Is 99% positive feedback good for a major ebay seller?
roadrunner
Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
toolhaus.org
With a 99.6% rating on over 4000 transactions, and 99.0% if you include the neutrals, do the feedbacks possibly indicate another story other than 99% satisfaction? I just get the creeps when a seller states over and over that different buyers are "ridiculous" or other derogatory names. Then of course there are the sellers who go that extra mile to please the "nasty" 1% to keep their 100% feed backratings intact. You just gotta love Toolhaus! Too bad it isn't part of each ebay auction. Sometimes the neutrals outnumber the negs by 4 to 1.
But it does seem like they have wised up as over the past 2 years they generally don't even reply to negative feedback. Smart move for a change! And it does appear they've cleaned up their act somewhat over the past few years. Still, this cleaned and scratched AU bust quarter leaves something to the imagination. At 99c I'd buy it:
raw AU bust quarter
roadrunner
With a 99.6% rating on over 4000 transactions, and 99.0% if you include the neutrals, do the feedbacks possibly indicate another story other than 99% satisfaction? I just get the creeps when a seller states over and over that different buyers are "ridiculous" or other derogatory names. Then of course there are the sellers who go that extra mile to please the "nasty" 1% to keep their 100% feed backratings intact. You just gotta love Toolhaus! Too bad it isn't part of each ebay auction. Sometimes the neutrals outnumber the negs by 4 to 1.
But it does seem like they have wised up as over the past 2 years they generally don't even reply to negative feedback. Smart move for a change! And it does appear they've cleaned up their act somewhat over the past few years. Still, this cleaned and scratched AU bust quarter leaves something to the imagination. At 99c I'd buy it:
raw AU bust quarter
roadrunner
0
Comments
I wonder if Corvettechuck who got his 6" 1929 star note stuffed into a 5" sleeve ever bothered to return it? By opening it he would have probably voided the return privilege.
roadrunner
You have to try to figure out why they got the negative. Some people you will never make happy, no matter what you do. I try to buy in the confines of the buyer protection plans. If the sale falls outside of that then i generally pass. A lot of sellers will take paypal if you ask them before the auction is over even though they list they do not. I have scored many a nice coin that way. I bought a 1905 proof 66 Liberty v-nickel for 500 dollars(his open bid) on a seller with zero feedback and said check/mo only. Paid with paypal, talked to him first.
Everyone has to start sometime and at 0 feedback, not everyone is out to get you.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
The question at hand was not about electronics but about US Coins on ebay. The above seller lists mainly slabbed coins which carry no return privilege. A number of the FB's mention that the photos are not good. I pictured one of the few raw coins above. Now I ask, would you be fully comfortable buying from this seller with 99% FB?
Should one rely solely on the 99% FB rating or due some additional due diligence and check out how that rating was achieved?
Most coin stores and dealers at shows would have far worse feedback if they were rated
Granted. But do you feel that all unsatisfied ebay customers reply with neutrals or negs....or do they just eat it for fear of retaliation? I realize the FB rules have recently changed so this applies to transactions prior to 2008 where most major sellers have established their ratings. You can bet that if buyers will not be afraid of retaliatory FB, that they will more likely give honest FB for a change. And what % of ebay buyers are qualified to fully evaluate (and give appropriate and correct FB) on the coin they just purchased from a professional coin dealer? I know I wasn't capable of doing that during my first several years as a collector in the 1960's and early 1970's. In my early days of collecting I rarely told a dealer I was unhappy when I got a bad deal. In most cases I just stopped dealing with them but their FB rating remained at 100% because I never formally complained. The next guy going into the shop never got the benefit of knowing my experiences. If that was common knowledge, B&M shops today would be far and few between.
roadrunner
Instead, after seeing, and hearing about, enough problem buyers, I read the actual feedback remarks, from both buyer/seller, to get my opinion.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
For what it's worth my own ebay rating (as a buyer only) is a dismal 97.0% (4 negs out of 125). That would classify me as a far worse ebayer than the above seller's example. Scumnuker might be one of the few buyers with a lower % than mine (thanks Mark!). And when I first started out it was near 90% as I got my first retaliatory neg early on. It has taken me 5 years to pull myself up to 97%. And in that process I have held back some negs that were richly deserved, including some forumites who blatantly misdiscribed their wares.
