eBay Changes - Including INSANE Feedback Change

[MikeInFL]

Personally, if I were in charge, I would keep the feedback hidden until both parties have left feedback or some predetermined time had been reached...Mike

 

They should leave it hidden for a set time and if the other party doesn't leave feedback, they should lose one point off their feedback score.

 

Why lose a point if no feedback is left? While I think I understand why you said it (to force people to leave feedback), it seems overly punative to me for someone who might not leave feedback for any one of a number of valid reasons...Mike

[gmarguli]

Personally, if I were in charge, I would keep the feedback hidden until both parties have left feedback or some predetermined time had been reached...Mike

 

They should leave it hidden for a set time and if the other party doesn't leave feedback, they should lose one point off their feedback score.

 

Why lose a point if no feedback is left? While I think I understand why you said it (to force people to leave feedback), it seems overly punative to me for someone who might not leave feedback for any one of a number of valid reasons...Mike

 

What is a valid reason? Personally, I leave feedback with a vast majority of my auctions. If I don't leave feedback it is because I was unhappy with the transaction, but not enough to leave a negative. A neutral is too mean yet too wimpy for me.

[BULLY]

Or perhaps it makes feedback more fair by removing the chance of retaliatory negatives.

 

This is as drastic as removing your feet so you never have to worry about athletes foot.

 

 

Personally, if I were in charge, I would keep the feedback hidden until both parties have left feedback or some predetermined time had been reached...Mike

 

They should leave it hidden for a set time and if the other party doesn't leave feedback, they should lose one point off their feedback score.

 

As a VERY recent victim of retaliatory feedback, and LOTS of it, from a seller who retaliated against half a dozen buyers on the same day to boot, I can see the benefits to the argument where feedback becomes more realistic when those leaving it are not afraid to be honest.

 

Whether eliminating ANY scoring system for buyers is the way to do it is the way to go, that I am not so sure about, but perhaps buying and selling feedback should be separate, or weighted differently, or in different categories (buyer vs. seller for the same eBay user)? And perhaps sellers should be able to rate buyers on timeliness of payment for instance, with a star rating system like buyers rate sellers on timeliness of shipment. It could still encourage honest feedback from a buyer without fear of MAJOR retaliation, but still allow sellers the chance to leave feedback for buyers in the categories that count.

 

As for taking points OFF for people who don't leave feedback? I get the idea, but I am not so much a fan of it. It's a marketplace, not a school where you get points off for not doing your homework. The notion should be that you build a POSITIVE reputation by completing "surveys" essentially, like those you might get from a restaurant where they offer you a $5 coupon on your next visit if you complete the survey. In this case of course, the "perk" is that your feedback score is increased, and it improved your reputation on eBay. To actually "deduct" points for not leaving feedback seems counterintuitive. The mere fact that you don't leave feedback probably means that others won't leave feedback for you, thus you won't earn a reputation on eBay, which in itself will be it's own punishment, should you ever need the feedback, as a buyer, or particularly as a seller.

 

[BULLY]

They should leave it hidden for a set time and if the other party doesn't leave feedback, they should lose one point off their feedback score.

 

I would love that; get back at some stingy sellers that don't leave feedback for repeat buyers... if I leave 2 for you, you should leave 2 for me...

 

 

Actually, you're partially making eBay's case about their new feedback system.

 

Under the existing system, repeat business, be the feedback going to the buyer or to the seller, does not count toward the feedback score. Sure, it's included in the "tally" but it is not in the percentage which is what everyone sees at a glance, the REAL number that so many people use.

 

For solid business relationships, my experience has been that buyers who return to sellers often WANT to communicate to other potential buyers that they have found a good seller, even though there is "nothing in it for them" feedback wise, and thus they leave the seller positive feedback, glowing feedback even. I know I do it for sellers from whom I've bought very regularly and who have greatly impressed me.

 

Those same sellers, I've found, are diligent about leaving feedback for these repeat buyers, even if it was an order with 50 items or more. Sometimes they do it all at once, sometimes they spread it out over the course of days, doing a few positive feedback items per day, which is nice too. They do this even though there is nothing really in it for them, feedback wise, except that it creates goodwill with their buyers.

 

HOWEVER, under eBay's proposed new system which I honestly can't imagine them backing down from implementing, they will at least allow repeat buyers and sellers from leaving feedback THAT COUNTS toward the percentage score, once per week (they define their week I think they said as Monday though Sunday). So, even if you bought 5 items in a week, only ONE of them counts, sort of like under the old system. BUT, if you are a regular customer, if you buy 5 one week, and 5 the next, at least you get two positive feedbacks, rather than NONE since you shopped their previously and weren't getting any.

 

I'm no eBay defender here, but I just couldn't help but notice that your observation sort of goes straight to their point about how the feedback system is broken, and exactly what changes they want to implement to offer what (at least in their opinion) are improvements.

