Wow!
Nuetral feedback counted against our scores!
And without warning!
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Ohhhh, that makes me really mad, when did eBay ever notify the sellers that neutrals were going to count as a negative. I haven't had any but it is inevitable that it will happen at some time. I just don't understand the logic of eBay's upper management in making these kind of rules. How is it fair to a seller to make a neutral count as a negative AND not telling us that when they first made the announcement of the new Feedback policy. They are such a monopoly now they can do just whatever they want whenever they want and sellers have no choice but to sit back and swallow it. Aghhhhh!
If you think thats something. Yesterday, I was a 99.1% score. I had one negative from nearly 12 months ago that was about to expire. Today a buyer took it upon herself to fire 3 ngs at me and now I'm down to 98.1%. I've been selling on Ebay since 99. I had over 10,000 sales. Most of them bought about a 3 to 1 average. I think we all need to buy cheap stuff and feed everyone we buy from a negative and show ebay their new stupid system sucks. I guess this is their new fix to shoot themselves in the foot again.
quote:Originally posted by Daddyo:
Today a buyer took it upon herself to fire 3 ngs at me
Many buyers waited until Monday to "lash out" at sellers. There are links everywhere to feedback profiles showing all sorts of stupid reason negatives. Some personal favorites of mine were:
"Seller charged me $6 for postage, but flat rate is $4.80"
"There was a hair on the clothing I bought, that's gross"
"Item was smaller than it appeared in the photo"
Yea, these are great reasons to leave negative feedback and destroy sellers reputations and careers.
You haven't heard about the "used messy packing peanuts" neg? Now there's one to ponder over your next carefully packaged shipment as it goes out the door. 
Danno
Danno
How's this for for a neg I got a while back:
"Item was beautiful as usual but my husband didn't like it"
And that was from a repeat buyer!
My sales have dropped by 50% this month so I asked ebay if they had altered the visability of my items.
They replied saying
"sorry you don't like the new feedback system"
I know they are messing around with the search system as well but if this goes on much longer I'm probably going to pack it in.
I have over 5000 positives and 99.6% overall but for the last 3 months alone it works out at 98.5% and they are implying this is why they are punishing me.
Unbelievable.
On the UK powerseller discussion board they are going nuts and loads of powersellers are getting 1 month suspensions because their three month rate dropped to 95% due to too many neutrals.
Anyone know what is being said on the US boards?
"Item was beautiful as usual but my husband didn't like it"
And that was from a repeat buyer!
My sales have dropped by 50% this month so I asked ebay if they had altered the visability of my items.
They replied saying
"sorry you don't like the new feedback system"
I know they are messing around with the search system as well but if this goes on much longer I'm probably going to pack it in.
I have over 5000 positives and 99.6% overall but for the last 3 months alone it works out at 98.5% and they are implying this is why they are punishing me.
Unbelievable.
On the UK powerseller discussion board they are going nuts and loads of powersellers are getting 1 month suspensions because their three month rate dropped to 95% due to too many neutrals.
Anyone know what is being said on the US boards?
quote:Anyone know what is being said on the US boards?
Yea, basically it all distills down to "eBay Sucks".
quote:On the UK powerseller discussion board they are going nuts and loads of powersellers are getting 1 month suspensions because their three month rate dropped to 95% due to too many neutrals.
Serves them right, they hide behind the so called respectability of PS status with initial high volume sales and high positive feedback count and then slide into complacency and don't care, so what mentality. I have only been conned by a PS in 500+ plus purchases.
The only things I dislike about the new system is the inability to red a bad buyer and I cannot determnine whether someone is trying to scam me or is genuine by their history.
I got nailed with 3 negs the morning of the changeover. They posted at 6:30 AM. They knew what they were doing when they waited for the opportune time to post them. So I get 3 reds and they get nothing. I fought back and gave them 3 positives and filled in, in Capitals to the last letter what I thought of them. In one instance I declared a name for them. They went nuts, emailing me, called my answering machine. I did not read the email and I threw out the message on a skip read. I did not want anymore of their negativity. So they have these big blocks on their feedback page. They also do a little selling. Now think of that. Maybe Ebay wants me to buy something to get back at them. Hummm? Why did I get 3 negs., because the bought one item and paid for it. Then bought 2 more items and I sent them an invoice for them. They did not pay. I sent them another invoice a few days later. They emailed and said they wanted a discount and why hadn't I done this automatically. So I adjusted and sent another one. They came back with if I had communicated properly with the invoice combo, I would have been paid sooner. So I sent out the items. That was April 12, 36 days ago on the 20th.
