Changes in eBay feedback procedures...

[Zemke Fan]

eBay has announced some changes to the feedback system, the most important in my opionion being that SELLERS will no longer be able to leave BUYERS negative or neutral feedback. This will -- I guess -- eliminate retalitory feedback...

Feedback Changes
The eBay Feedback system was designed to provide a simple, honest, accurate record of member experiences. Focusing on customer service includes doing everything we can to grow customer confidence in our sellers.

• Buyers will only be able to receive positive Feedback.
• Positive repeat customer Feedback will count (up to 1 Feedback from the same buyer per week.)
• Feedback more than 12-months old won't count towards your Feedback percentage.
• When a buyer doesn't respond to the Unpaid Item (UPI) process the negative or neutral Feedback they have left for that transaction will be removed.
• When a member is suspended, all their negative and neutral Feedback will be removed.
• Buyers must wait 3 days before leaving negative or neutral Feedback for sellers with an established track record, to encourage communication.
• All Feedback must be left within 60 days (compared to 90 days today) of listing end to encourage timely Feedback and discourage abuse.
• Buyers will be held more accountable when sellers report an unpaid item or commit other policy violations.

What do you all think?

 

[ohairas]

Sounds pretty good I guess, esp. for the sellers. I don't like how they've changed the bidder's list to not show their full name. I always looked them up to see what else they were bidding on.

I think sellers should at least be able to leave a neutral. I suppose we'll have to check other's feedback more thouroughly now.
Nikki

 

[ShortClara]

OY

The seller boards are going nuts over this. Many, many honest sellers' hands are being tied. It's not a good thing in my opinion, as a seller or buyer. Now when you bid on my item, I will read every word of your feedback. I'll see anything bad a previous seller left, even though it is labeled as "positive" and cancel and block your bids as I see fit. Of course, this doesn't help me if you win at the last minute. But lots of buyers think they are buying feedback as well as a widget and will think this is great.

As a buyer, just be sure to really think about what you are doing before you neg someone - your negs will limit the seller's ability to sell, and perhaps put food on the table. I think most people on the Lounge are responsible though, and wouldn't do it unless it was deserved.

 

[ohairas]

See, I thought it sounded good for the sellers. But I've never sold, have always been to scared to. Now I'm really apprehensive! [huh]

So, you can still leave a positive feedback, but write "beware of buyer" or whatnot if they deserve it, right?
Nikki

 

[ShortClara]

See, I thought it sounded good for the sellers. But I've never sold, have always been to scared to. Now I'm really apprehensive! [huh]

So, you can still leave a positive feedback, but write "beware of buyer" or whatnot if they deserve it, right?
Nikki

Yes, you definitely can. However, negs and neutrals as well as stars now affect your placement in search results as well as can cause eBay to cut off your ability to sell suddenly and without any recourse, even if a buyer defrauded you and left that neg. Stars less than 4.5 are considered "bad" but many people think that leaving a 4 is a good rating, and I think it's even worded that way by ebay. It's not all doom - I've said before that I think vintage buyers are, on the whole, a leg up in the class department from other categories.

 

[ohairas]

I don't like the whole star rating thing period. Besides, I (as well as many I'm sure), thought it wasn't necessary, so I never even do it. I just leave normal feedback.
Not only that, but for many ebayers, we don't have TIME for all this. Just make it quick and simple. I just went thru a buying spree, I had a whole page of feedback to leave. I'm not doing the stars for all of em...
Nikki

 

[deadpandiva]

As a buyer I like some of the changes. I often fill like I am being blackmailed into giving good feedback when I pay for an item immediatly and the seller takes for ever to ship of overcharges on shipping, but won't leave feed back for me til I have left feed back for them. I think paying for an item takes care of my part of the transaction and feedback should be left once payment received.

 

[ShortClara]

I think paying for an item takes care of my part of the transaction and feedback should be left once payment received.

I know many of you feel this way, but a seller can be defrauded 10 different ways after you have paid.

PayPal will always protect the buyer and you will not be losing your money if you use it. A seller can lose both the money and the item.

All this is my opinion, and as an FYI for the seller's point of view. I have great love for my buyers and don't feel like it's an antagonistic relationship really. Just putting it out there. But I said all this already on some other ebay thread so I'll just shut up now

 

[Meggan_Lane]

As a buyer I like some of the changes. I often fill like I am being blackmailed into giving good feedback when I pay for an item immediatly and the seller takes for ever to ship of overcharges on shipping, but won't leave feed back for me til I have left feed back for them. I think paying for an item takes care of my part of the transaction and feedback should be left once payment received.

I agree with you! I have had problems with shipping and not even receiving and it does feel as if my hands are tied. On the other hand, I think sellers should know the truth without some silly sugar coating. If the buyer is totally unreliable that is so silly that feedback must still show up as positive. hmm...

