eBay Feedback Extortion

[clovis97]

I am posting this mostly for the newer and or younger eBay sellers who frequent our forum.

I sold an $8.99 item to a buyer back in mid-March. Sometime around mid-April, the seller started emailing me about leaving FB for him.

My personal policy, right or wrong, is to leave FB only after it is left for me. I do this for a number of reasons, mainly because it lets me know that the buyer is happy with the transaction and the item. I also wait for the buyer's FB because I am not going to let a scam artist pull a fast one, cheat me out of product, and still get a positive FB from me.

Anyway, after a number of emails between the buyer of the $8.99 item(which included free shipping), the guy finally replied "If you don't leave me positive FB by 5/1/14, I will leave you a negative."

That is called feedback extortion by ebay, and is not tolerated, per their rules.

Any time you have someone use a line like "I'll leave you a negative if you don't........", that is considered to be feedback extortion.

Should you ever run into this problem, report the buyer immediately, and call ebay if the problem escalates. They say that they will remove any negatives that the buyer leaves.

 

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[Joe777Cool]

Sounds like a lot of extra work and aggravation! I'd rather take a chance than make a customer upset. The seller doesn't ever win pissing contests.

 

[cheese]

When a buyer buys and pays for an item, I leave them good feedback. They did what they were supposed to do. It probably makes them feel better about me as a seller and the product they are about to receive in the mail as well. It starts us off on the right foot. If they are a problem later on, so what? I can't leave them negative anyway, and one good feedback from me isn't going to help or hurt anything. There is the chance it will benefit me to leave good fb immediately, but there is no chance that holding out will help me in any way. I hate it when I go through my recent purchases and leave good fb and suddenly I get inundated with good feedbacks from sellers who refused to leave me feedback until I left them good feedback. THAT, imo, is feedback extortion (no offense intended, just the way it comes across to me when it happens to me).

 

[Cojones]

Buyers on ebay are so entitled to get their little feedback point. Feedback was necessary when ebay was a community of buyers and sellers. It no longer is. Ebay is basically just another eshop, they should just get rid of buyer feedback entirely. Amazon did it years ago. It's just a waste of time for the seller having to leave feedback. Can only leave positive anyways so whats the point.

 

[GibH]

I sold a video game and 3 weeks later I get a message "I need to return this item". No other explanation. I asked them to elaborate on what the problem is, but so far I haven't heard a peep back. I'm certainly glad I haven't left them positive feedback yet.

The game I sold was in perfect condition. I'm not going let someone use my stuff for 3 weeks and then send me back a scratched up piece of crap. If they become a huge pain in the ass, what recourse are you going to persue through Ebay if you have them a positive already?

I'm not going to let ripoff artists hold me hostage through the feedback system. If I can get them to threaten negative feedback, then it's worth a few messages.

 

[Joe777Cool]

He's probably returning the game because you didn't leave positive feedback. If I have a problem after a I leave a positive, I add a follow up comment to the feedback. The goal is to avoid negative and neutrals, by not giving feedback first you just give the buyer another reason to ding you.

 

[GibH]

Yeah, I'm sure that's reason.

 

[Joe777Cool]

Yeah, I'm sure that's reason.

Guess we will never know LOL

 

[GibH]

No, I do know. He's played the game and beat it, so now he wants to move on to the next sucker. That, or he's found a crappy copy he wants to switch out. Sorry, if he had asked within the first week, I would have accepted the return.

 

[FreedomUIC]

I guess as a Buyer I am not that picky. Really, I could care less if you left me feedback or not.
I got what I wanted, paid on time and the seller shipped. I will leave very positive feedback
and continue on with my life. Feedback to me as a buyer is like taking your sister to a dance,
means absolutely nothing in the long run unless you are from <never mind>

 

[centfladigger]

as a seller, I leave Feedback as soon as you pay, your obligation to me is done, if you leave Feedback for me that's cool if not , oh well. When I have been the buyer , I only a few have left me feed back as soon as I promptly paid, I have always gotten a note in the package stating that as soon as I receive item to leave them a positive Feedback and then they will leave me one. That is playing games , I don't care for it

 

[NJcigarman]

That is how ebays feedback pro works. As soon as a buyer leaves a positive feedback for me feedback pro gives them a positive feedback. It nevers gives a buyer feedback for paying. Plus I don't have to worry about giving feedback.

 

[Tallone]

Here is how I handle feedback:

- If the buyer leaves me a positive, he get a positive from me. To my way of thinking, this is just common courtesy.

- If the buyer leaves no feedback and I haven't heard any complaints after about 3 weeks, I will leave the buyer a positive. I do this to encourage the buyer to leave me a positive.

- If the buyer has been a pain in the ass, I won't leave feedback for them - ever - and I block them. Although eBay doesn't allow negatives for buyers, this is my little way of showing my displeasure with jerks.