You can read "Getting the Feedback You Deserve" here. Reply to this message to discuss it.
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I just read the Get the Feedback you deserve and I felt as if I was listening to one of Ebay's support team. I've been in business both Owning myown shop and on ebay. I totaly disagree with everything you said in respect to the do the best you can, over do and set high standards for your self to assure you get good ratings. I provide the best service around and even go beyond yet two negatives with poor star ratings due to Postal delivery damage, Shipping charges and buyers who don't check there spam folders and accused me of not responding are two perfect reason why the DSR ratings are unfair and unjust. No matter what a seller including myself can do to change what those two buyers did to my ratings. I don't have any condtrol over the Postal service and I don't have any control over what the post offic charges to deliver a package yet a buyer can rate sellers low because they didn't like what the post office charges or how well the post office took care of ther item during shipping or how long it takes them to deliver a package. As sellers we are judged/rated not for our good service but for the post offices bad service. I'm sorry but what is the justice, fairness or honesty in that. It was bad enough that Ebay said sellers can not tell the truth about bad buyers but adding insult to injury by allowing buyers to rate sellers for something they have no control over is unacceptable and a huge slap in the face. Ebay and Auctive can preach day in and day out about accepting the feedback system and the DSR rating stars but in the end it is an unfair and an unacceptable practice. I'm a buyer and a seller. I feel buyers have every right to say something is not as described, but not about Delivery time or cost if a seller uses the calculated shipping option in there ebay listing.
I remember something that was said at an eBay Live a few years ago that stuck with me. It was specific to buyer expectations for shipping, but now that they have free reign to do whatever they want, I think it has expanded.
"Buyers expect you to ship them a bowling ball for $1 overnight."
Yesterday I wrote to a buyer and explained that I couldn't find an item that they had won a week ago. I apologized profusely and gave them an immediate 100% refund of their full payment. I even offered them a $5 credit on any future win.
Today I got a message today that the $5 seemed inadequate for "all the time I had spent watching the auction to make sure I won."
I'm sorry, are there many sites out there that give you more than 100% refund when they screw up?
I thought I was being generous and nice, but they threw it in my face. And, I think the implication is that if I don't offer them something more, I will get negative feedback or low stars FROM THIS BUYER WHO NEVER EVEN COMPLETED A TRANSACTION WITH ME AND PAID NOTHING.
This buyer shouldn't even be ALLOWED to give feedback on my shipping (there wasn't any), or the quality of my merchandise (they never got it). THEY REALLY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GIVE FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND, and the fact that they are allowed to impact my business is simply disgusting to me.
OK. Vent over.
I agree that we should try to give good service, regardless of the system in place, but eBay feedback and DSR sucks, and that's just how it is.
"Buyers expect you to ship them a bowling ball for $1 overnight."
Yesterday I wrote to a buyer and explained that I couldn't find an item that they had won a week ago. I apologized profusely and gave them an immediate 100% refund of their full payment. I even offered them a $5 credit on any future win.
Today I got a message today that the $5 seemed inadequate for "all the time I had spent watching the auction to make sure I won."
I'm sorry, are there many sites out there that give you more than 100% refund when they screw up?
I thought I was being generous and nice, but they threw it in my face. And, I think the implication is that if I don't offer them something more, I will get negative feedback or low stars FROM THIS BUYER WHO NEVER EVEN COMPLETED A TRANSACTION WITH ME AND PAID NOTHING.
This buyer shouldn't even be ALLOWED to give feedback on my shipping (there wasn't any), or the quality of my merchandise (they never got it). THEY REALLY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GIVE FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND, and the fact that they are allowed to impact my business is simply disgusting to me.
OK. Vent over.
I agree that we should try to give good service, regardless of the system in place, but eBay feedback and DSR sucks, and that's just how it is.
I agree with you 100% CharlieL!