Ebays scam is to promote anxiety in buyers and they in turn put that anxiety on the sellers. Now the onus is even greater on the sellers only because as they state they want a safe environement for the buyer.
Currently Ebay is losing about 100000 auctions a day, on a day over day trend according to http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php
Ioffer is the next biggest selling site with about 3,685,634 actual auction pages compared to Ebays 14,553,532. But Ioffer is going up by about 15 to 20,000 pages a day and like I said Ebay is dropping by 100,000 a day. Actually they dropped by 125,000 today. This does not include store items pages.
Ebays scam is to promote anxiety in buyers and they in turn put that anxiety on the sellers. Now the onus is even greater on the sellers only because as they state they want a safe environement for the buyer.
Currently Ebay is losing about 100000 auctions a day, on a day over day trend according to http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php
Ioffer is the next biggest selling site with about 3,685,634 actual auction pages compared to Ebays 14,553,532. But Ioffer is going up by about 15 to 20,000 pages a day and like I said Ebay is dropping by 100,000 a day. Actually they dropped by 125,000 today. This does not include store items pages.
Yes, I've already seen that..it says:
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The 'learn more ' is a link. If I saw that on a buyer's FB I would know the seller had a problem with that user, so it's almost as good as an actual neg. (almost)
I don't have the link handy at this second, but they've made it a policy violition to post negative FB remarks within a positive, so folks have to be careful what they write now.
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The 'learn more ' is a link. If I saw that on a buyer's FB I would know the seller had a problem with that user, so it's almost as good as an actual neg. (almost)
I don't have the link handy at this second, but they've made it a policy violition to post negative FB remarks within a positive, so folks have to be careful what they write now.
I read somewhere in the policy flapdoodle that eBay has in its messages that the change in neutral value on your feedback was something to do with the comparative value of negatives. It was a complicated mathematical formula which made no sense to me. Probably doesn't to them, either.
Of all the mean things they've done to small sellers, that was the meanest. Those neutrals did not denote the dissatisfaction of a neutral; yet now it seems to. Buyers care more about your feedback than they do about the mathematical formula eBay used to dilute or ding it, and that's what they'll go by.
Go to item #280230016844 on eBay and you can see lots of folks pointing out all the fallacies in the feedback system and how eBay has exposed the small sellers to the whims of the marketplace.
Some people say, well, B&M stores get the same thing - I say they do not! Would they for a minute put up with the abuse, the thievery, the scams that go on on eBay and now are being sanctioned, almost encouraged, by the Corporation? No way. Stores have their own ways of protection. From time to time people find their way around them but not by threatening, intimidation, coersion, or any of the other methods to which we're all exposed and now have no defense against.
Of all the mean things they've done to small sellers, that was the meanest. Those neutrals did not denote the dissatisfaction of a neutral; yet now it seems to. Buyers care more about your feedback than they do about the mathematical formula eBay used to dilute or ding it, and that's what they'll go by.
Go to item #280230016844 on eBay and you can see lots of folks pointing out all the fallacies in the feedback system and how eBay has exposed the small sellers to the whims of the marketplace.
Some people say, well, B&M stores get the same thing - I say they do not! Would they for a minute put up with the abuse, the thievery, the scams that go on on eBay and now are being sanctioned, almost encouraged, by the Corporation? No way. Stores have their own ways of protection. From time to time people find their way around them but not by threatening, intimidation, coersion, or any of the other methods to which we're all exposed and now have no defense against.
I can't believe eBay's stupid decision to make it that the buyer is always right and to stop sellers criticising the buyer. As for the silly comment about buying small items and leaving negatives to teach ebay a lesson, all that will do is destroy sellers feedbacks and annoy everyone, ebay wont do anything about it. eBay have absolutely destroyed the once trusted feedback system, now nobody can trust it anymore as sellers can't leave negatives for buyers so they don't know if the person buying is genuine or just a time waster and buyers don't know whether all them negatives the seller has received is due to people messing around. Unfortunatly now though the only way that eBay could revert this decision is to wipe out all feedback that has been left since the change over, or ask all ebay sellers and buyers to re-score all feedback that has been left. Ebay has just done exactly what that guy did when he said all his jewellery he was selling was just cheap rubbish (and then a few months later bankrupted his company because of his stupid decision). I'm probably going to ditch ebay and go to eBid who don't charge for selling items and still have a fair feedback system.
quote:Originally posted by Daddyo:
I got nailed with 3 negs the morning of the changeover. They posted at 6:30 AM. They knew what they were doing when they waited for the opportune time to post them. So I get 3 reds and they get nothing. I fought back and gave them 3 positives and filled in, in Capitals to the last letter what I thought of them. In one instance I declared a name for them. They went nuts, emailing me, called my answering machine.
