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Is there any legitimate reason to keep your ebay feedback "private"?
BASEagle
Posts: 383
Saw a coin on ebay that I was sorta interested in, the seller's postive rate is 99.2% which isn't good, but there are worse. But his feedback is "private". I sent him a message "What's up with private feedback? What are you hiding?"
His reply is a classic:
"Thanks for your question though because I have added you to my blocked bidder list!!!"
Guess I have my answer!
noshilling is the seller.
Mike
His reply is a classic:
"Thanks for your question though because I have added you to my blocked bidder list!!!"
Guess I have my answer!
noshilling is the seller.
Mike
0
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reason, but it seems nonsensical for a seller... IMHO
Only if you're trying to hide something. I would thank him for blocking you, just in case you made a mistake and tried to bid.
And any of them that see my post can put me on there Blocked Bidders list if they want to.
Is there any legitimate reason to keep your ebay feedback "private"?
No, not in my opinion.
Our eBay auctions - TRUE auctions: start at $0.01, no reserve, 30 day unconditional return privilege & free shipping!
Now that said, obviously everyone has the right ignore whatever auction they choose, but I personally look at the feedback and how long the seller has been on eBay and I prefer private auctions.
Michael
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I can't think of a good reason for a seller to run a private auction.
Auctions where user IDs are kept private prevent others from warning bidders of rip offs.
A bidder may want to keep feedback private if he is a flipper, and doesn't want people to see what he paid for the items.
A witty saying proves nothing- Voltaire (1694 - 1778)
An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor
does the truth become error because nobody will see it. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)
I think the answer to the question is in the statement.
A LEGITIMATE REASON TO KEEP PRIVATE ! how about for PRIVACY's sake ? Good enough ?
how does the old cliche go ? : " it's none of your business"
That seems like a good enough excuse for me.... and PRIVATE SELLERS get "NONE OF MY BUSINESS"
but a buyer with PRIVATE feedback PAYS first, then gets the merchandise.... Oh wait, everybody pays first
How's your business ?
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
<< <i>I could see a buyer only doing it, because they dont want people to know what they're buying, for whatever reason, but it seems nonsensical for a seller... IMHO >>
eBay's advanced search (located in the upper right corner of their pages) let's anyone see what anyone else is bidding on whether the feedback is private or not.
The only way to prevent others from knowing what you're bidding on is to snipe.
Even then, others will know what you've bid and won over the last 30 days, should that be of interest to them.
<< <i>The only way to prevent others from knowing what you're bidding on is to snipe. >>
Or, have one account for buying and a completely different account for selling.
PCGS, ANACS, & NGC Certified Coins on My Website.
Ziggy 29 - I don't sell embarrassing items, rare and signed books, art, jewelry and now a few coins (which is why I joined this forum). Least expensive is around $10 most expensive is a watch I have listed for about $12K (ok a watch for $12K is embarrassing)
TwoSides2aCoin - My business is good, I am a gold powerseller, left my job in 2004 to do this full time. I was previously a VP of finance for a large health services firm. I don’t make as much as I did, but am getting close and I work for myself, which is very satisfying even though the hours are longer.
Heywood - You have a good point bidders can't be warned by others if they have bid on an item that is fake, etc. My solution is not to sell items like that , but of course crooks avoid this self policing by listing private auctions. The only solution for this is to contact eBay Trust and Safety. Unfortunately, their response is very inconsistent. This is why my auctions are bonded, a third party guarantees my auctions are legit (see below).
Braddick, - Actually I do not think that is correct, bids on auctions that are private do not show up on bidders search. I checked this by doing a bidders search on a bidder from one of my auctions and his/her bid did not show up.
As for trying to hide what I bid on, I have separate accounts one for selling and one for buying because of course I do flip items if I can get a good deal. I don't want people following my buying and out bidding me at the last second when I have spent the time and effort searching for the item.
One measure that I believe outways the down side of my having private listings, is I pay a company called BuySafe 1% of the final selling price to bond all of my auctions. This company is backed by the Liberty Mutual Insurance company. If I do not deliver, sell a forgery or somehow try to swindle a buyer, the buyer can contact BuySafe. BuySafe sends the winning bidder a notification of the bond and I have the bonding seal prominently positioned in every listing, the seal is placed by BuySafe not me. BuySafe will reimburse the buyer if I don't and then the insurance company will come after me to recover the claim payment. I also offer all buyers a 30 day unconditional return period.
This is the great thing about eBay, it gives options for both buyers and sellers, I know I lose some business by listing private auctions, but I also know I gain business because my listings are private and bonded. I get a lot of repeat business and my buyers get some level of protection from the scammers that contact losing bidders.
It is not perfect, but for my business I think it is the best solution. I completely understand and respect that this turns some people away. If eBay could solve the problem of scam second chance offers etc. I would immediately reconsider the policy, but I think this would be very difficult since they would have to limit communication between eBayers and that would cause a huge outcry.
Michael
Tom