Why does Hip Stamp leave automatic positive feedback?

Glenn Bredfeldt · January 2022

I ordered a set of Greenland stamps from a dealer on 11/24. He is notoriously slow on shipping orders, but I know that. By 12/24 my order still hadn't been shipped. I courteously emailed him and asked when they would be shipped. He replied that he had some health issues and was behind in sending out orders. Okay, that's understandable, and this is only a $15.00 order, so I can wait, I have health issues myself. I keep checking though to see if it's been shipped. (It hasn't). Today I see that Hip Stamp has posted an automatic positive feedback review in my name, and I still have not received the item, This seller has hundreds of negative reviews by other buyers, but has a 98.2% positive feedback rating because of hundreds of automatic positive feedback reviews left by Hip Stamp and not buyers, who are probably still waiting for their own items. Automatic feedback reviews by Hip Stamp inflate the seller's rating artificially and are deceptive to the buyer. Please Hip Stamp, no more automatic positive ratings.

Rene Bravo · January 2022

The automatic feedback is VERY troubling as it has simply become a meaningless "participation trophy", especially using ones name. I cannot tell you how ethically challenged that practice is and I wonder why it persists. I always provide feedback, and know it helps the good seller. But now, it has been demeaned by this practice. download-1

Greg Doll · January 2022

There was a skirmish waged with HipStamp over this issue when it first appeared from several dealers I know including myself (yes...I know myself). The answer from HipStamp was essentialy..."we decided to do this and we are not going to change it". And that, as we say, was that. I don't like it at all and agree that it really inflates the positive feedback numbers and is in many cases, not the true sentiment of a given customer.

berrien moore · January 2022

I strongly disagree with this policy of HipStamp. It seems nutty at best.

Jerry.Burkhart · January 2022

Add my name to the list that thinks it is unfair. at the least wait 3-4 months... not 45 days! it takes 45+days to get some items delivered. certainly we do not want to see feedback left before we get the items.

Wayne Buza · January 2022

At the very least HipStamp should not be posting ANY feedback until the seller has marked the item shipped. And then wait your silly 45 days.

Phil Merrill_ · January 2022

I've decided that from hence forwards, I will submit neutral or negative feedback after 30 days if I have not recieved my orders. I would prefer to leave no feedback for late fulfillment, but this seems the only way to short circuit the automatic favorable dictum.

Richard Pauls · January 2022

Once a change is made, it is never reversed no matter the outcry. Many changes are not necessary and some like the automatic feedback can be detrimental. But past experience should teach us that changes to the software on this site are never reversed once made.

Henry Brooks · January 2022

"Once a change is made, it is never reversed no matter the outcry. Many changes are not necessary and some like the automatic feedback can be detrimental. But past experience should teach us that changes to the software on this site are never reversed once made"

The lack of responsiveness came after the SG debacle.

Bonaparte Moore · January 2022

The automatic Feedback benefits no one and irritates everyone.

Greg Doll · January 2022

I've been down the rabbit hole on this issue with Hip. When I got to the bottom of the hole, I found a rabbit who said, "We heard your comments. We have made our decision to go forward with this. We will not even allow individual stores to opt out of the policy. We are not going to change our decision. Have a nice day." Well maybe not an exact quote but the essence of the response. I don't like it...many don't...some don't care one way or the other. BUT...and a big BUT, I ignore the automatic positive feedback myself and pay more attention to the real feedback, if a customer chooses to do so. I tend to be much more concerned about any neutral and especially negative feedback because, in my view, there is an issue that needs to be dealt with when I (hardly ever if ever) see those. Anyway, I climbed back out of that rabbit hole and are focused more on other things now.

James Shattell · January 2022

Even if it could be justified that positive feedback should be given for non response for feedback, 45 days is way too short of a time period. First off, even amongst the fastest shipper of the sellers, buyers can not expect an item in much less than a 5 to 7 days. Some that reduces the time to less than 40 days. Many collectors might work on their collections only a few times a month because of other life commitments. It is possible a buyer might not have the time within the lthe 40 days from when they receive an item, to look at it and determine if the deal was to their approval. If a buyer is unhappy, the amount time is too short for allowing the seller the remedy the situation to the buyer's satisfaction. And if the buyer is planning to have an item sent off for expertising, forget it. There is just no way the 45 days is enough time to send an item for expertising and get back it to determine if the deal was good or to allow the seller to make good on a deal.

The Hip Stamps should either increase the time frame to six months or just change the policy back to how it was.

Bill O'Malley · January 2022

James, you hit the problem square on the head of the nail.
If an item is going to be expertised then the wait time should be a lot longer than 45 days.
I wonder if this was implemented to favor a few of the big time sellers who I see have had mistakes in their listings and so they will not have backlash from the customers.