I've been buying and selling there for over 9 years, always ship the same or next business day, always offered combined shipping at actual cost, and yet my DSR for shipping cost and time are not going up, but remain at 4.8! Now eBay even encourages sellers to give FREE shipping, AND limits on handling charges. I can no longer list items for less than $2.00 as the eBay fees, coupled with PayPal fees, will take HALF! I recently sold an item for 10 cents, with a shipping cost of 55 cents. I got a total of 65 cents. Ebay charged a total of 29 cents, PayPal charged 35 cents, and postage was 42 cents for a total cost of $1.06! That one 10 cent sale cost me 96 cents. Also, they no longer give sellers in my categories any listing discounts, but offer many to the large volume comercial sellers, and they've done away with 1/3 of my buyers that paid by check and money orders! They have a strangle hold on small sellers, while the large sellers get the breaks. I've seen many large sellers with 5.0 DSR's that GROSSLY overcharge on shipping. An example was for a pair of jeans that I could ship for under $6.00 to anywhere in the states. They were charging $23.00!!!!! Yet their DSR's were 5.0!!! What's that all about????
I've been buying and selling there for over 9 years, always ship the same or next business day, always offered combined shipping at actual cost, and yet my DSR for shipping cost and time are not going up, but remain at 4.8! Now eBay even encourages sellers to give FREE shipping, AND limits on handling charges. I can no longer list items for less than $2.00 as the eBay fees, coupled with PayPal fees, will take HALF! I recently sold an item for 10 cents, with a shipping cost of 55 cents. I got a total of 65 cents. Ebay charged a total of 29 cents, PayPal charged 35 cents, and postage was 42 cents for a total cost of $1.06! That one 10 cent sale cost me 96 cents. Also, they no longer give sellers in my categories any listing discounts, but offer many to the large volume comercial sellers, and they've done away with 1/3 of my buyers that paid by check and money orders! They have a strangle hold on small sellers, while the large sellers get the breaks. I've seen many large sellers with 5.0 DSR's that GROSSLY overcharge on shipping. An example was for a pair of jeans that I could ship for under $6.00 to anywhere in the states. They were charging $23.00!!!!! Yet their DSR's were 5.0!!! What's that all about????
quote:Originally posted by CharlieL:
I remember something that was said at an eBay Live a few years ago that stuck with me. It was specific to buyer expectations for shipping, but now that they have free reign to do whatever they want, I think it has expanded.
"Buyers expect you to ship them a bowling ball for $1 overnight."
Yesterday I wrote to a buyer and explained that I couldn't find an item that they had won a week ago. I apologized profusely and gave them an immediate 100% refund of their full payment. I even offered them a $5 credit on any future win.
Today I got a message today that the $5 seemed inadequate for "all the time I had spent watching the auction to make sure I won."
I'm sorry, are there many sites out there that give you more than 100% refund when they screw up?
I thought I was being generous and nice, but they threw it in my face. And, I think the implication is that if I don't offer them something more, I will get negative feedback or low stars FROM THIS BUYER WHO NEVER EVEN COMPLETED A TRANSACTION WITH ME AND PAID NOTHING.
This buyer shouldn't even be ALLOWED to give feedback on my shipping (there wasn't any), or the quality of my merchandise (they never got it). THEY REALLY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GIVE FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND, and the fact that they are allowed to impact my business is simply disgusting to me.
OK. Vent over.
I agree that we should try to give good service, regardless of the system in place, but eBay feedback and DSR sucks, and that's just how it is.
Regarding, "It never hurts to ask" for positive feedback. I disagree. When I have something to say, I leave feedback. When I don't have anything to say, I don't.
It may be against the "community values" you're speaking of, but sometimes I just don't have any feedback. Maybe I ordered something for my mom and didn't hear back. Maybe the service wasn't stellar, but was also not worth complaining about.
Either way, I have had two sellers pester me to the point of being really and truly annoying (7-8 requests). You know, if a buyer doesn't respond after two polite requests, there may be a reason. You should forget it. One positive feedback is not worth risking pushing a buyer to anoint you with a negative feedback instead.
The two annoying sellers got lucky. Bouncing their emails was as mad as I got.
Just a thought.
It may be against the "community values" you're speaking of, but sometimes I just don't have any feedback. Maybe I ordered something for my mom and didn't hear back. Maybe the service wasn't stellar, but was also not worth complaining about.
Either way, I have had two sellers pester me to the point of being really and truly annoying (7-8 requests). You know, if a buyer doesn't respond after two polite requests, there may be a reason. You should forget it. One positive feedback is not worth risking pushing a buyer to anoint you with a negative feedback instead.
The two annoying sellers got lucky. Bouncing their emails was as mad as I got.
Just a thought.
