TIPS on LEAVING FEEDBACK

Most sellers work extremely hard to maintain a high feedback score, for they actually care about you as a customer. Feedback is a wonderful way to let the seller and the eBay Community now what your experience has been with the Seller.
Upon receipt of your item, if you were pleased with your item please leave Positive Feedback. If by chance you feel that Positive Feedback and a 5 Star DSR rating cannot be given across the board please contact the seller PRIOR to leaving feedback. Nothing can be done after Feedback has been left. There is no need to leave a Neutral or Negative Feedback and a score lower than 5. Communicating with the seller is the best and the only way for having a completely successful and positive transaction and also an excellent way to let the seller no exactly what they have done wrong so they can improve.

Take the following into consideration when leaving Feedback and DSR Ratings:

Item as described: Was the description accurate, condition noted and plenty of photos available? All this info should be included in the ad. Missing parts, Damage, Age of the item if known, Material made from, etc.  Most of the time damage will not show up in the photo unless an individual photo is posted showing the damage. If an item is dirty, just remember, dirt will hide a lot of flaws, therefore it is best that damage is mentioned.

Communications: Did the seller respond in a reasonable length of time to any questions you might have asked? Were you notified that your item had been shipped?

Shipping Time: Was your package shipped quickly? Most ads state the domestic handling time therefore before bidding or buying make sure that the time fits your needs. If a buyer states he only ships once a week it is unfair and wrong to give the seller a low rating on the Shipping Time when it was posted. Check the postmark on the package when your item was shipped to when it was PAID FOR, NOT PURCHASED, since Sellers do not ship until the item has actually been paid for. If you used an E-Check for payment, the actual payment has not been received until the check has cleared which might take up to a week or longer depending on your bank and you and the seller will be notified by Paypal.  Remember shipping is not available on Weekends or Holidays and sometimes a seller will have an unforeseen circumstance arise that delays shipping. Check the eBay Messages also to see if parts of the country are having weather related delays and this might be the reason for your delayed shipment. The seller, regardless of the shipping method used has absolutely no control over how long it takes the package to be received, only the actual mailing of the item. If you felt it took to long, leave your low score to the carrier service, not the seller. If you are one that takes your time to leave feedback for a seller, make note in My eBay under Items Won as to when the item was received and any other pertinent info that will help to refresh your memory when you find time to leave feedback

Shipping & Handling: What is reasonable Shipping and Handling? I have broken this down into Shipping and then Handling. Shipping:To start with a Seller has no control over what the shipping company charges but the seller should know all the different methods of shipping available to fit the buyers budget and the allotted time the buyer would like to have the item received by. A buyer should be given choices but if not remember the shipping cost was posted so you should not score low since it was known prior to buying. I have found out if you contact the seller prior to bidding or buying and request a different shipping method that you feel will be less costly and/or received faster, most sellers will be very accommodating. Many sellers think the cheapest way to ship is by Parcel Post when in fact it is very expensive especially for large and heavy items compared to UPS. It also takes much longer than Priority and has a better chance of arriving damaged due to the handling process. If multiple shipping choices are given make sure when paying you check the shipping options if available so you as a buyer can decide how you want the item shipped according to cost and length of time to receive. The actual shipping cost will be posted on the USPS boxes only if brought to the PO and UPS never prints the cost on their labels. If a seller prints the label through Paypal, postage will not show either. If you think the cost of shipping was unreasonable before leaving a low score check the cost on the Internet. The weight and zip code will be on the shipping label and you can always measure the size of the package. Also the cost of Insurance and the Delivery Confirmation is often not included into the postage shown on the label but paid for seapartely by the seller. FREE SHIPPING should never be given less than a 5 Star Rating.  Handling: Many Buyers feel that a Handling Fee is not justified and the buyer is correct and many times it is absolutely ridiculous. If NEW Shipping Supplies are used, such as boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, padded envelopes, etc. are used I am in total agreement a handling fee is needed for these are quite expensive especially the bubble wrap and peanuts, etc. for they are made from petroleum products. Some sellers actually have a staff to do all the packing and shipping which is an added expense so take that into consideration also. Look at how your item was packed upon receipt and then figure out how much was added onto the shipping for the handling fee. Used boxes with wadded up newspaper, recycled items or whatever can be found should not include a handling fee, but that is my own personal opinion.

As a reminder, if you have questions or concerns contact the seller prior to leaving feedback and you might be surprised how all turns out. Communicating is one of the best way to make all transactions into a positive experience for you as a buyer. If all fails leave the seller what they deserve but at least give them a chance.