Typical ebay coin crapster, the type I exclude from ebay searches.
I cannot disagree with your logic. The ebay search function to eliminate certain sellers is quite effective. It's annoying when some sellers use multiple names and you thought you were rid of them. In one case I picked up 1 neg from one seller and within a few months ran into one of their alt ID auctions. I didn't occur to me that the town, state were the same. I suffered my 2nd neg in that auction.
roadrunner
Percentages need to be taken with a grain of salt. 43 negs is more than enough for me to have nothing to do with him.
If you subscribe to that logic that most everyone is good in the coin business.......I can only say good luck to you. It violates one of my basic axioms in that 90% of all deals or transactions are bad for the buyer. Seasoned collectors and dealers know how to avoid the 90% and work on the remaining 10% for their purchases. However, the ebay masses are not in that league and need help with dodging the 90%.
It might be that a typical 99% FB rating on ebay might actually be closer to 60-90% if both sides were fully honest in their ratings.
If you think about it, a 90% rating (if conducted honestly) is quite amazing. That would mean that 9 out of 10 transactions by that seller are good or fair deals. We know that in B&M shops a 90% rating would be next to impossible. If HSN were honestly judged they might come in at 0-10% FB.
roadrunner
Maybe a slightly different story on E-Bay.
Bet if you called them, every buyer could have worked it out.
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
We've been down that path before. You as a local player/dealer have different rights/access with this seller...just as I do with my local shops. Just because you haven't had a bad transaction with this seller doesn't mean anything with respect to those who have. If you do a forum search on this seller you will find several members who have had poor transactions with this seller. A phone call would not have made one bit of difference. I think I'll side with DennisH on this one and go with the dozens of people who wrote the 43 complaints against this seller over a 4 year period. That's a far truer measure of a firm's reputation than one single person's experiences. I'm sure the seller will appreciate your plug and give you a better deal on something next time you are in their shop.
While you're at it, maybe suggest they spend $300 for a better camera so that their clientele will better be able to judge what they're bidding on. A quick call to Russ, Whitlow, Duvall Gold and other ebay sellers who are known for having good photographs just might spruce up their photos. Even offering an enlarged shot might be beneficial. They still have the same camera with the same dirty lens that they were using 4 years ago. If this seller pretty much only auctions off high end and PQ slab coins (based on their auction descriptions) why don't they have a banner following from the seasoned veterans on this forum? I'm always looking for PQ coins that sell for a small % over bid levels. We can always use another such dealer.
I have dealers I pretty much have to work with in the local or regional circuit who for lack of a better word or sheisters or crooks. Some of the biggest names in this business have fallen into that category for decades....and many of them are upstanding members of leading numismatic organizations. Yet we end up having transactions with them that turn out fine (lucky for us). It doesn't mean that everyone else has the same experiences. Some of the longer lived "questionalbe" dealers from years ago are luminaries today. Age has its benefits.
roadrunner
<< <i>Percentages need to be taken with a grain of salt. 43 negs is more than enough for me to have nothing to do with him. >>
And absolute numbers have to be put into context. 43 negs out of 50,000 transactions isn't bad. 43 negs out of 1,000 transactions is terrible.
And sometimes, someone may have 43 negs but from only 10 different buyers.
I have 2 accounts with over 2000 feedbacks and 3 negatives. Two of the negs would have happened to any seller dealing with those 2 people. I self inflicted myself on the 3rd, which i could have avoided. The dollar amount was not even that much (less than 400) The guy that left it later wanted to remove it. I refused so we both have a neg.
A buyer has lots of choices out there. You got to use your head. I have made plenty of phone calls to get questions answered. That solves a lot of issues.
