A small rant on rating ebay sellers

[California]

My most recent transaction was a purchase from China that was not as described. 'Universal Polarity' flashlight bulb, four of them. I burned up three discovering they couldn't tolerate reverse current. Seller offered a refund if I would revise feedback from neutral to positive, I agreed. No refund has appeared after a month. I don't care what leaving my Neutral and one star does to his reputation since he's still advertising them as Universal Polarity. Buyer beware.

I earned my 350+ Positive rating, never a negative, by taking care of my customers. I expect the same when I buy something. That rating is, and should be, the only thing a customer can rely on before making a purchase.

My worst customer was an idiot who won another auction cheaper minutes later and threatened me with increasingly frantic emails to cancel the auction or 'suffer the consequences'. But my emails to him weren't reaching him. I refunded at paypal before midnight including an explanation, then got another nutty email thanking me for 'proving my honesty'. Dealing competently with unreasonable customers is part of any retailing.

I too look on Amazon as well as Ebay when buying mailorder. No preference.

 

[stuckmotor]

As a seller I was always quick to rate a buyer and nothing aggravates one more that a buyer that doesn't reciprocate. I finally quit rating a buyer until after they rated me and sent them a message letting them know that right up front. Your ratings matter a bunch on ebay and when you're involved in a transaction you should promptly provide one whether asked to or not.

By the time my order arrives I usually can't remember whether I ordered it from an ebay seller or an Amazon seller and because I sometimes place multiple orders for similar products, I can't remember which seller sent me what. If you guys would settle on a standard bright colored sheet of paper and enclose it with the merchandise telling simply how to rate you, I'd probably rate more sellers. Actually, I think ebay should have worked this out long ago.

 

[dfkrug]

Dealing competently with unreasonable customers is part of any retailing.

That sums it up well. If one is prone to fits of rage, one should not sell stuff (or drive in big city traffic).