New eBay feedback rating system

[Tango Yankee]

Well, eBay is rolling out a new feedback rating system but I don't think it's fully implemented yet. Either that or I'm failing to see the point of it. Here is the description:

Leaving Detailed Seller Ratings

If you leave an overall Feedback rating for a seller, you have the option to leave detailed seller ratings. These ratings give you the opportunity to provide additional information about the transaction.

For most transactions, you can rate the seller in four areas: item as described, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges.

The rating system is based on a one- to five-star scale. Five stars is the highest rating, and one star is the lowest rating.

To choose a rating, roll your mouse over the stars, and review the rating text to the right of the stars. Click the star associated with the rating you’d like to select.

When rating a seller, please keep the following in mind:

Review the item description before evaluating the seller on item as described.

Consider only business days when evaluating communication. Sellers don’t always check email on weekends and holidays.

Sellers are not responsible for delays in mail services, and should only be rated on aspects of shipping they can control, including handling time. Some sellers specify their handling time in the item description. Also, many sellers wait for the buyer’s payment to clear before shipping an item. For international transactions, please allow extra time for shipping.

Shipping and handling charges may include charges beyond the actual shipping price for the item. Sellers may charge actual packaging materials costs and a reasonable handling fee to cover the seller’s time and direct costs associated with shipping. For international transactions, buyers may also be responsible for duties, taxes, and customs clearance fees as requested by country laws.


Sellers will not be able to see the detailed seller ratings you’ve given them. (Emphasis mine.)

I've left one feedback under this system and then checked the seller's feedback record. Not only will the sellers not be able to see the ratings you've given, neither does anyone else. And the comment section is only 80 characters long which is not much room for any details.

So, if the sellers aren't getting the more detailed feedback, and the potential buyers aren't allowed to see the more detailed feedback, what's the point?

The areas that you can give additional feedback in are:

Rate the seller on the details of the transaction. Sellers will not see your detailed ratings below.

How accurate was the item description?

How satisfied were you with the seller's communication?

How quickly did the seller ship the item?

How reasonable were the shipping and handling charges?


If you rate the item description as either inaccurate or very inaccurate another box opens with the following:

We'd like to better understand why you rated the item description low. Was the item: Counterfeit, replica, or unauthorized copy
Damaged
Wrong item
Other
This information will not be shared with the seller or other eBay members.

None of the other areas ask for additional information.

I suppose that there will be a bit of a phase in period, and then the ratings will start being shown to sellers and bidders. If not, there's no point to it. I would like more room for comments, though.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

Sounds good. Should motivate sellers in the areas that need motivation; like providing accurate & detailed descriptions, as well as reasonable, accurate, and non-arbitrary shipping rates.

 

[berrybuzz]

It would sound good if the Sellers could see it!

But I think the reason they stress that the seller can't see it is to avoid the reciprocal neg feedback. I've had a few semi-bad experiences on Ebay where I didn't leave neg feedback for fear of having neg feedback left for me.

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

It would sound good if the Sellers could see it!

But I think the reason they stress that the seller can't see it is to avoid the reciprocal neg feedback. I've had a few semi-bad experiences on Ebay where I didn't leave neg feedback for fear of having neg feedback left for me.

Agreed. It's like you can only give negative feedback if the transaction was a complete disaster, and even then, you have to be prepared to receive negative feedback yourself when the seller retaliates.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I think that the seller should be required to give feedback first--after all, unless the buyer has an issue with the item the buyer's side is completed as soon as the seller receives payment. There's absolutely no reason for the seller to wait until the buyer posts feedback unless it's to retaliate for poor feedback.

It's one of the things that I don't like about eBay. Why should I worry about getting poor feedback if I've held up my side of the bargain and paid in a timely manner?

 

[berrybuzz]

Perhaps they intend to show it to the seller at a later date or something like a monthly/quarterly review without names. But then I don't always understand ebay at times *eg*

Agreed. It's like you can only give negative feedback if the transaction was a complete disaster, and even then, you have to be prepared to receive negative feedback yourself when the seller retaliates.

Definately. there are a few transactions where I put down positive feedback but in the comment line stated "poor communication but otherwise good." or "slow shipping, item as described." or whatever... so at least it was noted that I wasn't 100% satisfied, but not dissatisfied enough to actually leave neg feedback.

