is feedback finished?

[the-kazbar]

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?

[lakeedge]

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

[janeababe]

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...   😞

[chezzy]

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

[the-kazbar]

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

[janeababe]

.. 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.

[the-kazbar]

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?

[beach_and_home]

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.

[chezzy]

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....

[the-kazbar]

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'