Feedback is an important part of eBay, both for buyers and sellers. It is crucial that you provide prompt and accurate feedback for each transaction you have on eBay. If you don't, you lead other buyers or sellers astray as to the true nature of their trading partner.

In this guide I will be addressing what you should and should not include in your feedback comment, when to leave feedback, what to say, how to handle feedback extortion, retalitory feedback, and more!

As a buyer:

What things should you be addressing in your feedback? Points of service!

• Communication - was the seller quick to respond to questions or concerns?
• Shipping - Did the seller send your item out in a timely manner? This means from the date of cleared payment to the day it leaves the seller's hands, not the date of receipt. Disregard weekends and holidays since many sellers do not work during these times. (Please note, the seller is not responsible for time in transit since they have no control over how the shipping carrier ships your package. Do not include references to the transit time, good or bad, as part of your evaluation.) Your listing will often include handling time. If the seller says they will ship within a week, and they DO ship within a week, they have done their job well.
• Packaging - Did your seller safely and appropriately package your item? (Do not include damage sustained in transit unless it was due to poor packaging on the seller's end. The seller has no responsibility in how a shipping carrier handles your package, they are only responsible for how they handle it. For more information on packaging, see my proper packaging guide.)
• Professionalism - Was your seller courteous and professional? Or were they rude and using obscenities?
• Product as described - Did you receive the correct product, size, color, etc that you ordered? Is it as described in the item listing? Do not include comments about how you ordered the wrong item by accident. If the item is poorly made, make a small factual comment about it just to inform other buyers who may consider purchasing the same item.
• Was the handling charge excessive? - Sellers do, and should, charge a handling fee to cover their time in packaging, packing materials, and other costs incurred. These costs are generally included in your shipping amount. A handling fee of $2 for small orders (1 - 5 items), $5 for medium orders (6- 15 items), or $10 for large orders (more than 16 items) is appropriate to add on top of shipping costs. If your seller has charged far more than that as a handling fee, and or have not properly packaged, they could be guilty of excessive s&h charged. If you believe you were way overcharged s&h contact your seller first. If there is not a reason for the excessive charge (such as the package takes extra care, etc) then you can contact eBay about this issue and reflect it in the seller's profile. These are rough estimates, and each transaction is different, so use your best judgement.

What does not belong in your feedback? Things that are beyond the seller's control!

• Whether or not you liked the item - If you order and receive your item but decide that you do not like or want it upon arrival, this has nothing to do with how the seller did their job unless their ad was misleading. Do not include your opinions on the item unless it relates to the seller's service (like a misleading description) in some way.
• The item received was not what you were looking for, but it is what you ordered - If you accidentally ordered the wrong product, color, size, etc, or failed to read the description and terms of sale prior to bidding or buying, that it not the seller's fault and should not be reflected in their feedback. You are responsible for being sure you are bidding on the correct item, size, shape and color. You are also responsible for reading the seller's terms of service.
• You could have gotten the item cheaper somewhere else - this is not the seller's fault. If an item is worth $2 and you get in a bidding war with another buyer and pay $50, that was your decision it is not a bad reflection on the seller. The same goes for buy it now items. If you choose to pay a certain amount, that was your choice. You are responsible for comparison shopping, don't blame someone else if you fail to do so.
• The item is cheap or poorly manufactured - If the item you receive is poorly manufactured, it is only the seller's fault if they are the manufacturer or if they erred in the description in some way. Lots of products out there are cheaply made, and people buy them because they are generally an inexpensive version of a better (and better made) product. I have never seen a sign up in Walmart advising that a product is cheaply made, so why would I expect an eBay seller to advertise it? If the product is cheap, and is not a name brand, you can usually assume it is not as well made as it's name brand counterpart. You are not rating how you feel about how the product is made, or how it looks on you. You are rating the service you received from the seller. Make a small comment factual about it, just to inform other buyers who may consider purchasing the same item. But do not fault your seller for it. 
• Transit time was slow - Unless the seller is bringing you the package themselves, this does not apply. Your seller has no control over UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc. Since the feedback you are leaving is for the seller why would you include comments about the carrier which is a seperate and distinct entity? The exception to this, is if you pay the seller for one shipping method (such as priority) but the seller ships by a different shipping method (such as media mail) instead. In that instance, the seller IS responsible that the package took longer to reach you because they shipped a slower method than you paid for.
• Package damaged in transit - Again, this is a carrier issue, not a seller issue. You should rate the seller on how they packaged your order, not on how the carrier (who is a different company all together) handled it. If your order was damaged in transit because the seller packaged it poorly, then it is appropriate to mention the damage. I recommend insuring your package. See my insurance guide for more information.
• Package lost in transit - Unless your seller is hand delivering your package to you, they are not responsible for items lost by the shipping carrier. They have no control over how the carrier handles your package. If you have not received your package in the expected time frame, ask your seller for a tracking number, delivery confirmation number, receipt, etc proving if and when they shipped. I recommend insuring your package. See my insurance guide for more information.
• Profanity or disparaging comments - There is no place for profanity or personal slurs in feedback. When you lower yourself to that level, you only succeed in making yourself look foolish. No one will value your opinion if it is punctuated with juvenile comments. We are all adults here, let's act like it.
• Retalitory feedback - Rate your seller's service, not the feedback they left for you. Be factual. If the seller has not done their job, or has been unreasonable, neutral or negative feedback is appropriate.

