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[Mike Stranks]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a marked tail-off in EBay buyers leaving feedback?

I use EBay quite a bit and have always had the odd one or two buyers who've never left feedback. Now it seems to be the exception that I get any feedback from buyers.

I'm not particularly bothered as I'm 100% positive in the mid-700s anyway, but just wondered if any other sellers had noticed this.

[Martin Walker]

Of course I will leave feedback for purchases over around £30, but I am getting fed up at being pestered for feedback each and every time I buy a packet of washers or half a dozen LEDs via eBay, often with a price of under £5

They ought to have a lower threshold cut-off


Martin

[Wonks]

I've noticed it as well. Not the small stuff from business sellers, but when I've bought a guitar or an amp, paid promptly, sent a few messages etc. and everything's gone fine. I leave positive feedback, but nothing from them. The last guitar seller eventually gave me feedback after 8 weeks. So I'm not going to give feedback until I've received it.

Though I was beginning to wonder if this is something that eBay themselves have introduced, as it never seemed to happen before. Or is it PayPal related?

[desmond]

Me too.

I've often been surprised at this as feedback used to be such a key mechanic in the process, but it seem like more and more people just can't be bothered, once they've got their goods ok.

For me, I kinda like to know that the thing I sent actually arrived ok, etc...

[IAA]

used to be such a key mechanic in the process,

Agree, in fact i rely on it to differentiate whether I sell or buy based on this. I like to keep a buyer up to date with what’s going off, even offering a few pointers if it’s a more complex purchase, say a synth, to web resources. It’s a bit galling not to get any acknowledgment of this when the deal goes through

If I don’t get any, I usually drop a nice follow up email asking if they’d be good enough to offer some feedback, it works 60% of the time I reckon. I also do feedback come what may

What is it with some folks, it’s hardly a difficult task.......
Ian

[Agharta]

I have noticed this trend over the last year or two very clearly as a seller; not so concerned as a buyer.

I'm not particularly bothered as I'm 100% positive in the mid-700s anyway, but just wondered if any other sellers had noticed this.

The percentage score is based on the last 12 months only so if you have a quiet 12 months with not much feedback and one negative your percentage will plummet dramatically. So feedback is still clearly important for your percentage score.

[James Perrett]

I must admit that I'm probably guilty of not leaving feedback every time but I try to leave feedback for major purchases. Didn't Ebay send more reminders in days gone by?

[Mike Stranks]

I

The percentage score is based on the last 12 months only so if you have a quiet 12 months with not much feedback and one negative your percentage will plummet dramatically. So feedback is still clearly important for your percentage score.

You learn something everyday...

Fortunately I buy far more than I sell - usually from commercial organisations - so that keeps my percentage 'topped up' should it need it.

[Sam Spoons]

I always leave feedback on a peer to peer deal, and almost always on a dealer purchase (something small I'm unable to check/test will not get feedback until I have chance to actually try it, talking £2-5 Chinese bits here like some DC-DC convertors I bought on a whim, I may never find a use for them )

[Wonks]

talking £2-5 Chinese bits here like some DC-DC convertors I bought on a whim

I think you'll find that Chinese currency is the Yuan, not the Whim.

[Sam Spoons]

Sorry, that's be 20-50 whim then (No2 son lives and works as a musician in China.....)

[ConcertinaChap]

Ebay is clearly adopting a policy of making the site look like an online store rather than an auction site. So, for instance, if you're watching something and it's sold, the site no longer says it's sold, but it's "out of stock". This sort of language change is spreading right across the site, and of of course if you buy something online from Amazon or Argos or whatever you don't leave feedback on them saying how quick Argos were at delivery or whatever.

I think this is having an effect on buyers, subconsciously or consciously, not to bother with feedback. I've largely given up selling through ebay now. Ebay no longer has our interests at heart (if they ever really did), they're much more interested in the big sellers. Another couple of years and I reckon they'll give up on the small sellers completely.

CC

[garrettendi]

I've bought Christmas presents from eBay and the only reason I haven't left feedback is I need the recipients to test if it's all ok before I leave feedback.

Otherwise, I try my best to leave positive or negative if the seller hasn't made right a wrong (it could just be a mistake!)

[Wonks]

On the listings, instead of 'used ', items are now 'pre-owned' (though on the filters it still lists them as 'used'). 'New' has become 'brand-new'.

[The Elf]

Got admit I rarely bother leaving feedback these days. I'll have the odd splurge, but mostly I really can't be bothered.

[ConcertinaChap]

On the listings, instead of 'used ', items are now 'pre-owned' (though on the filters it still lists them as 'used'). 'New' has become 'brand-new'.

All sorts of crap of this kind. When you save a search you don't run it any more, you "follow" it. A simple neat idea is now suffering the web equivalent of software bloat. There's scope here for some young entrepreneur to create a new ebay, going back to basic principles and making a fortune en route. Hope it's soon.

CC

[Mike Stranks]

BOTOH I've just got a 'brand new' set of M3s for £25 off because retailers and distributors use that route to move-on excess stock, ex-demo etc. etc.

... and my recent Behringer purchase was direct from Music Group in Kidderminster... kit that looked brand new at a 40% discount...

IMO these benefits far outweigh the disadvantages...

Right... just off to leave some feedback for my seller now...

[ConcertinaChap]

Oh yeah, I still buy stuff off ebay. My rant is focussed on being a small seller on ebay and how much more awkward and unpleasant (and more expensive, come to that) it is now than when I first started selling stuff.

CC

[mjfe2]

I've noticed this trend too. I think eBay have cut down on reminders as business sellers selling new items have gone up. Presumably when eBay began it was almost entirely secondhand?

That said the app and possibly the desktop version too saves a default feedback rating so it's v easy to leave an A+ on a series of minor purchases

[Agharta]

If you are not a business seller keep an eye out on their deals as twice recently they offered £1 maximum FVF and no insertion fee.
Saved me about £90 in fees so far in my recent clear out and I still have some big ticket items on sale which could lead to further savings of over £100.
I didn't get an email about these but heard from a 3rd party.
They aren't open to everyone so good luck.