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
I would like to also say, "Bravo!" to A Sanctuary Of Sound.

Members like this are one of the biggest reasons this is the best place to buy, sell, or just plain talk about our hobby.

Thank you for your graciousness, Sanctuary Of Sound!
Here are the rules:

Feedback may be submitted only if one of the following events have occurred:

- Buyer winning a bid at auction, if reserve is met.

(I would add, if backing out, feedback is allowed)

- Seller receiving a bid at auction above reserve price.

- Buyer sending payment to a seller in a verifiable form.

- Seller shipping an item to a buyer in a track-able manner.

Feedback should be left after your transaction has reached some form of finality (delivery, cancellation, attempted settlement, etc). You may submit at most one feedback per transaction, so wait until it is completed.

The word 'attmpted' would be commitment to buy, which is bidding on an auction, per rules of auctions (EBAY OR AUDIOGON for that matter), and in my opinion, is grounds for feedback.

Dan
Thanks all of you for your responses. This note is to give props to Audiogon management.

I first mentioned this issue to Audiogon several weeks ago over a commercial ad that was running, and I didn't think Audiogon did anything.

I was wrong. Audiogon had in fact notified the seller of what you might call the "perception of impropriety" and that seller has since changed his policy.

Sanctuary of Sound has the right approach I think. I've never been burned on Audiogon - it's a class community, run by class people I think.

I also don't think anyone is doing this with a bad motive. "Extortion" was a harsh word that wasn't called for.
The ridiculous thing about Audiogon's feedback is that if you leave negative feedback on someone that deserves negative feedback they will make something up and turn right around and leave negative feedback on you. At that point there is little you can do about it which is unfortunate. That's the big problem with Audiogon's feedback system. Also many people on Audiogon have friends and they leave positive feedback for each other to make themselves look good.
Feedback, is a product intended to help the Audiogon community. As such one should not have the right to act as a pimp and prostitute community property for individual profit.