i have been building a system for the last year, and have bought almost everything on audiogon. somehow, i have had extremely fantastic luck, in that the folks i have bought from have just been the absolute nicest people, very willing to answer questions, and freely sharing info and their vast knowledge. really coming out to help me learn more about the equipment we all share such a strong love for.
as a new member of the community, i can see the importance of the feedback system. i have always left positive feedback for the people i have dealt with. so far, two members i bought from have not left feedback for me, even tho i know they are sent a notice when my feedback is submitted, and even though we got on well together during the course of our dealings with each other...
in terms of general politeness, positive feedback would be much like a compliment, which one would never want to solicit, or "fish" for. in the context of our community, or "family", if you will, feedback could also be viewed as a courtesy, tho it seems as though the folks who established this system for us expect that we will do this small thing for one another.
do you think it's crass to ask a person to submit feedback after a transaction? i wonder why it seems not to occur to some folks, who seem completely nice and polite in every regard? ultimately, does it truly matter all that much?
I agree with Tvad. Ask nicely. Let them know that you've left feedback for them and would appreciate it if they could return the favor.
Typically what I do is when I receive an item, I sent the seller a confirmation that I received the item in good condition and I let them know that I have left positive feedback for them. I them go on to say "when you receive notice of my feedback, I would greatly appreciate if you would return the favor".
The above approach works pretty well. I'd guess I have a 90% success rate with receiving feedback on transactions. But I never nudge them more than once.....
Although I agree with Tvad and Reubent, I think their recommendation would be more important if you only had 1 or 2 feedbacks. If I were considering a trade with you, I would look at your 7 positive feedbacks, all with very positive comments left by the other party, going back over about half a year. Two more positive feedbacks would not make any difference to me. At this point, I would say simply relax, pay attention to your due diligence (such as responsive communication, good packing, quick payment or shipping, and following up), be courtious to others, communicate promptly, and leave feedback for those you deal with, and you will be just fine.
The Audiogon feedback system actually solicits feedback from your trading partner when you send in yours. Your comments go to your partner for approval, then he or she is asked for a response. So you don't have to call or write and ask. The system does it for you.
In todays arena, I agree with Tvad and Reubent's approach. Tobias's view should work in an ideal world, but many of us can attest to carrying out flawless transactions, submit genuine praise, and get nothing in return even after several polite inquisitive reminders.
I consider myself to be one of the more honest members on the 'gon - honest/conservative grading, provide exemplary shipment packing, and maintain assuring correspondence throughout - only to be disappointed by blatant laziness IMO.
Only afterwards, after reading through their previous feedback history, do I notice it's a pattern with particular members not mutually returning the favor. I'd have at least another eleven responses since I joined back in '04', and though I still consider it a benefit, even with the current negative feedback policy these days, sometimes feel it's "iffy" until well established.
These days, I'll even politely work it into the initial correspondences as part of the sales agreement, that if all goes well, it's importance is known and freshly embedded into their subconscious.
I have left feedback for every Audiogon transaction I've been involved in. There are those who will not reciprocate no matter what you do. I will not do repeat business with someone who refuses to leave feedback. Simple as that!
Politely negotiate this as part of the transaction beforehand. This is added value for both parties with an eye toward the future.
I usually just indicate that I look forward to providing positive feedback and hope the other party will too. This way you can get an idea of the other's intentions. IF they agree, you're set, if no response, I just ask gently if this is something they are also interested in.
I also like the polite squeaky wheel routine.Speaking just for myself,feedback doesnt mean much to me,its the phone call that makes or breaks the deal.I spend so much time here,I feel I know half the guys already,so its no problem on any level to feel good.....let me say Merry Christmas to all my friends.I believe I feel like Mickey Rourke in "Barfly" after that....have a large day,Bob
As a newbie to Audiogon last spring when I started to put my first real system together i always asked for feedback so i could build my rep. Everyone was great and as far as I can tell everyone left me feedback.
My policy is a little different from Rja's. So far, I've been a buyer exclusively. Sometime before the purchase arrives, I'll check the feedback of the people who have left feedback for the seller. If there is a pattern of the seller not leaving feedback for the people who left him feedback, I simply won't leave feedback for the seller. Even though it has been watered down somewhat, feedback is an important part of the AudiogoN marketplace and deserves to be supported by ALL who buy and sell here. I won't provide any feedback benefit to someone who doesn't support the system.
I think it's perfectly ok to be a bit of a squeaky wheel about feedback. I've had experiences similar to those of Metro04. More than once, I've conducted what I think is a squeaky clean, upfront and honest transaction, leave feedback for the other party, and get diddlysquat in return. Thankfully, those types of individuals have been in the minority.
after all has been said and done, at the end of the day we all have to live with ourselves...i know my stuff is watertight. i am of the old school in which a person is only as good as their word...i simply do that which i say i will, and under no circumstance will i jerk anyone around, balk halfway through a deal, or dare to lowball someone on the price of an item.
ultimately one can't sweat what others will or won't do. leaving feedback is important to the degree that we all need to know who we are buying from or selling to, it kind of keeps things in perspective. really it's up to each of us to be aware of what we are getting into, and if we get snookered on anything, shame on us!
i am sure that like anything else, most people here are genuinely honest. it's the small percentage that spoils it for the rest. having said that, let me follow with the assurance that i have had no bad dealings here- only smooth sailing all the way. if someone doesn't want to leave feedback, that doesn't hurt too much in the long run, but after the close communications needed to pull off a buy or sale, it just seems like the natural way to finish.
i am a very busy person at times, i work in mad stints, with time off in between. often i don't get the chance to plug a piece in and try it with my system for days, or weeks in some cases. i don't typically leave feedback until i know the piece i have gotten is working well... but i try to let folks know that in advance, or at least stay in contact. maybe this has been the reason for not having gotten feedback in the two cases in question...
so far, i too have been only a buyer here. from this end of things it's easy to keep all things cool. someday, when i try to sell something, i hope to be able to be just as efficient a seller as i have been a buyer. no matter what, the feedback i do have can speak for itself.
from my experience, audiogon is a fairly close-knit group of people who, despite the geographical distances, are connected through the world-wide web, ups, fed-ex, and the usps. all things considered. it's a fairly remarkable phenomenon. i'm glad to be a small part of it! many thanks to each and every one of you for both your input and support! be well.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
