On Ebay for ten years - hundreds of transactions

[Dan Gould]

I guess it had to happen sooner or later (of course I've had mis-graded LPs but when you don't pay "collector's" prices anyway, its never that big a deal): I picked up for $5 a Jimmy McCracklin 45 on Imperial. I've liked the Imperial LPs I've heard so I figured that even if the two sides of this 45 didn't make the charts, they'd probably still be pretty good. I'd know for sure if the seller hadn't failed to ship the item for almost 30 days.

AUNTIE THUDS ANTIQUES AND RECORDS

should be avoided at all costs!

I know $9 total is hardly worth it but you figure that a seller with 98.7% of nearly 10000 ratings would be a little more trustworthy, and a little more responsive (two emails sent without any response at all). I've now registered a dispute with Paypal, if this guy doesn't cough up the money I am assuming that their "Paypal Buyer's Protection" policy will ensure that I am refunded my money.

There. Now I feel better.

Edited March 13, 2008 by Dan Gould

[Claude]

but you figure that a seller with 98.7% of nearly 10000 ratings would be a little more trustworthy

That's a poor feedback rating for a professional seller.

[David Gitin]

I once made a purchase for a box set of Mingus; seconds after I paid I got a message that the seller was suspended and I shouldn't pay. With much correspondence and hassle following that and no result, I finally had to 'eat' the cost.

[Jim Alfredson]

Make sure to check your spam box. I recently had a dispute with a seller and emailed them twice and thought I had gotten no response. I left them a negative because they were pretty unresponsive when I emailed twice to ask for the cost of shipping as well. As soon as I did that I got a feedback reply back that said "check your spam!" I did and sure enough the responses were in there.

Oops.

I felt like a doof.

[Dan Gould]

Make sure to check your spam box. I recently had a dispute with a seller and emailed them twice and thought I had gotten no response. I left them a negative because they were pretty unresponsive when I emailed twice to ask for the cost of shipping as well. As soon as I did that I got a feedback reply back that said "check your spam!" I did and sure enough the responses were in there.

Oops.

I felt like a doof.

I'm one of those guys who checks his junk mail folder at the same time that I go to my inbox, so I never miss things that end up there. I'm quite sure he hasn't responded.

[Dan Gould]

OK, so after one week in "dispute" mode at Paypal with no response from the seller (again), I went straight to "escalating" the dispute to a "Paypal Claim". Five days later, Paypal informs me that they have concluded their investigation and that a refund has been sent. And lo and behold, I actually get a message from the seller:

i thought this was mailed. i have searched my inventory several x. it is not here. best regards, thuds

Obviously I need to give this guy a negative feedback on ebay - but it is true in fact that he cannot give tit-for-tat negatives to me anymore, right?

[Jazzmoose]

After an admittedly quick glance at the feedback info on the site, I don't see anything that leads me to believe that he can't.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Jazzmoose

[Dan Gould]

After an admittedly quick glance at the feedback info on the site, I don't see anything that leads me to believe that he can't.

I thought that was part of the policy overhaul that changed the fee structure last month. F it - no response to three communications, made a refund only after Paypal stepped in, didn't even manage an apology in his message.

[Jazzmoose]

I could very well be wrong; it was just a quick check. But I agree. F it, and the bozo. Heck, I just got my first neg, and it didn't even hurt!

[jazzhound]

I could very well be wrong; it was just a quick check. But I agree. F it, and the bozo. Heck, I just got my first neg, and it didn't even hurt!

I think the new feedback policy hasn't kicked in yet. there are at least a dozen seller I would have loved to nuke... always use a credit card when paying with PayPal.. extra protection comes in handy.

[captainwrong]

AFAIK, a seller can still leave retaliatory feedback, for the time being. That said, I've had no qualms about leaving negatives when they were warranted. I feel it's kind of a thing were I'd want someone else who got ripped off to give me a heads up. I've never received a retaliatory negative either and I always figured if I did, I'd just throw a note on it indicating that's what it was.

Or, if you're really worried about it, wait until the last day you can leave feedback and hope they forget about you.

This eBay thing has me a little miffed though. I think it's completely bunk that, as a seller, I won't be able to warn people about deadbeat bidders anymore (and I've had several) just because some folks have abused the system over legit negatives.

Also, not to sound like sour grapes, but if this is the first time you've had issue, and over a minor value item at that, consider yourself very lucky. i stopped buying on eBay for a while as I seemed to hit a patch of things rarely coming as advertised, if they came at all.

I've learned the hard way that the megasellers, like you are describing, are so hit or miss as to not be worth my while unless the feedback is 100% positive or damn close to it. 98.7% positive out of 10,000 still means 1,300 unhappy customers. Or at least 1,300 people who weren't afraid to leave negative feedback.

[Dan Gould]

AFAIK, a seller can still leave retaliatory feedback, for the time being. That said, I've had no qualms about leaving negatives when they were warranted. I feel it's kind of a thing were I'd want someone else who got ripped off to give me a heads up. I've never received a retaliatory negative either and I always figured if I did, I'd just throw a note on it indicating that's what it was.

Or, if you're really worried about it, wait until the last day you can leave feedback and hope they forget about you.

