topic Detailed Seller Ratings in Selling

Detailed Seller Ratings

boomerangent — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 09:51:34 GMT

Hi all, I am assuming that this has been discussed before but here goes. I was recently informed that I lost my top-rated seller status due to a couple of low DSR. This annoys me, as there is no way to challenge this despite being at 100% positive feedback and nearing the 1,000 fb mark. Also particularly annoying is the fact that I have a couple of low DSR relating to communication and postage time. Now I always ensure that I send a message to each buyer thanking then for the purchase and telling them when shipping will occur (in most cases same or next day). If only I could find out who left these low ratings so that I can investigate and get an understanding as to why (so that I can change anything in the future etc). It is also quite frustrating that less than 10 low DSRs out of hundreds of transactions can hurt you like this !

Anyway not much can be done about it I suppose 😞

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

tstore — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:07:03 GMT

With regard to communication, I stopped this a few months ago after I noticed it was my lowest DSR score - it has since rebounded. I used to be like you, sending a thank you message after shipping it.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

davewil1964 — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:22:03 GMT

An automatic 5 if there is NO communication.

Give up the thank you's. Most buyers wouldn't appreciate them and it leaves you open to low stars. Maybe your buyers' don't need an affirmation?

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

bigbrickshop — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:38:37 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
An automatic 5 if there is NO communication.

Give up the thank you's. Most buyers wouldn't appreciate them and it leaves you open to low stars. Maybe your buyers' don't need an affirmation?

An automatic 5 stars for communication only if the handling time in the listing is same day or one day AND tracking is uploaded within one working day after payment is received AND the item is paid for using PayPal AND no communication took place between the buyer and seller in the 14 days prior to the transaction and up until the point that Feedback was left.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

davewil1964 — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:49:42 GMT

Like I said

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

boomerangent — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:25:12 GMT

Really ? Automatic 5 stars for no communication ? That doesn't make sense, I would have thought no communication would be 0 stars

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

bigbrickshop — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:31:02 GMT

@boomerangent wrote:
Really ? Automatic 5 stars for no communication ? That doesn't make sense, I would have thought no communication would be 0 stars

Only on eBay!

And actually sellers would prefer to receive a rating of 0 stars than 1 or 2 stars.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

phorum_junkie* — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:46:21 GMT

Now I always ensure that I send a message to each buyer thanking then for the purchase and telling them when shipping will occur (in most cases same or next day)

Why? If you have a post within X days policy then that is what the buyer will expect, having received an item purchased email from ebay and a reminder after 48 hours if they haven't paid before then why would you want to clutter up a member's in box with an unecessary emails. Please don't tell me you also send an invoice and an extra email to say you have posted!

I hope ebay brought in the 5 stars for no contact to stop buyers having to be subjected to an overload of messages.

I receive an item purchased email and I receive an item posted email as long as the seller marks it as posted and those are the only emails I want to receive. If I could turn them off I would!

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

davewil1964 — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:54:07 GMT

@boomerangent wrote:
Really ? Automatic 5 stars for no communication ? That doesn't make sense, I would have thought no communication would be 0 stars

It means that there were no issues. No issues = no need for communication. Perfectly reasonable, if you subscribe to the eBay paradigm where 4.4 out of 5 is marginally bad. Which as an eBay seller you had better do.

Most places that allow a ranking out of 5 recognise a 3 as acceptable. In fact Goodread's ratings are 5 - Excellent, 4 - I loved It, 3 - I liked it, 2 - It Was Ok, 1 - I Didn't Like It, 0 - I hated it. So on their scale 3 is pretty good. Here 4.40 (60% 4 ratings) is a recipe for disaster.

Which is why sellers seem to be obsessed with 5 stars.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

boomerangent — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:03:15 GMT

Just thought it was a courtesy thing to let the buyer know that everything is good and item will be posted - the personal touch if you may instead of just the eBay generated message. Usually it's just a quick 2 line email followed by marking the item as posted (when it is sent). A fair few buyers even respond with a quick message to say thanks for the email and letting me know. Would be a shame if I had to stop this in the name of DSRs

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

tstore — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:05:42 GMT

Actually, since stopping sending out thank you messages, my communcation DSR increased!

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

thecatspjs — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:27:48 GMT

I don't send a message, unless I have to clarify something about the sale.

I do try to ensure that I leave feedback before buyer leaves feedback for me and that in the feedback I leave I confirm actual post date sent and I post within the timeframe required for automatic five and upload tracking details.

My communication DSRs are at a consistent five - so I am going to keep on doing what I am doing.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

jfmgray — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:22:54 GMT

I send one message confirming that payment has been received and the item has been posted. Many buyers thank me for letting them know. I have DSR of 5 for communication over 13000 sales.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

springyzone — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:54:56 GMT

Dave, I think you are exactly right.

In my experience, on any survey you care to name, it isn't often most people will mark the extremes.

Even if they liked something, they would often give it a 4 out of 5 and would never realise that was any problem.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

pinktoedannie — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:11:04 GMT

I will be repeating myself here, but I maintain the star ratings should be a buying guide only, not a hidden demotion system.

Just recently I received one star for 'item as described' from a buyer who didn't read the description, on an item they won for less than $2. Not only did it have what it was in the title, it was also written in the description and pictured. I have no idea how they got it wrong. They also marked me one star on postage, although it was posted within 12 hours of payment and she received it three days later. Yet because they are supposed to be 'anonymous' I can't even mention it or get it removed.

It irritates me that someone who can't be bothered to read the description or look at the pictures can actually have an affect on my standing with ebay. And consequently my income. Stupid system.

Re: Detailed Seller Ratings

danemoderne — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 03:50:49 GMT

"I’ve heard from a number of sellers that their DSRs as off 31st of July has mysteriously improved overnight with a sprinkling of low 1 or 2 star ratings disappearing. Suddenly from being in danger of losing TRS they’re safe, or for sellers who don’t qualify for TRS suddenly they’re very close to hitting the level required.

Now it appears it’s an official eBay program which is actively searching for low DSR scores that appear unfair, and removing them. On a thread on the Business Seller board a seller reports their dashboard displaying “Your seller performance level has been adjusted. Your seller performance level has been adjusted in your favor. Because your low detailed seller ratings (DSRs) were from a small number of buyers and these ratings were inconsistent with your performance history, they did not count in your current evaluation.”

eBay are proactively looking for checking for malicious DSRs to address the “one buyer can take me down” concern that many sellers have. Interestingly eBay told us that “In those cases, the Feedback is not removed – we reduce the impact of the low DSRs from those few buyers so that a single buyer does not have an undue impact on a seller”.

DSRs, especially due to their anonymity, are the hardest form of feedback eBay sellers have ever had to manage. Probably the only thing that comes close is from the very early days of eBay when you could leave feedback for members with whom you hadn’t even transacted.

As sellers are in the main unable even to identify which buyers have left them low DSR scores it’s reassuring that eBay are actively managing feedback on seller’s behalf. It’s even more reassuring to keep hearing from sellers who have benefited from DSR adjustments. If you believe you’ve received some unfairly low DSRs get in touch with support and ask them to take a look at your scores and ask if there is a case for them to be adjusted"