[MikeInFL]

Personally, if I were in charge, I would keep the feedback hidden until both parties have left feedback or some predetermined time had been reached...Mike

 

They should leave it hidden for a set time and if the other party doesn't leave feedback, they should lose one point off their feedback score.

 

Why lose a point if no feedback is left? While I think I understand why you said it (to force people to leave feedback), it seems overly punative to me for someone who might not leave feedback for any one of a number of valid reasons...Mike

 

What is a valid reason? Personally, I leave feedback with a vast majority of my auctions. If I don't leave feedback it is because I was unhappy with the transaction, but not enough to leave a negative. A neutral is too mean yet too wimpy for me.

 

An example would be a transaction I was slightly dissatisfied with, but not dissatisfied enough to leave a Neutral or Negative. For instance the shipping snafu you described in the other thread would be something I would consider a valid reason for not leaving any feedback (particularly undertstanding how it ended up).

 

To wit, what I was getting at is: Today, a buyer can simply not leave a feedback if the buyer was "slightly less satisified than Positive", but not have to invoke the "Neutral" and the stigma it carries (at least to me). So in terms of how I view feedback, from stellar to crappy, I'd list them as follows:

 

1) Postive

2) No Feedback

3) Neutral

4) Negative

 

Thus by taking away 2) above, we essentially limit the choices by making it "cost a point" for not responding. The net result is that I'd probably use the Netural much more, just thinking through the hypothetical....Mike

[bsshog40]

It is all too common to play the feedback game. I always leave feedback for everything I've purchased as a buyer. I have to be really disappointed with a seller to leave negative feedback, in which case, I never have. 90% of my feedback given by a seller has been after I have left mine for them. I think that's is unfair. I have sold a few things in my past on ebay and everytime a buyer paid for the auction, I went in and left positive feedback at that point. I feel the buyer did thier part. I have never been insecure with what I'm selling and how I describe and picture it. I don't worry about getting negative from a buyer. If issues happen between the time it leaves me and before it gets to the buyer, then I will do my best to make it right for the buyer.

[PerryHall]

The only real leverage the seller has against buyers who leave undeserved negs is to block them from bidding on future auctions. Most bidders are reasonable and will leave possitive when deserved.

[jgrinz]

" 90% of my feedback given by a seller has been after I have left mine for them. I think that's is unfair. "

 

"Fair" is EXACTLY the issue Bobby.

I have probably have sold 2-300 more items where the buyer was just too lazy to leave feedback.

This is my reasoning and answer for the lazy person.

The person who takes thier time to leave feedback for a seller deserves corresponding feedback in return, not the lazy one.

It also gives you correspondance time between buyer and seller to work out any issues that may have arisen in a sale BEFORE feedback is left.

 

I will have to resort to leaving NONE or Neutral which ever fits

 

 

[CHABSENTIA]

Don't think it will work.As O have mentioned several times there was a program last month on CNBC. An expert in Risk Management Analysis stated that E BAY was weak in many areas but especially in Automation.

 

 

It would be a simple thing to install Automation such as Computers to Monitor Patterens etc. Of course, they would have to hire Progammers etc.

 

IF Ebay is imposing all these high fees on the Sellers then why can't they implement some of these things?Could it be because they are just interested in Sales? Why should the Buyers and/or the Sellers have to do EBays job?

 

 

[CHABSENTIA]

One of the reasons some sellers have 100% feedback is because some people who are not happy do not leave feedback.

 

In the case of the Seller who accepted my Payment and then after 10 days filed an unpaid item on me I left the following feedback " Took payment and then after 10 days filed an unpaid item against me". The Seller in his response said " Buyer was a Liar and item was shipped promptly".

 

E Bay would not let me respond anymore such as read the Dispute Console etc.One is now left woth a Choice who to believe. A one time Buyer for this Seller or a Seller with 100% feedback.

 

Even if EBAy is so sad that they do not monitor and do nothing at that point they still have all the info as to the details and upon a Complaint by the Buyer should rectify the situation in some form.

[Revenant]

I'm no eBay defender here, but I just couldn't help but notice that your observation sort of goes straight to their point about how the feedback system is broken, and exactly what changes they want to implement to offer what (at least in their opinion) are improvements.

 

To tell you the truth I wasn't even thinking about that when I made the post. It was just sort of a "knee-jerk" response to the other suggestion.

 

It's worth noting that I'm NOT in favor of this new rule that is going to really up the potential power of shill-bidding but I wish there was some way to get some sellers to leave feedback more consistently. Yes, I know many sellers do consistently leave feedback for repeat buyers even under the current system, but some don't, and it really burns me up when they don't.

[gmarguli]

It's worth noting that I'm NOT in favor of this new rule that is going to really up the potential power of shill-bidding but I wish there was some way to get some sellers to leave feedback more consistently. Yes, I know many sellers do consistently leave feedback for repeat buyers even under the current system, but some don't, and it really burns me up when they don't.

 

This is very simple. eBay can add a feedback score for percentage of auctions completed where feedback was left by the seller. Buyers can avoid those sellers with low feedback given scores if they care about that.