 

[Twitch]

Like many things it sounds as though its implemented for the worst sellers. By and large you stick with people having 96% or more and you smoothly get what you paid for with no hassles.[huh]

 

[dnjan]

If I were implementing a system like that, I would want to have a minimum number of feedback samples (say 25 or 30) before making the detailed seller feedback public, so buyer annonymity could be preserved.

Hope that is what they do.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Sounds good. Should motivate sellers in the areas that need motivation; like providing accurate & detailed descriptions, as well as reasonable, accurate, and non-arbitrary shipping rates.

It would be good if the sellers could see the ratings you give them!! I'm baffeled as to why ebay would go through all the trouble to create this new system, if it is pointless.

I was so thrilled the other day when I was able to leave more extensive feedback for a seller. I'm of the thought give credit where credit is do. I had a great experience with a seller, and when this happens I will email the seller to let them know how happy I am with the transaction. I feel that the 80 character limit isn't nearly enough to tell a seller and the other buyers interested in doing business with them how happy I was with the transaction. Although I was disappointed that they didn't extend the character limit, I was happy that I was able to rate the seller on different aspects of the sale. But, what is the point if the seller and their other customers will never see it. Is it possible that ebay notifies the seller about the rating they get through an email? Well, that would be OK because then the seller would know what they have done right, and what they might have done wrong. But, it still doesn't do any good if the sellers other potential customers can't see the ratings you give.
I am a cautious ebay buyer. I've had one too many bad experiences and possible scams to not be more cautious. But, ebay is my greatest source for the things I collect (I collect PEZ, and ebay was founded because of them), so I can't bring myself to stop shopping there. But, before I buy anything from a seller, regardless of their feedback percentage, I read their feedback. I have passed up great vintage dresses because a seller has one feedback comment that didn't sit well with me. I have bought dresses from sellers who have a few negative feedbacks that just didn't seem like they could have possibly been the sellers fault. So, I base my ebay purchases on the feedback system. What is the point of being able to leave this kind of feedback if nobody sees it?? I wonder if this is just a glitch in the system, being that it is new. Hopefully once the new feedback system is really up and running they will make arrangements for others to see the ratings that have been left. Otherwise it's totally pointless. Actually I wouldn't put it past the people at ebay who think of these things. I've noticed that they do a lot of random silly things. It's quite possible that they are getting too big for their own good and don't have the where with all to keep up with the massive growing pains...

 

[Tango Yankee]

I've had a few semi-bad experiences on Ebay where I didn't leave neg feedback for fear of having neg feedback left for me.

I went ahead and sent in a suggestion to eBay that while they're upgrading the feedback system they should make it so the seller has to leave feedback first (though now that I think about it, they should give the buyer the option of overriding that if they want to.)

I've found that the majority of sellers I've bought from wait until after the buyer has posted feedback before posting theirs which to me smacks a little bit of intimidation. I feel that feedback should be posted as each aspect of the transaction is completed. As I've said before, once I've paid for an item I've completed my side of the transaction and there is no reason at all to not post my feedback.

Do I think eBay would make such a change? No. I doubt I'm the first one to send in that suggestion. But it would be nice if they did.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Elaina]

One of the few times that I have ebayed, the seller's communication sucked. I paid by paypal (3 minutes after the end, 9 for the other auction) said and done for me. Except the buttons took 6 weeks to get to me. No emails, no answer to my emails and I got them when I got paypal involved.

I left neg. feedback. The seller sucked. So out of my 5 feedbacks 2 are neg because of retalitory comments. I replied it was the case, paid by paypal. This is why my money doesn't go to the Bay. I go where I know that the system isn't in place to do that like my local mall.

 

[dnjan]

I feel that feedback should be posted as each aspect of the transaction is completed. As I've said before, once I've paid for an item I've completed my side of the transaction and there is no reason at all to not post my feedback.

I posted a similar sentiment on an e-bay Q&A forum a while back, and was roundly chastised (by a bunch of sellers, I presume) for simply thinking that making a prompt payment made me a good buyer. I don't know what some sellers expect (actually I do - they expect prompt payment plus positive feedback, no matter what they do).

