Feedback on eBay is as important as your credit history when trying to get a loan. If your feedback rating is too low, people will not buy from you. Good, solid feedback is the most important factor when determining whether a seller is trustworthy or not. It is not hard to maintain a positive feedback rating, but when you are first starting and have zero feedback, it can be hard to get your business off the ground. In fact, having zero feedback is just as bad as having a poor feedback rating.

The easiest way to build up a positive rating is to start off as a buyer. That does not give you feedback as a seller, but it is the simplest way to build your reputation. Many people also believe that a good buyer can make a good seller, so it is in no way a waste, especially when most people will not look beyond your overall rating (which is the combination of all your feedback).

You do not need to spend a lot of time or money bidding on items. You can either bid on several small items or just start buying things that you need anyways through eBay. Once you receive your items, leave positive feedback promptly for the seller. This will usually be enough to prompt the seller to leave positive feedback for you. If they do not leave feedback for you, it is perfectly acceptable to send them a email (or two, if necessary) asking them to do the same. Mention that you are trying to build up your reputation and how important their feedback is to you.

Always leave positive feedback immediately. If your experience was negative, however, try and work with the seller before leaving bad feedback. Many people are more than willing to fix their mistakes, and, as mentioned, feedback and reputation are very important (plus, you would want someone to do the same for you). If they refuse to fix their errors or simply do not fix them to your satisfaction, it is okay to leave negative feedback. Sellers cannot leave negative feedback for buyers anymore, so they cannot retaliate.

Once you have some feedback under your belt (waiting until you have at least ten is often a good idea; many sellers, in fact, put restrictions on buyers who have less), you can start selling. Start small, saving your big ticket items for last when you have more feedback. It might be slow at first, but your transactions will eventually pick up. Like before, leave feedback as soon as you know the buyer received the item. Many buyers will wait until the seller has left feedback before they will return the favor, so do not ask them for feedback until you have left your own. If they still do not, it is okay then to send an email asking them to do so.

The higher your feedback rating, the more both buyers and sellers will trust you. So keep buying, selling, and having a positive experience on eBay.