Good Policy For Ebay Users

 

re Ebay feedback:

 

If logic and justice are applied, it's easy to understand and honor the following:

 

The seller should respond by leaving "feedback" immediately after payment is received, and then the buyer should respond with his feedback after arrival of the goods.

 

The onus to leave the first feedback should be on the party (the seller) having the greater responsibility of agreement-obligation fulfillment in the transaction. This responsibility includes the conveyance of merchandise in the condition and type in accordance of seller's representation of said merchandise. The responsibility of the buyer is a simple matter: either fulfillment of obligation on his part is met by timely payment or it is not. If fulfillment is the case, the seller should immediately post the deserved positive feedback. If breach of payment is the case, the seller is no longer obligated to transfer ownership, and should enter negative feedback to warn others.

 

This feedback order, first seller, then buyer, prevents a seller's retaliatory, vindictive feedback response. Fear of which on the part of the buyer, might thwart a justified negative-feedback response.

 

This fear of leaving anything but positive feedback, is what the less-than-honest seller with flawed merchandise hopes for by withholding the just and deserving positive feedback. You might notice the use of this flawed feedback policy with many sellers stating something to the effect: we will leave a positive feedback only after we receive one from you.

Also to remember, is that buyers and sellers have a right and duty to leave accurate feedback--a response that isn't a phony whitewash--a false praise motivated by tacit promise or hope for good feedback from the other party. Keeping responses truthful gives the system credence and value to both buyers and sellers!

 

Richard Stuart Otto, 3 May 2006