Why the Buyer Should Be First to Provide Feedback in a Buyer-Seller Transaction

There is an age-old debate that will be obsolete in May but deserves some discussion nevertheless. Exactly who on eBay is supposed to leave feedback first: the buyer or the seller? Many buyers are of the opinion that once they pay for the item, they have done their part and should be entitled to positive feedback immediately. This article will discuss why this is not the case.

The main reason is that there is far more to the transaction than the buyer paying the seller. When I have the buyer's personal check in hand, is the story over? Absolutely not! That is saying that the seller's job is complete once the package is dropped off at the post office. No, I argue that the feedback should be based on the transaction in its entirety upon conclusion of the transaction.

The next time you go to a fast-food restaurant, is the transaction done when you hand the cashier the money? Of course not, you don't have your food, you don't yet know how clean the restaurant is, and the restaurant owners have no idea how you are going to behave while dining. Is it fair for the manager to decide right then-just as you pass the cash to the cashier-whether you are to be allowed back on the premises? Remember, you don't have a right to be there; rather, the manager/owners allow you to return based on your behavior. To be sure, if you don't pay for your food, you won't be welcomed back, but if you cause a scene, vandalize the bathroom and drive away other customers you won't be allowed back either.

Some will argue that I am off my rocker here and that buying fast food is nothing like shopping on Ebay. Of course a restaurant employee can't form an opinion about a customer until the entire dining experience is over, but how can I as a seller give a buyer my "A++++ Super Dee Dooper Ebayer" rating as soon as the payment is made? After all, I have no idea if the check will bounce, if the buyer will be nasty, or even try to defraud me in the end! Giving positive feedback when I receive the payment is giving my recommendation that that buyer is someone I would want to sell again. I am not comfortable giving anyone a positive reference until I have all the facts.

I stand by the rule that feedback should be left when the transaction is complete. I think everyone would agree that the transaction isn't complete when the payment is received. Heck, selling would be so much easier because if it's said and done when I get paid, I don't have to worry about returns, questions, the occasional mistake or even shipping! The transaction is complete when the buyer receives the item and is satisfied. As a buyer, I let the seller know that I am satisfied and the transaction is complete by leaving a positive feedback comment-first!!

My next reason is a matter of technology. I am by no means one of the largest sellers out there, but I closed about 1700 auctions in the last 30 days. Imagine the time it would take me to manually leave a feedback comment for each of that at any point of the transaction. Because of this, I rely on automated feedback settings. The auction manager I use has only one option: reply with a positive feedback when I receive a positive feedback. I don't even have the option to leave feedback automatically when the payment is received. Ebay does have a setting to leave feedback when payment is received. However, as I stated before, just because I have received a personal check numbered 0001 drawn from an obscure bank that just doesn't look quite right doesn't mean it is going to actually clear!

As I said, this has been a debate that has raged on for years. Which is the right way? We live in a democratic society so I will allow democracy dictate how I do business. As a buyer, maybe 10% of the time I get a positive feedback from my seller after my payment. When I leave positive feedback for my seller, 99% of the time I receive a positive in advance. I don't understand the other 1%, but that's another story! As a seller, I would estimate that 70% of my buyers initiate feedback. Based on my observations as a buyer and a seller, it's clear to me that that the majority of time the buyer leaves feedback for the seller first. So, my final decree is that from this point forward, all buyers should leave their seller [hopefully positive] feedback when they are satisfied; thereby notifying the seller that the transaction has concluded. The seller will promptly reply.