I had left neutral feedback for a seller that shipped a 7-1/4" tall bowler in a 7" tall box, and received a retaliation "neutral" for not being happy that I had gotten a good deal.

 

[Bebop]

I went ahead and sent in a suggestion to eBay that while they're upgrading the feedback system they should make it so the seller has to leave feedback first (though now that I think about it, they should give the buyer the option of overriding that if they want to.)

I've found that the majority of sellers I've bought from wait until after the buyer has posted feedback before posting theirs which to me smacks a little bit of intimidation. I feel that feedback should be posted as each aspect of the transaction is completed. As I've said before, once I've paid for an item I've completed my side of the transaction and there is no reason at all to not post my feedback.

Do I think eBay would make such a change? No. I doubt I'm the first one to send in that suggestion. But it would be nice if they did.

Cheers,
Tom

I leave feedback only when my experience was positive. If I don't leave feedback, you can bet that it's because I want to leave negative feedback but I can tell the seller is waiting to see what my feedback is until they leave theirs. So it ends up that they don't get my feedback and I don't get theirs. Totally usless way of rating each other. I have left positive feedback after a negative experience because the seller was communicative and explained the situation to me through emails. I don't even care if they lie. Just be polite and understand my position. I don't think that a lot of sellers realize that communication is the way to avoid hassles. I let people know when I ship, how I ship, "let me know if there is a problem" I treat them as a customer not a sucker.

As a seller, I semi agree with you, Tom. But you never know if the buyer is going to complain that the wonderful hat they won for more than they wanted to pay, looked chocolate brown in the ad and now that they have it, it looks more of a grizzly brown and they don't like grizzly brown so they want a full refund. Unreasonable buyers are a dime a dozen. Leaving feedback before each other is a chance you take. It may be that having some kind of forum where buyer and seller can answer specific questions about the transaction is the only way to go.[huh] It seems to be a crap shoot.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I leave feedback only when my experience was positive. If I don't leave feedback, you can bet that it's because I want to leave negative feedback but I can tell the seller is waiting to see what my feedback is until they leave theirs. So it ends up that they don't get my feedback and I don't get theirs. Totally usless way of rating each other. I have left positive feedback after a negative experience because the seller was communicative and explained the situation to me through emails. I don't even care if they lie. Just be polite and understand my position. I don't think that a lot of sellers realize that communication is the way to avoid hassles. I let people know when I ship, how I ship, "let me know if there is a problem" I treat them as a customer not a sucker.

As a seller, I semi agree with you, Tom. But you never know if the buyer is going to complain that the wonderful hat they won for more than they wanted to pay, looked chocolate brown in the ad and now that they have it, it looks more of a grizzly brown and they don't like grizzly brown so they want a full refund. Unreasonable buyers are a dime a dozen. Leaving feedback before each other is a chance you take. It may be that having some kind of forum where buyer and seller can answer specific questions about the transaction is the only way to go.[huh] It seems to be a crap shoot.

Well, in the end the whole feedback system is rendered useless if anyone is afraid to leave negative feedback because of fears of retalitory feedback. My perusal of the eBay feedback system shows that for the most part eBay is very hands-off the feedback process. I did see that a person can leave follow-up feedback and you can leave a reply to feedback you've received. Still, I'd prefer a bit more room to describe a situation. In any case there is really no protection from retaliation feedback in the current system--and that's why the system is flawed.

At least with eBay the seller has an opportunity to respond to bad feedback. In the rest of the retail world a person's feedback may not be seen by a large audience as it will mostly be word-of-mouth, but the end result is likely to be potential customers not bothering to consider a seller because of what their buddy said about them--and there's not replying to that kind of feedback.

In the end, the current system assumes a certain amount of integrity but, alas, not everyone has integrity. I suppose if they did the feedback system would be moot. Instead, it's like most everything else--it only takes a few to ruin things for everyone.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Twitch]

The last 3 items I purchased were from sellers with high ratings. I will not bother with someone with a 93% rating or bother to read their ratings.

feedbacks- 9000+ 99.9%
" 600+ 99.4
" 285 100.0%

Whether the feedback is readable or not people with a large number of sales and a 99% rating merit the transaction.