A carefully worded positive-negative is a nice thought, and I do plan on doing it if it is warranted, however the real recourse that I will use is to file for my fees back. An underserved negative is worth getting my FVF's back and giving the buyer a strike against them.
Ebay wants to play games, I say bring it on.
quote:A carefully worded positive-negative is a nice thought, and I do plan on doing it if it is warranted, however the real recourse that I will use is to file for my fees back. An underserved negative is worth getting my FVF's back and giving the buyer a strike against them.
Barparts, I'm curious how this would work if they have already paid you and you sent off the item and then they left the feedback.
Feebay need to grab a dictionary and look up the meaning of NEUTRAL!! Why is it so obvious to everyone else?
If you want to check out announcements that are going on with eBay AND what other eBay'ers feel about these changes...it's always smart to check out the EBay Seller Central Forums
Keeps you the seller/buyer up on the latest announcements AND the opinions of others. (Of course there is the announcements page with eBay also)
My feelings are that we are heading towards a feedback system that is similar to Amazon's and eBay is easing us into the new standard.
I was told by an eBay rep that there were going to be six MAJOR changes to eBay before July/August that would rock the boat...majorly.
We've seen lots already...and more will come in the coming months.
There are no neutrals on Amazon. I also feel that when the rockin of the boat on eBay feedback/DSR rating comes to a slow-down...eBay will match Amazon's DSR rating almost to a T.
Gotta stay up on the changes that are going on with eBay..might not like them, but it is imperative that each and every seller keep up with the latest updates and announcements, rather than being caught off-guard.
Keeps you the seller/buyer up on the latest announcements AND the opinions of others. (Of course there is the announcements page with eBay also)
My feelings are that we are heading towards a feedback system that is similar to Amazon's and eBay is easing us into the new standard.
I was told by an eBay rep that there were going to be six MAJOR changes to eBay before July/August that would rock the boat...majorly.
We've seen lots already...and more will come in the coming months.
There are no neutrals on Amazon. I also feel that when the rockin of the boat on eBay feedback/DSR rating comes to a slow-down...eBay will match Amazon's DSR rating almost to a T.
Gotta stay up on the changes that are going on with eBay..might not like them, but it is imperative that each and every seller keep up with the latest updates and announcements, rather than being caught off-guard.
I think it is a load of crap. If anything they should have the new neutrals count against you. a seller left me neutral after I odered 2 lots and assumed I would get a good variety, but most of the items were the same. i left 1 neutral and 1 postive for fast shipping and I got 2 neutrals for same day payment because I "complain too much" I think buyers are to quick to leave a negative, but I would have never left a neutral (I figured she might give me 1 back) had I known it was going to count against me!! eBay does suck. If I was not trying to be a stay at home mom then I wouldn't even sell on there. I would just have cheap yard sales or only list on craigslist, but I need to survive! I sold an item for .99 and I think I may have earned pennies on it. If not then it cost me to list it!
If you list a 99 cent item, and it sells, and you're paid by Paypal, assuming the postage is low, you net something like 27 cents. As postage goes up, that amount goes down since your Paypal fees include postage.
The last time I listed something to start at 99 cents was a few months ago, and I ended up netting about 10 cents. I figured the low start cost would "spur interest". It did not. I ended up the big looser. Due to the high postage cost on the item, I ended up with, like I said, about 10 cents.
10 cents. To shoot pictures, write a listing, package it, and take it to the post office.
What's YOUR time worth?
I will NEVER list another item for 99 cents. I don't start anything below $5, and most items at $9.99. Even at $5, you still end up with only a few bucks.
The last time I listed something to start at 99 cents was a few months ago, and I ended up netting about 10 cents. I figured the low start cost would "spur interest". It did not. I ended up the big looser. Due to the high postage cost on the item, I ended up with, like I said, about 10 cents.
