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Jawbone54 · Sep 22, 2007, 11:03 AM

I haven't been on the forums but for just a few minutes the past few days. Here's why...

My second power cord went out for my PowerBook last week, so I bought a new one off of eBay. The seller (a "power seller") advertised it as "same-day shipping," so I was excited that it wouldn't take that long. Well, I paid for it two days ago. It shipped today.

This was a bit irritating, but my hands are tied. Due to the weekend and unkept promises from the seller, I'm going to get my power cord next Tuesday. When you have to go without your only computer that you use EVERYWHERE, it's a bit of a problem, as you can imagine. But I can't leave negative feedback, because they would slap it right back at me (even though I myself did nothing wrong).

They can afford negative feedback. They have a rating of over 4,700. Mine is 4, since only 4 of the 10 people or businesses I've dealt with has seen fit to leave feedback. A 1 in 5 negative feedback rating would look pretty bad on a little pee-on like myself.

So I'm going to give a little butt-kissing feedback post whenever it arrives, such as "GREAT seller! Would do business again! AAA+++!!!" I've been able to use the Mac Pro at my work for the essentials, but at home I'm just going without.

I hate eBay.

imitchellg5 · Sep 22, 2007, 11:06 AM

You can always choose to dispute negative feedback that they leave since you did nothing wrong.

brassplayersrock² · Sep 22, 2007, 11:08 AM

why lie? give a neutral feedback saying that it took a little longer to ship then advertised, but everything else is fine. Something along those lines. In all respect they would just give you a neutral bck. Only give what you want to recieve back. If they do give you a negative, screw em and move along. it's just ebay.

*I left ebay a whie back due to some very rude and bad buyers

**disputing non- needed negative feedback through ebay = paying a guy to do pretty much nothing except email agreements and making sure it stay civil between buyer and seller. I did it once and it was 30 bucks, and guess what, it was 30 bucks waisted because the buyer didn't want to agree to the terms that I set up, which were fair.

Alex

theDreamer · Sep 22, 2007, 11:38 AM

This is the exact reason why I do not use ebay.
As a buyer you are stuck leaving feedback first so if the seller is late or something is "wrong" with the shipment and you go to leave negative feedback. He will do the same and just fine some little thing wrong, or in some cases lie about things.

pinenuts · Sep 23, 2007, 12:24 AM

What would he leave you negative feedback for? Would he do it just to harm you? If so, sue him in your local small claims court.

red rocket · Sep 23, 2007, 05:26 AM

The way that I see it, decent buyers do not have a problem with leaving feedback first.

Some weeks ago, I had this guy who actually expected me to ship the item before I'd received my money, because he'd told his online bank on Friday evening to initiate the transfer, whoopee. Come Monday, I get an email from him, bitching about why his bloody CD wasn't there yet. I explained that I obviously hadn't received the money yet, whereupon he accused me of lying and said he was going to talk to his bank. On Wednesday, the money arrives and I take the package to the post office. He gets it the next day.

Ten days later, he sends me another email, complaining about why I hadn't given him any feedback yet. I inform him that it's standard practice and common courtesy for the buyer to leave his feedback first.

It's been two weeks. Still no feedback.

I'm not saying all buyers are bad, but at least 30 per cent are stupid and rude. Until they've left me positive feedback, I have no way of knowing into which camp they fall, so it would be incredibly naïve of me to leave feedback first.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but the first two posters are on my ignore list.

Powerbook · Sep 23, 2007, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by red rocket

Ten days later, he sends me another email, complaining about why I hadn't given him any feedback yet. I inform him that it's standard practice and common courtesy for the buyer to leave his feedback first.

I think of this as vice versa. As a seller I expect from a buyer to pay me and nothing else. When I am the seller, I leave positive feedback instantly. That is to give a good example, and to show the confidence to what I've sold. When I am a buyer and I don't get feedback first ( I usually pay within 24 hours) and I ask the seller about it, I never get an answer there. Says enough to me.

Regards
PB.

lavar78 · Sep 23, 2007, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Powerbook

I think of this as vice versa. As a seller I expect from a buyer to pay me and nothing else. When I am the seller, I leave positive feedback instantly. That is to give a good example, and to show the confidence to what I've sold.

Agreed. That's how it used to be in the halcyon days of eBay. Good times, good times...

Jawbone54 · Sep 23, 2007, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by red rocket

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but the first two posters are on my ignore list.

So you can't see this? Why am I on your ignore list?

I've borrow a friend's power cord for the day, so I'm finally able to edit some pictures I took this weekend. The package is supposedly going to arrive tomorrow. I'm just going to bite the bullet and give this guy his feedback rating, just because I can't afford anything other than positive feedback at this point. I have a few other big items that I'm going to be selling here shortly, and I don't want to deal with anyone wondering why.

I also don't feel like disputing any negative feedback, and I definitely don't feel like going through a small claims court. I don't have the patience or the time to do that stuff. I'd rather just take it and go on with it.

Andy8 · Sep 23, 2007, 06:38 PM

Just say no to eBay.

KeriVit · Sep 23, 2007, 08:48 PM

If many users feel the same as you then this is why his feedback is positive.

Off-topic- those friggin power cords suck. Mine started going a couple months ago and finally started spaking the other day. I got a generic replacement for $45.

Seems like a yearly trip for the Apple adapters.

JohnM15141 · Sep 23, 2007, 10:29 PM

As a buyer only, I pay immediately. As long as the item shows up in a reasonable time and as described, I leave positive feedback. I leave less then positive feedback when the item shows up late and/or shipped other than the described shipping method for a lot less than what I was charged for shipping. Other than that...two thumbs up!

