NO, THE TOP-RATED SELLER PROGRAM WILL HURT EVERYONE:
ebay's dsr system, top-rated sellers system, search engine, and pretty much anything that ebay has put out there for the last 2 years is doing nothing to help ebay, it's sellers, or it buyers. even the stock price. ebay and the wall street analysts need to stop and think who the people are, that used to buy ebay stock. it was the people that used to buy and sell on ebay. now, so many are unhappy with ebay, they no longer want to own the company. they see the writing on the wall, ebay has doomed themselves! if things do not change, soon.
ebay is unfair to all. i have been on ebay for over 10 years, a power seller, and a top-rated seller, for the time being. with ebay's system, i am sure that will not last long. sellers like me, cut into their bottom line. i get a discount.
i have watched while selling prices have gone sky high, to cover the excessive ebay and paypal fees, the so-called "free" shipping, etc. this drives away potential buyers.
even as a top-rated power seller, my sales have dropped by a full two thirds, my profits are down by almost 75%. i spend more time trying to please ebay, than i do my buyers.
i am a top-rated seller only because i must let the buyers abuse me, lie to me, cheat me, and in some instances steal from me. all because ebay will do nothing to help. the unfair feedback system, doesn't even allow me to leave negative feedback when it takes 2 weeks for a buyer to pay for an item or doesn't pay at all. contacting ebay's customer support or trust and safety for help or assistance, is a total joke. the only trust and safety they are interested in is ebay's.
the top-rated sellers program was designed to take more away from the sellers. remove the power sellers discounts, to help pad ebay's bottom line and give nothing in return. the system is unfair to the sellers and costs the buyers money. the fewer the discounts, the more the prices must go up, to pay the outrageous ebay fees. the higher ebay's fees go, the higher the selling price must go.
the tactics that ebay is using are very heavy handed and possibly illegal. they have removed our right to even choose a payment method, by forcing paypal down both the buyers and seller throats. this alone cost me about 25% of my sales. there are a great many and a growing number, that do not and will not use paypal. a large number of these people, no longer shop on ebay at all.
the top-rated seller program is nothing but a huge joke, a sound bite, something to sucker the wall street analysts. it has done nothing to improve customer satisfaction. it has done nothing to improve sales. it has done nothing to improve profits (except for ebay). the top-rated sellers program is just another ebay scam!
the biggest thing that the top-rated sellers program has done is to run more buyers and sellers away from ebay and to other competing auction sites.
"EBAY MAY VERY WELL BE, THE MOST UNFAIR MARKET PLACE IN THE WORLD, TODAY!"
the top-rated sellers program, is just more evidence of that fact.