Buyer has Private Feedback

[Anonymous]

Hi all!  I was wondering, do you trust buyers who have private feedback?

I launch off of .com in US dollars, and this particular (potential) buyer is from Canada and is asking me how much shipping would be to him in Canadian dollars - a sign of a discount hunter (ok, a cheap a$$, there, I said it lol).

Anyhow, I offer a flat rate for within Canada posted for all  buyers to see -  a reasonable average amount when taking the costly coasts from Ontario in account with the more reasonable rates to ship within the province (this person is one province over) and I seldom get buyers asking me to get an exact cost for them (and to flip the currency too!).

I am tempted to block this potential problem customer as the private feedback raises a red flag a bit.... 1) WHY did they choose to go private and 2) WHAT does their feedback left look like    --- if I could see the feedback and assess whether I want to do business with them or not, it would be an easier decision.

What do you think...?

[reallynicestamps]

If he looks at your listings on eBaydotCA, he will see the price and the shipping charge in Canadian dollars at that time's exchange rate.

So you could politely tell him that.

His response, if any, would give you more data to base your decision about blocking on.

[pjcdn2005]

To be honest, I'm uncomfortable with private feedback buyers however, I've never actually had a problem with one.

If I understand correctly, they are asking to pay in Canadian dollars rather than in U.S.? If so, I don't think that's unreasonable as it is always nice to to have to pay the additional 2.5% paypal conversion rate.  I would you just tell what the item and what the shipping would be if they paid in Canadian and tell them that you would send an invoice to them through paypal if they purchased the item.

Or am I misunderstanding and they just want to know what you are going to pay in Canadian dollars for postage?

[Anonymous]

I don't trust any buyers with private feedback, it means they are hiding something.  Why need to hide private feedback?  eBay should already "retire" it long time ago!! 

[gilliankehler]

Someone asks you to clarify shipping costs and all of a sudden they're a cheap ? 😞

[ricarmic]

Personally I also don't like buyers with private feedback, one's mind always leaps to the belief that they are trying to hide bad stuff they do. (But of course I still sell to them just like anyone else)

However I do think  there are some "valid" reasons people move(d) to private feedback.

In the days before eBay began hiding buyer ids/sold items in feedback folks used private id's to help protect themselves from people knowing what they were buying and from who.

My main observations were around buyers in China buying Chinese stamps, which a while ago were quite hot sellers. The buyers didn't want other folks to find out who their sources were.

I also observed a fellow seller who used the same ID to purchase and sell stamps. They went private for a while to hide where they were getting stamps. Since the changes to hide buyer/seller info, they've "unprivated" again.

Since eBay began hiding the buyerid and seller info it has made those reasons much less valid, although if one has an id one is watching, one can still figure out the kind of stuff the person is buying and from who, which still might be a reason for that person to privatize.

Personally I wouldn't privatize because of my expectation of the general belief that privatizing is meant to hide bad behavior, but then again I know enough to use a different ID to buy stuff.