Small Sellers: Our Competitive Advantage

TWOn 05.12.2008 at 2:33 pm Said:

I am a PS. The DSR rating is so flawed I will get only 5% next month in spite of my exemplary feedback and effort. I got a positive feedback stating “Awesome Seller, better than described, A+++++” but they still dinged me on the shipping handling because the system is set for all small sellers to fail be they PS or not.

not a power sellerOn 05.12.2008 at 2:34 pm Said:

After almost 10 years on Ebay, close to 900 transaction, 100% feedback record and almost perfect DSRs I was saddended to see that Ebay does not consider me an established seller.

I think this is a very bad way to treat good customers.

MechelleOn 05.12.2008 at 11:06 pm Said:

I have been floored with the concept of established track record disregarding history - how can there not be an established track record for someone who has been selling on eBay for a decade? what is this concept? just because someone has been on eBay for a year and has made powerseller status does not guarantee anything. In fact that is a much lesser established record than a decade long selling member. 12 months is 12 months who cares if you can pump out enough products or sell products high enough to make powerseller in 12 months the question is are they more of a sure thing than a decade long seller? Who knows some yes & some no - but it should be pretty clear if a seller has been selling on eBay for a decade has integrity.

There should not be a question concerning their credibility- they spent 10- years demonstrating their character they should be celebrated not treated as though they are last YEAR’S trash. Actually someone who 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 years - the fact is these protections should be applied to everyone until a seller demonstrates a lack of character. Not given to some people who are powersellers (please remember it only takes a 1000 a month) if they have been on eBay for 12 months regardless of their credibility. You don’t have to be a descent person to be a powerseller you just have to sell to a minimum set by eBay. This can be done by sellers who are nothing but a scab in the marketplace.

The ColonelOn 05.12.2008 at 11:44 pm Said:

Perhaps they should revamp the powerseller program and maybe call it something like Trusted Seller.

And use quality as a criteria rather than sheer volume.

MechelleOn 05.13.2008 at 12:59 am Said:

Yes, that would be more appropriate if they are assigning benefits in the name of credibility.

Though we should acknowledge their consistency - they did bring on Buy- for the purpose of creating the “better buying experience”.

SandiOn 05.13.2008 at 2:15 am Said:

Perhaps they should revamp the powerseller program and maybe call it something like Trusted Seller.

Let the lawsuits begin if they do that:-)

My one bad buying experience was with a power seller. He had excellent feedback when I purchased and paid. I knew they would be shipped media mail, so did not contact him regarding shipping for 30 days.

He responded one day after, claimed he had been hit by a drunk driver and just fresh out of hospital, my order fell through the cracks but he would ship that day.

I said, so very sorry, no problem, I can be patient.

Day 44, I filed an INR with paypal after I sent the seller an email saying I just filed it because of the 45 day window, that I know media mail is slow, I have no intentions of esculating the dispute.

Seller emailed and said they should be there, but thanked me for my patience. He was racking of negative feedback from buyers whose feedback were all complaining they were out money and never got item - because ebay does not educate their buyers properly.

Date came where I either had to esculate or close, no books, so I esculate, seller has not responded to my last email either. I end up going the entire Paypal thing and get a refund (so at least the seller had no cleaned out his paypal account).

Day after Paypal gives me refund I get a 5×7 envelope in the mail with a sticker from USPS saying they received it damaged. Envelope was from said seller, envelope was empty.

Now normally I would have contacted the seller and come up with a fair/reasonable solution - but I had bought 7 or 8 hardback books from him - one of them would never have fit in the envelope.

This seller would have been considered “a seller with a proven track record” or a “trusted seller” - if ebay had called him a trusted seller, I would have blamed them equally with the seller.

The seller really did have great feedback before all this happened, a long time history. I suspect something really did happen in his life. I left no feedback, I had gotten my money, it wasn’t a “fun” expereince, but I understand sometimes life just gets in the way of the best intentions.

Now if I bought a designer purse from the Chinese power seller, I would wonder where ebay was - and I would blame them, I would think ebay was full of crooks running rampant.

