Ebay stops sellers from leaving buyer feedback...

[lprstn]

It was in the news today. I bet a lot of sellers will hate this. I wonder what will happen as far as closing deals go...now what incentative does a buyer have to finalize sale?

 

[janapur]

As an ebay buyer, this change will allow me to leave more candid feedback. I have made several purchases where I just chose to leave no feedback rather than negative feedback for fear of retaliation neg feedback on my account. It just wasn't worth the risk. I generally have had positive experiences, but there have been a few dishonest sellers. If they're willing to be dishonest in something so petty as an ebay ad, surely they'll be with regard to feedback.

 

[rod]

It was in the news today. I bet a lot of sellers will hate this. I wonder what will happen as far as closing deals go...now what incentative does a buyer have to finalize sale?

Perhaps that the buyer wants to purchase the item for the price bid? I know that I only bid on items that I want, and I never bid higher that what I am willing to pay.

 

[tlsbooks]

As an ebay buyer, this change will allow me to leave more candid feedback. I have made several purchases where I just chose to leave no feedback rather than negative feedback for fear of retaliation neg feedback on my account.

Speaking as an ebay seller, a buyer's rating doesn't mean anything. I have never looked at the feedback of a winning bidder and said "oh, they have 3 negative feedback ratings in the last 2 months. I'm canceling this sale immediately". The only time I ever look at a buyer rating is if I run into a problem like no payment and no answer to emails...but now I can't leave feedback saying so.

Plus a buyer, if truly hampered by bad feedback, can open a new account and immediately start bidding again.

Seller feedback ratings really are the only ones with meaning because that is the number and percentage that every potential buyer is looking at on the auction page. IMHO, we are the ones held hostage by the threat of retalitory feedback.

Tamara (739/100%)

PS - I have a "seller" account and a "buyer" account so I can leave honest feedback for those bad sellers without the fear of it impacting my "perfect" seller feedback.

 

[tlsbooks]

It was in the news today. I bet a lot of sellers will hate this. I wonder what will happen as far as closing deals go...now what incentative does a buyer have to finalize sale?

I didn't read the OP very carefully. Unless ebay has done something major in the last 24 hours, sellers can still post feedback...I had thought the recent policy change eliminated the option of sellers leaving negative feedback.......



.....just checked. I was able to leave feedback for 3 buyers. There was even the option of negative feedback, but all my buyers were good ones so I didn't test that.

Tamara

 

[janapur]

Speaking as an ebay seller, a buyer's rating doesn't mean anything. I have never looked at the feedback of a winning bidder and said "oh, they have 3 negative feedback ratings in the last 2 months. I'm canceling this sale immediately". The only time I ever look at a buyer rating is if I run into a problem like no payment and no answer to emails...but now I can't leave feedback saying so.

Plus a buyer, if truly hampered by bad feedback, can open a new account and immediately start bidding again.

Seller feedback ratings really are the only ones with meaning because that is the number and percentage that every potential buyer is looking at on the auction page. IMHO, we are the ones held hostage by the threat of retalitory feedback.

Tamara (739/100%)

PS - I have a "seller" account and a "buyer" account so I can leave honest feedback for those bad sellers without the fear of it impacting my "perfect" seller feedback.

Yeah, I totally agree. I just figured that if I ever do become a seller, it would be nice to already have a score even though anyone could just read the feedback to determine it was all as a buyer. Good advice to have two accounts.

 

[J9sling]

I didn't read the OP very carefully. Unless ebay has done something major in the last 24 hours, sellers can still post feedback...I had thought the recent policy change eliminated the option of sellers leaving negative feedback.......



.....just checked. I was able to leave feedback for 3 buyers. There was even the option of negative feedback, but all my buyers were good ones so I didn't test that.

Tamara

From what I have read this change doesn't take place until May of 2008.

 

[klynn]

from the Ebay website

What changes are being made to the eBay Feedback system?

