Jeff, I neglected to post a <grin> or a <LOL> after my comment about your gun photo. It really didn't bother me. <G> <LOL>

I think what it comes down to is fear of retaliation (which I admit to having), and what I choose to do about it.

If I allow my fear to stop me from leaving a well deserved negative, then the flakey buyer "wins". I grit my teeth, steel myself to respond to the retaliatory negative if it comes, and do what I consider to be my duty to my fellow eBay sellers. I neg 'em hard and fast.

That is not to say that I judge sellers who choose the "discretion" route harshly, it's just that I have always appreciated the "heads up" I get from sellers who have left prior negatives for flakey bidders as a warning, and would feel like a hypocrite if I failed to return the favor, out of fear.