I've been on ebay over 8 years.I'm not big time but I always loved the ebay experience until the changes with feedback! The biggest mistake ebay has ever made is the feedback process. I ship as soon as payment is received (same day) and I guarantee all my items and bend over backwards for my customers PERIOD! Yet, I have received unfair feedback or no feedback at all!!! I have opted to sell on other sites and abandon ebay. The change from paperless payments is disgusting! EBAY SCREWED UP A GOOD THING!!!
First of all, thank you for your newsletters, I get some good ideas from them and sure can't beat the price!
But could I suggest a different viewpoint on feedback on ebay? This article, though very well written, is just not reality based. Sellers have no control over the current feedback situation. A seller can do everything you list in your article and still get negative feedback because the current feedback setup on ebay is based more on the personality of the buyer than the actual buying experience.
I would like to request that if you write articles about feedback in future you write something that gives hints to sellers as to how to survive the current set up, perhaps hints as to how to turn negative feedback around? ("Reply to Feedback" Feature, About Me page, etc????, statements in the description???) Even just a strategy as how to survive the bad selling experiences, to not let the feedback system ruin your life.... when I got my first negative feedback(s), I actually got sick to my stomach whenever I signed on to my account. If you would write an article on how to overcome that kind of fear, that would be most helpful!
Thank you....
But could I suggest a different viewpoint on feedback on ebay? This article, though very well written, is just not reality based. Sellers have no control over the current feedback situation. A seller can do everything you list in your article and still get negative feedback because the current feedback setup on ebay is based more on the personality of the buyer than the actual buying experience.
I would like to request that if you write articles about feedback in future you write something that gives hints to sellers as to how to survive the current set up, perhaps hints as to how to turn negative feedback around? ("Reply to Feedback" Feature, About Me page, etc????, statements in the description???) Even just a strategy as how to survive the bad selling experiences, to not let the feedback system ruin your life.... when I got my first negative feedback(s), I actually got sick to my stomach whenever I signed on to my account. If you would write an article on how to overcome that kind of fear, that would be most helpful!
Thank you....
I have had issues with the feedback system and tried fighting with eBay to no win, of course. After a year and finally getting back 100% the next day a negative was wrongly placed agaist me, again. I have been a buyer/seller for apx 8 years. I have gone out of my way and wallet to make buyers happy. I should have 1,500 positives but due to lazy buyers I only have 500. I have been threatened that if I send 1 more reminder I will be given a negative. And I have really slowed down on selling on eBay. 5 no pays last year and another 1 now. And fighting for a non-received item from half.com. Why should I have to wait 60 days for my money when this person had 5 more no deliveries and taken off the site? I have been looking for other areas to sell but eBay is the most popular. I believe if we can prove we shipped an item and it was received we should be able to provide this info so we can get another star, if this is what we are striving for. I shipped 20 items this week and probably will not receive 1 star. And the shipping has also got out of hand.
I have to much to complain about so I will end my venting here.
Good luck to all you sellers and hope you have better ventures.
I have to much to complain about so I will end my venting here.
Good luck to all you sellers and hope you have better ventures.
I was the first to respond to this news letter piece and I have to say taht you put it perfectly and said eveything I wanted to say. We all know Auctiva works hand in hand with Ebay thus being able to normally give good advice for making out selling experience work for each of us. But this news letter piece was way off line and it would seem made all of us feel more anger towards the unfair feedback system and a little upset with the one venue that seemed to always add hope with its news letters. I realize Ebay and now Auctive feels we as sellers don't get it and that they think we should eat all the losses we are taking. but there comes a time when reality hits and the boss being myself for my business or Ebay to see that sometimes mistakes are made that send a business into a tailspin and business declines due to that mistake. I think of the big Car Dealers and the stock market as i say tht and what it has done to our economy. Well Auctive and EBay wake up... Sellers are losing money...Thus Ebay is losing money and much of it has to do with some very poor business changes that started a chain reaction. It is evident that Ebay is losing money and is sending out crazy Hello sellers how stupid are you emails such as the one I received yesterday saying I would get Free skiting for the 1st five June Listings. But by the way you will pay 8.75% final fee. Humm.. do me a favor don't chage me 5 times the 55 cent listing fee to call it free. That email fell somewhere in the same catagory as the sellers have no say or control over feedback for the bad buyers out there. Or no control over buyers who lie in there feedback and star ratings. I agree witht he person who said that ebay has run small dollars out of business with fees and demands. I to was forced to raise my prices on my items to meet the raise in fees. If I could sell for lower prices and less fees then Ebay and I would both make out, instead fees have dropped my sales as i don't list as many items as I used to, and feedback DSR's have dropped my ratings, my sales, off power seller and the discounts ebay promises with power seller statis...which franky seems realy bad business practices on Ebay's part..I don't list ..Ebay loses money, I don't sell Ebay loses, I don't sell and my buyers lose. But I can't afford to pay the high fees, or the extra shipping cost when buyers want something for nothing and are allowed to rate me on shipping cost and shipping time while ebay wants to get rich off my little business that by the way once provided my total income. So Auctiva if you are going to advise us please tell us how we might handle the losses and as this seller said the fear every day of getting a negative feedback and star rating for not taking a loss on shipping an item just to get Positive feedback.
