The Failure of the eBay DSR System
The eBay seller’s Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) are the measurements used by eBay to determine:
1. if an eBay seller is eligible to sell on eBay (eBay considers buyers who leave 1 or 2 rating for any DSR to be dissatisfied and a seller with a high dissatisfaction rate is restricted from selling)
2. where an eBay seller’s items appear in the search results (poor customer satisfaction results in a seller’s items appearing lowering in the search than other sellers’ items)
3. whether Powersellers receive any discount on their seller fees (good DSRs result in credits).
Given the extreme importance of DSRs to sellers, it would seem only logical that eBay would take great care to correctly calculate and report DSRs. After all, the DSRs have a direct financial effect on a seller’s account. High DSRs mean greater exposure in the searches which leads to more and better sales and high DSRs mean discounts on seller fees.
But do eBay sellers trust eBay to report “the truth”? The answer is No. eBay has a history of being secretive, dishonest, and vindictive toward eBay sellers. The eBay community boards are filled with sellers who are showing screenshots of their DSRs and how they dip dramatically for only one day, the very day that eBay calculates the FVF credits based on that one day’s DSR ratings. Sometimes the dip is only for a few hours and the change in DSRs are extreme making it unbelievable that there could be such an impact that causes a significant DSR change for only a few hours or only a day. These sellers are calling Powerseller Support and are being told that there are no plans for eBay to change how they calculate or report DSR ratings and that sellers should just accept what they receive for a discount, if any.
eBay sellers are frustrated about DSRs for many reasons but one of the biggest complaints about DSRs is that they are calculated in a void so that sellers cannot double-check eBay’s accuracy in reporting. eBay sellers receive no information about the ratings that make up the final score. eBay doesn’t tell sellers if buyers are reporting any 1s or 2s so sellers don’t know if there are dissatisfied buyers and if there are dissatisfied buyers, sellers don’t know whether there is a pattern such as international buyers leaving lower ratings or buyers of a certain widget are leaving lower DSRs. If the seller had detailed information, they could consider taking action. As it is, no news is confusing and frustrating and therefore leads to a lack of integrity in the overall reporting system.
Given the high number of eBay glitches that sellers can actually confirm and report, it is possible and even very likely that there are glitches in the eBay DSR reporting system. While eBay Powersellers have been taking screenshots to show the mysterious “one-day dips”, their screenshots cannot be used as proof positive because sellers simply are not given the data from eBay to prove or disprove the numbers. However, this morning I did find proof positive that the eBay DSR reporting system is inaccurate in its reporting at least in this one seller’s case.
One Powersellers 12-month DSRs are shown in the feedback profile as:
4.8
4.9
4.9
4.8
However, this particular seller’s 30-day DSR shows the following DSR ratings:
4.99
5.00
5.07
5.11
See actual screenshot below (used with the seller’s permission):
Given that the highest possible DSR rating buyers are allowed to give is a 5, then it would be mathematically impossible for the average to exceed 5.0 but yet the eBay DSRs for this buyer show two DSR ratings above 5.0
Given that sellers can no longer leave unfavorable feedback for buyers, why does eBay still insist on keeping the DSR reporting anonymous? Could it be that eBay wants the ability to “adjust” upward the DSR ratings for certain sellers such as Buy.com? Could it be that eBay wants the flexibility to “adjust” downward the DSR ratings for sellers who are vocal in their criticism of eBay or to save on the discounts awards to Powersellers?
The significant number of eBay and Paypal glitches occurring daily combined with the failure of eBay’s anonymous DSR reporting system contribute further to eBay’s overall decline. eBay’s actions in this regard are not improving the buyer’s experience. eBay is instead directly causing good sellers to further distrust buyers overall, even the very good buyers. eBay sellers are being punished based on buyer’s anonymous ratings which are not even being accurately calculated and reported by eBay. I’m just not sure how much longer most sellers can withstand the abuse. It is one thing for eBay to want sellers to improve buyer satisfaction. It is entirely another matter for eBay to inaccurately report numbers that are meaningless in the first place because of the lack of detail available for the sellers to know where improvement is even possible.
TheBrewsNews 
Check out the latest eBay search disaster that started on July 31 at this forum started by eBay.
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=2000611551&start=0
alan
August 9, 2008
One good thing about DSR is that i finaly got my butt moving and started putting listings on blujay,ebid,overstoc,ioffer, etsy & ebid.
