eBay Feedback Improvement Idea - What Do You Think?
Hi gang,
So, since we all know now that the current war between eBay and their sellers centers around Feedback, I thought I’d throw this idea on the fire.
As a seller, what really upsets me about Feedback, when you peel away all the emotional and logical layers of how it works, it that my business can be seriously affected by some punk in Canada who bought an item, didn’t pay, then negged us when we reported him. Or by some newbie who doesn’t even understand the feedback system and how to use it.
eBay has placed an unbelievable amount of power in the buyers hands now - we can’t neg them, and they can literally determine whether or not we earn discounts, get seen in search, or have a business at all on eBay frankly.
So, what I think eBay should do is rebalance the power that buyers have.
I think most of you would agree that a feedback from a buyer with a lot of feedback - say 50 or more - can be more trusted than a feedback from a guy with 2 feedback. Newbie feedback ( < 10) just absolutely kills our business. These are good people who just don’t understand the system yet - they don’t understand what leaving bad feedback means, and they don’t understand that problems can be worked out before leaving feedback.
eBay needs to weight feedback from buyers based on their feedback number. In other words, feedback from an experienced buyer should have more importance on a sellers rating than from a newbie. I think this would empower eBays coveted experienced buyers, and will give a more realistic picture from all the newbies.
Leaving feedback should be earned now. Give the power to the people who know what they are doing.
Lay it on me - what do you think of this idea?
-Kevin
http://inflatablemadnessdvd.com
http://buybackmadness.com
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June 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
EBAY THINKS IT IS GOD!!!
June 26th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
You’re under the mistaken impression that Ebay CARES what happens to the (small) seller. They want to become an online MALL [full of high transaction sellers that sell lots of the same things] rather than the online FLEA MARKET [where buyers can rummage and find gems of items they can't find anywhere else from great mom & pops sellers] that made Ebay what endeared them to all. The new business model has all but said that word for word. They want to emulate Amazon where no feedback is left for buyers…only sellers.
Since Amazon is making so much money, Ebay is going from an
innovator [such as onine auctions and feedback] to a follower [let's do what they do]. When you follow after being so much of a leader, that’s normally a real death-knell for any outfit.
Watch for other changes turning Ebay into “Amazon II”. And since there is a successful AMAZON I, AMAZON II will become an afterthought to buyers instead of a true competitor with a different business model.
Ebay should truthfully discover what Amazon does WRONG and capitalize [improve on the buyer experience] on THOSE things rather than just copy what Amazon does RIGHT.
June 29th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Complete and utter waste of time, eBay does not have its ‘listening ears’ on. If you are determined to stay then get started implementing the twenty or so changes scheduled to be rolled out through the peak selling season.
Smart sellers will be implementing their exit strategy so they can actually sell something during peak season.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Kevin,
I am hoping you can respond to my emails.
I am still waiting (sent emails over the past two weeks) to try and get a response from you.
Hope to hear from you soon
July 16th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I was delighted to get my $2.99 back! - thanks for such a terrific transaction!