quote:Originally posted by sd08:
First of all, thank you for your newsletters, I get some good ideas from them and sure can't beat the price!
But could I suggest a different viewpoint on feedback on ebay? This article, though very well written, is just not reality based. Sellers have no control over the current feedback situation. A seller can do everything you list in your article and still get negative feedback because the current feedback setup on ebay is based more on the personality of the buyer than the actual buying experience.
I would like to request that if you write articles about feedback in future you write something that gives hints to sellers as to how to survive the current set up, perhaps hints as to how to turn negative feedback around? ("Reply to Feedback" Feature, About Me page, etc????, statements in the description???) Even just a strategy as how to survive the bad selling experiences, to not let the feedback system ruin your life.... when I got my first negative feedback(s), I actually got sick to my stomach whenever I signed on to my account. If you would write an article on how to overcome that kind of fear, that would be most helpful!
Thank you....
I agree with the captainblondee
no matter what we do, its just not good enough. that portion of the newsletter was just talk and sounded like BS to me.
i offer free shipping on 99% of my listings and GUESS WHAT! still cant get all 5 stars. i ship the SAME DAY, cant get them. cant even get ppl to leave feedback. i have feedbacks from christmas ppl still havent bothered to leave for me.
i think its all a bunch of crap especially when i put freebies in the packages and i rarely use method of ship that takes more than 3-4 days.
i just dont get it. the fact we cannot leave feedback for ppl who dont buy is USELESS! that defeats the purpose. i would have canceled many bids for people who never come and pay, rack up a huge bill and i get stuck with listing fees and more fees to relist and have to wait 1 days to send a "reminder" then another 10 days for a final value credit fee.
overall, FEEDBACK RATINGS SUCK ON EBAY! no matter how auctiva or ebay try to sugar coat it. they need measures in place to force buyers to complete the transactions.
offer free ship for 4 months and nothing changes!?!!! what a load!
no matter what we do, its just not good enough. that portion of the newsletter was just talk and sounded like BS to me.
i offer free shipping on 99% of my listings and GUESS WHAT! still cant get all 5 stars. i ship the SAME DAY, cant get them. cant even get ppl to leave feedback. i have feedbacks from christmas ppl still havent bothered to leave for me.
i think its all a bunch of crap especially when i put freebies in the packages and i rarely use method of ship that takes more than 3-4 days.
i just dont get it. the fact we cannot leave feedback for ppl who dont buy is USELESS! that defeats the purpose. i would have canceled many bids for people who never come and pay, rack up a huge bill and i get stuck with listing fees and more fees to relist and have to wait 1 days to send a "reminder" then another 10 days for a final value credit fee.
overall, FEEDBACK RATINGS SUCK ON EBAY! no matter how auctiva or ebay try to sugar coat it. they need measures in place to force buyers to complete the transactions.
offer free ship for 4 months and nothing changes!?!!! what a load!
Well, AuctivaEditor2, it looks like you're all alone with the views expressed in your article. I totally agree with the other posts to your article. I've been buying and selling on ebay since the beginning, just small time though, like many other ebay natives, so the ebay geniuses have decided it's best to squeeze us out by making it near impossible to succeed with any profit. I have learned that the only way I can get my shipping price DSR up is to ship everything for free. Do other businesses outside ebay feel forced to do this? I think not. Well I'm not going to do it. Everybody loses in this sceneraio except ebay and paypal. If I offer free shipping then the price of the item is higher - buyer loses. I know longer offer as much variety because some items are too heavy - buyer loses. I pay more fees to ebay and paypal because the listing and selling price really includes the shipping - seller loses. This is the part where I disagree with some of the other posts. Ebay is not losing with the new DSR or they would have gotten rid of it. We all know how they love to constantly change things. Think about how much extra money they are making off all of us by forcing the free shipping thing and charge fees for higher priced items. As a seller, not only do you feel forced into free shipping to get a good DSR but ebay also bumps you lower in buyer searches if you don't offer free shipping. They are just old fashioned crooks.
