Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[capnwes]

Although my nose has become hyper-sensitive. I seem to smell every bad odor out there, bad breath makes me nauseous and I never really noticed it before.

This is the case for me too.

 

[Connorh]

Do you guys like to remind buyers to leave feedback if they are happy with their purchase? I've sold a lot of items, and then never hear from the buyer again.

 

[VLSI]

I don't bother. Ebay will also send them reminders to do so after a while. I know my dad sends a message when he ships a package saying thanks for the purchase and to please leave feedback when they receive it if they're happy. He does have a higher percentage of feedback returned than I do, so it must have at least some effect.

 

[My Main Man]

I always wait for the buyer to leave feedback first. Want to make sure they're happy with everything. The other day, I went through and left feedback for about 30 listings that were more than 2 weeks old. I ended up getting about 3 of those people to leave feedback within a day or two.

 

[capnwes]

Exactly right. As I mentioned before, I recently set up a new ebay account and a new Paypal account to keep some personal dealings apart from my business accounts. I had forgotten that ebay has these dumbass rules for newbs.

I don't think that stuff existed when I started selling.....or maybe I was just a dumbass newb and didn't realize it.

 

[TheNeedMachine]

Do you guys like to remind buyers to leave feedback if they are happy with their purchase? I've sold a lot of items, and then never hear from the buyer again.

I don't bother. Ebay will also send them reminders to do so after a while. I know my dad sends a message when he ships a package saying thanks for the purchase and to please leave feedback when they receive it if they're happy. He does have a higher percentage of feedback returned than I do, so it must have at least some effect.

I always wait for the buyer to leave feedback first. Want to make sure they're happy with everything. The other day, I went through and left feedback for about 30 listings that were more than 2 weeks old. I ended up getting about 3 of those people to leave feedback within a day or two.

I leave positive buyer feedback as soon as they pay - I have no reason not to. I don't remind buyers or ask for feedback in return. I've only had one negative, and was able to leave an explanatory follow-up note, but that was almost a year ago before I knew about feedback revision. I do send a separate message to all paid buyers, thanking them, letting them know what day it will be shipped, and how to find their tracking # on eBay...plus to contact me directly in the event of any questions, issues or problems; to this I might add a blurb re: leaving + feedback.

 

[Orgetorix]



No harm in rewarding yourself at the 1 week, 1 month, 2 month etc levels either - figure the amount of $ you saved by not smoking all that time and spend half of it on something you want.  Maybe keep track of money saved just for fun - see the $'s add up after a month or two, and perhaps put a percentage of that right into a savings account or increase your 401k contribution (or along those lines - whatever works for you), and you're making money by not smoking.  Reward system works great for most folks - whatever your bent is - making more $ (by spending less $), having some nice shell longwings, saving for the future, new PlayStation...whatever...you know your own carrot best, so set your goals and go for it!

Hmm...I need to start smoking so I can quit and reward myself with something nice!

 

[JackFlash]

I leave positive buyer feedback as soon as they pay - I have no reason not to. I don't remind buyers or ask for feedback in return.

This. Otherwise you just end up driving yourself batty. The folks that will leave feedback will leave feedback and those that don't, don't.

 

[My Main Man]

Let's say that the seller leaves positive feedback as soon as the buyer pays and then the buyer opens a case later on for whatever reason. Does the positive feedback that the seller originally left affect the outcome of the case at all?

 

[Koala-T]

Let's say that the seller leaves positive feedback as soon as the buyer pays and then the buyer opens a case later on for whatever reason. Does the positive feedback that the seller originally left affect the outcome of the case at all?

Frankly, I can't since I opened an official store, I can't figure out how to leave negative feedback anyway.

 

[Fueco]

This. Otherwise you just end up driving yourself batty. The folks that will leave feedback will leave feedback and those that don't, don't.

Yeah, it annoys me a little that I have 550+ transactions in the last year and less than 400 feedback received. But I'm not going to worry about it! The better your service is, the more likely people are to leave feedback for you, I think.

 

[Koala-T]

Yeah, it annoys me a little that I have 550+ transactions in the last year and less than 400 feedback received. But I'm not going to worry about it! The better your service is, the more likely people are to leave feedback for you, I think.

Actually that sounds like a great conversion rate.

 

[capnwes]

Yeah, it annoys me a little that I have 550+ transactions in the last year and less than 400 feedback received. But I'm not going to worry about it! The better your service is, the more likely people are to leave feedback for you, I think.

Way better than mine I think. Let me check.

EDIT:
1861 Transactions (12 months) - 1159 Feedback for the year. 62.2%
4293 Transactions (overall) - 2825 Feedback total 65.8%

 

[Snoogz]

Hmm...I need to start smoking so I can quit and reward myself with something nice!

Yeah, it annoys me a little that I have 550+ transactions in the last year and less than 400 feedback received. But I'm not going to worry about it! The better your service is, the more likely people are to leave feedback for you, I think.

That is actually a great ratio of feedback to transactions. Anything over 50-60% in my book is great. I would say to keep doing whatever it is you are doing.

Myself: 136 seller feedback out of 233 transactions the last twelve months. I think that's around 58% or so. I don't do anything special or out of the norm with reminders. Great service will drive feedback. I had a buyer return a jacket because my shoulder measurements on a (Canali, go figure Canali jackets have ******* big ass shoulders) jacket were a bit off. After I gave him a full refund + return shipping, he left me positive feedback. I was humbled, especially because of my error.

 

[TheNeedMachine]

Let's say that the seller leaves positive feedback as soon as the buyer pays and then the buyer opens a case later on for whatever reason. Does the positive feedback that the seller originally left affect the outcome of the case at all?

As a seller, the positive feedback I leave for a buyer would have no effect on any case that buyer opened on an item I sold them...so, no.

I know some sellers hold off on leaving feedback in case the buyer is not happy, or the buyer leaves a negative and the seller then thinks they can retaliate by leaving a negative in return.
Or, sellers don't remind buyers to leave feedback after the fact because it may "prompt" a buyer to leave a negative for some reason.

I don't subscribe to either of those notions. +1 what JackFlash said: The folks that will leave feedback will leave feedback and those that don't, don't.