Ina Steiner EcommerceBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on ecommerce.
by Ina Steiner, Editor of EcommerceBytes.com
Sat Dec 9 2023 09:35:47

Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

By: Ina Steiner

Sponsored Link

eBay now allows buyers to include photos when they leave feedback for sellers, although it isn't yet visible to anyone but the seller. One seller shared what they saw when they received feedback from a buyer who included a photo.

"I recently received my first picture feedback," the seller "inhawaii" titled an eBay discussion board thread, where they wrote:

"Good news: It was very positive. Bad news: It shows a free gift I sent with this particular order. I hope all buyers don't expect a free gift."

The seller included screenshots of how the photo displayed - a tiny thumbnail image is included in the feedback, and, the seller explained, "if you click on it, it opens a window opens with a larger picture."

In April, an EcommerceBytes reader first spotted the feature that was visible only to buyers. In this April 28th EcommerceBytes Blog post, we described what buyers were seeing when they encountered the new feature. (And in the comments, sellers shared their concerns about the feature.)

eBay began allowing sellers to see photos taken by buyers in November - but anyone else viewing the seller's feedback still do not see the buyer-uploaded photos.

Take a look at the screenshots shown by inhawaii on the eBay discussion board thread, and let us know if the new feature will be a help or a hindrance to sellers, and if you think it will be helpful to buyers.

Comments (22) | Leave Comment | Permalink
Readers Comments

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: GetAGrip This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 09:46:34 2023

Instead of fixing the glitches SleazeBay creates something else for sellers to whine about. To funny

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: TomH This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 10:05:02 2023

lol, too many sellers can not take a decent picture and now we add the buyers. Just that more to wade through trying to decide if image is a true presentation  or not.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: Stone Cutter This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 11:55:49 2023

*** Sellers feel more pressure   ***

What type of creepy buyer takes a photo of mass produced candy? I’m wondering if this buyer is now expecting “free” or discounted candy for uploading this photo.

I’m a jeweler on Etsy. Etsy now allows buyers to upload photos, which are mostly horrible pics - I hate it. And I often wonder if this new feature is nothing more than a way for Sellers to feel pressured into giving discounts to buyers who upload photos of their products.

I never give discounts for anything. I’m sticking to my guns! And now, with a slowing consumer, Etsy puts more pressure on sellers for discounts in the form of sales and coupons.

I really do believe the intention of uploading photos does nothing but put pressure on the seller to give discounts to buyers who now expect something in return.

I’m growing sick of these sleazy online venues.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: airbrake This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 12:05:42 2023

Ebay creates something else that will be poorly maintained and suck up resources so nothing else will work right, just in time for Christmas. Hey, Ebay, how about fixing the Ghost items for sale that periodically show up when the Seller never lists them? This problem has been occurring for 10 years+. Shipping Labels, no available contact with CS, CS non intelligence, stop driving off Buyers, policies that treat Sellers like artificial lambs to benefit Buyers, etc., etc., etc. We need more Pixie Dust and Magical Innovations I guess. Where's Merlin when you need him?

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: Andy This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 12:16:11 2023

I would say that, at minimum, a feedback comment should be removable if it makes reference to free gifts or other items not included in the sale.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: Snapped This user has validated their user name.

Sat Dec 9 13:45:11 2023

Thinking of the “quality” aspect of, well, ‘quality’ items.  Particularly germane to eBay’s desperation thrusts into cards, *Keds, and collectibles so valuable only THEY can ‘authenticate’ them.

Most of those products, to offer their best visual impression, are photographed very carefully.  Marketing, you know.  But also, to leave less doubt about the claimed ‘quality’ for buyers who can’t first see for themselves.

With this latest distracting from real issues ‘enhancement’, eBay seems to lack care or concern for what it might say to the next guy, should they happen to peruse that ‘quality’ item from the perspective of Jane or John Q.’s viewfinder.  Even if they ‘mean well’, but as will be most typical, lack the acumen (or desire) to suitably depict the treasure.  

Shouldn’t eBay be avoiding anything potentially detrimental to assessing ‘value’ by the next buyer - especially from a ‘source’ in this case (any buyer) who eBay doesn’t even bother to vet.?

Doesn’t apply to the ‘real’ scam seller of course.  Or the ‘real’ scam buyer either, who’s ‘evidence’ that may lack ‘quality’ by intent, pales on the shudder scale when one considers how AI is standing by to ‘assist’.

21st C. ‘progress’.  He said, She said is now He showed, She showed.