I also got shaking and fixed my ecrater store and closed my ebay store and decided that money would be better spent on etsy..
Thats the one good thing about DSR it got me motivated to move away from ebay
Rob
24hourbusinesscards.net
Robert
August 9, 2008
Does Raised Standing, versus Standard Standing, really impact the seach placement? My own “tests” reveal that there is absolutely no difference. None.
This is just another lie, of a string of many, that eBay wants Sellers to believe.
RJ
August 9, 2008
Failure of the DSR system? Not hardly. I’d be willing to bet that it’s working just as it was designed to work. The screwing of the small eBay merchant is NOT a failure or an accident.
I NARU’d myself several months ago. I don’t sell there anymore, and I don’t buy there anymore.
TX CHL Instructor
August 10, 2008
I left eBay in March ahead of all the changes.I am now at Blujay.com, with a supporting website.Business is better than it was an eBay ,and I suspect that eBay made my business drop. My searches of my products showed up less often in my last few months there. I’m getting more hits and sales since I left. This tells me that eBay has been manipuating the searches ,and not in my favor. My profit has doubled as I am paying much less in overhead,and,I no longer have to sweat the feedback issue.At blujay ,there is none,and it doesn’t seem to worry my buyers one bit. With noi fees there I’m not out any money if my buyer doesn’t pay either. I’m glad I left,Blujay has been good to me with zero fees.Can’t beat that.
Protomodels
August 10, 2008
The US Government needs to look into this company’s actions and business dealings in a big way. Its stock is traded on a major exchange making it open to even more investigation of its business dealings. PayPal is more like a bank then people think. Then my old favorite is the class action law suite us sellers need to bring making them be way more accountable.
spudink
August 10, 2008
Mine took a plunge yesterday but I have received no negative feedback in the past week?? Could buyers giving positive feedback be leaving terrible DSRs? Just checked My Ebay and Seller Dashboard is no longer available. Makes ya wonder.
1stvideo
August 10, 2008
While the other websites may not have the clout, at least at present of ebay, they are somewhat easier to deal with. Since I have been unlisting my 15k items, now done to 3000 since the changeover, I have stopped using Ebay, stopped buying there (sorry you sellers I used to use regularly) and will shortly be totally gone. Course so will they in the long run, as the numerous debacles of DSR, no feedback, bad listings, lies, obfuscation and a continued history of mad CEO’s …(what the hell do they teach at business schools?), ebay will be a distant memory whether we like it or not…so lying DSR’s par for the freaking course for these meglomaniacs….
Russ Ketter
August 10, 2008
Ebay is NOT getting the message, after 2-3 months of dwindling seller numbers (especially in the collectibles segments that Ebay built its business on originally), and sagging stock prices (not sure how Ebay’s managed to stay over $25 for this long). Ebay has remained steadfast in its commitment to self-destruction.
I have emailed them, getting canned paragraphs copied and pasted into a letter in return to try to make me think they have a thoughtful customer service rep on the case. But they just don’t get it. I really don’t understand why they can’t pursue whatever path they choose with their apparant fascination with being like Wal-Mart or Amazon, and just leave the rest of us alone in the true auction format. I have personally moved my operation to OnlineAuction.com. There are glitches there now and then but they aren’t caused by dishonesty or idiocy..just growing pains as more and more sellers (and hopefully buyers) find their way over. Even with a glitch now and again, it’s certainly no worse than Ebay’s site, which is constantly causing problems for its users. The least of which is exceedingly-high fees and crippling seller policies.
Tennessee_Time
August 11, 2008
I am at the top of the Chart everywhere but get the Lowest Level of the Search Standing! What the hell is wrong with this picture?