10 cents. To shoot pictures, write a listing, package it, and take it to the post office.
What's YOUR time worth?
I will NEVER list another item for 99 cents. I don't start anything below $5, and most items at $9.99. Even at $5, you still end up with only a few bucks.
Ebay pretended (or Lied) that Suzy Q could come to ebay and make money with 99 cent auctions. As Jeff S has stated you make 27 cents.
That is not what a 99 cent auction is for. I have an auction up right now that will finalize tonight. I listed a valuable item for .99 and it has gotten 8 bids and is currently at 64.20. It has 19 watchers and 3 hours to go. The idea is to get the bidding going and to generate interest in the item.
I cannot imagine the work it takes to sell items for .99 all day long. I wonder if one could have made just as much money selling the same items for 3.99, or 4.99.
I sell items under another user name and all my items start at 4.99, 7.99, 9.99, 14.99, 19.99. 24.99, 29.99, jump to 49.99 and then jump again to 99.99 and up. Some of these items do not sell, but on 3to4 rotations, most of them eventually sell through for a profit way more than 27 cents. Example: I've sold big mens Hawaiian shirts for 7.99 used and are easily obtained at any thrift store. How easy is that!
That is not what a 99 cent auction is for. I have an auction up right now that will finalize tonight. I listed a valuable item for .99 and it has gotten 8 bids and is currently at 64.20. It has 19 watchers and 3 hours to go. The idea is to get the bidding going and to generate interest in the item.
I cannot imagine the work it takes to sell items for .99 all day long. I wonder if one could have made just as much money selling the same items for 3.99, or 4.99.
I sell items under another user name and all my items start at 4.99, 7.99, 9.99, 14.99, 19.99. 24.99, 29.99, jump to 49.99 and then jump again to 99.99 and up. Some of these items do not sell, but on 3to4 rotations, most of them eventually sell through for a profit way more than 27 cents. Example: I've sold big mens Hawaiian shirts for 7.99 used and are easily obtained at any thrift store. How easy is that!
I just find it amazing that a situation even exists where the "service" takes 90% of the sale! I feel like I'm a movie theater running a summer blockbuster, but I don't have a concession stand to make up the excess.
I'll never get caught in that situation again.
The problem is, I've also had negative net profits. List something a few times, and have it sell poorly, and you'll end up loosing money.
I'll never get caught in that situation again.
The problem is, I've also had negative net profits. List something a few times, and have it sell poorly, and you'll end up loosing money.
I heard a story of a guy putting an expensive sports car at about 2 year old on ebay with a starting bid of 99c
apparently he got well over $40,000 when the auction was over
In fact he claims he got more than the car was worth.
More guts than me though...
apparently he got well over $40,000 when the auction was over
In fact he claims he got more than the car was worth.
More guts than me though...
Another example of a good .99 auction. I have been watching ivory statues. Generally a real elephant ivory statue say 6 inches tall goes for on average $100 to $120. They can go higher if the subject is say a Japanese Geisha as opposed to a Chinese fisherman. Lowest I have seen a 6 inch and under ivory go for is around $80. So the idea is if you have a so, so statue, you would have 2 options. 1.Set the price at say $99 and run it and get no sale, or 2.set the price at .99 cents and get say 87.00 for it with low listing fees and a sale the first time around. Most people do not do what I call comparisons or Comps. to see what the buying market is willing to pay. If I can find something for a lower than the market price, I'm going to make money.
I have had 100% feedback for years now. Had one neutral a month ago and it counts as a negative. Plus you can't do a mutual withdraw anymore. Plus a seller can only leave a buyer postive feedback. Even when you get those buyers who are a pain and do everything they can to cause you a headache.. Delay in paying, no asking you questions, etc etc.... You can only leave positive... ugh !!
quote:Originally posted by britnla:
I have had 100% feedback for years now. Had one neutral a month ago and it counts as a negative. Plus you can't do a mutual withdraw anymore. Plus a seller can only leave a buyer postive feedback. Even when you get those buyers who are a pain and do everything they can to cause you a headache.. Delay in paying, no asking you questions, etc etc.... You can only leave positive... ugh !!