*Keds was a TV advertised brand of ‘sneakers’ - big deal in the 50s, 60s.  Making a ‘comeback’ since ‘21.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

This user has validated their user name. by: Rexford

Sat Dec 9 20:41:02 2023

eBay...always creating ways to cause friction between buyers and sellers. Yet sellers can't post photos of ruined items that buyers return.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

This user has validated their user name. by: COVID-19

Sat Dec 9 21:03:35 2023

Oh goodie! Nothing could possibly go wrong, could there?

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

This user has validated their user name. by: COVID-19

Sat Dec 9 21:14:41 2023

eBay be like: But...but...Big Bro Amazon allows this!

Must imitate Big Bro.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: CT Bay This user has validated their user name.

Sun Dec 10 19:19:59 2023

Here come photos of what wasn’t shipped to extort sellers. They enhanced the extortion tool. Fantastic. I bet someone already posted porn and memes. I don’t have to care anymore but I feel bad for all you guys.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: CT Bay This user has validated their user name.

Sun Dec 10 19:23:27 2023

@Rexford but you can reply. Your reply won’t be visible on mobile to 99% of users but all 3 people still using a computer might see it. You can look the person up and google review their employer with pictures of what they do on ebay. I have done that at least five times.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: mjr55 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 03:38:13 2023

Ebay has really awesome for sellers here in the last few years in that they stood behind sellers it seemed (finally after how many years). All of the feedback changes they have made over the last 6 months have been shitty and pointless and it's starting to really piss off their big time sellers......

Buyers don't need to be able to write a book in terms of feedback length.
Buyers don't need to be able to post pics.

This is actually just a complete indictment of Ebay's "product reviews". That was such a poorly thought out idea and, trust me, it COMPLETELY BOMBED. I'd bet whoever came up with that implementation was fired a long time ago. The fact no one uses reviews is what is basically giving Ebay the idea that they will just allow all of this crap in feedback comments instead. It's a joke.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: Dragonfyree This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 05:08:24 2023

Does Ebay realize that means a buyer can upload any picture into someone's feedback.  And trying to get hold of Ebay to have something taken down could take days or never.

I'm thinking along the lines of those pictures we used to get all the time on listings of someone's nude reflection on the item.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: ScottLBrown This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 08:18:08 2023

Does eBay not have anyone from "Business" or "LEGAL" review these projects before going live? With ~11k employees if rolled out to staff prior to public release someone would certainly have caught this, right?

A simple fix would be for eBay to have similar rules for the photos as to what they can and should not contain.   Images of ADs would be one.   Just like they have image rules filters for Products!

This is part of eBay's - a technology company - ongoing issues.  They appear not to have anyone at the top watching for these types of things.  This issue happens again and again and someone should be embarrassed.

I'm still a seller on their platform, i guess my rant, therefore, holds no water.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: I_Fix_Dolls This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 08:40:09 2023

Etsy has had the feed back pictures from the buyer for quite a while, and anyone can see them. My problem came up when a buyer posted pictures, not of what they bought from me, but things they bought from someone else.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: volvo351 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 10:42:30 2023

Yeah, a buyer could post an unflattering pic of your item; that's the bad news. The good news is that fewer than half of buyers bother to leave any FB at all, and shoppers only care about the score.

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: CBW This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 11:21:11 2023

If the photos are false, it's just more evidence for a libel case if you are willing to take it to that level. Since I'm willing to none of the photos will ever bother me at all.

Besides all of that Ebay will realize the photos are pointless and stop the whole thing.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: Mark4 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Dec 11 18:07:35 2023

So now all kinds of awful buyers (yes, they are all over ebay these days) leaving whatever pictures they want, this is surely gonna "trash up" ebays image once buyers start seeing all this nonsense.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

by: beuler This user has validated their user name.

Tue Dec 12 11:29:44 2023

Had 2 photo feedbacks, one was random selfie of a guy, looks like a dating app picture. What why I don't get it, what does that have to do with the product or help in anyway. It's all just a bad idea, just adds something else that can go wrong.other photo also not related to the item purchased.  

Perminate Link for Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay   Buyer Photos in Seller Feedback Spotted on eBay

This user has validated their user name. by: COVID-19

Tue Dec 12 20:53:48 2023

This social media wanna-be silliness just begs for that internet meme of asking strangers to post photos of "bob and vagene". 🤣

Click to view more comments
1 2  [Next Page]


Login is required to post comments.
To sign in to leave a comment, fill in the form below. If you have not yet signed up for AB Verify, or if you'd like more information, go to the Registration Page
.

Login for AB Verify
Be sure and use your email address and password to log in.

 
Email:
Password:
 
 Forgot Your Password?
 Even though you are signed in with the AuctionBytes Blog, you will have to sign in to the EcommerceBytes blog. But you can sign in with your existing AB Verify info.