The exceptions to the rule

• If your seller did not offer insurance, and your item is lost or damaged, they are responsible. They gave you no way of protecting your shipment, so they are the ones to blame.
• You purchased insurance, but your seller refuses to give you the info you need to file.  If they do not want to give you the info you need to file the claim, then they are accepting full responsibility for handling your problem directly.
• Item is poorly manufactured - Although you should not blame your seller for how the item is made, it is appropriate to mention if the item does not hold up well or is cheaply made just as an FYI to other potential buyers. Make the comment short and factual, and do not blame the seller unless they are misleading in their description.

As a seller:

What things should you be addressing in your feedback?

• Payment - did the buyer pay promptly, for the correct amount and in the correct currency?
• Communication - did the buyer ask all necessary questions prior to bidding or buying? Did they contact you with any issues with their order to give you an opportunity to resolve? 
• Professionalism - Was your buyer courteous and reasonable? Or were they rude and using obscenities?

What does not belong in your feedback?

• Profanity or disparaging comments - There is no place for profanity or personal slurs in feedback. When you lower yourself to that level, you only succeed in making yourself look foolish. No one will value your opinion if it is punctuated with juvenile comments. We are all adults here, let's act like it.
• Retalitory feedback - Rate your buyer, not the feedback they left for you. Be factual. If the buyer has been unreasonable, did not pay (or were very slow to pay) or made demands outside of the terms of sale you clearly posted, neutral or negative feedback may be appropriate.

When to leave feedback

You should leave prompt and accurate feedback once the transaction is fully complete. Once the item is paid, shipped and received, everyone should be wrapping up the transaction with feedback. If your buyer has not paid, it is appropriate to leave feedback once you file for your final value fee credit. If your seller never ships, or never remedies legitament issues with the order, I personally give them 30 days before leaving negative feedback. This leaves plenty of time for shipping issues, emergencies, etc. to be resolved.

Feedback examples

• Thank you for the quick and easy transaction!
• Quick payment, good communication, an asset to eBay!
• Fast shipment, good communication, as described!

Feedback extortion

Threatening to leave negative or neutral feedback for another member unless the other member provides goods or services not included in the original listing is not permitted. If a seller withholds goods until feedback is left, they are also guilty of feedback extortion.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

• Listing cancellation

• Limits on account privileges

• Account suspension

• Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

• Loss of PowerSeller status

Report incidents of feedback extortion to eBay's safe harbor immediately.

In Closing

Feedback is important so that future trading partners have a clear picture of the eBayer's history. Do not fear leaving negative or neutral when there is a good reason to, nor neglect leaving positive when it is deserved, it is your responsibility to warn others of potential problems. If everyone left accurate feedback, it would be so easy to weed out the bad buyers or sellers from the good ones, so be sure you lend a hand in that regard. Also remember, the way you word your feedback is as much a reflection on you as it is on your trading partner, more so even. So be sure to word it in a factual and professional manner.

See you at the auctions!

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