business days (which can be 12-15 days depending on holidays). It is up to the buyer to agree to these terms by reading the seller's listing and understanding correctly what everything means and what service is being provided for them. If a fast delivery time is required, the buyer must make sure that is available before buying, perhaps the seller can offer faster service at an additional cost. Communication is key.

Ok , sellers and buyers , please post your concerns, clarifications of the most misunderstood areas in a friendly manner so we can all have great buying and selling experiences. I recommend one or two points per post for easier reading.

Thank you to all who already understand proper etiquette on ebay.

HepCat

[hep-cats-c.a.r]

 Misunderstanding of DSR " shipping costs" . When leaving a rating to sellers that charge actual shipping and a reasonable handling fee, remember that the seller cannot control what the post office charges and it is very unfair for the seller to be punished because their postal service has high rates nor can be responsible for customs charges or taxes..

 In my opinion a low rating should only be given if the seller raises the shipping cost from the agreed price when the item was purchased. I am a buyer too and I take responsibility for finding out the shipping price before buying in the event that unclear or no shipping price is listed. This is particularly important for out of country / international purchases. 

 Therefor I would give a 5 star rating to a seller that charges the price that I was quoted, because it is my choice to accept the shipping charges given to me or decide to shop elsewhere for a lower shipping price.

[hep-cats-c.a.r]

Leaving Negative feedback should only be done when all avenues have been traveled to resolve an issue with the sale. Premature negative feedback never necessary. Communication is key, contact the seller about the issue, most sellers are glad to assist in any way possible . Many sellers offer refunds/ replacements or will offer whatever is available based on their return policy and are truly here to give the best customer service. In the event that the transaction did not work out as expected, but the seller did all that is reasonable to resolve the issue, 5 stars is due.

 Once again, communication is very important.

[hep-cats-c.a.r]

I believe most buyers and sellers are good people and are here for the right reasons. This thread is a good refresh to seasoned buyers and sellers as well new buyers/sellers. 

 I had many great experiences with customers and look forward to many more.

Once again, please post your commonly misunderstood areas of buying/selling.

[almond_t]

With all due respect, I think you're preaching to the choir here About DSRs.

I understand what you're trying to accomplish, and I commend you for for doing so, but, personally ~ I don't want to be told how, in anyone else's opinion, I should be selecting my ratings. I, like everyone - here - , already understand the system.

The ones that need the education are obviously not reading this board, or they would already know better. It's discussed frequently, if not daily, here.

The buyer is misguided, and misled by the awful system EBay has set up. The pressure needs to come from the sellers to EBay to change The System itself, instead of them having the onerous job  of trying to change the mindset of a million individual buyers.

i have no idea how to accomplish that; I just feel that's the only thing that's ever going to make a difference.

And I'm not even a seller; I just want to be the best customer I can be. That includes treating my sellers fairly and properly.

And I'm sure many a seller will tell me to mind my own business now, that I don't know what I'm talking about!

[hep-cats-c.a.r]

almond* Thank you for being a good buyer and part of the ebay community . You are correct, the whole system has just got out of control. The solution is not an easy one. I am hoping with this post that maybe a few new buyers can have a better understanding . If it reaches out to just a few, it is worth while. The battle continues. 

Thank you for your post and opinion.

[bb_cool_stuff]

And i'm sure many a seller will tell me to mind my own business now, that I don't know what I'm talking about.

You won't hear that from me. The posts make sense.

[isle_k]

Clearer or more simplistic wording by E-bay would help alot. I have to say that as i take the time to read, some of it's some what convoluted and the layout needs to be revisited. That said it isn't going to be a complete solution, because the ones is on the individual, both buyer & seller to educate themselves & communicate.

I've seen buyers who take the time to fully explain all aspects of their listings and that's great, their added expressed expectations from the buyer, voiced commitment of what they will/won't do, information & pictures helps me make a more informed choice whether to take a chance on that seller or not.

Just as a buyer, I totally understand waiting for payment to clear before putting the item's in the post, it's only common sense, and we all know that can take a few business days. So sellers who want an extra 5 business days on top of that to get it to the post, is a no go for me. There's no reason that while they wait for payment they can't get things ready to go so they can post (same day or next) once they have confirmation of payment.

[i*m-still-here]

Clearly, your comments are from the point of view of a seller.

A buyer would have other thoughts on the matter.

The idea that a buyer has to learn and follow ebay-specific rules for rating sellers to shop here is asking a lot.

Shopping should be fun.  Period!

On top of that sellers who try to add their own unique rules to the shopping experience are really pushing it.

The problem is that there are a lot of really horrible sellers on ebay.  

Some are rude beyond belief.

Some are crooks.

Some are lazy and looking for easy money.

Ebay has the task of keeping all the crazies in line and the good sellers get caught up in that flow.

Ebay uses a complicated system of rewards and punishments to keep sellers in line.

DSRs, FB, TRS status, discounts etc.....

Isn‘t it amazing the POWER that FB has?

Personally, I‘m Absolutely Amazed that it works as well as it does.

Getting slandered and/or trashed in public is very disturbing.

It's not fair, but it does the job most of the time.

Who would have thought?

[boredhousewife*123]

Buyers and  sellers are all different when it comes to DSR and feedback based on their experiences..I am only a buyer and the sellers do have to put up with a lot if they get a snippy customer but same goes for the buyer who might get a snippy seller..If both did their job right:

Seller should always be honest in their ads and what they are selling, ship it out like they said they would and make sure it is the condition the buyer bought it for..( mind you with postal the way it is and some people you just cannot please no matter what you do)..If there is a problem try and work it out with the buyer..

Buyer do your job and pay the seller on time and if there is a problem please discuss options with the seller whether it be the item recieved or payment arrangements..before giving feedback and sometimes the item you bought could get banged up by postal not always seller's fault.. Make sure buyer reads the item properly shippping and all if you have a problem all you gotta do is ask..If you don't like what is said easy solution do not buy..

I will give 5 stars to any seller who demonstrates communication when I ask a question or have a problem and is willing to resolve if there is a problem with the item, and does what they say they will on their ad and that I get my item as bought.. I exepect some minor delays and minor hiccups but if nothing serious then that seller deserves 5 stars..Most of the sellers I have dealt witih so far have been very pleasant and helpful and in the 3 years I have dealt witih ebay no problems except one and that was dealt with fast and easy.. No reason to tag a seller with bad feedback or DSR if things can be worked out.. I have never had one seller that did not deserve 5 stars even with minor little hiccups which was nothing to me because the particular item I bought was way cheaper than what it would cost me in my country.. Sometimes you have to outweigh the risk and rewards and be cautious when you buy as a consumer..JMHO