Jerry.Burkhart · January 2022

I just had an item roll off the 45 day rule and Hipstamp promptly left the larger dealer a postive feedback. the dealer had 49 negatives the past few months. The item never arrived. too cheap $8 to bother with but there are dealers here that are unprofessional and this rule greatly favors them as it mask just how bad they really are. I wonder how many negatives he would have if the rule was not in place -certainly in the hundreds? I am not mentioning any names here :-) -- personally i do not leave bad feedback anyways but the option should be there and this rule is horrid. a direct slap to the buyer's face , imo. Maybe the site owner does not think the buyers deserve a voice? I do think the concept is ok but the time of 45 days is insane. would love to see this changed to at least 90 days or just get rid of the new feedback system that is false.

Henry Brooks · January 2022

"personally i do not leave bad feedback anyways but the option should be there and this rule is horrid. a direct slap to the buyer's face , imo. Maybe the site owner does not think the buyers deserve a voice? I do think the concept is ok but the time of 45 days is insane. would love to see this changed to at least 90 days or just get rid of the new feedback system that is false."

Totally agree

Jacques Famery · January 2022

45 days may be short to RECEIVE an order, but I really don't why it should take more than 45 days to just ship the order. If the seller doesn't ship within 45 days why don't you leave a negative or at the very least a neutral? Then the fAutomatic feedback will just not apply. And by the way, I still have orders shipped more than 45 days and strangely enough I didn't receive an Automatic feedback for them.

Michael Dodd · January 2022

I will rise -- again - am so entertained by this. So many of you poo pood me, when I first wrote on this and set out justifiable reasons why it was SO wrong. Some now presenting same / similar arguments. Nice to see. just a few points.

please don't buy from us if you are going to leave neutral or negative feedback after 30 days because the order has not arrived. our mailing is 24 hour turnaround from receipt of order except for weekends when the post office is closed and..... international mails take around 4 to 6 or more weeks these days, to most countries. maybe you can get 5 days in the US but actually there are overseas sellers here.

next, and for your amusement perhaps ok an exception but we have had a few of these. we mailed an order to a customer in Sweden on 26th May 2020. Yes 2020, That is not a typo. it was returned to us in December 2021. Yes returned “ unable to deliver to country due covid” ok .... with the new rule we got positive feedback as they backdated the feedback. -- actually we get lots of positive feedbacks now before the orders have arrived. recently 7 weeks to Malayasia. only a few hours flight away but .. well you work it out. customer wrote nice feedback as a message .. had a few last week, even more last month. Our fantastic customer know how long the mails take and how fast we process orders . Hipstamp does not. stupid is stupid right.. we can do nothing about it
But for some it is great ..... improving their feedback % . I was poo pood for stating this but it is happening. ... anyone care ???? I guess not......... I just hope the collectors and buyers have the where with all to see through all the garbage and recognise quality sellers... it is going to get worse. I cannot change the mathematics of it.

Greg sums it up nicely. .... so, now back to my tea party ...Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast :-) have a brilliant day Michael cddstamps

PS see the image very very very small sample but it applies even further than these feedback-count

Wayne Camolli · January 2022

I think the practice is not only wrong, but moronic. I'm not surprised since all the soccer/helicopter moms and dads out there insist that we not keep score for little Johnny's game lest little Johnny be emotionally damaged by a loss. That's why we give all the little darlings a trophy at the end of the season. Hard work, a winning attitude and personal responsibility have gone the way of the dinosaur (to say nothing of Fred and Wilma). Hipstamp is just the natural outcome of the powers that be's latest soccer game and we are all their little darlings.

Jacques Famery · January 2022

I guess my message was not clear. 45 days may be short to RECEIVE an order, but I really don't see why it should take more than 45 days to just SHIP the order. If the seller doesn't ship within 45 days why don't you leave a negative or at the very least a neutral? As for length of time for an order to arrive, I've shipped to numerous across ocean customers, including China and India, South American and of course Europe, and the customers who do leave a feedback shows that except for one Australian they all were delivered within a month. Europe usually takes 10 days.

Michael Dodd · January 2022

Is there any point in trying to explain :-) ... perhaps not but I will try.... not all sellers are based in the USA. really?.... yes .. honest ... there are overseas sellers here.... and delivery times from different countries and different locations in different countries are different.... just one of the wow... Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast :-)

Jacques Famery · January 2022

I think I need to explain something you missed > "I've shipped to numerous across ocean customers, including China and India, South American and of course Europe, and the customers who do leave a feedback shows that except for one Australian they all were delivered within a month. Europe usually takes 10 days."
Get it?
This does not mean you have to get automatically a positive after 45 days, but I will repeat, since it seems one of the six impossible things to understand is that its NOT normal for a dealer to take 45 days to ship NOT to deliver, SHIP! You understand? Think it over while taking your coffee. Have a good day.