I just have one short comment. I send most of my items free shipping. a few inbetween receive a shipping charge. Almost all are free, yet i still receive a 4.8 rating for shipping and handling. I have 100% feedback and all of my customers say how satisfied they are. I think the option that it was neither one way or the other (not the exact words) causes them to give me the lower feedback for that section. With all of the free shipping I do, I should have a 5.0 without a problem. I receive a 5.0 for communication consistantly!
What a load of crap! To put it nicely.
First, while I personally think DSRs is a good thing; it's implementation by eBay, once again, in the nicest possible way to put it: SUX!
It's completely arbitrary. How is it even a seller's fault if they charge actual shipping or less? And let's not get started on free shipping. That idea is meant not to increase pennies for eBay, but, to distract the medium to small powersellers; ie, anyone who is not a Diamond powerseller.
DSRs for s/h charges should be triggered ONLY when a seller charges a fee. Otherwise the seller has no control of the shipper's charges.
Same goes with ship times. DSRs for ship times should be prequalified with a question as to when the item was postmarked. (While this is not 100% it would certainly help offer some reality to the eBay botched system).
Second, I've received numerous complaints about how as a powerseller DSRs managed to drop when it comes to "payday" but, when they dropped out of the powerseller program, their DSRs managed to stay the same. This prompted suspicions of manipulation. Of course, we KNOW eBay would NEVER manipulate the system to increase or decrease money; would they? Isn't eBay the most trustworthy company? Afterall, John D goes to the media with all his honest explanations. And his mother loves him.
Hey, here's a bit of Preventive Maintenance, and it's guaranteed to not hurt your DSRs 100% of the time:
Dump eBay! If one does not sell on ebay, their DSRs will never decrease.
Instead, find a suitable alternative. Im big on onlineauction; but others have found success with Bonanzle, ebid, atomicmall, etsy, silkfair and so many others. But, if we stick together, we can continue to hurt ebay's bottomline. And, bottomline, that's what the ebay boycott has been and continues to be all about.
Join the Boycott
Everyone Matters
Tim
http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/start
First, while I personally think DSRs is a good thing; it's implementation by eBay, once again, in the nicest possible way to put it: SUX!
It's completely arbitrary. How is it even a seller's fault if they charge actual shipping or less? And let's not get started on free shipping. That idea is meant not to increase pennies for eBay, but, to distract the medium to small powersellers; ie, anyone who is not a Diamond powerseller.
DSRs for s/h charges should be triggered ONLY when a seller charges a fee. Otherwise the seller has no control of the shipper's charges.
Same goes with ship times. DSRs for ship times should be prequalified with a question as to when the item was postmarked. (While this is not 100% it would certainly help offer some reality to the eBay botched system).
Second, I've received numerous complaints about how as a powerseller DSRs managed to drop when it comes to "payday" but, when they dropped out of the powerseller program, their DSRs managed to stay the same. This prompted suspicions of manipulation. Of course, we KNOW eBay would NEVER manipulate the system to increase or decrease money; would they? Isn't eBay the most trustworthy company? Afterall, John D goes to the media with all his honest explanations. And his mother loves him.
Hey, here's a bit of Preventive Maintenance, and it's guaranteed to not hurt your DSRs 100% of the time:
Dump eBay! If one does not sell on ebay, their DSRs will never decrease.
Instead, find a suitable alternative. Im big on onlineauction; but others have found success with Bonanzle, ebid, atomicmall, etsy, silkfair and so many others. But, if we stick together, we can continue to hurt ebay's bottomline. And, bottomline, that's what the ebay boycott has been and continues to be all about.
Join the Boycott
Everyone Matters
Tim
http://forums.delphiforums.com/boycottebay/start
There is no Feedback system for Buyers.
All Buyers are 100% Feedback.
Sellers, your customers, are at effect to the whims of a Buyer.
