Discogs two purchases and no buyer rating?

As per the title I've made two purchases on Discogs but have no buyer rating. Is it up to the sellers to leave some kind of feedback and if so, shouldn't that be automatic once payment is made?

 

Sellers leave the feedback. As with all things in this life, some people are better about doing it than others.

 

It's not automatic. That would be pointless. Payment is not the be-all/end-all of experience with a buyer.

Some sellers are better than others at leaving some but same with buyers. In the last week, I've had two buyers ignore the feedback-leaving process in spite of the LPs being sent very quickly and them being exactly as described. Oh well...

 

You could send them a msg -- assuming there were no issues with the transaction -- and ask if they would be so kind as to leave feedback because you are a new buyer and some sellers won't sell to you unless you have a rating. Can't hurt to ask. Could be they have so many orders -- plus a life, maybe even a day job -- that they tend to overlook the ratings part of the transaction. Hopefully, you have already left them positive feedback, and you can even state that in your request. Good luck.

 

discogs does send really simplistic reminder e-mails to buyers a while after a completed sale, but other than that it's a totally voluntary thing.

 

I have 13 fewer feedbacks than I do purchases, but at least I'm 100%.

 

This is why I wait for the buyer to leave feedback before leaving feedback for them. I learned my lesson years ago on eBay.

 

The difference being that on Discogs, you can appeal feedback and have them remove it if deemed unfair, untrue, or plain rude.

 

FYI - never leave feedback unless the seller leaves you feedback. Your part of the transaction is over once payment is made, and sellers that wait for buyers to leave the feedback first are typically problematic to deal with anyway.

Withholding it is the only real leverage you have as a buyer who already parted with his money, as seller ratings are much more important than buyer ratings.

 

True. I was thinking more about unrealistic expectations with Media Mail. I have learned most people do not understand Media Mail is kind of like Parcel Post. It is a best effort service. Sometimes things will sit at a postal facility for a while...

 

I tend to wait to leave sellers feedback until I've listened to the CDs I purchased, so sometimes that can take a little bit of time, although I try to prioritize giving them a cursory listen as quickly as possible to make sure they play properly.

It seems like most sellers leave me buyer feedback pretty quickly after payment, around the time they ship.

 

In Canada, the equivalent of Media Mail can cost as high as about $13.50! It's all relative I guess...

 

If I pay then as a buyer I have fulfilled my part of the transaction 100%. I always leave my buyers feedback on Ebay as soon as they pay, before I've even packaged up their item.

 

Many people are too lazy to leave feedback, or don't care. No way you'll get feedback for every transaction, no matter how good you are. 70% or so.

 

I'll have to repeat myself but payment is not the be-all/end-all of experiences with a buyer.

If you're the nagging type asking 20 questions, complain about shipping times/costs, upon receiving the order you immediately try to get a partial refund for BS excuses, accuse the seller of being less than ethical, etc...

The list goes on and on. My point is paying is not a guarantee nor should it be the sole determination of a positive rating entry.

 

That could all be interpreted as a bad seller 'projecting' though. If the goods are as described, shipped in a timely manner and packaged well then the vast majority of buyers will be happy. Sure you get the odd nut but you're talking about basing your feedback system around the minority and not the majority. If a buyer pays up with no delays or BS then he or she has done their job IMO and fully satisfied their part of the bargain.

If complaints start later about the goods, the packaging or the shipping duration etc then that's in almost all cases going to be down to a poor seller rather than a nutjob buyer IME as a longtime Ebay buyer & seller.

 

Not at all. Merely explaining that a buyer paying isn't the only thing I judge a buyer on. Thankfully, it hasn't happened via Discogs (yet) but I've run into all sorts.

For instance, I had a US buyer complain after being dinged for duty fees. That's international commerce but he was quite insistent on having me foot the bill. I refused as it is the responsibility of the buyer to take care of any such incurring fees but he had gave me a negative review based on that.

That is but one example why a "buyer paid = immediate positive feedback" is not necessarily the right way to go. It's usually pretty easy to know the types of people you're dealing with merely by interacting with them and I agree the above example is one dude who wasn't all there. For big purchases, a phone call is extremely helpful for both parties.

 

As a long time seller myself I have to agree with waiting to leave my buyer feedback. However, I do tell them to "please let me know when your CD arrives and we can exchange feedback then." This way there's an actual record with that message right in the sale correspondence should the buyer complain to management. If they ask why I say "I just want to be certain you are happy with your purchase and my grading first."
So far... so good as most buyers seem to understand the reasoning without a complaint so far.

 

That happens once in a blue moon for me and it is down to the nutjob buyer.

 

Send them a friendly reminder.

As a buyer I used to worry about feedback years ago but now I don't really care whether they leave it or not.

99% of people try to do the right thing.