Luminous

iTrader: (3)

As reported by the BBC today:
BBC NEWS | Business | EBay to ban negative seller views

In summary sellers are not going to be able to leave negative or neutral comments about buyers...

Not sure if this is good or bad. There are bad buyers out there, and not being
able to leave them negative feedback does not seem like such a good idea. It basically allows buyers to hold a gun to your head as they can say anything they like about you, leaving you will littler recourse.

[Davey]

What a crock of ****, just means sellers will be 'held hostage' by buyers who want a free lunch.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Nah, it's ok mate. Bad sellers/buyers can now be infracted!

[Davey]

Its sad but true... The system will be abused by con-artists and sniveling little retards..

GenericUser

Has it's good and bad points. I left justifed bad feedback for a seller who sold me a damaged item they carefully left out of their pictures. He then retaliated by leaving me bad feedback for daring to tell the truth about his crappy item.
Considering I have a feedback in the low 20's it looks far worse for me than him with maybe 4 or 5 bad feedback over a hundred transactions. The fact most of his other were low value and he stiffed me over a high value transaction is neither here nor there.
I'm having the last laugh though I'm persuing him through small claims court and will send the bailiffs in at the first opportunity.

Geezer

I think that is very true. You can still reply to their negative feedback, it's not as if you have to stay silent and look like a tw@t.

Geezer

Shark Man

It already is, and this does nothing to help.

I bet less than half the "legit" traders based in the UK even pay their fair amount of tax by not correctly declaring it.

So eBay stings the public in two ways: Less funds for the coffers AND the by protecting con artists and criminals.


The simple answer is to boycott them, and their buddies Paypal. When people stop using them, they'll soon learn that harbouring and protecting criminals and tax dodgers will only serve to undermine them.

Problem is people are stupid, and they will continue to use them in sheer ignorance

[Davey]

eBay Owns paypal.. Nice eh?

Problem is eBay is the best classified ad's service EVER and the tax issues only really should effect people who sell new stuff.

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

Its a joke.
Out of principle I don't leave feedback for sellers before I've got some myself, despite their reminders. I mean all I had to do was pay, why should I leave feedback first!
Ebays been going downhill for a long time anyway.

EddScott

Apart from the odd punt I'll take on low value items I only buy certain products from certain sellers.

I buy and sell transformers toys (sad yes but I do) and have had an attempted rip off of £300!

I also race RC cars so buy from the US. The cars are the same in £ as they are in $ so someone in the US can buy a kit, break it into sections and sell it to UK'ers at more than the complete kit - crazy but true.

Apart from little things I won't bother anymore.

Having said that, I bought my Jeep Cherokee off Ebay

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

That's not quite true, though, is it? If I sell something, I want to know that my buyer has received the item, inspected it, and agreed that it actually is as-described in the ad and that they're happy with the transaction.

Suppose I advertise an item for sale, someone buys it and I leave them positive feedback for paying promptly. Two days later they start moaning that it's not what they wanted, or has mysteriously become damaged, or that it's "gone missing", or any other spurious (or fraudulent) excuse to complain. Maybe their cheque bounces or I get a PayPal chargeback against me. Either way, I've kept my side of the bargain and they haven't.

So, the way it works is:

- Sale completes
- Buyer pays
- Seller ships item
- Buyer receives item, checks it thoroughly and confirms they're happy
- Buyer leaves feedback
- Seller leaves feedback

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

If you look at it way then maybe your are right.
Don't think I would change the way I do it now. Even when the shoe is on the other foot I leave feedback when someone has paid me for a purchase beforehand, regardless of whether they have recieved it or not.

EddScott

Thats how it should work. I just bought an item and the seller gave me +ve feedback before I received the item.

Personally I won't leave feedback until I'm 100% sure the item is fit for purpose.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Have to agree with Joey - as a buyer all you have to do is pay - that simple. If you pay via Paypal you should get an instant +ve feedback.

If the item is as described you have nothing to worry about. If you have proof of postage, you have nothing to worry about. Ebay tends to favour sellers in those situations no proof of postage = instant refund to the buyer. Proof = no refund.

For other methods of payment hang on until it has cleared of course but while i disagree with banning it completely i don't think sellers should be able to hold buyers to ransom like that.

5t.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I think you're assuming there that the buyer is a reasonable, decent person, which may not be the case.

For example, I have a spare laptop which I'm thinking of selling. It's five years old and fairly well used - and, of course, I'd format the hard disc before selling it. I can describe all of this in the ad, of course.

Suppose, then, that someone pays me for it by PayPal and I leave them positive feedback. It arrives two days later and they complain:

- that it won't boot. (Yes, that's right, I formatted the HD. Your Windows CD is in the box. You do actually know how to use a computer, right?)

- the case is damaged. (No sh*t, it's five years old, of course it's got a few scratches - what did you expect? It's exactly as in the picture).

- it won't run game **** (again, no sh*t - it's five years old, of course it's a bit slow for today's games)

- I thought it was model xxx, but it's not (read the ad properly then dumbass!)

Get the idea? All I'm asking by withholding feedback, is that the buyer agrees that what they've received is what was advertised, that's all.

Sonic'

Seems stupid to me, not really much point in having the feedback system now then

Although I suppose there is nothing to stop you leaving bad comments under a positive feedback

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

You are also assuming that the seller is a reasonable decent person who has made all the right descriptions, packaged the thing properly etc.

Any complaint about the seller would be taken to arbitration, a advert that clearly states what the product is, including the model number of the item is perfect evidence against someone claiming it isn't what was advertised - the complaint is clearly rubbish.

5t.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

But I KNOW I'm a reasonable, decent person

I sold a camera on Ebay last year. It was immaculate, and I made the option available to collect in person and pay cash. IMHO the very fact that I'm prepared to make that offer shows I have nothing to hide.

Someone emailed me asking me to deliver it, on the grounds that he lived some distance away but wanted to see it before parting with any cash. I declined, of course - why should I when other interested bidders don't ask me to go to that much effort? I'd even offered a 7 day returns guarantee.

Then he emailed again asking me to meet him half way, and pointed out that 'all the risk was to the buyer'.

At this point I told him (politely, of course) to f**k off. I _know_ I have the goods and that they're exactly as described. Why exactly should I accept any greater risk than necessary?