Buyers not Giving Feedbacks

[tobey_arih]

This has been a prevalent issue for me since I started selling. At the start January  of this year and up to now, I am missing 50 feedbacks.  How can I persuade the buyer to do this courtesy - something I shouldnt have to ask and ask.

Would be nice that I get a higher discount if these 50 buyers actually did their end.

[esclyons]

Feed back of any number does not give you any discount ever.. Feedback is voluntary, and ebay does send customers reminders to leave it..  And that is it, that is all you can do , do not pester your buyers for feedback, you may not like what you get..  Feedback comes eventually, i would guess somewhere between 40-70% is usually the rate that i get feedback.

[pjcdn2005]

As the other poster mentioned,feedback is voluntary and many buyers no longer leave it.  Do you leave feedback for them first?  I’m not sure how you would benefit discount wise since feedback doesn’t affect trs status.

Off topic...is there a reason that you don’t use calculated shipping since you list on .ca?  This is a personal thing for me and as a buyer I find it irritating when a seller in Western Canada is charging the same amount to ship to me in Alberta as they would charge to a buyer on the other side of the country. Some of them may refund a portion after the fact but I suspect that many buyers won’t bother to buy because of the cost quoted.

[tobey_arih]

its the seller ratings I was referring that ebay uses to assess discounts.

as for calculated ship - its not accurate anyways.  I am fairly flexible if the sale is from alberta or BC, will issue a refund.  My rates are based on mock ones going as far as QC and Florida.  

Most of my sales are in the eastern provinces.

[recped]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Off topic...is there a reason that you don’t use calculated shipping since you list on .ca?  This is a personal thing for me and as a buyer I find it irritating when a seller in Western Canada is charging the same amount to ship to me in Alberta as they would charge to a buyer on the other side of the country. Some of them may refund a portion after the fact but I suspect that many buyers won’t bother to buy because of the cost quoted.

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Off topic answer....I use ChitChats domestic service for packages, I pay the same price Canada wide (except for remote Air Stage destinations). Because I'm nice I also charge the same Canada wide.

[Anonymous]

More, more, more buyers not bothering leaving feedback for their sellers for many years now.  It seems that they just go on eBay to buy something and that is it.

[momcqueen]

Feedback is a sore spot for most sellers. Buyers cannot be bothered anymore but we sellers feel its absence. My best advice would be to steel yourself for more of the same. When I started selling in 2012, I had a feedback rate of about 50 per cent. Today, it's 20 per cent reciprocated. I leave feedback on receipt of payment and most of the time that courtesy is left to dangle.

It's simply the new reality. 

Also, feedback really has no impact on your stature as a seller except for reputation. 

[tobey_arih]

I misspoke, its in regards to seller ratings.  With over 50 missing, it delayed me quite a bit to reach the first level and the next - which will not be coming anytime soon.  

They do not rep me than I do not bother doing the same.

How ironic.  

[momcqueen]

Oh, yes. The stars and their colors. I was excited to reach the red star at 1,000 but I’ll probably be dead (at this rate ) before achieving the next color at 5,000 feedbacks received.

I’ve been saying it for awhile but feedback is less important as an indicator alone than number of transactions completed. I think Feedback as a program has value but the time has come for a revamp.

[mcrlmn]

"They do not rep me than I do not bother doing the same"

Do you message to say thank you?

I don't understand this sense of entitlement.

I'd love a new pretty coloured star, but consider myself lucky to have never received less than positive feedback. It only takes one crack.

Be careful what you wish for.

PS

I never 'rep' a seller that doesn't extend a thanks in appreciation for my patronage.

The seller can wait for the cows to come home if he or she is expecting more than my money and a correct shipping address.

I buy from several sellers that never say thank you, by message or feedback.

I know they're waiting for more from me. My patronage isn't enough.

A month or so later, some do eventually say thanks in feedback, and I reciprocate, but the dance always begins anew with future purchases... duh.

[momcqueen]

I leave feedback for ALL buyers between payment and shipment. Most buyers do not reciprocate these days. I liken it to saying ‘thank you’ but not receiving a ‘you’re welcome’.

It’s more important to me to maintain good manners and to be polite than it is to be responded to politely. It says more about me favorably than it does about them.

There is one thing that does make me angry and that is when a seller doesn’t leave any feedback for me even after I’ve left feedback for them as a buyer. That’s more rude to my mind because buyers don’t need feedback but sellers still kind of do.

Positive feedback received is meaningless to a buyer whereas Feedback Left For Others is meaningful.

That being said, I leave positive feedback for all transactions as a buyer UNLESS I feel there was something deficient in the transaction. Maybe sucky communication or sloppy packaging. If it was really bad, of course, that would result in communication with the seller and possibly a Negative but it’s been years and years since the last time I felt that leaving negative feedback for a transaction was necessary. Instead, my silence replaces what others may use as an opportunity to leave Neutral feedback.

There may be other users who say silence instead of neutral feedback does disservice to the point of feedback and that may be true but I raise this point to illuminate the reasons sellers don’t always want that buyer to leave the feedback they’d actually be getting.

[femmefan1946]

Feedback and stars and those stupid badges dotCOM hands out are just smoke and mirrors.

You are rated on speed of shipping (which does not involve DSRs) and reaction to Disputes. (Answer quickly and if you lose, refund immediately) and Transaction Defects (like cancellations).