 

[goldwyn girl]

I'm afraid all this makes me not want to buy or sell on ebay. It worked fine, why change it and the star system is stupid and a waste of time. I look at the sellers feedback to decide.

 

[deadpandiva]

I usually do the star feed back but I didn't realise it could have such a negative effect. You do get a few sellers who really overcharge for shipping. I do take into account the handling and package purchasing and sometimes it's still insanely high but It is always disclosed in the listing so I can't really complain.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Unfortunately, I don't leave negative feedback. Maybe this will change my mind. If I get a negative in retaliation, it takes hundreds of feedbacks to get back up to my percentage when I posted the negative. With the current system, I'd rather swallow the $10 and not have to work hundreds of hours or hundreds of dollars in transactions because of the effort it will cost me.

Vintage Betty

 

[ohairas]

I don't leave negs either, and there are a few cases I most certainly should have! I just don't leave anything.
Nikki

 

[Undertow]

I'm not sure I like this new setup.

On only one account, it's good because I've dealt with deadbeat sellers and I have to wait until almost 90 days to leave them negative feedback (which I've done very sparingly and only after all other means of communication were exhausted).

Otherwise, overall, if it's not Baroque, don't fix it...hehe...

p.s. I hate the star system. I give four stars unless there was exceptional service. Giving five stars for every single interaction negates the whole purpose of a star system. Likewise, if a seller communicated well and told me they couldn't get something to me on time, I give them two or three stars on shipping time but five on communications.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Been on ebay over 10 years now, never gotten negative feedback -- and have never given it. Out of all those transactions, there's only one where I could in good conscience have given someone a negative, but I waited too long and they got kicked off before I could get around to doing it.

I think common sense is more important than stars or numbers or any of these other little gimmicks that they keep coming up with to "enhance our shopping experience." *Read* the feedback before you bid, be sure you know what you're bidding on, don't try to mess around with buyers on shipping charges, don't make sellers wait for payment, and the feedback will take care of itself.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Been on ebay over 10 years now, never gotten negative feedback -- and have never given it. Out of all those transactions, there's only one where I could in good conscience have given someone a negative, but I waited too long and they got kicked off before I could get around to doing it.

I think common sense is more important than stars or numbers or any of these other little gimmicks that they keep coming up with to "enhance our shopping experience." *Read* the feedback before you bid, be sure you know what you're bidding on, don't try to mess around with buyers on shipping charges, don't make sellers wait for payment, and the feedback will take care of itself.

That sounds great, but doesn't explain the two sellers who shafted me and who had great feedback. One of them had over 1000 positive feedback and than decided to take everyone's money for their last month on ebay and than unsubscribe.

Unfortunately, it will never be a perfect system.

Vintage Betty

 

[ShortClara]

p.s. I hate the star system. I give four stars unless there was exceptional service.

Jumping in again, said I wouldn't Just so you know if you are giving 4s you are hurting the seller you are star-ing. You are driving them down in the search results. If you really think they should suffer because of their service, then go for it. But, If they are a good seller who did a good job and you would buy from them again? Give them a 5.

 

[Pilgrim]

Buyers receiving only positive feedback is bunk. If that's the case, there's no point in having feedback.

I will complain about this to Ebay.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Buyers receiving only positive feedback is bunk. If that's the case, there's no point in having feedback.

I will complain about this to Ebay.

Actually, I agree. Ebay is trying to make Ebay look good. I always thought there should be a blind feedback system, and when both parties have posted, all feedback would be revealed. Therefore, it's not possible to do retaliation.

This is an absolutely flawed system, because I, as a seller, can't post negative feedback if a customer refuses to pay me or short pays me? Or complains about defects that don't exist? I think Ebay is trying to cover their flaw by killing the entire system instead of fixing the problem.

And for the record, I post 5 stars normally. I try to take the teacher's method: Assume the best of everyone and give them 5 stars for doing their job. Any flaw (excessive shipping, rudeness, late shipping times) result in the loss of stars.

You'd be surprised how many people look at those stars. I sold some items while away on a business trip and in each listing posted the date when I would ship the items when I returned. I did exactly what I said, but because people had to "wait" for their precious items I got dinged in the star department because they perceived a longer than normal shipping time instead of reading the #@$@#$#@ description. :eusa_doh:

Vintage Betty

 

[nobodyspecial]

I think the new rules and the star system is an attempt to fix something that is not broken. The old system is not perfect, but not broken. I've been buying and selling for six years and have done nearly 1000 transactions and in all that time I've only had a handful of outcomes that were not quite what they should be, one in particular. The stars are nuts, I've done these a couple of times, but it's not worth the time in my opinion.

I never play the feedback game. As a seller if I get paid without much hassle I leave the buyer positive feedback as part of my shipping process. If a buyer has a problem with the item I hope they allow me to fix the problem. This has worked for me so far, but someday I'm sure I'll get negative feedback, nearly everyone does.