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?

[1sweetap6v8]

@the-kazbar

Sure I have ideas, plenty of them does not mean I want to share them for nothing or agree with those ideas that make no sense.

And I realise theres good and bad on both sides of the fence here.

I will share one little idea that DID work well before and made the buyer do the right thing more often than not.

It was called 3 strikes and your out. Simple effective and deserved for those who want to play I bid but dont want to pay game. after all if they dont want to pay there of no use anyway.

But with some modification. it would work like this 3 x 3.

Meaning if you get a NPB found against you 3 times your out for 3mths your name address and Ip banned,

Not for life like they originally did. Sure they can go rig a false one at a diferent location but its a hassel for them.

Then on there second chance if they get 3 strikes they then again are banned not for 3mths but 6mths.

Then on there 3 chance if they acquire 3 strikes there out again this time 12 mths no ifs or butts.

Then when its time for them to return they start all over agian 3 x 3 BUT with a difference.

Each purchase they make they pay a penalty tax on there purchase say 10 percent or a fixed gold coin fine as 10 percent on $2 purchase is useless. Thit would not go to ebay but would be pooled banked and collect interest and then to the victims of NPB not to pay for the item but to pay any costs they may have incured. eg: insertion fee,s that way you win as a seller and ebay still get there payment satisfying there hunger for funds but with real meaning.

And or it could be used to set up a true meaning full help desk that has a Australian ph no and a qualified australian ebayer savy employee.

They would pay this PENALTY tax for a period of time say 12mths.

That is just one small idea but hey im shore you,ll find something that your not happy with about it.

But I do know the old system did worry the buyer and the problem of NPB,s was alot less.

Sure you may say there wont be enough funds to do all that but you could start a help line part time.

The only exception would be if they had a genuine reason like say a death in the family but this is not going to happen 3 times now is it. But they would still have to either 1 pay any of the sellers costs eg: insertion fees as many I know use there freebies up, and a small donation to the helpline fund.

Sure this is just an idea and im sure you,ll all find problems with it but its an idea and can be tweeked to make a very healthy and effective ebay. Instead of the powers to be running of with all the funds we the people would supply our own help with our own money for those who need it. A true community spirit and with the people in mind not the share holders or owners.

Buy doing this you are not being unreasonable like it was before life ban that was eventually over turned and left everyone with a system that is flawed.

Now wheres your logical ideas that do not effect the way those who do the right thing with silly pop ups that would only encourge the good to switch off.

Cant wait for the replies to this one I should cop a good hiding . LOL

[davewil1964]

Will that stop the serial 'Why can't I vent and leave a negative?' sellers?

Doubtful.

Having said that, it might help the purveyors of auctions. So a possible viable improvement to the current system.

As I might have mentioned, I sell by BIN and NO buyer feedback/strike count/retraction count will assist me in vetting buyers. Blocking them on their invisible strike count does, though.

I have had 2 NPBs this week, which makes 4 in the last 18 months. That's life. I follow the processes and soldier on. And I suspect I'll sell both the relists in fairly short order. That's been the way of it, in my experience. The NPBs are on books that will sell anyway.

[davewil1964]

The only exception would be if they had a genuine reason like say a death in the family but this is not going to happen 3 times now is it.

How about if they're a newbie and come to the boards asking if they should pay by bank deposit into a Chinese account for a TV listed in Germany for 20% of what it's worth with free postage to Australia?

Which has happened and the buyer was advised strongly (even by sellers) not to pay.

Would this count towards your 3 strikes? Even though the overwhelming advice was to wear a NPB strike rather than gift money to a shonk?

Blanket solutions to complex issues rarely work.

[1sweetap6v8]

Oh forgot one thing, Each time they rejion ebay after there suspention they would pay a reentry fee say $5 which would also go to the fund.

But its not me you need to convince its ebay . And im sure these methods would curb NPB,s dramatically and does not stop them from being an ebay member for life.

Think of it like a speeding fine.

[davewil1964]

Given that eBay will NEVER do anything to discourage buyers, as they are their ultimate revenue source, I doubt eBay will ever implement anything remotely resembling that.

Much as some would like, it wouldn't be practical, and would pretty much spell eBay Australia's death knell. They probably are may be stupid, but I don't think they are that stupid.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I have a better idea, and it would be very easy for eBay to implement.  No need for displaying strikes, banning non-payers etc.

The current blocking system relies on sellers putting the non-payer block in place.  Many sellers, especially new sellers, are unaware of the blocks.

On the Sell Your Item page, instead of having a section that lets you choose to block those members with more than 1 strike, you have it that it automatically blocks those with more than 1 strike in the last 12 months.  Then, as you list, you get the option of:

- disabling the block,

- modifying the block to more than 1 in 6 months, or

- modifying the block to more than 1 in 1 month.

Sellers would still need to go through the UnPaid Item system when they have a non-payer, but, repeat non-payers with strikes would be blocked from every seller that leaves the block in place, and those that disable the block - well they have no grounds for complaining about non-payers.

[thecatspjs]

Having said that, it might help the purveyors of auctions. So a possible viable improvement to the current system.

Might also serve as a deterrent for some non-payers - though I admit the worst wouldn't be phased.

[davewil1964]

That would work

[thecatspjs]

The current blocking system relies on sellers putting the non-payer block in place.  Many sellers, especially new sellers, are unaware of the blocks.

The current blocking system also relies on ebay not removing unpaid strikes - and sadly it is just too easy to get an unpaid strike removed.

[thecatspjs]

phased fazed