Having spent over 27 years in Financial sales, first on the CME Trading Floor selling to Money-Center Banks for Foreign Currency Clearning, then 20+ years as a Stock Broker finishing at Morgan Stanley, I CAN TELL YOU A TRANSACTION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL BOTH PARTIES HAVE CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTION (i.e. Receipt of item as describe in eBay listing).
It is naive or worse, dishonest to suggest otherwise. There are always malcontents and people who are not balanced. Seller's income is at risk by an unwarranted and non-accounted Buyer Feedback (and DSR). It is entirely arbitrary.
I am sad to see AUCTIVA say/post otherwise.
A Seller can give 100% professional Service, upgrades in Shipping, prompt and polite Follow-up and still suffer from a Negative.
The Deck is stacked against the Seller.
How does a Seller really know the Buyer's reliability?
How can a Seller know the true track-record of a Buyer?
I am personally distressed to see such a naive assumption.
We Sellers need to be treated with equal opportunity to conduct our Business on a safe and fair basis.
Ebay has taken that away from us.
All Buyers are 100% Feedback.
Sellers, your customers, are at effect to the whims of a Buyer.
Having spent over 27 years in Financial sales, first on the CME Trading Floor selling to Money-Center Banks for Foreign Currency Clearning, then 20+ years as a Stock Broker finishing at Morgan Stanley, I CAN TELL YOU A TRANSACTION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL BOTH PARTIES HAVE CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTION (i.e. Receipt of item as describe in eBay listing).
It is naive or worse, dishonest to suggest otherwise. There are always malcontents and people who are not balanced. Seller's income is at risk by an unwarranted and non-accounted Buyer Feedback (and DSR). It is entirely arbitrary.
I am sad to see AUCTIVA say/post otherwise.
A Seller can give 100% professional Service, upgrades in Shipping, prompt and polite Follow-up and still suffer from a Negative.
The Deck is stacked against the Seller.
How does a Seller really know the Buyer's reliability?
How can a Seller know the true track-record of a Buyer?
I am personally distressed to see such a naive assumption.
We Sellers need to be treated with equal opportunity to conduct our Business on a safe and fair basis.
Ebay has taken that away from us.
I once suggested that if eBay let its sellers leave feedback for their performance, they'd change the system back so fast it would be like doing the time warp again! The current system is akin to both the buyer and seller being given a gun, but only the buyer having any bullets. I've corresponded with enough sellers to know that, if another site like eBay came along, eBay would become the biggest ghost town on the Internet!
Hi, well I am newish to ebay, and very new to activa, it's a bit lame, but I agree with everything that has been said above. I am not a business seller, just a collector and not wealthy so when I sell it is to reinvest in my hobby. so my experience so far has been a bit dire. I feel that I have been charged for everything I do. from putting more than one photo, to the cost for listing, and if I have a bit of rare luck, getting hit by total value selling fee- from just about everbody who has their finger in the pie..I have only been selling for a few months before ebay put up their prices -- so joined 'auctiva' to save a bit of cash, as it seemed like I was going to alot of bother just to pay ebay and paypal.
I too have not really understood why I have not been getting five stars for everything,, as I have always posted within one day of selling and only charged what the post office charge me, do as much communicating as is humanly possible.! I have always found the advice from ebay and auctiva as to what I should do and how I should prostrate myself both condesending and unrealistic, obviously they are only sending out set notifications which are not going to be relavant to individuals.. so they should not bother.. I have been told by auctiva what a good deal I have had,,, getting everything for free for so long !!! well I haven't as I have only just joined, a month or so ago. so now I have to pay EBAY, PAYPAL and AUCTIVA.. well I am going to QUIT Auctiva, so will save there, if I stay with ebay will just do the one photo. just try and not give away as much as i can to these money grabbers.. "kentuckyrebel" has it right about another site to sell on.. 'HOW DO WE GET TOGETHER TO START ONE'? I have looked into both ebid and bonanzle, but they just don't get the people logging in to buy.. it's a hard one to fathom.... As regards to the feedback issue, just about the only thing you can do is tick the positive box then write what you like,, not much I know..
