FEEDBACK - EBAY is a network built on trust, because we all don't usually meet each other, so this grading system is vital to all of us.  Both reputations are huge.  And FEEDBACK is the only way to evaluate what we are dealing with.  

FEEDBACK is effecient, and so constant.  Most transactions happen to be opened and closed within a week or two, and the FEEDBACK for both sides should be up by then.  I try to stay right on top of all my FEEDBACK. 

People that buy, are just unaware of what it takes to SELL.  They are not aware of the fees, the new huge shipping charges, and how hard it is to still make any money.  And so when they are shopping with us, they don't even know what it took to get that item up on Ebay.  They just see the item, the picture, and the price.  And if they can afford it, they buy.  To survive and stay on, it's alot of cost, time, shipping, expense, etc, and buyers don't get that.  And so the feedback score is like our report cards, and we always want an A+.

This is a very intelligent system, and has benefits for both sides.  When people buy from us, I am sure they look at our feedback, and usually when we sell, we don't need to look at theirs unless a problem comes up.  If someone doesn't pay for an item with you, and you see that has happened before, Feedback from past transactions shows that it wasn't only with you.  And unfortunately, there are times when people bid and don't pay, and it is hard on the sellers.

FEEDBACK IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABUSED, but if someone does not live up to being either a good seller, or a good buyer, sometimes that has to be left in the feedback.  I try to take the high road on most transactions, and I rank the transaction on how they paid, and my end of it, even if they get an item and have a problem later.  I do that because as a seller, I do need to rate that part of it for them, and if I have to do a return for any reason, I don't put that in the feedback.  Things happen, and it's not always a perfect scenerio to shop by a picture and a description, as much as we all try.  For me, some of the situations that come up are just part of being in business.

There are people that abuse the FEEDBACK system, and try to use it to threaten sellers.  And that is wrong, and I have learned to not be bullied.  This is a NETWORK, and returns that are respectful, and just not what someone expected, are taken care of with pride most times, and positive feedback can still be the end result.  

It's rare when someone does try to scam you, or get something extra, or lie about delivery, and then threaten us, and it is hard to deal with, and thankfully, it's not very often.  And for those type transactions, I have learned to block them, and just move on. FEEDBACK on here is a two way street, and if someone does all of the repeatedly, or bids and doesn't pay repeatedly, eventually, they just don't get to stay on here.

I have run into more honest and classy  fun shoppers by far, than anything bad, and all of the feedback on boths sides for those transactions is what I concentrate on.  And it's so important to let a buyer know that you enjoyed and valued what they bought from you.  We never know if they will need another item some other time, and be back.  Thanking them with kind words, and letting anyone know that it was a pleasure to deal with them, will stay in anyone's mind.   There is alot of competition on here, so it's important to make your item, your account, and your feedback stand out for them. 

I also leave feedback for buyers even if they don't leave it for me.  And I will tell you why - they are shopping, and if they are not frequent shoppers, they may forget.  And when they log on to shop again in a couple of weeks, they see the nice things I wrote, and they leave my feedback then.  It's much more important for me to have let them know that I appreciated their business. 

Sometimes, they never even leave me feedback, and I just don't care.  If there is a problem, for sure you will know right away.  And so if they never comment, it's just the way it is.  And it counts as a positive in our scores anyway.  Some people don't get the value of FEEDBACK, and it's always going to be that way, so I just do my part, leave it for them, and keep going.  There are enough things in my score to explain other's experiences with me.

I personally never email anyone and ask them to leave it either.  I ship as fast as I can, I communicate as much as I can, and that's the best I can do.  Most people leave it, but there are some that don't.  I don't take it against me if they don't, it's just that as sellers, we really want the validation, and as buyers, we want the praise and thanks.  It's a two way street that really can make us feel good, and it's a very important system because we don't know each other.

A buyer and seller can be on opposite sides of the world, the main issue is that they are guided by a common denominator - their scores and how they are viewed by others that they deal with.  For that FEEDBACK is the most important measure that you will get what you pay for.  I remain both a buyer and a seller to this day.