You qualify for Top Rated Seller (Global) by meeting these criteria:

https://www.sps.ebay.ca/sd/sdrequirements?spsProgram=GLOBAL

The only real benefit to TRS is the 10% discount on FVF.

About Calculated Shipping.

Do you own a scale? I got mine at Canadian Tire, a Starfrit from the kitchen department for under $20.

It is digital and I have it set to metric. Canada Post went metric in 1974 and if you try using any other system you will make errors.

Do you own a measuring tape? Again costs less than $10 and free at IKEA.

Then you need this:

https://www.sps.ebay.ca/sd/sdrequirements?spsProgram=GLOBAL

All the shipping rates are going to change on January 14, so now is a good time to switch to Calculated, because eBay will automatically give your customer the new rates to their doorsteps.

With Flat Rate, you will have to recalculate every one manually.

The best way I know to get feedback is to leave feedback. I use FB to thank my customer and tell him that his item left on (date) and by CANADA post Air Mail, which reminds him there may be a border betwen him and me, so he should be patient.

[cumos55]

There was once a seller who kept asking buyers to leave feedback. Seller asked each buyer many times.   Many buyers ignored him

Then came the buyer with a perfect feedback.   Buyer left a negative feedback    .......  saying.....  Feedback has been left..

Never look for a rainbow....  You may end up with a thunderstorm.

Let sleeping dogs  sleep quietly......

[momcqueen]

Of the last 65 transactions where I’ve left feedback for buyers, only 13 have reciprocated. That’s 20 per cent?

[pjcdn2005]

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@tobey_arih wrote:

its the seller ratings I was referring that ebay uses to assess discounts.

as for calculated ship - its not accurate anyways.  I am fairly flexible if the sale is from alberta or BC, will issue a refund.  My rates are based on mock ones going as far as QC and Florida.  

Most of my sales are in the eastern provinces.

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As a buyer, how would I know that I ‘might’ get a discount from you because I am closer?  Many buyers will make a decision based on information given in a listing and will not bother to send a question to a seller if the information is missing, they feel shipping is too expensive, etc.  I realize that since Ontario and Quebec have a higher population that the majority of domestic sales are to there but you may be missing out on closer sales.  Just my opinion..

Calculated shipping is accurate if accurate info is entered. Unless you specify a percentage discount in your preferences the rate given wil be the retail rate, not small business rate but within Canada, the difference between the retail rate and tier 1 is very small anyway.  

You might want want to look into DYK post or Chit Chats in Calgary for your US shipments and/or Canadian ones.

[15westcoast]

I used to get frustrated with buyers not leaving me feedback after I have left feedback for them.

I would follow up with requests to them for feedback.  Now, I don't worry about it anymore.  Once

you have a few hundred or more positive feedbacks on your record it doesn't matter that much.

What I no longer do is leave feedback for the buyer before they receive the item I have sold

e.g. "fast payment " "good buyer" etc.  If they receive the item that I sold them and leave me

feed back then I respond with the same for them.  Some buyers don't bother and then neither

do I.

[retroman_studios]

I'm pretty much the same. As long as I don't get neg or nuetral, I couldn't care less if they don't leave feedback.

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

Our Method: Don't use the auto-generated eBay messages.
Use Your Own: It's time consuming but we have found better reception from customers.

- When a buyer purchases an item send a thank-you email with expected delivery times and any details such as expected signature confirmation etc.

- When the item is posted let them know its on the way and where they can find the tracking number to be prepared for delivery. Thank them for being a good customers and that you look forward to exchanging positive feedback.

- If you notice the item has been delivered and they have not yet left feedback. Send another thank you with confirmation they have received the items and are pleased. With a friendly FB reminder.

I've always believed there should be an auto-FB system. If after the leave FB time period expires a FB should be auto-generated that says Positive: Transaction Completed Successfully.

People do look at FB as an indicator of how much you sell. FB is down and I always wonder how that could be mis-percieved as low sales by buyers affecting buyer purchase rates. More buyers better for ourselves and eBay.

In once sense be careful of what you ask for but in another we have such good reciprocal communications with our buyers it seems odd they don't leave feedback in addition to (or instead of) the paragraphs of how the item fits in their collection and the attached photos of the rest of their collection (which I do love to see).

What bothers me as a buyer is how I'm prompted with "do you have a problem?" more visibly than "thank your seller with a positive FB".

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

"What bothers me as a buyer is how I'm prompted with "do you have a problem?" more visibly than "thank your seller with a positive FB"."

Your above statement is very true.

And then as a Seller, you have to option to leave: 

Positive Feedback. This buyer was very slow to pay and refused to communicate.

Which, when scrolling through, is difficult for a seller to locate, when that could always be the case with some buyers.

-Lotz

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

As long as a buyer receives what was listed and sent I'm good with it. Positive FB is always appreciated.

I know someone who used to be really nitty with their FB. Then they started talking with me and learning the seller side and they now understand that FB is basically a neutral condolence to finalize a transaction.

Our Left FB is always positive with a standard thank you. Occasionally it may center a buyer out for being fantastic. If a buyer has been a Nightmare we have given a warning for other sellers (this is, thank goodness, exceptionally rare).

As for something like late payment or no communication or awol or no payment... we let it go with a shrug of relief and a whatever. If the seller was a possible pain that was averted they may be blocked for the future but it goes without mentioning in message or FB (don't feed the trolls).

As long as the transaction was successful in the end we give a standard positive or no FB at all. Sellers too have to understand its largely a sign-off.