In this article Thrive Learning Institute covers the basics of building up feedback on eBay.  For many people selling on eBay the biggest frustration they have is when they have gone through the trouble of creating an auction yet they are not able to make a successful sale.  There are many factors that cause this but the most common one is trust, if you do not have feedback on eBay you do not have the trust of the eBay community. 

Whenever an item is bought or sold on eBay, Feedback about the transaction that reflects the experience with the buyer or seller is expected. At the same time, the trading partner is asked to leave Feedback as well. Essentially, this is a simple way to help buyers figure out who the good sellers are and who they can trust.

The subject of eBay Feedback can be very touchy for a lot of sellers, because their entire eBay business depends on what kind of feedback they receive from their buyers. Too much bad feedback at once can impact sales; at least until a few more positive feedback comments, from other buyers, are made. This is because eBay buyers review a sellers feedback before they buy. They want to know they can trust the seller. So, because Feedback has a direct effect on profits, it is important to have a good understanding of what it is and how it works.

When leaving feedback for buyers, there are 3 options: positive, neutral, and negative.

Positive feedback is given the majority of the time; the average feedback score is over 98 percent positive.

Neutral is usually given by a buyer for a service oriented issue. For example, maybe the seller did everything right, except they did not reply to a few emails quick enough. Maybe that communication was very important to that particular buyer so he/she left a neutral feedback saying, it was an ok transaction but could have been a lot better. A neutral feedback can almost always be avoided by providing basic customer service.

The dreaded negative feedback is supposed to be left only after the buyer has contacted the seller, tried to work out whatever the problem might have been, and they could not work it out. Most buyers always give a seller a chance to work out a problem before leaving a negative feedback. Unfortunately there are also eBay buyers who are quick to leave negative feedback for very petty reasons. As a seller, it is in your best interest to make every transaction a positive one by paying attention to details.

A recent major change to eBay is that sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers.

It is up to the seller to realize common problems and handle them quickly so that a buyer does not leave a quick neutral or negative feedback. If odd emails are received that show that the buyer is not receiving your replies, give them a quick phone call. Email a customer with a tracking number for their shipment so they are kept in the loop and they will realize you have done your job whether or not the Post Office or UPS causes shipping delays or not. In other words, be a proactive seller and continually think about a buyers needs and how you can improve their buying experience.

Another important aspect of feedback is the Detailed Seller Ratings report. Each buyer can rate a seller on specifics of the transaction by selecting anywhere from 1 to 5 gold stars. The majority of buyers will leave 5 stars but if the average is anything below a 4.1 for any specific, eBay will take notice your business could be in trouble.

That being the case, it is that much more important to focus on the specifics of each transaction, especially make sure you describe your item appropriately. The item should live up to your description or your feedback will suffer. Any problems or issues should be described and photographed when possible and make sure to email buyers after the purchase and answer any questions as fast as possible. Focus a lot of your effort on shipping each order as fast as possible, usually within 1 or 2 days and do not overcharge on shipping. The goal with each transaction is to earn positive feedback and five stars in each category from each buyer.

It may sound difficult but with a little focus and a streamlined business process, you will naturally earn great feedback and scores.