I too have not really understood why I have not been getting five stars for everything,, as I have always posted within one day of selling and only charged what the post office charge me, do as much communicating as is humanly possible.! I have always found the advice from ebay and auctiva as to what I should do and how I should prostrate myself both condesending and unrealistic, obviously they are only sending out set notifications which are not going to be relavant to individuals.. so they should not bother.. I have been told by auctiva what a good deal I have had,,, getting everything for free for so long !!! well I haven't as I have only just joined, a month or so ago. so now I have to pay EBAY, PAYPAL and AUCTIVA.. well I am going to QUIT Auctiva, so will save there, if I stay with ebay will just do the one photo. just try and not give away as much as i can to these money grabbers.. "kentuckyrebel" has it right about another site to sell on.. 'HOW DO WE GET TOGETHER TO START ONE'? I have looked into both ebid and bonanzle, but they just don't get the people logging in to buy.. it's a hard one to fathom.... As regards to the feedback issue, just about the only thing you can do is tick the positive box then write what you like,, not much I know..
I am making the move to my own website due to ebay and their feedback system. It is just a bunch of bull. I have read somewhere that, even if you do everything perfect, from start to finish, you still have little chance of getting 5 stars. Reason being - ebay has not properly put forth how damaging a 4 star is to the seller. In the buyer's mind, 4 is just as good as 5. And not everything is perfect. I spend ALOT of time in front of my computer. As soon as I get a sale, I get it ready. I have to drive to the post office charging only $1.05 (actual cost). So, as long as I get an order by 3:30, I can ship the same day. I answer emails just about right after the buyer hits send. But, across the board, I have 4.8.
I send a flyer with all my packages. Another seller gave it to me and encourages all sellers to make it their own.
Understanding eBay's New Feedback System
Did You Know?
If a seller receives more than a few Detailed Seller Ratings of less than 5 star, then they will be significantly penalized.
The Internet Merchants Association wants you to know this before you leave feedback for a seller.
You may think that you are leaving a reasonable rating by giving a seller DSR's of 4 star's, but eBay's feedback
system treats anything less than a 5 eBay feedback star's as sub-standard and penalizes sellers for DSR ratings that average under 4.60.
It would be normal for a buyer to assume that a rating of 4 star's is a good rating for the seller.
Unfortunately, the reality is that any rating lower than 5 star's can have a significant negative impact on sellers and the eBay community as a whole because eBay has structured the system to reward sellers with over a 4.5 average, and to penalize sellers with under a 4.5 average.
Yet from the wording of the allowed ratings a buyer would never know this and most would naturally assume that a 4 star rating is a very good rating. After all, staying in a 4 star resort is considered to be very good in the real world and 5 star resorts are rare (and extremely expensive).
If a seller has a 4.6 or lower rating, eBay will penalize that seller by charging them higher fees, and disadvantaging that seller’s items in search.
What does this mean to you, as a buyer?
Unfortunately, what this can mean is higher prices. The more fees eBay sellers pay, the more they must charge for their items. When a seller’s items are disadvantaged in search, sales slow and prices increase.
Sellers understand they must earn your positive feedback and want to hear from you if you feel that the transaction was less than a positive experience. We strongly encourage you to email the seller with any problem and allow them the opportunity to resolve your issue. The IMA believes that people are basically good and that most problems can be worked out amicably between the two parties.
A Note about the Two Shipping Stars:
Shipping and handling charges are the only star rating you know at the time of purchase, as the charges are specified upfront. It should be noted that sellers have little or no control over what the shipping carriers charge for transporting items. Some very large companies receive large discounts on shipping, but very few eBay sellers receive discounts. Please keep in mind that there is really no such thing as free shipping. It is paid to the shipping company by the seller, who must then incorporate this cost into their prices. Since the buyer is aware of the shipping and handling charges before purchasing the item, the most important points to consider when leaving a star rating for Shipping and Handling Charges are not the actual charges, but the following:
Did the seller:
1. Quote the shipping price in the original auction listing?
2. Ship using the method stated in the auction?
3. Pack the shipment safely, using appropriate packing materials?
4. Charge a reasonable shipping price, compared to other online sellers?
The answers to these questions should guide you toward the correct star rating.
Important Points to Consider when leaving a Star Rating for Shipping Time:
The most important consideration for the Shipping Time star is when was the item actually shipped, not when was the item delivered. This is particularly true for International orders, which are often delayed by Customs or Postal Inspectors upon entry into your country. You can easily assess when the package was shipped by the postmark or other similar date marking, and rate the seller based on this date, not the overall delivery date. If you require your item be expedited, we recommend contacting your seller before issuing payment. In many cases they can offer overnight or expedited shipping at an additional cost.
