Hey Helen, I truly feel your frustrations and good on ya for trying to be proactive and think of someway to challenge it. However, im dubious at best that anything a seller says will be taken on board or given a second thought.

eBays "Unsolicited Idea Submissions" sums up there stand point rather transparently.

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does not allow eBay to accept or consider ideas, suggestions, proposals or materials other than those eBay has specifically requested

 

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Doesn't mean we can't talk about it. Even if it's been covered before it's not inconveniencing anyone to talk about it again. Even if the naysayers insist its "flogging a dead horse" as they don't have to click in or continue reading. Trolls can't help themselves and try to have a field day with you. They try to lure you into an arguement. But trolls are like idiots and you know how the saying goes. You don't argue with them as they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Protesting  by not selling will only prove something to yourself as someone mentioned, sellers are a dime a dozen and 10 new sellers are lining up to take your place. It looks like your doing a good job of holding your status & store together but im sure its the defects under the dashboard thats really concerning you.

Ideas I have which would work but are largely unobtainable at this stage.

I think eBay would consider the current position of sellers is if there was sustained media attention that eBay considered detrimental. Im sure if I looked I would find a policy preventing any initiation of this kind.

Another way of course which has been tried and failed many times is to create a real competitor. Like Auspost, running a monopoly means you can largely direct the pricing and conditions to suit with out sustaining any meaningful resistance. As long as it stays within the law. But if you were a programming and marketing genius and managed to be the one who pulled it off, eBay would make you an offer you couldn't refuse to sell out and how could you resist heading to a sandy beach somewhere drinking cocktails with straw hats for the rest of your days. 

Also an idea which wears the tag of "Pigs Ass" is for a large group of buyers to get insensed at how there distant cousins(sellers) get treated and want to protest and drive change on our behalf. Buyers have been known to be groomed and appeased by the powers that be. But then I think back to my earlier "Unsolicited Idea Submissions" reference.

Obtainable mid term solution is to keep doing what you do best and play the game better than before. Keep your TRS status for as long as you can. Be smart, make good business decisions and continue to make a healthy profit. The idea of the seller getting rich & fat off of eBay is a sore subject for them demonstrated by the ever increasing strategies and low blows to slice more and more off of your pie.

Lastly it can't hurt to talk, especially if it helps to get it off your chest and move forward. Now watch how quickly they try to take my character apart for this 🙂

and have a good day!