HUGE eBay feedback policy change.
Russ
Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
0
Russ
Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
Russ
Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
Comments
<< <i>What does it say? Ebay is blocked from my work..... >>
Two major changes:
* Neutrals will no longer count as part of the Feedback percentage.
Since we introduced changes to the Feedback system in May, 2008, buyers have significantly decreased the amount of neutral Feedback they are leaving for sellers. Now less than 0.5% of all Feedback left is neutral, and this percentage continues to decline. Since we have removed the ability for sellers to leave negative Feedback, we are confident that buyers are leaving neutrals to represent a neutral experience and not to avoid retaliatory negative Feedback.
All customer Feedback percentages will be recalculated retroactively by late August.
* We will provide buyers with the ability to revise Feedback left for sellers.
Everybody makes mistakes—buyers and sellers alike. Buyers should be able to change Feedback if they make a mistake or if the seller rectifies a problem in a timely manner. Unlike Mutual Feedback Withdrawal, buyers will be able to revise the Feedback, with this new process not just withdraw the rating.
There is a difference in the buyer experience when a buyer receives the item as expected the first time, so, we will limit the use of the tool so that sellers who make fewer mistakes can be differentiated from sellers who make more mistakes.
"We will provide buyers with the ability to revise Feedback left for sellers.
Everybody makes mistakes—buyers and sellers alike. Buyers should be able to change Feedback if they make a mistake or if the seller rectifies a problem in a timely manner. Unlike Mutual Feedback Withdrawal, buyers will be able to revise the Feedback, with this new process not just withdraw the rating."
But then they follow it with this:
"There is a difference in the buyer experience when a buyer receives the item as expected the first time, so, we will limit the use of the tool so that sellers who make fewer mistakes can be differentiated from sellers who make more mistakes."
That probably means that they will keep a record of all feedback and allow you to look through it? Or perhaps they will simply indicate that the latest feedback is an amendment of some previous, hidden feedback? The announcement is short on details.
That, and they are no longer counting neutrals against you.
Russ, NCNE
NEG feedback. They have to understand there are as many idiot buyers as there are dishonest sellers.
I say nothing will be right until they untie the hands of sellers to leave honest feedback.
I am not a seller on Ebay only a buyer. But as an honest buyer it ticks me off that sellers are forced to bow
down to the few buyers that ruin the crop...
I say this is a step closer to where they need to be but still a ways off..
And I am almost to 1000 post....
Honestly, how many times have I mentioned that it is ludicrous that a neutral feedback counts the same as a negative... that was just CRAZY!
<< <i>It appears eBay is actually listening to sellers.
This is MAJOR news.
Russ, NCNE >>
You know, I felt this way about the U.S. Mint when the Wisconsin extra leaves were created.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
It doesn't say that buyers can only revise feedback *upward*. Could they give someone a positive and then decide to change it to negative later? If so, getting the positive from the buyer is no longer much protection.
<< <i>I say nothing will be right until they untie the hands of sellers to leave honest feedback >>
I never see that happening due to the retaliatory negative scammers. The retaliatory negative was the paramount tool of every bait and switch, every “you can’t see the coins” & “stock photos” scam auction Ebay had.
It was the number one reason EBay buyers were scared to leave feedback against these scam artists and it was hurting everyone.
Of course Ebay could just investigate retaliatory negatives and let honest sellers leave honest feedback (i.e. banning only those sellers with 5 or more retaliatory negative reports) but, I don’t think they have the manpower to do that… they give too much money to the executives at Ebay and don’t spend enough hiring employees and customer service personal.
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I really do NOT need an out-of-control RICO-enterprise disguised as an
advertising-venue to "help improve" my performance.
Allowing "buyers" - and NPBs - to "revise" their FB will open a NEW floodgate
of extortion and blackmail. Criminals will now have numerous opportunities
to induce sellers to PAY for FB "changes."
At least a dozen lawsuits are being prepared by merchant-associations and
large sellers, seeking declaratory judgments and monetary damages on a variety
of issues related to Unfair Business Practices. Gangsters really only understand the
error of their ways when the judge speaks.
<< <i>Russ, I know this is better than nothing but I still do not understand the logic of not allowing sellers to leave
NEG feedback. >>
Thank the scumbag sellers who bogused up their feedback percentages through retaliation to force mutual withdrawals.
<< <i>Could they give someone a positive and then decide to change it to negative later? If so, getting the positive from the buyer is no longer much protection. >>
Oh, geez.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>
<< <i>Could they give someone a positive and then decide to change it to negative later? If so, getting the positive from the buyer is no longer much protection. >>
Oh, geez.
Russ, NCNE >>
I'm not seeing this is some conspiracy to introduce a trojan horse. But I am thinking aloud here.
<< <i>Allowing "buyers" - and NPBs - to "revise" their FB will open a NEW floodgate
of extortion and blackmail. Criminals will now have numerous opportunities
to induce sellers to PAY for FB "changes." >>
I guess I was wrong. Tin foil hat manufacturers have nothing to worry about.