Had the same thing happen to me about 2 weeks ago. 100% Feedback for years and then this jerk gives me a neutral without contacting me about any dissatisfaction. It is so unfair that sellers have no recourse now to reply to feedback so it shows up in your feedback section. All my templates heading stated "100% Feedback - Bid with Confidence". I had to completely revise all my detail profiles and master profiles and in one stroke of the keyboard this jerk has ruined my perfect rating I have been so proud of for years. EBAY, YOU ARE SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF THE SELLERS WITH YOUR STUPID NEW POLICIES! I hope this new CEO chokes on his next steak!
Sympathise . . . but nevermind eventually buyers will have to have that 100% confidence factor in sellers who only have 95 to 98% because the number of 100% sellers will become rare as time moves on.
I wonder if that will really make potential new buyers want to shop online with eBay as it is overrun with apparently poor sellers. They will not realise the damage has been done by mis-educated (by eBay) and downright awkward and difficult previous buyers ?
However, like the true dodgey sellers we can all see those poor feedbacks evaporate a year later . . .
Unless you know different, e.g. a change of policy occurs once again . . .
I wonder if that will really make potential new buyers want to shop online with eBay as it is overrun with apparently poor sellers. They will not realise the damage has been done by mis-educated (by eBay) and downright awkward and difficult previous buyers ?
However, like the true dodgey sellers we can all see those poor feedbacks evaporate a year later . . .
Unless you know different, e.g. a change of policy occurs once again . . .
EBAY= Conformity and Control through a thoughtful educational process for vendors.
Sounds more like anger management on ebays part because sellers always migrate to a forum and learn from others how to overcome this kind of dispensed nonsense.
Sounds more like anger management on ebays part because sellers always migrate to a forum and learn from others how to overcome this kind of dispensed nonsense.
I think its stupid, the sellers will drop in feedback %, while buyers will all have 100%
whats the point of having it?
I have a guy who bought off me 10 days ago, still hasn't paid (he's new so i'm trying to help him out and give him a bit extra time before I file unpaid dispute)
But as far as the next guy he buys off is concerned he'll be new and there'll be no problems with him (because I probably won't leave him feedback after this, its paypal after all, how long can a payment take).
Or I can leave positive feedback, and say something like "new guy but we got there in the end" but that gives him 100% feedback
its stupid, how are we to warn other people that payment may take a while, or the guys sending rubber cheques or something completely relevant.
whats the point of having it?
I have a guy who bought off me 10 days ago, still hasn't paid (he's new so i'm trying to help him out and give him a bit extra time before I file unpaid dispute)
But as far as the next guy he buys off is concerned he'll be new and there'll be no problems with him (because I probably won't leave him feedback after this, its paypal after all, how long can a payment take).
Or I can leave positive feedback, and say something like "new guy but we got there in the end" but that gives him 100% feedback
its stupid, how are we to warn other people that payment may take a while, or the guys sending rubber cheques or something completely relevant.
Another thing that is making me insane.....I have opened 5 non payment disputes since June 12. I talked to Ebay live help and they told me to add the pay immediately option to my listings. Makes sense, but will probably lose a lot of sales. Also, that is 5 bad buyers that I can not warn anyone else about. How scary is an unpaid item strike? Sellers do not see them and they get wiped clean from the buyer after a few months if they do not repeatedly offend. Plus it does not affect their feedback score. Does anything drop the score of a buyer? Why should sellers even leave buyers feedback???? I am very frustrated
quote:Originally posted by lostpearlvintage:
Sellers do not see them and they get wiped clean from the buyer after a few months if they do not repeatedly offend. Plus it does not affect their feedback score. Does anything drop the score of a buyer?
Not true, a UPI against a buyer DOES drop their INTERNAL score. You may not see it, but they get suspended after so many offenses. Plus, using the seller control tools, you can select to exclude bidders with I think a minimum of 2 UPI strikes.
If the buyer leaves you neg/neu and you win the UPI process, that feedback is supposed to be removed from your record.
So file those UPI complaints. They are no more scary then they were in the past.
Use the tools we've been given.
Hi JeffS,I believe that is the rate of accumulating unpaid strikes, that gets a buyer thrown off for a while not the cummulative total.
