I’ve been thinking of the topic of feedback lately and how it affects sales for online booksellers. I’ve been selling books online for about 2 years now and have maintained a solid 98-99% feedback rating. However, I don’t necessarily know if this has affected sales in any way. I see all kinds of huge sellers with feedback ratings in the 80th percentile that have huge feedback numbers which leads me to believe that they are still making tons and tons of sales. Do these buyers not care about feedback numbers and are just plowing through as many books as possible?
I see two different types of business models here that directly reflect feedback.
1. Large volume sellers – High feedback numbers are generally met with less than perfect ratings mostly because of the huge quantity that these sellers go through. These sellers are also subjected to more buyers which increases their chances of snagging those picky buyers that will give negative feedback for a dog-eared page. At the same time, the larger the operation gets, the less they describe the book which, in turn, will also leave some buyers dissatisfied.
2. Specialized sellers – These are the small sellers that have relatively few feedback numbers but, if care is taken, have almost 100% feedback ratings. I think this is because they take the time to accurately describe the books that they have and also have time to pay attention to details such as proper packaging.
I’m sure we have seen these two different types of sellers on Amazon so I’m asking you, as a buyer, if you pay attention to feedback ratings when choosing a book.
If the number is less than about 95% I’ll be inclined to click and see what the actual COMMENTS say, which tells me more. If there’s nothing immediately wrong, eh, that had some fussy customers. If all the recent feedback is negative, something has clearly gone wrong and I’ll go shop elsewhere.
I buy and sell on Amazon. I’m relatively new to selling. When buying I do check the feedback but usually just a passing glance. I too will do a double take if it’s less than 95% and check to see why. But the biggest thing I check is to see the location of the seller. I prefer to buy closer to me. I’ve had problems with orders traveling across county and not receiving my books for three weeks, once when I ordered expedited shipping! I’ve always done things by experience, experience tells me not to buy from a seller I’ve already had trouble with.
I read the feedback if it is below 95%.
The important part for me is the book description. If description is very vague info. Giving me the impression the seller did not look at the book, I will not buy it. Does not matter if they have 100% feedback.
I always check feedback and wouldn’t buy from someone with less than 99%. I’ve been burned to many times buy sellers who outright lie in order to get the sale then won’t respond to email. I sell used books and untill recently used half com but am taking a break and will probably use amazon when I start back up. Thye feedback system on ebay and half com is a joke. even though I have maintained 100% there is no gurantee anothers persons 100% is real or obtained throug intimidation. Look at some of the comments left with a positive feedback and you have to wonder at times whats going on.
As a buyer, I always take into consideration a seller’s feedback. If it’s considerably low (in the 80s), I will most likely NOT buy from that seller, no matter how large the bookseller may be. Although their are some nasty, picky people, I believe the majority of the population use the feedback system honestly to warn and/or encourage others to shop through a particular seller. However, there have been occassions when a hard to find book is available by a not-so stellar bookseller and I have no choice but to take a chance on the seller. With that said, I have never had a seriously bad run with a seller and have never had to return a book for any reason. Occassionally, it may take more than a few weeks for a book to get to me, but then again, if I wanted it immediately, I would have gone with the overnight option or just gone to the bookstore and bought it outright.
“Although their are” should be “although there are”.
On Amazon, if a seller’s feedback is less than 98%, I take a closer look. I actually try to avoid high-volume sellers, because I feel there is a much greater chance my order will get lost in the shuffle somewhere. I’m willing to pay a little more to someone I feel is paying attention to all orders.
I always check feedback when it is available whether buying or selling.
eBay’s system is a joke especially since “Sellers aren’t able to leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers.” – eBay’s reasoning, “That means buyers should feel free to leave honest Feedback without fear of retaliation.” – They can also leave dishonest feedback…
In spite of this I still check feedback with every purchase or sale. – Purchasing to see if there is something else I might want and get the postal break. Selling to see other items they have purchased and if there is something else I can put up to entice the buyer into purchasing more.
Yes i do look at the feedback..it plays an important role when you are sitting inside a room and want to buy or sell something at a store which you won ever be visiting in real…
With time i have started feeling excited about this concept of reading feedback reviews from people who have gone through a first-hand experience..its cool….But on the other side, writing feedback have now turned out to be a business/promotion. the genuineness has died….so you can’t fully rely on these comments… ..when i wanted to sell my second-hand used books, i browsed sites and the two major sites covered the entire web with promotions….i read a lot of negative review about A1Books.com, a US based site and naturally was reluctant even though my friend suggested to try it out once..i did and they were really cool and helpful…i earned and was happy overall…..but still i do read these feedback.. 🙂
Best Wishes!!!
98% is the bottom level for feedback when I am buying. If a seller has few feedback and has been selling for over a year I might check the comments and give them a try. Additionally, the book must be described not a generic listing.