Occasionally, I buy and sell a few things on eBay. When selling, I always try to provide the best service possible and have until now maintained a perfect 100% feedback score. However, this week, eBay made changes to the way its feedback system works that seem to make the entire setup very biased in favour of buyers. The most important aspect of these changes is that sellers can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers. eBay claim that this will permit buyers to give fairer feedback without the threat of a quid pro quo negative/neutral strike being made against them should they leave it for someone else. However, I believe it will undermine the credibility of the feedback system for a number of reasons. First, I think seller feedback will be devalued; sellers, having been dictatorially stripped of any choice, may now leave positive or no feedback – where is the value in that? Second, a certain species of eBayer, often pedantic and overbearingly picky and previously kept in check by the possibility of receiving a reciprocal negative strike will now feel emboldened by his/her new found freedom and run around leaving negative strikes at will.
I actually relish this change. As a buyer, I’m absolutely tired of receiving reciprocal negative feedback in return for my honestly-left negative feedback of a seller. I also wish they’d get rid of the ability for a seller to respond to his/her own feedback. Apparently, the knee-jerk reaction when a bad seller gets negative feedback is to insult and discredit the buyer “OMFG BUYER DIDN’T PAY AND THREATENED TO SAW OFF MY FINGERS WHAT A PRICK” or some other hogwash that points the finger away from him/herself.
[Reply]
Geoff, thanks for the response. I agree with your underlying point that the feedback system is, sadly, used by various hotheads to let off steam however aimless an endeavour that seems. I still think eBay’s decision to create an imbalance in the feedback system (by denying the same feedback opportunities to both parties) is wholly unfair. Buyers now have less incentive to engage in sensible dialogue with honest sellers who attempt to solve problems amicably (since they know they can never receive a negative strike and now have eBay’s tacit blessing to leave negatives as and when they wish). Also, eBay has long played the card that they strongly encourage buyers and sellers to resolve their own disputes. Now, with a complete u-turn they have imposed themselves as sole arbiters on feedback issues since, if my understanding is correct, the only recourse a seller has against an unfair negative strike is that he/she go whimpering to eBay a little like a knock-kneed school kid reporting the playground bully to the headmaster. I suppose there is no ideal system, but the previous system seemed to work well for me as both a buyer and a seller.
[Reply]
I agree with the poster of this article. I have been left negative feedback from buyers who have failed to read what they were purchasing. When they receive the product they have immediately left negative feedback for me before I am even able to resolve the issue. The only feedback I am able to leave is positive feedback from a buyers mistake.. how obsurd. Makes me sick. I have reported eBay to the BBB on this one. I am not happy with the way I was treated when I contacted them.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:27 am
Hi Lisa,
We fully understand your frustrations at the feedback changes. To add salt to the injuries, eBay claim they will not tolerate unwarranted negative feedback left for sellers. However, it is almost impossible to have a negative strike overturned. Good luck!
[Reply]
Buyers who don’t pay leave negative feedbacks, go figure!! I just had a woman who wouldn’t register with google, send money order or check to pay for an item. After a month I filed for my FVF back and she left me a negative.
I called ebay and they said I should be using PP. I refuse to PP. Ebay also told me to go to court and get a court order for a 10.00 item. I talked for a hour, to three different people, none of which could hardly speak english. Is there customer service out of the country?
I think the new feeback system is wrong, and I let ebay know. I finally hung up on them.
But what can we do as a seller?
[Reply]
I am both a seller and a buyer and I don’t agree with you. I nearly stopped buying all things on Ebay because so many sellers would ship items in poor condition, advertised “like new” etc, and I don’t think I was the only one.
This was especially true with any consumer electronics, which would often arrive with massive defects not described in the auctions.
As both a seller and a buyer I think there are many more bad sellers than bad buyers.
Buyers are generally happy as long as they get what is described, whereas many bad sellers will try to pass off junk for top dollar. They know if they describe it no one would want to buy it, but they want the money.
In the old system you couldn’t really warn others about that type of seller, since you would get retaliatory feedback.
Since Ebay changed this i’ve noticed most of my buying experiences are much more pleasant, as the scammers seemed to have moved on.
Also, as a seller, if someone is unhappy, even if I feel they are not justified, I just refund them or find a way to make them happy. That is pretty much the only way to do “good” business in my opinion, so the ebay change pretty much forces that reality on all sellers. It doesn’t happen often, and it sucks when it does, but I realize it’s the cost of doing business to keep people happy.
[Reply]
i had a buyer leave neg feedback on me (not as described) before he even recievedthe item..all because he decided he didnt want them after he hit the buy it now…even after all the harsh emails frome him somealmost threatning they still wouldnt remove it….nothing u say will get them to remove it….then they lock up your pay pal account…and pay pal is used for more things than just ebay…and now that they are the same,,,,,,well thats worse
[Reply]