Final Comments:
Leaving a neutral or negative feedback, or leaving DSR scores of less than 5, is not the best way to get a seller to fix a problem since these ratings currently cannot be removed or changed. Once they are left, eBay recalculates the feedback percentage that represent this seller's reputation. Again, if you are having difficulties with the item you received, please give the seller the chance to make things right before leaving neutral or negative feedback, or a lower than 5 DSR rating.
Thanks for your kind patience & understanding. Once your item arrives in satisfactory condition, please leave positive feedback for us. We will do the same for you. Any problem, please feel free to contact us, we will try our best to resolve it.
I send a flyer with all my packages. Another seller gave it to me and encourages all sellers to make it their own.
Understanding eBay's New Feedback System
Did You Know?
If a seller receives more than a few Detailed Seller Ratings of less than 5 star, then they will be significantly penalized.
The Internet Merchants Association wants you to know this before you leave feedback for a seller.
You may think that you are leaving a reasonable rating by giving a seller DSR's of 4 star's, but eBay's feedback
system treats anything less than a 5 eBay feedback star's as sub-standard and penalizes sellers for DSR ratings that average under 4.60.
It would be normal for a buyer to assume that a rating of 4 star's is a good rating for the seller.
Unfortunately, the reality is that any rating lower than 5 star's can have a significant negative impact on sellers and the eBay community as a whole because eBay has structured the system to reward sellers with over a 4.5 average, and to penalize sellers with under a 4.5 average.
Yet from the wording of the allowed ratings a buyer would never know this and most would naturally assume that a 4 star rating is a very good rating. After all, staying in a 4 star resort is considered to be very good in the real world and 5 star resorts are rare (and extremely expensive).
If a seller has a 4.6 or lower rating, eBay will penalize that seller by charging them higher fees, and disadvantaging that seller’s items in search.
What does this mean to you, as a buyer?
Unfortunately, what this can mean is higher prices. The more fees eBay sellers pay, the more they must charge for their items. When a seller’s items are disadvantaged in search, sales slow and prices increase.
Sellers understand they must earn your positive feedback and want to hear from you if you feel that the transaction was less than a positive experience. We strongly encourage you to email the seller with any problem and allow them the opportunity to resolve your issue. The IMA believes that people are basically good and that most problems can be worked out amicably between the two parties.
A Note about the Two Shipping Stars:
Shipping and handling charges are the only star rating you know at the time of purchase, as the charges are specified upfront. It should be noted that sellers have little or no control over what the shipping carriers charge for transporting items. Some very large companies receive large discounts on shipping, but very few eBay sellers receive discounts. Please keep in mind that there is really no such thing as free shipping. It is paid to the shipping company by the seller, who must then incorporate this cost into their prices. Since the buyer is aware of the shipping and handling charges before purchasing the item, the most important points to consider when leaving a star rating for Shipping and Handling Charges are not the actual charges, but the following:
Did the seller:
1. Quote the shipping price in the original auction listing?
2. Ship using the method stated in the auction?
3. Pack the shipment safely, using appropriate packing materials?
4. Charge a reasonable shipping price, compared to other online sellers?
The answers to these questions should guide you toward the correct star rating.
Important Points to Consider when leaving a Star Rating for Shipping Time:
The most important consideration for the Shipping Time star is when was the item actually shipped, not when was the item delivered. This is particularly true for International orders, which are often delayed by Customs or Postal Inspectors upon entry into your country. You can easily assess when the package was shipped by the postmark or other similar date marking, and rate the seller based on this date, not the overall delivery date. If you require your item be expedited, we recommend contacting your seller before issuing payment. In many cases they can offer overnight or expedited shipping at an additional cost.
Final Comments:
Leaving a neutral or negative feedback, or leaving DSR scores of less than 5, is not the best way to get a seller to fix a problem since these ratings currently cannot be removed or changed. Once they are left, eBay recalculates the feedback percentage that represent this seller's reputation. Again, if you are having difficulties with the item you received, please give the seller the chance to make things right before leaving neutral or negative feedback, or a lower than 5 DSR rating.
Thanks for your kind patience & understanding. Once your item arrives in satisfactory condition, please leave positive feedback for us. We will do the same for you. Any problem, please feel free to contact us, we will try our best to resolve it.