Otherwise once thrown off greedbay they would be off for good, now there's a positive thought for you
Otherwise once thrown off greedbay they would be off for good, now there's a positive thought for you
I have a pair of jeans that are in a dispute right now for the second time since May 12. I believe that a buyers unpaid strikes get knocked off after they show good behavior. It does not follow them around and muck up their buying reputation like a sellers percentage score. Another thing, you can prove that someone did not pay for an item. A lot of people are getting neutrals and negs for insane reasons, some flat out lies. How about this one, a neutral read "nothing special about this transaction" or "I do not have enough information to render an opinion" Pretty soon feedback will not mean a thing because most sellers will not have 100%.
The way I've understood it, it's always been "3 strikes and you're out". In other words, the strikes were permanent strikes. Now, why the seller tool does not allow me to exclude a bidder with only ONE strike is beyond me. Why a minimum of two? Why did this bidder have to screw two other people before me? It should be I have control over a bidder if he's not paid someone else - PERIOD.
If you haven't paid someone, for whatever reason, I don't want to deal with you. But, it's not like that.
Here's the actual text from the "Buyer Requirements" page:
Buyers with Unpaid Item strikes
Block bidders and buyers who have received [2,3,4,5] Unpaid Item strike(s) within [1,6,12] month(s).
This requirement can help you avoid bidders and buyers with a history of not paying for the items they have agreed to purchase.
----------
Needless to say, I have my settings set to "2 strikes within 12 months". Now, I see you can accumulate 5 strikes! What does it take now to be thrown off?
There's also this one:
Buyers with policy violation reports
Block buyers who have [4,5,6,7] Policy violation report(s) within [1,6] month(s)
This requirement can help you block buyers who have been reported to have violated eBay policies.
-------------
I have this one set to 4 and 6.
And then there's this one, which they leave up just to make you angry:
Buyers with a negative feedback score
Block buyers who have a feedback score of -1 or lower.
If you haven't paid someone, for whatever reason, I don't want to deal with you. But, it's not like that.
Here's the actual text from the "Buyer Requirements" page:
Buyers with Unpaid Item strikes
Block bidders and buyers who have received [2,3,4,5] Unpaid Item strike(s) within [1,6,12] month(s).
This requirement can help you avoid bidders and buyers with a history of not paying for the items they have agreed to purchase.
----------
Needless to say, I have my settings set to "2 strikes within 12 months". Now, I see you can accumulate 5 strikes! What does it take now to be thrown off?
There's also this one:
Buyers with policy violation reports
Block buyers who have [4,5,6,7] Policy violation report(s) within [1,6] month(s)
This requirement can help you block buyers who have been reported to have violated eBay policies.
-------------
I have this one set to 4 and 6.
And then there's this one, which they leave up just to make you angry:
Buyers with a negative feedback score
Block buyers who have a feedback score of -1 or lower.
The last one is a riot, what a kick in the face. I can't believe they still have that one up. New buyers will never know what a neg is. I just do not get it. I have never really made much money in the 2 years I have been selling on Ebay, but at least it use to be fun. I liked when something started out at $10 and got bid up to $35 or more. I love shipping all over the world and chatting with new people. Hey, I am a stay at home mom trying to bring in a couple extra bucks because my husband works hard so I can be here for our girls. Now it is just frustrating. I could and should quit being that I don't make much more than my fees, but I will hang on a while longer, maybe someone will see the error of their ways and things will change again. I sometimes feel bad complaining because I have the choice to quit, but many of the rules are just plain unfair and ridiculous. Trust me when I have an issue I dial up Ebay live help and let them know about it. Numerous times I have gotten this response "I hear this from a lot of other sellers" Many others are letting their voices be heard, something is sure to change. Hang in there.
quote:"nothing special about this transaction" or "I do not have enough information to render an opinion"
Good grief, they must be the lamest reasons for getting a now damaging neutral I have had the misfortune to see
Can anyone better those
quote:"I hear this from a lot of other sellers"
Unfortunately there are none so deaf as those who do not want to hear !
quote:Originally posted by rubberduckproductions:
I seriously doubt that anyone manning a Live Help desk has the authority to make any changes to the rules at ebay.
In fact, from my dealings with Live Help... I think they have a knowledgebase that they copy and paste their responses from, and it often has little or nothing to do with the questions asked.
Those are bots that are answering Live/Dead Help Questions.
I ALWAYS preface any contact with Live/Dead Help with: Let me have your supervisor.
And if it sounds like canned/copied pasted responses from the supervisor, I state let me have your supervisor.
Or if you have a store, you can call your store rep and hear a human voice.