what feedback would you leave on e bay?

You can't leave bad feedback for buyers any more can you?

So it won't affect rating or anything but I would just leave a negative comment saying something like " Payment only made after unpaid item disputed opened" - although they may give you bad feedback in return just to be mean and your comment to them will still be marked as positive.

Are sellers back to being allowed to leave negatives or neutrals now?

I think I would probably leave a neutral - slow payer, had to open dispute etc.

Hadn't realised I couldn't leave negative any more, have never left anything but positive in the past. Expect they will retaliate in their own feedback so not sure what to do.

May be a real reason as why the delay happened - life does go on outside eb*y

I would leave a positive reply, unless their other feedback was for delayed payment.

I'd have been quite happy if they'd let me know why the payment was late or apologised.

I think they have 10 days to pay even if you state otherwise in your listing. I'd maybe leave positive but then not give much comment wise or say something like not great communication but ok in the end...

I agree that the delay in payment was poor, and also agree that you'd have had a different view if they'd have just emailed you. The fact they eventually responded when 'threatened' via the dispute indicates to me that they were just dilly-dallying for their own benefit.

Unfortunately ebay's policy now penalises sellers so heavily, so if you do leave a negative comment you may well end up with an actual negative point against your account.. and the rules are much stricter now so if you get just a few of these your selling account could be suspended.

So, really, and sadly just to protect yourself, I'd have to put something along the lines of 'slow payer but transaction okay in general'.