Newbie question on feedback

[onestepforward]

I've been selling a few collectibles on Ebay for about 2 weeks now. I'm trying very hard to build up my feedback but it is very slow coming. I'm doing the best job I can and have had no complaints.

Could someone tell me what is up with hardly any buyers bothering to leave feedback after they receive their items? I have asked everyone very nicely when I send the invoice and asked nicely on the packing slip that I enclose in the box. I also leave positive feedback for the buyer as well. I don't want to bother anyone with further requests for feedback, but I need some feedback to sell higher priced items. I'm getting feedback on approx. 1 out of 4-5 sales. Is this normal?

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any responses.

[suninvited]

1. If you have already given the buyers feedback, they dont

have incentive to spend the time giving you feedback. Clearly state in your auctions that buyer feedback will be given AFTER they give you feedback.

[onestepforward]

3. I tried that too...

and still got the same non-response so I went back and gave feedback first. I may go back listing that on my auctions again. Thank you!

[Vinca]

2. 1 out of 4 or 5 is about normal.

It used to be a little better when you could actually give a buyer a negative rating. Now they figure there's no need to exert themselves since their feedback will always be positive. I'm not a fan of holding feedback hostage. I figure if someone upholds their end of the bargain, I should leave them good feedback whether I hear from them again or not.

[onestepforward]

4. Yes, when I first did that I thought I might be turning people off...

but it seemed to make no difference. Do you think that if I send an email with a final 3rd request that it would be too obnoxious?! I really don't want to bug folks. Thanks for your response.

[Vinca]

5. Sure . . . why not? Just explain that you're a newbie and need

the feedback in order to sell better stuff, yada, yada and thank them in advance. The worst thing that can happen is they'll ignore you. Editing because I forgot to ask what kind of things you sell.

[onestepforward]

6. I'll give it a try. This is really bad time to sell right now...

I'm selling a wide variety of stuff like depression-era glassware (how appropriate it that?!) Lord of the Rings statues, Swavorski crystal figurines and various collectible toys and statues related to movies and comics. Because some of this stuff can be pricey, I really wanted to have some feedback built-up better at this point to reassure potential bidders that I'm honest.

I have to say that my first 2 weeks have been a little fun, as I'm sure everyone knows, it is tough with our economy. I was hoping a few people might have an income tax return that was burning a hole in their pocket :)

Here is the link to one of my auctions. I am SO open for feedback if anyone has something! Ebay's website has been acting up today so you may have to try more than once:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=180342746348

[Vinca]

7. Your auction page looks really good, as does what you're selling.

You'll probably do really well on ebay after this economic mess is over. I've always found the best time of year to sell is September through Christmas. It's always dropped off for me during the summer. In fact, the last few years I've stopped selling on ebay over the summer months in favor of selling in a shop. If you have any group shops where you live, you might consider renting some space and selling a little there. I originally went into the group shop to sell things I found that weren't what I considered "ebayable," but that people still might want. That includes common items, items with small flaws, very large or heavy items that would cost a fortune to ship, etc. It won't make you rich, but everything helps.

[onestepforward]

8. Thank you for your ideas

I really do appreciate it! My husband and I own a small sculpting company (just us) and needless to say, people are not buying a lot of art right now so I thought I'd try and fill in the gaps some on Ebay. I knew that in this economy it would be hard. I'm just trying hard to research what I'm selling so I don't just give stuff away. Hopefully in about 1 month or so, we will have a very accurate and classy Obama bust to sell. It is the best one I've seen on the market so far.

I had my first non-paying bidder that I filed on today, "spiderman5150," should anyone want to add to their bidder block list. I've been reading some older posts about Ebay and they have been so helpful.

[Vinca]

9. Wow - post a picture of the Obama bust when it's ready!

I can't believe you've already got a nonpaying bidder. Proof positive the removal of negative feedback for buyers sucks.

[onestepforward]

12. At least I had 13 great sells before that!

That is what has made it fun and worthwhile!

I'll post a picture of the rough (unpainted) sculpture today. The bust is about 12" tall and will have a bronze finish. It depends how things go, but my husband and I were hoping to donate one to DU that they can sell! Maybe they can have their own auction and skip the Ebay fees : )

[onestepforward]

13. Here are a few photos

This the actual unfinished clay version and isn't painted or finished yet, but it should give you an idea of how it will look.

[Vinca]

16. That's amazing. Are you the sculptor?

I thought it would be fun to make a life-sized Barack out of papier mache, but I figured I'd get into real trouble trying to capture the face and he'd end up looking like a jug-eared cartoon character. Can't wait to see your finished piece.