RC Vickerman
August 16, 2008
It should be clear, I am a wholesaler and not a good writer or a stock expert, but I have a first hand inside look having been a powerseller almost from e bay start, for over 10 years, 1.7 million per year sales and account for $156,000 paid to e bay per year for seller fees, this is the bases in which e bay shows profit or loss in a great way for there core business, this does not account for paypal fees charged, seller manager pro, e bay stores. Buyers and sellers are leaving e bay, this can be proved by http://www.sellerdome.com
It is interesting how the 1500 employee lay off received so much attention, however, OVER 10% of total powersellers were laid off/suspended because of flawed aggressive policy poorly implemented has not had a placement. This is proved by:
http://blog.sellerdome.com/?p=16
This study shows that between 15k-30K e bay powersellers who account for $3000-$20,000 in seller fees paid to e bay each month from sellers. This is the only company separating itself from its long time customers, many, like myself, who has been with the company fatefully since inception and made it a community before new management. This seems a larger story than a simple layoff of e bay employees. Ebay saves money by laying off paid employees, but e bays profit takes a hit by getting rid of partners who contribute to e bay profit. For example: 20,000 powersellers/partners laid off/suspended that account for an average of $5,000 per month seller fees = $100,000,000 each month in seller fees not received by e bay. That is $1,200,000,000 per year in revenue given up for aggressively flawed policy by current management. Figure that on 20% margin and facing the headwinds of a slowed economy. The idea current ebay management had was by getting rid of 10% of its selling partners was going drive back 32% of its buyers, however, that has clearly not been the case, because the policy change was flawed and implemented with such aggression over a short period of time, 6 months total, 3 months aggressively.
Ebay seems to have driven away buyers by this and the new search method that sellers or buyers don’t like with no concern of management.
tim
November 3, 2008
Is worst than ever, now their is a group of sellers that create multiple accounts and act as buyers. They buy, even if it is brand new and ship for free, they give you the lowest score to take other sellers out!
The DSR eBay system is a more than total failure, is wrong.
Jackie McCain
November 16, 2008
I’m a currently an ebay seller that a buyer gave me a 4-star rating for shipping charges – I charge free shipping!!! DSR is no good for anyone!
B Drumheller
December 3, 2008
Is there a class action suit? The small sellers are being singled out and frozen. I watched my frozen DSR Shipping drop from 3.9 to 3.7 with no explanation and sales… This system is being manipulated when you complain…
Tucholka
December 12, 2008
Donohoe should be fired. The DSR suspension policy is absurd.
Cant sell
December 15, 2008
I am a small cog in the Ebay Wheel of Fortune. I woke up one morning early December and found out tht all my listings were off. They grounded me for having 3 negatives, 1 neutral and 8 disputes during a 1 year period. Customers don;t pay. ..what do you do? File a dispute and get your FVF back. Ebay tells you to do it and then they punish you when you do. I have gotten the same stupid, letter sent to me, when I wrote to Ebay. I want to talk to a person who would explain how and why this would happen to me…I was just dump founded. I am trying to find a way to stick it up Ebay..and keep selling. They charge too much and we get nothing. We get punished for high shipping charges, yet it is Ebay raising our prices so that we can make a few dollars. No one understand that especially the buyers. I have written everyone that was involved with me and a few finished their committments. I have no way to make someone write a feedback. This whole thing sucks and I hope someone starts a Class Action suit against Ebay..I will be 2nd on the sign up list…I hope Auctiva goes off on its own and does not affiliate with Ebay any longer. They are a wonderful site..you can also try
Craigslist and Simon.com
Jan
December 16, 2008
below is an ebay tech support chat log:
10:47:38 AM System
Initial Question/Comment: Selling
10:47:43 AM System
****** N. has joined this session!
10:47:43 AM System
Connected with ****** N.
10:47:53 AM ****** N.
Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Motors Live Help! My name is ******. If you’re a registered member, may I please start by having your name please?
10:48:21 AM sunsportscyclecom
**** **********, but the account is under **** *********
10:48:33 AM ****** N.
Hi there ****!
10:48:37 AM ****** N.
How may I assist you today?
10:48:39 AM sunsportscyclecom
good morning
10:49:02 AM sunsportscyclecom
i tried to relist an unpaid item and got an error message about my dsr
10:51:08 AM ****** N.
One moment please while I further check on it.
10:51:11 AM sunsportscyclecom
ty
10:53:13 AM ****** N.
Thanks for waiting.
10:53:23 AM ****** N.
May I know if you still have pending feedbacks to approve?
10:53:33 AM sunsportscyclecom
none that i’m aware of
10:53:48 AM ****** N.
This way, you can earn positive feedback for your detailed seller rating.
10:53:56 AM ****** N.
Hmm, let me check further…
10:54:09 AM sunsportscyclecom
i have 100% positive for the last 6 months
10:55:03 AM ****** N.
may I have the item number of the auction that you wanna relist?
10:55:53 AM sunsportscyclecom
36008622****
10:56:23 AM ****** N.
Thanks.
