# Leaving feedback on eBay- what should I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067 "2005-02-26T23:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/1 "2005-02-26T23:40:18Z")
Over time I’ve won some auctions on eBay. I have always paid promptly, and have recieved good feedback. And I always leave good feedback too, because up until now I’ve never had a problem. The sellers have been prompt, and my purchases have always been just as described, or better. But my latest purchase was not as smooth. The seller acknowledges he’s a one man operation, and isn’t super fast in delivery, but he said, in the auction information, it wouldn’t be more than three weeks. It took over four and a half weeks for me to get my purchase, and that was after three emails, the first of which went out on day 21. I checked his feedback and found several negative feedbacks, and some neutrals. The latter seemed to have experiences like mine, overly slow, but finally getting the product. But most of his feedback was good. I don’t want to leave good feedback, as I am disappointed in the service I got. But if I leave neutral I’m afraid he’d do the same to me, and spoil my 100% good record. So I’m looking for opinions. Which is better in this case, to leave no feedback at all, or to leave neutral? I’d especially like to hear from those that have been sellers on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/2 "2005-02-26T23:42:45Z")
Leave a neutral. If he does the same, you have the opportunity to respond and explain yourself (as does he). ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/3 "2005-02-27T00:00:01Z")
Usually, if I get the item at all, I leave positive feedback. This isn’t out of fear of retribution, but just out of a concession that sometimes people screw up, and sometimes the postal system screws up, and that really, getting the thing at all is the most important part of the transaction. I also leave positives if I don’t get the item but do get a prompt refund (which has only happened once, but still). Basically it would take a lot to make me give a neutral or negative. Two weeks wouldn’t really make me do it. But you might feel differently. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/4 "2005-02-27T00:04:36Z")
Once, as a seller, I got into a ‘late dispatch’ situation due to illness. I let the buyer know, and they left a neutral feedback, which I though was fair - as **Mr Blue Sky** points out, I then was able to give some defence. If you got the item in good condition, and not drastically outside the timeframe that was advertised, I don’t think negative feedback is appropriate. Even if the guy has other negatives (why should other people’s feedback affect your own?). ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/5 "2005-02-27T00:32:31Z")
I always thought it would be better if Ebay didn’t post one’s feedback until the other party responded as well. In the event the latter party doesn’t respond, the original feedback left will be posted after a week’s period, in which case, the one who didn’t leave feedback is no longer able to. I think that would solve the OP’s problem, too bad it’s entirely theoretical. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/6 "2005-02-27T00:33:39Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > If you got the item in good condition, and not drastically outside the timeframe that was advertised, I don’t think negative feedback is appropriate. Even if the guy has other negatives (why should other people’s feedback affect your own?). Well, three weeks is the extreme end of the timeframe, and the seller still exceeded that by a week and a half. I feel negative feedback would be justified. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/7 "2005-02-27T00:50:25Z")
I probably wouldn’t leave any feedback at all. I think that people tend to view neutral as negative because it doesn’t take much effort at all to get positive feedback. I would only leave a neutral or negative if I wanted to discourage others from buying from him. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/8 "2005-02-27T00:54:17Z")
If the exact same thing had happened to someone who’d bought from him before you did, what would you want to know as a subsequent buyer? Personally, I’d probably leave a “neutral” and say something like “Product was as described, but shipping took somewhat longer than promised.” ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/9 "2005-02-27T01:18:53Z")
Thanks for the responses. I wasn’t considering negative, as I\* did \* get the purchase, and in good shape. But delivery exceeded the longest time promised by 50%. It’s just that the seller kept putting me off, responding to my emails with “it will be there soon” and not saying when “soon” would be. **Duderdude2** , I like your idea! ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/10 "2005-03-01T00:20:06Z")
In a similar situation I checked the postive button but pointed out in the comments that I wasn’t pleased with the shipping time. ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/11 "2005-03-01T01:49:33Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Thanks for the responses. I wasn’t considering negative, as I\* did \* get the purchase, and in good shape. But delivery exceeded the longest time promised by 50%. > > It’s just that the seller kept putting me off, responding to my emails with “it will be there soon” and not saying when “soon” would be. > > **Duderdude2** , I like your idea! At first, I would have said leave a positive feedback but say something about being so late in the comment field. Something like - “Purchase showed up in good shape but took longer to receive than expected.” But since he kept putting you off and his emails were no help, I would go with a neutral. Two negatives shouldn’t equal a positive. But since you received your auction in good shape, I would think a negative would be overly harsh. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-feedback-on-ebay-what-should-i-do/292067/12 "2005-03-01T02:27:51Z")
I agree with bclouse - Neutral with a qualifier - “good packaging but 25 days to delivery after payment received”. Something like that. This is the purpose of feedback. If it is a new product that you are purchasing then the seller either doesn’t care or is borrowing from Peter to pay Paul for inventory. If it is a one-off item then the seller is just slow.