Ebay's new feedback policy. Why?

[Gold Metal Flake]

Starting soon, sellers will not be able to leave negative feedback. how is this a good thing? What is the reasoning behind it?

[BuelahWitch]

1. Because alot of buyers were afraid to leave negs for bad sellers

due to possible retaliation. If I have paid a seller, and he fails to send the item, or charge me up the ying yang for shipping and the thing is in a flimsy package, why should I have to worry about getting a spiteful neg from a seller because they fucked up? This way the seller can still report a buyer for non-pay (which is really the ONLY reason they should leave a neg), but they can't get all pissy because they sent shoddy merchandise and want to get back at who dinged them.

[LostinVA]

2. Exactly

[Gold Metal Flake]

3. A buyer can be a scammer.

Chargebacks, whatever. How is a seller to let other sellers know? some buyers are assholes who will complain about anything, including things outside of the seller's control, like delays with the shipper. A buyer can painlessly neg because UPS was slow or because the buyer ended up with something they did not want because they did not read the description carefully.

Of course you can report a non-paying bidder, but that NPB will soon be able to neg you without fear. A buyer can demand half-off shipping, and then threaten to neg you when you refuse. Yes, some buyers do that shit even now, it will only get worse. As for retaliatory feedback, that is how the system was broke before. Without an effective appeals process, one could do nothing about retaliatory feedback. How many times have you read a neg that said "a neg for a neg"? If that is not evidence of blatent retaliatory NFB, what would be? Yet those sorts of negs stand. Ebay should fix the problem with the feedback system, not ruin it.

[1]

5. i think it will just change the way you look at feedback.

as a seller, i can't leave a negative feedback but i can leave a comment.

so, if a buyer is trying to screw me, i leave a little green "+" with appropriate comments. and as a seller i will have to read comments to know what kind of a buyer i am dealing with.

it won't be as easy as just looking at % numbers but it won't change things much.

[BuelahWitch]

6. How is that any different than in the real world?

You are going to have pain in the ass customers anywhere who are going to try and get something for nothing. It's all part of doing business. As a buyer I take into account what the negs are for. If a seller has one or two negs for being slow in shipping it's alot different than if the complaints are common. If someone is a pain in the ass you just refuse to do business with them again.

[Gold Metal Flake]

7. Ebay is it's own "real world'. At Ebay, feedback has meaning.

A one-way feedback system is not fair. It is an invitation for abuse.

[BuelahWitch]

8. Look, you asked "why." I told you "why."

Griff actually gave the same answer as I gave. You don't like it, that's your business, but I told you why. So that's all.

[Gold Metal Flake]

9. .

Nevermind.Sheesh.

[triguy46]

4. The whole feedback thing is tit for tat....

plus buyers won't rate you till you rate them. As far as I'm concerned, the seller has only one say, did the buyer pay on time. If that happens, it should only be positive feedback. I cannot leave even neutral feedback without risking retaliation.

[laconicsax]

10. There are sellers who leave negative feedback in retaliation.

A CD I bought "new" a while ago didn't get shipped for almost a month and when I did get it, it was a cheap copy with scratches all over and barely playable. I left negative feedback and the seller sent me a message threatening to leave negative feedback if I didn't take mine back. I called him on his shit and he backed down, but I've read stories similar to mine where the seller did leave negative feedback in retaliation.

[grasswire]

11. they could fix this

...by not allowing any subjective comments.

Feedback should be something like this:

What day did you pay?
What day was the item sent?
Was the item as advertised?


or for sellers

What day did you receive payment?

That's really all that needs to be communicated.

[BuelahWitch]

13. Good suggestions!

[1]

16. this is the smartest suggestion i have seen yet suggested.

unfortunately, too simple and too perfect for ebay.

grasswire, you are brilliant.




oh, and by the way... i just looked at my reply and someone gave me a little heart. i only have like 15 posts, and someone gave me a little heart. i am so touched and honored. who ever did this? you have my *heart*.

now i'm off to find another nobody low post count nothing like me to give them a little heart. you don't know what that means to someone who loves to read this site but is afraid to post here.

i wanted to start a whole new thread to gush about my *heart* but it looks like i need more posts.

maybe soon i can do this...

[Connonym]

12. or maybe they could institute a blind feedback system

both sides evaluate and leave their feedback without knowledge of the other feedback. Seems like that would eliminate the petty spiteful feedback.

[Dangerously Amused]

14. That has been my suggestion, too.

You each have like 45 days to leave feedback. The feedbacks are revealed once both have been left if that falls within the 45 days, or on the 46th day if one person left feedback but the other did not.

Seems obvious. But what do I know.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Exactly

I think it's important to know whether a seller has a good reputation. In fact, I won't make a purchase from someone with too much negative feedback.