when is ebay going to realise that DSR may be unfairly misleading?

[sewcilla]

I get glowing, positive comments but somehow have only managed 4.9 for my first 3 stars and (gasp) 4.8 for postage and handling.

I stand by what I sell as I describe it honestly and accurately.

I answer the rare questions I get politely and, again, honestly.

I live down the road from the post office and everything I sell is dispatched within 24 hours ( except for Sunday because the PO is closed).

I only charge what Australia Post charges me and I pack everything ever so carefully.

I do not know what else I can do...

I have come to the conclusion that some people never give 5 out of 5 for whatever reason and when they comment on postage and handling they are critising Australia Post, not me.

What a flawed system!!!

[digital*ghost]

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@sewcilla wrote:

 I don't think it is a 'secret' to anyone that the DSR are hugely subjective, so why hasn't Ebay ditched them long ago? Who are the DSR suppose to be helping?

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It's possible the DSRs are doing exactly what ebay want them to do - consider why eBay made them cause defects at all. Defects are invisible to buyers, or - indeed - any other members at all, so they are there to prompt the seller towards something (JMHO). eBay suggests that if you are getting lower ratings, it shows you areas where you can improve.

Sellers are the ones who pay the most attention to things like that, because we're the one's being rated, and the system inspires (if not perpetuates) the thought that we (as sellers) can do something to influence the outcome, which is only true to a certain degree. If ebay puts something in place where a seller measures what buyers think against what they (the seller) thinks, it becomes a game of "what am I doing wrong, what can I do to increase my ratings?", and because ultimately no one can definitively change the way an individual will rate a seller, or what criteria those buyers personally use, it's a neverending game, unless you play it the way eBay design it - i.e. a game that leaves sellers potentially more susceptible to other suggestions - eg, want auto-5 stars for at least half the ratings? Have a 0-1 day handling time, use tracking on all orders, and list with free postage. 

They frame it in a way that makes you think you're listening to your buyers if you make these kinds of changes... But you can generally consider the odd low rating, that isn't accompanied by genuine feedback from someone (be it actual feedback, a case, a message, or whatever), to be largely a small voice in a crowded room that's not saying much of anything at all. 

[countessalmirena]

I have an image of confused protesting cattle being herded relentlessly into one particular paddock, and a hock-nipping heeler who answers to the name of "Deezie" (short for DSR). And faintly is heard the voice of a lean commanding figure on horseback: "Good boy, Deezie!"

[digital*ghost]

I think there's a pack of 'em - Deezie, Bestie (best match), Garter (guaranteed delivery / late shipment defects), and Promo, (promoted listings - paying more for advertising on the site you pay to advertise on, which IMHO is to eBay's pack what Ed was to the hyenas in the Lion King (spoiler below)).  I sometimes wonder if I've gotten too cynical, because I often interpret thes kinds of initiatives as little more than manipulative distractions (maybe that just says something about me  ).

I feel the same way about Best Match, promoted listings, and on other sites things like relevancy and tags - it's a way for sellers to blame themselves for whatever it is that is or isn't happening, think about what they are (or are not) doing, and keeps them busy, rather than questioning the actions and initiatives of the site itself.

[davewil1964]

I have 3 day handling, only track half my sales, and the other half are the ones that have 'free' postage.

So none of my items can have auto-5 stars.

Occasionally I will dip below 5 (4.951 actually) on one or the other, but it soon comes back. If I got feedback for more than 30% of my sales it might be different.

Either way, I have no incentive, nor feel any pressure, to change my business model.

'Top tips', 'Hot items' and all the other garbage eBay send me along those lines go straight to the bin.

[brerrabbit585]

I feel the same way about Best Match, promoted listings, and on other sites things like relevancy and tags - it's a way for sellers to blame themselves for whatever it is that is or isn't happening, think about what they are (or are not) doing, and keeps them busy, rather than questioning the actions and initiatives of the site itself.

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I think you've hit the nail on the head, especially about it keeping us busy and having no time to really analyse things properly.  Too many sellers break the rules and get away with it, and they get favoured by ebay, but they (ebay) don't want us to know that so they're always changing things so that we waste our time on things that shouldn't need doing at all. 

If it was a level playing field like it used to be, bad sellers wouldn't get the sales because of their feedback and good sellers would get the sales, so it'd be worth the effort to be a good seller.  Now we're told we're supposed to constantly 'tweak our listings' as though that's somehow going to make things sell, but if it was like it was before our items would be seen and we could sell enough that we could put a lot more of our time into selling, and thus make heaps more money for ebay.

I honestly don't think that the people who make all the decisions at ebay would succeed in a real business because they've never had any hands on experience with selling.  If they had, they would run things quite differently.

On the other E site I spent HOURS reading up on SEO and mostly it was a waste of time.  I did learn a bit but I could have learnt that part in ten minutes.  The rest was just in relation to how the site was set up, and to get views and sales you had to be prepared to spend hours looking at and favouriting everyone else's listings.  I think it was all designed to earn them more fees for promoted ads and I won't be surprised if ebay are gradually leading up to that too.

[sewcilla]

You are absolutely right.

In addition, Ebay estimates the arrival time of the goods based on the handling time. If I put 1 day handling time then Ebay nominates an ETA which is impossible for me to meet because I post from a regional country town. It is worse if I am posting from my country town to another country town.

When it is all said and done, I am confident that my items are as described and I do everything to get them to the purchaser in a timely manner. After that, I don't care whether buyers leave feedback or not.