Thank you for taking the time to read my posting!
I also disagree with the new feedback system on eBay. Since the new system started, I've had to open more Unpaid Item Disputes than ever before. I guess since buyers do not have to "fear" receiving negative feedback, some of them feel they can pay when they wish, instead of following the terms stated within the auction. I now open all disputes on the 8th day following the auction, if I have not heard from the buyer. So far, all disputes haved closed in a positive manner, but I still feel the increase in non-payment disputes are resulting from the new feedback rules. I used to immediately leave positive feedback for all customers when payment was received, but I have changed my "feedback policy". I leave my feedback once I've received feedback from the buyer. I did this not to "blackmail" buyers, but to encourage them to leave feedback, since only about 60% were leaving feedback. Now it's about 75%. I think waiting to leave feedback will still encourage buyers to contact me if there's a problem before they leave feedback. I post my feedback policy in every listing, include it in every e-mail I send to the buyer & it is included on the packing invoice as well. I'm still at 100%, but with the new rules, I'm sure my 100% will not last. My theory is you can not please everyone 100% of the time. There's always someone out there who will be unhappy no matter what you do. I sell mostly vintage & antique items, so 99% of the time the item will not be "perfect". So I feel my risk of receiving a negative is higher based on the items I sell, even if I take lots of photos and provide a very detailed description. Most of the questions I receive about the items I have listed, can be answered within the description, if the potential bidder would take the time to read it. That's just another problem I think some bidders have, reading the description! As far as the DSR's go, I really think the last question about shipping & handling charges is unfair to the seller. With USPS & UPS raising rates on a yearly basis, as sellers we can only try to keep shipping costs reasonable by offering the cheapest shipping methods, which of course are the ones that take longer for delivery, so now the buyer can be happy with the shipping cost & unhappy with the delivery time. When I print shipping labels with PayPal, I choose to have the postage cost displayed on the label, to prove to the buyer I only charged what the shipper charged me, but I still only average a 4.7-4.8 over a 30 day period. I refund any over charge back to the buyer, which I now do on every purchase since we get the online discount with the post office. I've had a buyer or two complain about the post office's delivery performance in the feedback they are leaving for me! Now do they believe the post office is reading my feedback profile & will see their complaints? I think eBay should restructure the shipping questions to emphasize to the buyer they are rating the SELLER'S performance, not the shipping service. All my listings state I will ship within 3 BUSINESS days of cleared payment. I work outside of my home, so the 3 business day promise works well around my work schedule & the post office's schedule. Most of the time the package is in the mail the day after payment clears, with the exception of payments clearing on Saturdays. Every buyer receives by e-mail a delivery confirmation number, so they can track the package if they wish, so I don't think the shipping time question is really fair to the seller either, since of course we can't control delays with the shipper. I'm beginning to feel my honesty & extra effort I'm putting in to trying to be fair about shipping costs is not going to be much a benefit to my eBay store since I'm just barely meeting the DSR requirements for the power seller discount. Maybe eBay should add on a link for buyers to complain directly to USPS & UPS about rates & delays. (Yeah, right!) My eBay store is not a "big" business, it's really for fun & I can earn some money to buy the things I like. If eBay continues to increase FVF's & continues the new feedback policies, it won't be long before the "little" eBay sellers quit because they can't make a profit & will look for another avenue for selling.
Thank you for taking the time to read my posting!
Thank you for taking the time to read my posting!