eBay etiquette

[Neil McCauley]

I write here as both an eBay buyer and an eBay seller. I’m undecided about who should post the first positive feedback. The buyer or the seller?

As a seller I tend to wait until the buyer has commented. As a buyer I do tend to leave the first comment. Is there a preferred etiquette and if so, why? Thanks. Regards, HP.

[Techno Commander]

If selling, I will usually comment as soon as I receive payment. When checking others feedback, "prompt payment" is always a good sign.

[Rare Bird]

I write here as both an eBay buyer and an eBay seller. I’m undecided about who should post the first positive feedback. The buyer or the seller?

As a seller I tend to wait until the buyer has commented. As a buyer I do tend to leave the first comment. Is there a preferred etiquette and if so, why? Thanks. Regards, HP.

Well as you know the Seller can't give a negative feedback, the buyer can!

As a buyer & seller i'm painfully efficient, just how i am

[Neil McCauley]

If selling, I will usually comment as soon as I receive payment. When checking others feedback, "prompt payment" is always a good sign.

Yes, thank you. An interesting and good point and not one I'd previously considered. H

[Alex_UK]

In my opinion, as a buyer (I've only ever sold one thing but bought over a thousand) I always think it is nice for the seller to leave positive feedback as soon as the package has gone - I think a lot though wait to see what they get from the buyer first.

[Beobloke]

I have always understood that the chain of purchase should run as follows -

(1) Buyer wins auction
(2) Buyer pays
(3) Seller leaves feedback with regard to buyer's payment
(4) Seller ships item
(5) Buyer leaves feedback with regard to item and service.

The problem is that too many sellers were not leaving feedback until the buyer had, so that when something arrived damaged/not as described/late and the buyer left a neutral or negative feedback, then the seller could retaliate.

I personally think that the new system whereby the seller can only leave positive feedback is a riduculous one and raises as many new issues as it solves (there are idiot buyers out there as well as unscrupulous sellers!). To my mind it would have been better to implement a system whereby the buyer was unable to leave any feedback until after the seller had posted theirs.

[keiths]

When I sell stuff, I leave the buyer positive feedback as soon as cleared payment has been received, commenting on the speed of payment.

I usually then wait for the buyer to leave me positive feedback before withdrawing the funds from PayPal just in case a refund is needed.

[Mr Pig]

It doesn't make any difference.

As seller you're bent over anyway as you can't leave negative feedback, even if the buyer is a complete ****** (insert favourite derogatory word). Most people on eBay are fine, but you do get them. And as a lot of the people who are into Hi-Fi are w*****rs you'll probably get more than average! ;0)

Don't sweat it. Just do your best and do whatever you think is right at the time.

[hifi_dave]

All very well but as a seller, I am owed 40 or more feedback scores. I have given good feedback to the buyer but they have often not responded despite chasing them up.

[Reid Malenfant]

All very well but as a seller, I am owed 40 or more feedback scores. I have given good feedback to the buyer but they have often not responded despite chasing them up.

Funny you should say that as i only buy on ebay & i must be missing at least 200 feedbacks from sellers I always leave feedback as soon as i receive the item in question, unless of course there is a problem, in which case i always contact the seller to sort things out.

I think there needs to be some kind of system in place to make both sellers & buyers leave feedback rather than it being an option which some choose not to take up