To be honest, i respect you on these forums (roadrunner) and you know volumes. But i do not want customers like you. I do not say this in a mean way at all. I sell on ebay for a few reasons. To get rid of stuff i should have never bought, to raise funds to buy that next proof coin. I want easy hassle free customers. They look, they bid, they pay, i ship, everyone is happy. I would rather sell for less than have to email pics, talk on the phone etc. to potential buyers. I have told bidders they should skip my auction and wait for another to come along with better pics etc. This is my hobby, not a means of support. When i sell i really do not care if it sells for 288, 322, or 340. 99.9 percent of the time i make decent profit on every item i have ever sold.
IF YOU BASE EVERY MOVE ON FEEDBACK, GO LOOK AT HERITAGE. Theres is terible yet i have no problem spending money there. My gripe there is the juice, tax and shipping not the feedback.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
...that we need tools like toolhaus to see the reality of the situation.
Having learned the hard way, I don't think I would buy from a seller without checking out a few things:
1) Do they have a history of selling coins...or not
2) What is their toolhaus feedback...not necessarily what the numbers are, but what are folks saying
The difference between good and bad sellers will be very apparent in step 2.
3) Are they hiding or even omitting things with their pictures
4) I need to see a return policy
This seller fails 3 out of 4 for me. I'd have to see a coin that would drive common sense right out of my skull. Unfortunately, that happens quite easily.
I know that you do and most sellers who are used to selling to patsies do not want informed and critical customers such as myself. That has been the mantra of coin dealers for ages. But when I'm selling anything, there are lots of dealers who really appreciate my criticality (lol).
But on the flip side I don't put up my losers and cast offs on ebay as landmines for uninformed buyers to step on. I sell those directly to dealers for what their worth and take the hit or put them into major public auctions where buyers can at least see them in hand first if they so decide.
It would seem to me that you basically follow the same methodolgy of the seller I discussed originally. It's not something I could ever do though. If a seller is selling crap or marginal material with fuzzy photographs at least offer a return privilege. I'll still bid on an auction with no stated return policy but it will be an item that has little value beyond the plastic and the assigned grade (ie a sight unseen item).
roadrunner
generally yes, I must dig deeper.
Steve
I guess what i am really saying is that some guys should only buy coins if they are able to hold in hand, ie dealers and coin shows. I do not want to be an approval service with my ebay. I have had about 4 to 7 coins returned over the years, no big deal really. I remember one was a SLQ (raw) the winner said it was crap etc and sent it back. refunded 100 percent plus his shipping somewhere around 500 dollars. Resold for more and the new winner was estatic, loved it!! paid over 600 for it. Personally it was a nice coin IMO. To me on ebay you are buying the plastic, not the coin. That should work 99.9 of the time. At stores and shows you should be buying the coin and not the plastic. I am not out to screw no one, i know i could run my auctions better and get more money, but then i know i would have more headaches to deal with. Not worth it for my hobby. I could be a table dealer but then the fun would be gone, so i just sell bags of wheats, BU rolls of wheats, mems to fund my proof collecting hobby, sell the replacement coins etc.
There are lots of problems in the coin hobby, i am not one of them
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
Just sharing my personal experiences with them. I don't tell people how to run their business or who they should or should not buy from.
We all are entitled to our opinion.
I am not defending harbor nor endorsing them! Just stating the facts of my dealings with them.
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
Big difference. That dealer can sell the coin for what it's worth. Just because I bought a mistake for too much money doesn't mean I have to find an ebay newbie to bail me out for a profit. Many times I just sell for a loss to a dealer. If that dealer is worth his salt he charges a small markup and moves it a collector who would probably be in it for less than I was.
Actually i would feel comfortable handing you a wad of cash at a big show and let you lose to pick me up some nice coins.
I can't even go to a show myself these days with a wad of cash and find anything really worthwhile to spend it on. The really good values sort of ended in 2002-2004. This is the time to be sitting on the sidelines waiting for an advantageous purchase maybe a couple of times per year. Walking the show floors these days is usually a waste of time when looking for nice MS/PF type fairly priced.