This eBay thing has me a little miffed though. I think it's completely bunk that, as a seller, I won't be able to warn people about deadbeat bidders anymore (and I've had several) just because some folks have abused the system over legit negatives.

Also, not to sound like sour grapes, but if this is the first time you've had issue, and over a minor value item at that, consider yourself very lucky. i stopped buying on eBay for a while as I seemed to hit a patch of things rarely coming as advertised, if they came at all.

I've learned the hard way that the megasellers, like you are describing, are so hit or miss as to not be worth my while unless the feedback is 100% positive or damn close to it. 98.7% positive out of 10,000 still means 1,300 unhappy customers. Or at least 1,300 people who weren't afraid to leave negative feedback.

What I really failed to appreciate is the point you make in the last paragraph. I've had my annoyances with ebay before, but it was always poorly graded LPs that I didn't pay much for in the first place, because I never pay outrageous prices for vinyl. And virtually all of those people were open to a refund or partial refund to keep me satisfied. And of course people make mistakes on grading - if they 'fess up or guarantee satisfaction, that's a seller that deserves a positive because they do care to do right.

I've have twice given negatives and gotten negatives in return - I remember one was unconscionably slow on a Paypal payment, shipping like two weeks after. Can't remember what the other one did to deserve it, but both gave me negs in return. I went ahead and posted the negative feedback, now I am trying to keep an eye on my own feedback to see if he returns the favor.

[rockefeller center]

I've learned the hard way that the megasellers, like you are describing, are so hit or miss as to not be worth my while unless the feedback is 100% positive or damn close to it. 98.7% positive out of 10,000 still means 1,300 unhappy customers. Or at least 1,300 people who weren't afraid to leave negative feedback.

It means 130 unhappy customers not 1300.

[captainwrong]

I've learned the hard way that the megasellers, like you are describing, are so hit or miss as to not be worth my while unless the feedback is 100% positive or damn close to it. 98.7% positive out of 10,000 still means 1,300 unhappy customers. Or at least 1,300 people who weren't afraid to leave negative feedback.

It means 130 unhappy customers not 1300.

Math never was my strong point.

[Dan Gould]

Mine either.

But its still too many problem transactions for a "professional seller" to have, especially when you consider that the potential for tit-for-tat negative feedback reduces the number of negatives by an unknown percentage.

[Jazzmoose]

Personally, 99% is pretty much my cut-off for a dealer, unless they have less than a hundred feedbacks; heck, anyone can get one. I have a feeling that's going to change with the new feedback policy though, as buyers are going to go neg crazy, at least for a while. I think I'll sit back and watch the dust settle...

[Big Al]

That's why I only do business thru the Organissimo Board: 100% positive for the buyers and sellers I've dealt with!

[Dan Gould]

That's why I only do business thru the Organissimo Board: 100% positive for the buyers and sellers I've dealt with!

Seen Jim Dye lately?

[Dan Gould]

Personally, 99% is pretty much my cut-off for a dealer, unless they have less than a hundred feedbacks; heck, anyone can get one. I have a feeling that's going to change with the new feedback policy though, as buyers are going to go neg crazy, at least for a while. I think I'll sit back and watch the dust settle...

I don't know that they'll go "neg crazy", certainly not in the sense of giving out negs for the thrill of it. Basically all the people who have negative experiences are going to give negatives that are deserved. Its just that more of them will come out because they won't be "protecting" their own feedback rating by withholding.

[catesta]

I've learned the hard way that the megasellers, like you are describing, are so hit or miss as to not be worth my while unless the feedback is 100% positive or damn close to it. 98.7% positive out of 10,000 still means 1,300 unhappy customers. Or at least 1,300 people who weren't afraid to leave negative feedback.

It means 130 unhappy customers not 1300.

Math never was my strong point.

Your name should pretty much cover you for any mistakes you make.

[connoisseur series500]

Personally, 99% is pretty much my cut-off for a dealer, unless they have less than a hundred feedbacks; heck, anyone can get one.

Even Jazzmoose?

I've been lucky so far and still sport a perfect ebay feedback with 548 transactions. Still, I know I can get one at any time. The system isn't perfect by any means.

[Jazzmoose]

Yeah. I made it to 775 before getting one. All it takes is some newbie bidding on your auction that clearly states "cashiers check/money order or paypal only" who then wants to pay with a bank transfer and gets upset and freaks...

Gotta say, though, it was a stamp auction; never had any problem with jazz fans!

[Dan Gould]

For what its worth, I don't think this guy even bothers to respond to negatives - and he keeps getting more positives such that in just a couple of days, my negative is now on the second page of feedback. Its already been replaced by a more recent bad transaction - an Emerson Lake & Palmer LP, described as "mint" but isn't even playable. What a maroon.

[Dan Gould]

Just checked again, and he's posted responses to the last four negs he's received - but not mine. Guess he realizes that my complaint was legit. But I noticed a frightening statistic in his feedback profile - in the last month he's gotten 284 positives and 16 negatives, an eye-popping 5+ % rate of negatives. He keeps that up, his 98.7% rate will start dropping, as it should.