topic Re: is feedback finished? in Selling

is feedback finished?

the-kazbar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:56 GMT

Each month less and less people bother to leave feedback.

ebay is more willing to remove feedback now than ever before.

Buyers can only receive positive.

Sellers with terrible feedback still get purchased from.

etc etc etc

It just doesn't seem to be as important as it once was and millions of people happily shop on websites, that have no feedback system, every day.

Has the usefulness of feedback, in its present state, had its run?

Personally I would like it changed to a transaction count for both buyers and sellers.

Buyers would rate a transaction (possibly with a rank out of 10) and the seller would receive an overall satisfaction rating garnered from an average of all rankings.

It would be quick and should be compulsory.

Buyers pages would show the average satisfaction rating left for others.

Buyers could opt out of seeing items in searches from sellers whose rankings fall below a set level and sellers could block buyers who left rankings below their desired level.

The comments can go altogether. Sellers would not rate buyers at all.

What do you think? Has feedback had its run? How would you change it?

Re: is feedback finished?

lakeedge — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:46:07 GMT

I realy don't know if f/back is finished but I do know that ebay is finished. My selling site has collapsed.

Re: is feedback finished?

janeababe — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:00:07 GMT

I have noticed that buyers are not leaving feedback as much now-a-days too. perhaps its got something to do with their mobile phone apps? Im not sure. I dont do mobile apps...lol

Regarding your suggestion about rating a transaction, how would making it compulsory, ensure that the buyer would leave a rating? many segments of ebay that are already compulsory, are often ignored ~ like the selling policies for instance!

I also have to agree with micasheen ^^ I think ebay's road is coming to an end. As postage costs are rising and rising, its becoming cheaper to go back to buying from a B & M store. Also, with Facebook Buy/Swap/Sell sites popping up everywhere, these are prooving the more favourable sites to sell. And its free!

Even these boards are hardly *worth it* anymore... 😞

Re: is feedback finished?

chezzy — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:03:46 GMT

I know there are folks not keen on the stars but I'd like to see a star/rating system for sellers AND buyers, I know I would find that more useful than feedback dialogue

Re: is feedback finished?

the-kazbar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:03:53 GMT

Regarding your suggestion about rating a transaction, how would making it compulsory, ensure that the buyer would leave a rating? many segments of ebay that are already compulsory, are often ignored ~ like the selling policies for instance!

ebay could set it so that a pop up screen comes up after say 30 days and the buyer would have to rate the transaction to continue

Re: is feedback finished?

janeababe — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:10:19 GMT

.. a pop up screen...

......................................how annoying. ;\

Only those who actually gave a F###, would fill it in honestly anyway.

It could still be manipulated, and could proove as an usatisfactory unit of measure, just as the current feedback system is now.

Re: is feedback finished?

the-kazbar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:14:03 GMT

thats the whole thought behind making it compulsory.

The rankings averaged over the whole would counteract the trouble makers and manipulators. By making it a one click rating between 1 & 10 would mean that it wouldn't be a huge ask or time consuming.

What would you do?

Re: is feedback finished?

beach_and_home — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:16:18 GMT

I think the feedback system is outdated and not necessary. I think ebay do it mainly to cover themselves, and not for any other reason. As they are somewhat responsible for all transactions that happen on their site, it is in their interest to make sure bad sellers are rated as such so that buyers can avoid problems. Any private website does not have feedback or ratings. And yet buyers use still use them. I guess the difference though is that anyone can open an ebay seller account in five minutes.

Re: is feedback finished?

chezzy — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:47:28 GMT

Private websites may not have feedback or ratings but believe it or not there are buyers who like to research and read 'reviews' before plonking down their hard-earned. How else is one suppose to find out the good and bad if some kind of feedback system does not exist? I know I count on reviews/feedback when I am looking to purchase certain items.....or planning a trip I go hang out in tripadvisor etc....

Re: is feedback finished?

the-kazbar — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:56:57 GMT

the problem with tripadvisor ratings is that anyone can leave a review, even if they haven't been somewhere or stayed there.

At least on ebay you need to have had a transaction with the person but by leaving it as voluntary, you are more likely to get people who are unhappy giving feedback, as a lot of poeple in uneventful transactions just move on to the next one.

You then get the problem of smaller sellers becoming discouraged and leaving the site which then reduces the variety and damages the 'buyer experience'

Re: is feedback finished?

kustomizer99 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:58:20 GMT

Ebay should have stayed the way it started out -- as a place to buy rare and/or interesting collectibles from around the world.... not mass-produced trash that thousands of people are all selling at the same time.

Re: is feedback finished?

chezzy — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:10:04 GMT

remembering the good ole days like me hey kustom-65?

Re: is feedback finished?

putney32 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:32:00 GMT

Ebay should have stayed the way it started out -- as a place to buy rare and/or interesting collectibles from around the world.... not mass-produced trash that thousands of people are all selling at the same time.

be that as it may kustom, eBay had to build their business, to offer their shareholders a return for their money.

I know as small time sellers we'd all like everything to be for free, sometimes forgetting eBay is a business

Re: is feedback finished?

2106greencat — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:05:40 GMT

thats the whole thought behind making it compulsory.

The rankings averaged over the whole would counteract the trouble makers and manipulators. By making it a one click rating between 1 & 10 would mean that it wouldn't be a huge ask or time consuming.

What would you do?

Problem being that it would annoy buyers (maybe enough for them to retaliate by leaving unfair FB). I know nothing annoys me more than the many eBay communications that I neither need nor want.

Re: is feedback finished?

lakeedge — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:08:03 GMT

be that as it may kustom, eBay had to build their business, to offer their shareholders a return for their money.