But back to my seller, how many of those other buyers who got stuck like me left ebay never to return? Not simply because it happened - but their perception was that feedback was their only tool.

If ebay was educating their buyers, even when things go wrong, they could turn a bad experience into “well ok, sometimes it goes wrong, but I just lost some time”

But instead, ebay is publically confirming their impression all the sellers on ebay are crooks.

SandiOn 05.13.2008 at 2:21 am Said:

their buyers

I said it that way on purpose, afterall IF they are their buyers as they claim - the education of buyers falls smack on ebay’s shoulders, not the sellers.

Now if ebay is saying it is up to sellers to educate regarding DSRs, etc - they ebay needs to clearly state, the buyer’s are the seller’s customers - not ebay’s.

In this instance, I believe ebay has the power role in educating buyers - it’s their service buyers use to pay - calling it a “safe payment” isn’t making it safe, educating buyers before they make their very first purchase on ebay is what the term “safe payment” really means.

LisaOn 05.13.2008 at 5:21 am Said:

Folks, don’t mean to change the subject but check out the Ebay Feedback Forum link: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000566659&tstart=0&mod=1210680499149

The feedback changes were implemented in Austraila on 5-12-08. When a buyer tries to leave a positive feedback, this message popa up: “Important Changes to Feedback: “Buyers, you can no longer receive negative or neutral feedback from sellers~You should leave honest and accurate feedback without the fear of receiving negative or neutral ratings.”

This message comes up when you opt to leave positive feedback. It’s clear Ebay wants sellers to be negged. This is incredible! What more can they do before we all finally get it. We’re not wanted. Time to move on. Let’s get behind these newer sites and help them grow so we can go back to working and making money without all the stress and drama Ebay is creating. Ebay is being run by lost souls, without any morals, integrity or heart. Let them wander…ALONE.

PermacrisisOn 05.13.2008 at 8:17 am Said:

Regardless of what ‘Soren Lorensen’ says, remember back to the DSR mismatch issue when they made it OUR job to educate the buyers that the star system was broken.

I am now seeing this at Walmart, as I’m running my card thru it asks “was cashier polite” or some other, snitchy question.

Why should the buyers get dragged into the middle of, what ebay is clearly setting up as a huge labor dispute?

Mark ClassicOn 05.13.2008 at 9:00 am Said:

@ Tbebrewsnews

If you click in the box for BUY on each negative you cannot bring up the negatives all on one page.

This is not the case for any other seller.

This is the box at the top left of the feedback page, with the summary.

So you cannot view all the negatives at once.

Why?

Is my question

Mark

TheBrewsNewsOn 05.13.2008 at 9:31 am Said:

@Mark

Currently, on the eBay.com website I am not able to view a page of all negatives for ANY seller or buyer. However…..

Go to the eBay.com Australia website where the changes have already taken place ( http://www.ebay.com.au )

Do a search by seller ID (such as BUY )and click on the feedback score number.

The ” Buy ” seller’s information is reported the same as any other seller; I am able to click on the negatives or neutrals NUMBER and then see their summary page of ONLY negatives or ONLY neutrals.

I see no difference in the reporting of Buy ’s feedback numbers either on the eBay.com site (where no one’s numbers are currently clickable) or on the eBay.com.au site (where everyone’s numbers are clickable).

Patricia1On 05.13.2008 at 9:50 am Said:

Lisa - I’m at one particular new site that’s really up and coming. Sellers are grouping together and pulling in as many of their buyers as they can. We made ebay what they are - we brought the buyers - we ketp the buyers on that site - don’t leave them behind when you go. Do whatever you can to urge them to follow you - that and that alone is what will make other sites successful and good alternatives. Don’t let ebay keep YOUR buyers - let them get their own!

TWOn 05.13.2008 at 11:05 am Said:

Hey Patricia

Want to hint at what site that is? I have checked out quite a few other sites and have not found a fit for my items.

Patricia1On 05.13.2008 at 11:07 am Said:

This one is a fit only because its chock full of ebay refugees and we help each other. Think mexican cheer

TWOn 05.13.2008 at 12:06 pm Said:

Ahhh Si!