The New Feedback Math – Neutrals now equal Negative
Today, the “new” eBay feedback system was unveiled in Australia. The new eBay feedback system rolls out in the U.S. on May 19th.
eBay has been making sweeping changes, the sheer number of changes are making our head swim. And they are making all of these changes to “improve the buyer experience.” I’m curious how eBay’s new feedback system is going to improve the buyer experience when they begin counting neutrals in a manner which will decrease feedback percentages for everyone. Follow me for a minute with the following example:
U.S. Buyer current has 100 feedback – 99 of which are positive and 1 of which is a neutral. No negatives. Current feedback percentage is 100% but on May 19th, the buyer signs in to eBay.com and learns that his/her feedback has decreased to 99% because the neutrals now count as a feedback in the calculation of the percentage.
Of course this “new feedback math” was intended to lower the feedback percentages of all sellers but the unintended consequence is that buyers will also see their feedback scores decreased. So much for the new and improved eBay buyer experience.
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For U.S. Sellers – Want to know what your NEW feedback percentage score will look like on May 19th — when neutrals are counted as negatives?
Go to the eBay.com Australia website where the changes have already taken place ( www.ebay.com.au )
Do a search by seller ID and click on the feedback score number. You will see your new and improved percentage score. You can have 0 negatives but still be less than 100% (since neutrals will count against you).
Business as usual, you only have to look at Brian Burke’s explanation of how they decided feedback was retaliatory to see this bunch are clueless. There is a horrid fascination in watching just how idiotic eBay management is. How long would THEY last self-employed?
Henrietta
May 14, 2008
Since the changes were implemented we have witnessed a huge increase in timewasters, aborted sales, deliberate sabotage and blackmail. The eBay community of decent honest folk has been contaminated by individuals ranging from the deluded to the downright malicious.
We are cautious and principled traders, yet today we find ourselves restricted from selling by eBay because of feedback from individuals with whom we would not wish to trade. We have received 16 negatives in last 30 days (our highest ever) against 466 positives and ebay decide that we should not trade on ebay any longer. How is it fair that we are removed from ebay? They should base their decision on the overall picture that prior to the last 30 days we have a good history going back a number of years with no issues and take a look at some of the buyers we have traded with with no warning from other sellers as this is no longer allowed!! A lot of these neg givers are habitual neg givers but ebay do not see this and say it is OK for buyers to do this if they are not happy, the question begs to ask what will make these buyers happy? We did not have any prior warning from ebay just a phone call to say “Hi, this is Bert from ebay. I am ringing to let you know that your account has been restricted so you will not be able to buy or sell for 30 days”. Were we meant to say “Thanks for letting us know, goodbye”. After an hour of discussions with Bert and him stating that it was his decision prior to speaking with us with no chance of a defence from us. He did not even know that we had 748 items listed/removed until we told him.
Andrea Hackney
August 21, 2008