[onestepforward]

17. No, my husband is the sculptor.

He posted it in the artist section of DU yesterday and got a warm reception. I hope it will be ready in about 1 month. We're having it cast now. My husband can paint as good as he sculpts and I think it will look very classic in bronze. It is our first independent piece (we subcontract to toy and statue companies mostly) and we wanted it to capture this great moment in history that gave us hope. : )

[Vinca]

18. I found his post and I'm in awe of his talent.

The "Joker" is amazing.

[grasswire]

10. how long did you give the bidder to pay for the item?

You want to be a little careful about getting a reputation for jumping the gun. New eBay sellers sometimes have a tendency to do that.

[onestepforward]

11. I gave him 8 1/2 days and tried to be very patient.

I know that "life" happens and we can all get thrown off coarse at times.

[grasswire]

14. respectfully.....

unless eBay has changed a great deal in the last couple of years since I stopped selling there, that's pretty fast to file NPB.

A little from my perspective: I used to allow 30 days for people to pay me before relisting the item, and took many thousands of personal checks and money orders from all over the world. I never got a bad check, and had only a handful of NPB in six years. If someone didn't pay, hey--- I still have the merchandise. Yes, I'm out the fees, but I just considered that loss a small cost of doing business in a venue that I could NEVER replicate off eBay: millions of potential customers all over the world 24/7 with relatively little business costs. I never hassled anyone for payment more than a cordial reminder. And I didn't file negative feedback (it was allowed then).

I figure life's too short to be impatient. Most eBayers mean to do well. And if I thought a buyer or seller was trigger happy, I wouldn't enter a transaction with them.

[onestepforward]

15. I really appreciate your comment

and I understand what you're saying, especially from people like you that have SO much more experience than my short 2 weeks.

I did it because there has been a big problem with bidders who don't have any intention of paying (I highly suspect this with my situation and what this buyer has told me) and nothing happens and they continue to bid and not pay and it causes problems for other sellers. From message boards of other Ebay sellers, they are encouraging all sellers to report on non-paying bidders after 7 days from auction to help with this problem. That was a big factor in what I did. Just trying to do the right thing as best I can.

Besides this, I've had all positive experiences buying and selling and look forward to more. It does seem like Ebay is very slanted toward buyers and I wish they were a little more fair.

I'm sure I'll have more questions and I'm very thankful for your comments :)

[InvisibleTouch]

19. A tip to get your feedback up:

Buy stuff. The seller will (hopefully) leave you positive feedback, and that will get your numbers up. Of course you only get DSR's as a seller, but in terms of plain old numbers, it doesn't matter if you're the seller or the buyer. Just look for items that you would buy anyway, so you're not randomly buying things you wouldn't otherwise need; I've bought fishfood, vaccuum cleaner filters, light bulbs, organic vegetable seeds, that sort of thing. Be sure to compare prices so you're not spending more than you would at the store, but often you can get great deals.

The feedback ratio you're getting from your buyers is pretty standard, unfortunately. Don't bother chasing them down with repeated requests - it won't help, and it takes up your time and energy. When I tell my buyers that their item has shipped, I always tell them I've left them feedback for their quick payment, and request they do the same for me, so I'll know their package arrived safely. (I do almost always leave feedback right after I ship the item, which helps me keep track of what's been shipped and what hasn't.) Some will reciprocate, and some won't. Don't fret too much about it.

As to your non-paying bidder, I'll usually give them a week, and then I'll send a reminder note along the lines of "I haven't yet received payment for this item, and would like to get it sent out to you as soon as possible...." with a reminder of how much and how to pay. If they then don't respond or pay within another week or so, I'll do a NPB. But do try to nudge them with an e-mail first.

Good luck and have fun! :)

[onestepforward]

20. Thank you

I've been buying some really great coupons along with some other buys and saving a ton of money too! It is a double benefit to buy off Ebay, to help other buyers, whom I'm sure are hurting too, and to help myself. Ebay is a community of sorts and I have been having fun! I can't believe how much email has been sent back and forth with some statue/comic fans out there and I've been talking with people worldwide which I love.

My first non-paying bidder story went well too. We did call off the sale but I also advocated to Ebay to help him with his Paypal problem. No hard feelings and well wishes. I know it won't always end this way but I will try and make it so on my end. I always try to be gentle with people and I'm not looking to fight, just trying to pay my bills.

Thanks so much for the great advice. I really appreciate hearing what others have learned and are kind enough to share!

By the way, I finally have my gold star! Some of my requests paid off with positive feedback : )