There are five key elements to the new Feedback system being introduced in the first half of 2008:

1. Beginning in February, buyers and sellers will be able to earn up to one Feedback per week from the same trading partner. Today, members may only affect each other's Feedback scores one time, regardless of the number of transactions between the parties. This change will both encourage repeat transactions and reward good service.
2. Sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers. This change will occur in May, 2008.
3. Removal of negative and neutral Feedback left by members who are suspended or who fail to respond to the Unpaid Item (UPI) Process.
4. Positive Feedback percentage will be based on the past 12 months of Feedback, rather than lifetime, since it is most indicative of the seller's recent performance.
5. Restrictions on when Feedback can be left:
   • Buyers must wait three days before leaving negative or neutral Feedback for sellers with an established track record
   • Instead of 90 days, members will be able to leave Feedback for 60 days

Why would the new initiatives work better for the marketplace?

We believe that we will reduce any imbalance in the Feedback system with these changes. Buyers will be able to more accurately assess sellers and sellers will be protected from buyers who violate our policies without risking a cut in good buyer activity.

We believe that:

1. buyers will be more honest when they leave Feedback since they will not fear retaliatory negative Feedback.
2. buyers will bid more and higher since their trust in the Feedback system and the sellers will increase.
3. our best performing sellers will be able to differentiate themselves from all other sellers and increase the amount of business they receive as buyers gravitate towards them.
4. sellers will leave Feedback upon payment more often in order to increase their chance of receiving positive Feedback.

Is eBay favoring buyers over sellers with this change?

The change in the Feedback system is designed to improve the eBay marketplace which should benefit both buyers and sellers. Improving the Feedback system should increase the number of buyers whose expectations are met. This should result in more buying activity which will benefit sellers.

 

[tlsbooks]

What changes are being made to the eBay Feedback system?

[*]Sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers. This change will occur in May, 2008. Didn't even notice the date when I first read the notice way back when

[*]Positive Feedback percentage will be based on the past 12 months of Feedback, rather than lifetime, since it is most indicative of the seller's recent performance. Waaaa!!

Why would the new initiatives work better for the marketplace?

We believe that:

1. buyers will be more honest when they leave Feedback since they will not fear retaliatory negative Feedback. Again, I'm not sure why any buyer would care about their rating. The buyer rating is just a number, not a percentage...no one cares if it's small or big. New buyers are good...they haven't bought everything already
2. buyers will bid more and higher since their trust in the Feedback system and the sellers will increase. Interesting theory. Can't see it happening. "I was going to spent only $10 for this widget but I have so much confidence in ebay's feedback system, I'll gladly pay $20"
3. our best performing sellers will be able to differentiate themselves from all other sellers and increase the amount of business they receive as buyers gravitate towards them. translation - penalize the small time sellers and increase sales to the power sellers
4. sellers will leave Feedback upon payment more often in order to increase their chance of receiving positive Feedback.

I leave feedback when I ship. My end of the transaction is done. I dislike sellers who make the buyer leave feedback first...why should they fear neg feedback if they've accurately described their product and shipped promptly?
Is eBay favoring buyers over sellers with this change? Heck YES!

The change in the Feedback system is designed to improve the eBay marketplace which should benefit both buyers and sellers. Improving the Feedback system should increase the number of buyers whose expectations are met. This should result in more buying activity which will benefit sellers.

That would be nice

Tamara

 

[tlsbooks]

Well I tried to be all fancy and quote and put my responses in italics but THAT didn't work.

 

[SDKath]

I think this is a great change. I sell and buy on eBay (I buy a lot and sell occasionally) and in the last year I have noted that NO SELLER was willing to give me feedback UNTIL I gave them positive feedback. I pay for my items instantly and I still get blackmailed into having to wait for their items to ship and THEN having to leave feedbackk for them first in exchange for my well - deserved positive feedback from the first moment. That's a broken system.

I am glad that this is changing. I too have 2 accounts and I am also noticing that they are taking away feedback left after 1 year now? Wierd.

Katherine