Buying and Selling of feedback


Today I saw the second auction where the seller states something to this effect "if you don't come through with payment on a winning bid, you can give me $xx (or a percentage of the bid) and back out without negative feedback posted. otherwise, negative feedback will be posted.

This seems like extortion to me. Also, aren't the rest of us entitled to know about a deadbeat bidder (via negative feedback)? The posting of negative feedback is the correct recourse for a deadbeat bidder - not a bribe or "fine".

I think this behavior undermines the feedback process. What do the rest of you think?

Just curious.
dozer

Showing 2 responses by pbb

Who are you addressing this to? In my case, I have to wait to see what the dealer who will proceed with repairs after Christmas will tell me and, more to the point, what the cost of repairs will be. The other thing I have to look at is the ins and outs of the dispute resolution process, assuming no proper agreement can be reached with the other party. "and don't be talking too soon for the wheel is still in spin..." with all due excuses to Bob Dylan.
Bobgates: touché! I am living a situation like this right now. To add insult to injury, I am being threatened with some kind of legal action if I dare tell it like it is. The whole Feedback thing is well nigh useless for the reasons you indicate. Blackmailers have a field day. Cheats can get friends to post. Cheats can invent an Internet alter ego and post positive feedback to build-up their “reputation”. I have come to the conclusion that anyone who claims to be a private seller but has so many transactions it must almost be full-time occupation or at least a very time intensive side-line is a disaster waiting to happen: that person is bound to buy a dog one day just based on the odds and will likely pawn it off on another member and drape himself in the mantle of positive feedback. More on this later.