SELLER CREDIBILITY & TRUST

QUESTION - ASK YOURSELF: - "Do I trust this seller's integrity?"

When buying, or selling, anything on Ebay, you will first have an opportunity to view information pertaining to a seller's or buyer's integrity.  Every seller and buyer, on Ebay, has a "Feedback Report", attached to his or her profile.  The "Feedback Report" is a collection of other's impressions of the Seller's or Buyer's integrity unless, of course, the individual has not had any previous transactions.  If the feedback report indicates lots of positive transactions, you can be somewhat assured that the person sending or receiving money is reasonable trust worthy.  If there are no Feedback results, you are taking a chance.  If the seller or buyer has lots of positive results and a few negative ones, no big deal.  Anyone can drop the ball from time to time - even me.  A negative report, now and again, means nothing in my opinion, however; I always look to see what the unhappy person reported.  If I don't like what I find, I pass on doing business with that seller or buyer.  If I see a lot of negative feedbacks, I pass on doing business with the person, even as a seller.

And speaking of Sellers and Buyers, the Seller is at a great disadvantage when it comes to Feedback.  I have never left negative feedback!  However, there have been a number of times that I certainly felt negative feedback was warranted.  By leaving such feedback, I am all but inviting the other party to retaliate.  Some people will retaliate, just to get even.  One guy refused to pay because he did not think that the shipping costs were fair, even though he was aware of the costs before he started bidding.  He demanded a lower cost.  I did my best to help him understand that I could not lower the shipping cost since the cost was defined by the shipping company, not me.  He threatened to get the United States "Homeland Security" involved.  Even though I had done nothing wrong, had I left negative feedback, I am certain that this person would have gone a long way out of his or her way to retaliate.  I immediately included this guy on my "Blocked Bidder's List".

You have three things going for you when buying or selling on-line - Descriptions, Pictures and the Feedback Report.  If a listing's description is shallow and/or obviously wrong, I watch out.  Someone selling an aluminum framed Schwinn Paramount will not get many points from me for an inaccurate description of the bicycle.  I just might pass immediately.  A limited or inaccurate description suggests either ignorance or that the seller doesn't care about the bicycle or sale.  If he or she can't take the time to properly describe an item, I usually pass.

If there are no pictures included, I pass.  If the pictures are really bad, I pass.  If there is only one picture with a high listing price or a reserve included, I pass.  Basically, I feel that if a seller cannot invest a bit of effort selling an item, how much effort will he or she invest packing the item properly and shipping it to me in a timely manner.  Poor effort up front probably suggests poor effort once they have my money.  This is, of course, my opinion only and should not be taken as gospel.  And all that said, if the bicycle being offered is of particular and great interest to me, I do not pass immediately but I do start asking questions.

I never buy an item on Ebay, without first contacting the seller and asking any questions, that I feel are pertinent.  If I get a quick response, and a complete answer to my questions, I am impressed.  If I get no response, I pass.  If I get a poor response, I pass.  If the response is untimely, I pass.  If the response is rude, I pass.  If the seller cannot take the time to actually sell, I pass.

Good communication, when buying or selling on-line is very important.  Good communication offers the seller a chance to sell while helping the buyer develop a sense of confidence in the seller and his or her product.  Good communication will help to eliminate most of the possibility of getting something that you don't want.  If you buy a beautiful old Canadian Sekine, only to find a "Made in Japan" sticker attached when the bicycle arrives, it is your fault for not communicating effectively.  The Seller might not even know that the first Sekine bicycles were manufactured in Canada, and later ones in the far east.

When buying anything, be it an on-line purchase or one made in person, I expect the person selling to make an effort to accommodate me, the customer.  If I get the Bum's Rush, I pass.  I once bought a Ford only because the Toyota sales person did not seem to have enough time to deal with me.  I never even took the time to look over the Toyota offerings because the salesman would not go to the effort to supply me with a sales brochure.  If the seller won't sell, leave!  Why?  Because if he or she can't be bothered to help you in an effort to get your money, what will they do after they have it?

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