Communication and Feedback for Buyers: the Fair Guide

Polite communication with your seller, fair expectations and high recommendations for sellers who give you good service are part of what can make a buying experience terrific. Recent feedback changes have altered the playing field on eBay. Because of this, and because it's not very clear to most buyers just how eBay calculates feedback, what a "neutral" means, and how "neutrals" and "negatives" affect sellers, I feel it's necessary for new and also more experienced buyers to be aware of how their feedback and their communication to sellers can help to make eBay purchasing a mutually satisfactory experience.Background: Fair ExpectationsFirstly, please "assume good faith". That means, don't assume the seller is trying to deceive you. There are many absolutely delightful sellers who offer high quality service, fair prices for postage and send your item as soon as you've paid.Once you've paid, remember that it might take a while (depending upon your method of payment) for that money to actually appear in your seller's bank account. You will need to take that into consideration when considering how quickly your seller has posted your item.