Originally Posted by Powerbook

I think of this as vice versa. As a seller I expect from a buyer to pay me and nothing else. When I am the seller, I leave positive feedback instantly. That is to give a good example, and to show the confidence to what I've sold. When I am a buyer and I don't get feedback first ( I usually pay within 24 hours) and I ask the seller about it, I never get an answer there. Says enough to me.

Regards
PB.

Atheist · Sep 23, 2007, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by red rocket

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but the first two posters are on my ignore list.

I have to confess, that's the funniest thing I've read all day.

Railroader · Sep 24, 2007, 05:58 AM

I have to agree with you about feedback system can affect the new eBay user. The only thing I can suggest is to leave positive feedback. On "mission critical" purchases like the one you had to make with your AC adapter, I avoid eBay like the plague. I'll even avoid Amazon.com as they will take up to a week just to process your order before shipping. Same for Sears.com. Too slow in their processing. Macmall.com used to be VERY good. You make an order before 4:30 pm and they'd have it to me before 10 am the next day. Always. I don't know how they run lately as I haven't ordered from them in a long time.

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

So you can't see this? Why am I on your ignore list?

Because, you are a pastor and have probably actually spoken about religion before ***GASP*** If he read what you had to say, and saw you were one of the nicest guys on here, he might actually have to consider Christians as nice people.

He's like a little girl with his fingers poked in his ears yelling "nah nah nah nah... I can't hear you... nah nah nah".

Railroader · Sep 24, 2007, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by JohnM15141

As a buyer only, I pay immediately. As long as the item shows up in a reasonable time and as described, I leave positive feedback. I leave less then positive feedback when the item shows up late and/or shipped other than the described shipping method for a lot less than what I was charged for shipping. Other than that...two thumbs up!

This is exactly the same way I do it.

I can;t stand paying $25 for shipping and then see the shipping label on the package says they paid $8.

I also hate the small, low priced items with outrageous shipping charges.

Kevin · Sep 24, 2007, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by red rocket

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but the first two posters are on my ignore list.

Why do people feel that they need to announce who is in their ignore list? Does anyone thinks anyone else honestly cares?

Railroader · Sep 24, 2007, 06:42 AM

This is completely off-topic, but I have no one on my ignore list.

Kevin · Sep 24, 2007, 07:26 AM

Me either.

Jawbone54 · Sep 24, 2007, 08:03 AM

Me three. It would drive me nuts not being able to see everyone's comments, even if whatever they were saying did get on my nerves.

Jawbone54 · Sep 24, 2007, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

I have to agree with you about feedback system can affect the new eBay user. The only thing I can suggest is to leave positive feedback. On "mission critical" purchases like the one you had to make with your AC adapter, I avoid eBay like the plague. I'll even avoid Amazon.com as they will take up to a week just to process your order before shipping. Same for Sears.com. Too slow in their processing. Macmall.com used to be VERY good. You make an order before 4:30 pm and they'd have it to me before 10 am the next day. Always. I don't know how they run lately as I haven't ordered from them in a long time.

You know, I didn't even think about Macmall, and I've used them two or three times in the past.

Seeing a decent power cord for $20 on eBay was too tempting to pass up, and I found it within a minute, so I bit.0

shifuimam · Sep 24, 2007, 02:10 PM

FWIW you can also respond to feedback.

I bought a DVD of the Beatles movie "Help!" awhile back from a guy in the UK. Turned out to be an illegal, burned DVD. I contacted him, said I wanted my money back, and would toss the DVD as I wasn't going to return illegal merchandise. He proceeded to refund my money, then leave negative feedback. I was able to leave a response on my own feedback page that it was illegal product, and that I had done nothing wrong. I ended up reporting him to eBay for fraudulent practices, and within a week his account had been permanently suspended.

But don't leave negative feedback if shipping was the only thing. I agree with those who said to leave neutral feedback. If the whole purchase process was bad for you, then you can leave negative feedback - if the seller didn't ship it, lied to you repeatedly, took forever (like mutliple weeks) to ship, etc.

I've been on ebay for five years and have only had minor problems with a few transactions.

lavar78 · Sep 25, 2007, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Why do people feel that they need to announce who is in their ignore list? Does anyone thinks anyone else honestly cares?

How else did you want him to explain why his post may be off topic?

d4nth3m4n · Sep 25, 2007, 11:50 AM

you have 4 feedback, why not start over if it's so critical?

Jawbone54 · Sep 25, 2007, 01:50 PM

Because that's four that I'd have to collect again, and it's been hard enough just getting people to leave it in the first place. I know it's not much, but I'm a bit ticky about it (hence this thread).

Powerbook · Sep 25, 2007, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

I bought a DVD of the Beatles movie "Help!" awhile back from a guy in the UK. Turned out to be an illegal, burned DVD. I contacted him, said I wanted my money back, and would toss the DVD as I wasn't going to return illegal merchandise. He proceeded to refund my money, then leave negative feedback. I was able to leave a response on my own feedback page that it was illegal product, and that I had done nothing wrong. I ended up reporting him to eBay for fraudulent practices, and within a week his account had been permanently suspended.

But the negative feedback you got from him did stay on your page?

PB.

TETENAL · Sep 25, 2007, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Powerbook

As a seller I expect from a buyer to pay me and nothing else. When I am the seller, I leave positive feedback instantly.

Then what do you do when the buyer claims he didn't receive the item? Or that it was broken. Or that he wants to return the item because it's not in a condition he expected?

Anyway, I don't understand why eBay doesn't just simply hide the feedback until both parties have given it. That way it wouldn't matter who does it first.