Russ, NCNE
It seems to me that feedback is best when it honestly represents the present state of the transaction.
In eBay's original example, a buyer who left a negative, then gets the issue corrected by the seller, can now change it to positive.
Imagine an example where you get a coin. It looks great. One week later, you discover it is counterfeit. If the seller does not correct that problem, I believe that positive feedback should change to negative.
If the use of the system is honest, I don't see the problem. The system is not really there to be 'statistically gamed' by either side. It is supposed to represent, accurately, what buyers/sellers feel about the transactions that took place.
Helping you resolve issues and satisfy buyers: By the end of October, we will roll out a new process to help you resolve issues with buyers, even after the buyer has left negative feedback. Everybody makes mistakes – buyers and sellers alike, and buyers should have a mechanism to change feedback if they make a mistake or if the seller rectifies an issue in a timely manner. Unlike with our previous Mutual Feedback Withdrawal system, our new process will enable buyers to change their feedback of the seller, not just withdraw the rating. We'll provide more details of this new process in the fall.
Hmm. Maybe this does only apply to changing negatives? The wording is vague, but that seems to be what she's hinting at here. Anyway, I guess we won't know for sure until the fall unless they choose to be more specific before then.
Russ, NCNE
Blackmail is on the way back?
<< <i>I'm not sure I like the idea of retroactively removing neutrals from the feedback calculation. I've been at 99.9% forever and the only reason I stayed at 99.9% after the feedback changes was because of a neutral. I'm used to that number. It feels comfortable.
Russ, NCNE >>
Kind of like the mole on Cindy Crawford's face.
It is nice to see that eBay sees feedback policy as "evolving". It would be nice to have some honest way of quickly identifying crappy buyers, too.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
Russ, NCNE
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ONLY folks who need tin-foil hats would think that today's "changes" solve anything at all.
MANY collectible sellers - I am a small one, but I am a large seller of other items - tend to think
that they operate in a vacuum on EBAY. Because collectors are the finest paying-customers,
collectible sellers often have a VERY parochial and stilted view of how good/bad circumstances
are on EBAY.
EBAY makes peanuts on its collectible sellers. The money is made on sellers of "other items."
Once the sellers of such "other items" are GONE, there will be no EBAY left for collectible
sellers to operate on.
REPEAT:
EBAY makes its money on "general merch," not on coins and baseball cards. The corp is NOT
remotely interested in maintaining a venue that caters to collectible sellers. Such sellers
really need to have a deeper grasp of how the "changes" have affected non-collectible
sellers. Once we leave, EBAY will not fund and maintain a "collectors venue."
Russ, NCNE
The sky is not falling..........you're just growing up!
The name is LEE!
<< <i>I think its a fair move on eBays part. At least the seller has the opportunity to get a negative removed.
>>
Yes, but how much will buyers charge to remove it?
<< <i>Yes, but how much will buyers charge to remove it? >>
I think if you could prove that charge against anyone, they would be NARU'ed very shortly.
<< <i><< Yes, but how much will buyers charge to remove it? >>
I think if you could prove that charge against anyone, they would be NARU'ed very shortly. >>
Not to mention the fact that there is already nothing to prevent buyers from playing the refund/feedback extortion game.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>Good, I've been lucky so far since the changes went into effect, but I still think these are great changes. >>
I agree!
That's a nice way of saying that they're making it up as they go along. Make a change, see who squawks, make another change, see what happens. Not counting neutrals as negatives is an improvement, but it just restores them to the way they were before the changes. And how many buyers are going to be motivated to change the feedback they leave? Ebay's throwing the sellers a bone with a minor tweak in response to a major outcry, and it's really not too impressive IMO.
<< <i>Ebay's throwing the sellers a bone with a minor tweak in response to a major outcry, and it's really not too impressive >>
eBay is doing exactly the two things sellers screamed about most at Live.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>
<< <i>Ebay's throwing the sellers a bone with a minor tweak in response to a major outcry, and it's really not too impressive >>
eBay is doing exactly the two things sellers screamed about most at Live.
Russ, NCNE >>
I would imagine being unable to leave honest feedback for buyers was pretty high on their list as well.
<< <i>I would imagine being unable to leave honest feedback for buyers was pretty high on their list as well. >>
I'd think getting some of the things one wanted (even if not all of them) would be better than getting nothing.
<< <i>I would imagine being unable to leave honest feedback for buyers was pretty high on their list as well. >>
That's true. There were plenty of sellers wishing they still had the ability to retaliate, intimidate, and threaten buyers in to removing feedback so they could maintain their phoney percentage.
THIS JUST IN:
The buyer ability to change feedback is ONLY from negative to positive. They will NOT be able to turn positives to negatives.
Russ, NCNE
it had the effect of aiding straight sellers and protecting unwary buyers.
Every change made by eBay should take into consideration both buyer
and seller without bias to one or the other.