I remember one was a SLQ (raw) the winner said it was crap etc and sent it back. refunded 100 percent plus his shipping somewhere around 500 dollars. Resold for more and the new winner was estatic, loved it!! paid over 600 for it. Personally it was a nice coin IMO.
I'd be willing to bet that the first guy knew what he was looking at and the 2nd one didn't. The first guy was probably spot on. There are far fewer good graders out there than there are unknowledgeable ones. I made too many mistakes on coins for my first 15 years......and am hardly immune today.
To me on ebay you are buying the plastic, not the coin. That should work 99.9 of the time.
That works for me with generic gold that can sell sight-unseen, but not for much anything else. If a buyer is buying the plastic only from ebay he is probably buying a loss. Believe me, the few times I have bought type coins on ebay I was buying the coin, and hoping the plastic was right. Most of the time I do ok but every once in a while I get a loser, and usually because the photo hid a stain or a spot.
roadrunner
<< <i>Starting in May, 99% will be outstandingly high!
Yes it will !!!
Sucks to be a seller in May. I'm going to wait and see what happens.
<< <i>toolhaus.org
With a 99.6% rating on over 4000 transactions, and 99.0% if you include the neutrals, do the feedbacks possibly indicate another story other than 99% satisfaction? I just get the creeps when a seller states over and over that different buyers are "ridiculous" or other derogatory names. Then of course there are the sellers who go that extra mile to please the "nasty" 1% to keep their 100% feed backratings intact. You just gotta love Toolhaus! Too bad it isn't part of each ebay auction. Sometimes the neutrals outnumber the negs by 4 to 1.
But it does seem like they have wised up as over the past 2 years they generally don't even reply to negative feedback. Smart move for a change! And it does appear they've cleaned up their act somewhat over the past few years. Still, this cleaned and scratched AU bust quarter leaves something to the imagination. At 99c I'd buy it:
raw AU bust quarter
I've posted this before but 99% of Ebay problems can be avoided by not dealing with anyone who has less than a 99.7 positive. Follow that rule and you'll miss a few deals and avoid a lot of disappointment.
roadrunner >>
On the back, a sticker with an upside down price.
Here he misrepresents a coin.
I have found power in the mysteries of thought.
It is always a question of knowing and seeing, and not that of believing.
Our virtues, and our failings are inseparable, like force, and matter. When they separate, man is no more.
.
I would say his 18 feedbacks mutually withdrawn should be of considerable concern. He will leave a negative feedback just for the sole reason that the buyer left a neutral.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
<< <i>Look at all the negs that Heritage gets each month. lol >>
Yes, lol, Heritage has trashy feedback
I hope you followed that neg up with a secondary reply as is allowed on ebay. At least you can respond to the seller's neg and what you really think of it. Many times that first 80 characters is not enough to get your point across. Use the other 80 to fill in the details. And though your reply counted as a positive, anyone reading current seller FB will easily see your rebuttal and take note as it sticks out from all the standard replies. Really doesn't matter if it went in as a POS or NEG, it's the content that counts.
roadrunner
Full disclosure usually reveals more than blemishes. Masking the truth with words or photos can lead to negative results.
We cannot please everyone, but we can be honest with them.
Whether it's ebay or any other business, honesty is always the best policy.
--Jerry
In the real world, 95% customer approval is considered excellent, and mail order and interner auctions are really difficult, since
there is that underbelly of bargain hunters who have overly high expectations, and get mad when they find out something
they buy is worth what they paid for it, rather 10x what they paid. And those that leave a negative it they were charged $2.95 for
shipping and handling, and there is only $1.93 in postage on the box.
No returns on AUCTIONS of 3rd party graded coins is virtually standard in the trade.
Might be the standard among the major auction houses but on ebay it's far from the standard, even today. While it's possible as a home bidder to get someone to look at a coin for you at auction prior to bidding, that is not the case on ebay where you stuck with just the fuzzy photograph. One can even call up the auction house and get a fairly accurate description of a coin before the sale (this works pretty well if you are a loyal customer with a track record).
But no such option exists on fleablay where you are just any schmoe to the seller. And if the seller offered you a description who would even believe it unless it were negative?
roadrunner