I know as small time sellers we'd all like everything to be for free, sometimes forgetting eBay is a business

Build their business? profit for shareholders? this greedy company has more money than God. They got even greedier & shot themselves in the foot. ebay is dying, many businesses are closing & if you want cheap carp then click on ebay.

As for the "free" insult to sellers X-(

As for f/back, I don't care any more, I've given up on ebay, they chop & change all the time & now they are ramping up their fees & charges to an obscene level. Aus Post has shot the goose that lays the golden egg as well.

I have had a business on here for 13 years & it has collapsed, finished, no longer viable.

Re: is feedback finished?

chezzy — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:36:34 GMT

A one-click rating wouldn't tell enough of a story for me. A seller might have wonderful products, well packed and quick to post but rip buyers off on postage. Or they might have bargain basement products but take forever to send them. I guess I like to know what I might be dealing with (of course the seller might have 100% positive feedback and I still get caught out). I still feel mostly the feedback helps me with buying.

Re: is feedback finished?

***super_nova*** — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:42:18 GMT

I think that FB for sellers is important. ebay is different to other on line business because many sellers are not registered business, which means they can take your money and run, and often do. FB does give buyers the chance to evaluate risk; just because the system is not perfect, does not mean it is not better than nothing. 🙂

Actually, I was just thinking that there should be some kind of rating system for on-line business. I am in this moment in middle of a drama; last week I ordered on line close to $200 worth of dog kibble. I found it bit cheaper than I normally get it for, delivered home and the website had this:

"we have the best prices, most reliable deliveries, and most responsive customer service team in Australia .............
The majority of our orders to metro areas placed before midday arrive the next day."

I was getting low, expected to run out by Monday, and before I drove the 10km to get more I looked if somebody else has it cheaper, and ordered last Thursday. When it did not arrive on Friday I asked them when should I expect it, and was told 1-3 business days. When it did not get here yesterday = Tuesday, I rang and was told they are out of stock and it should be here 'sometimes next week'. So I asked for cancellation and immediate refund to my PP account (it was paid from my PP balance). I am still waiting. Not to mention I had to race out to the shop, when I really had better things to do, so I have something to feed my dogs.

How I would like to see if other people have had problem with their 'next day' delivery and 'customer service' and would like to be able to rate them!!!

So in this moment I am down $200. which I would really like back in my PP account as there is something I just ordered from Germany, and would like to pay for from my PP balance, rather then having it taken out of my CC.

Re: is feedback finished?

digital*ghost — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:32:28 GMT

I always look for reviews of online sites - there are sites out there specifically for consumer reviews and you can rate / review anyone and/or anything. One bad review doesn't deter me, I look for consistency, and in particular, read between the lines to try and determine how the company dealt with the problem the customer is complaining about.

I also check their Facebook page (if they have one), to see how active they are and what customers are saying there. That saved me from a poor purchase decision last night, actually, as I found a site that had several things I was interested in buying, but their Facebook page made it clear the risk wasn't worth it. 😉

At this point in time, I think introducing a transaction count could be beneficial, though I'm not sure a single global rating out of 10 would work in practice. If you had a transaction count (for sellers), then I suppose maybe you could have a simple "satisfaction rate" as well, not out of ten, just a yes or no/ eg 1000 transactions, 995 satisfied, with optional reviews on the feedback page. (A bit like the comments you can enable on My World, but can only be left by customers).

Re: is feedback finished?

1sweetap6v8 — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:39:29 GMT

LOL Ive said all a long feedback is just a load of bull, It does not work how can it when it is manipulated constantly and ebay remove it not because the feedback was wrong but you made a small area elsewhere which gives shonky sellers an automatic out. Not only that the feedback can be and is on many occassions false anyway leaving potential buyers thinking that the seller is honest when they very well may not be. And then theres the buyer who leaves false negs just because of stupid reasons like you asked for FB here it is RED.

Or i didnt like it when i got it said it was only used once and has a scratch on it etc. So that is why feedback is a load of bull, You dont really have that good of an idea what there are really like.

There was a classic on here the other day, seller with 159 negs in less than 12mths but because he sold something like 6000 odd it had little effect on his feedback credentials (stars and percentage) And dave i know it all said it wasnt that bad really. LOL no its not if your not one of the 159 who were ripped god knows how many others never bothered giving him feedback or were before the 12mths that they only show that he took as well. Get the picture.?

And as far as ebay go there big dollar profits will now deminish slowly as they drive the very heart and soul of there business away. The person disposing of there no longer required goods.

They have concerntrated on big business advertising on there site and want more new products at buy it now prices to compete against larger retail chains. It wont really work and I suspect it will hurt them in the short term and you may see them revert back to what they once were once they finally work that out. But I doubt it there arrogance is astounding. And thats what gumtree is for, To move the small casual local home seller from ebay to there where they will not have to deal with as many individuals and claims and rorts and liars who clam they send stuff and as well as those who claim to have never recieved it or that it was in poor condition damaged etc. There simply thinking buy using ebay as a new items outlet from retail and wholesale chains that the products are less likely to cause them grief and that those chains will handle there individual customers complaints without it being ebays problem.

And the home sellers will be forced slowly but shorely to gumtree where it leaves most with no cover protection or comeback on the website owners EBAY. So basiclly the little sellers will have to sell locally and miss out on national coverage unless there willing to take the chance themselves with the sellers and buyers. But its a free world its there business let them do what they want.

Re: is feedback finished?

emeraldtarpon — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:40:45 GMT

"we have the best prices, most reliable deliveries, and most responsive customer service team in Australia .............

You're kidding right....you actually believed the above statement?

Do you not run a small business? You really SHOULD have realised that that statement is an outrageous claim to make...for any business - it's absolutely unrealistic.

Wow!