The eBay feedback system as we know it will be a thing of the past starting May, 2008. Sellers will no longer be able to leave neutral or negative feedback for buyers. Nothing will change the way buyers leave feedback for sellers.
This change has been a hot topic on eBay forums and groups today following this announcement. Many sellers think the new policy is completely unfair and and they are already organizing formal attempts to protest the change. I think if sellers take a deep breath and carefully read over the changes in detail, this change really isn't that scary. Read on for points to consider.
1) The general idea behind this change is to eliminate sellers who are not responsive to customers, do not honor their policies, run a sloppy or unethical business in general, or who use feedback as a weapon to prevent buyers from leaving negative feedback. This practice is known as feedback extortion.
2) If a buyer has left a neutral or negative for a seller, then doesn't pay, the seller can still file an unpaid item dispute. If the buyer doesn't respond, the neutral or negative left by the unresponsive buyer will be removed. In other words, if you've got a real deadbeat buyer, he won't last very long on eBay arbitrarily leaving 
negatives for sellers, and not paying for his items.
3) If a buyer is suspended, all of his neutrals or negatives left for sellers will be removed. Same concept as #2.
4) Negative or neutrals cannot be left until 3 days after the transaction. eBay hopes that this will improve communications between the buyer and seller, and encourage them to work out their differences. Somewhat of a cooling off period.
5) Feedback must be left within 60 days instead of 90 days.
6) Feedback percentage will be based on the previous 12 months According to eBay announcements, "This means that any negative or neutral feedback left for you more than 12 months ago will no longer affect your percent positive."
Bottom line: I think the new system will help weed out unscrupulous sellers who use feedback as a weapon, or who probably shouldn't be selling on eBay at all for their lack of customer service skills. If you're doing everything right as a seller, you don't have anything to worry about.
How many of you routinely leave negatives or neutrals for your buyers? Will this change affect you on a regular basis, or just occasionally?
I know I've never left a negative or neutral feedback ever, that may change after this week, as I've had an unresponsive buyer but I come from old school ebay when a negative could kill you and unless I have zero communication and non payment I really don't feel it is necessary.
I always try to work things out verbally but have found buyers and sellers less and less likely to do that as time goes on...
Posted by: brit | January 29, 2008 11:32 PM | Permalink to Comment