10:56:28 AM ****** N.
One sec please.
10:56:30 AM sunsportscyclecom
k
11:02:24 AM ****** N.
Thanks for patiently waiting.
11:02:35 AM sunsportscyclecom
no problem
11:03:19 AM ****** N.
I checked your feedback score and I learned that your rating is less than 4.5 for the last 30 days.
11:04:02 AM ****** N.
*4.1
11:04:35 AM sunsportscyclecom
i don’t understand…all of my feedback was positive, i thought
11:05:39 AM ****** N.
You only received less than 10 feedbacks for the last 30 days.
11:06:08 AM sunsportscyclecom
because i haven’t been selling anything…just one item
11:06:14 AM ****** N.
You may want to wait for few days for the roll off, or write to our Trust and Safety Team for the ad reinstatement.
11:06:51 AM sunsportscyclecom
but i have my feedback open now and don’t see any negative
11:08:14 AM ****** N.
Yes I understand, but in this case, the DSR score is low. I am afraid that even if you received 100% positive feedback, if the DSR is low, you will still be unable to list.
11:08:53 AM ****** N.
I suggest you to write to our Trust and Safety Team in able to know when you can possibly list again.
11:09:25 AM sunsportscyclecom
okay, bear with me, but without negative feedback how does my score become so low my account is susoended???
11:11:02 AM ****** N.
It is because you only received less than 10 positive feedback during the last 30 days.
11:11:31 AM sunsportscyclecom
my business was slow, so ebay punishes me further?
11:12:32 AM ****** N.
No, not actually.
11:12:55 AM ****** N.
You may want to wait for the roll off of your DSR.
11:13:05 AM ****** N.
Or ask for reinstatement of your ad.
11:13:17 AM ****** N.
Kindly write to our trust and safety team to further check this out.
11:13:21 AM sunsportscyclecom
uh, yes actually…i cannot list with you only because i have so few transactions
11:14:35 AM sunsportscyclecom
please give me a contact number where i can speak to someone directly
11:15:12 AM ****** N.
They can be reached via e-mail and will respond to you within 24 hours.
11:15:17 AM ****** N.
I can provide you the direct link for that.
11:15:21 AM ****** N.
One sec please.
11:15:47 AM sunsportscyclecom
i am asking for a phone number that i can reach a human with
11:16:57 AM ****** N.
I’m afraid that we don’t currently have phone support. We can only be reached via chat and e-mail.
11:17:21 AM ****** N.
However, if you’ll send an e-mail, you will surely receive a response within 24 hours.
11:17:27 AM ****** N.
Rest assured that this will be taken cared of.
11:17:33 AM sunsportscyclecom
that’s not working for me right now, i need a number or someone who can help me now
11:19:09 AM sunsportscyclecom
this is simple…i pay my bill, my customers, no matter how few are 100% satisfied…fix my account!!!
11:20:37 AM ****** N.
I really would like to help you about this but in this situation, our trust and safety team needs to check this first since they are the ones who handle DSR ratings of each and every members.
11:21:30 AM sunsportscyclecom
okay, you have seen my account info and you seem logical…does this make sense? is this a new practice by ebay?
11:22:02 AM ****** N.
Yes, it is new practice started last November.
11:22:16 AM sunsportscyclecom
like a month ago november?
11:22:27 AM ****** N.
Yes, just a month ago.
11:22:51 AM ****** N.
I really apologize for the inconvenience.
11:23:15 AM sunsportscyclecom
pretty good so far, right? this should entertain the bloggers until it is fixed
11:24:08 AM sunsportscyclecom
and i have no recourse other than an email that will be responded to by tomorrow?
11:24:12 AM ****** N.
Kindly write to our trust and Safety Team to further check when would be the exact date and time you could possibly relist this ad.
11:25:32 AM sunsportscyclecom
you have my chat log here, as do i. if you are here to help, kindly send it to whoever can actually help me. all of my contact info is contained in my profile.
11:26:17 AM ****** N.
Yes, I’ll do.
11:26:27 AM ****** N.
I hope I’ve been of some assistance regarding this matter.
11:26:42 AM sunsportscyclecom
thank you and good bye
John
December 30, 2008
Holy crap. I’ve been on eBay for 10 years and haven’t listed in quite awhile. I go back and my feedback isn’t high enough? This is the same eBay that allowed a “Powerseller” with horrible feedback to do business for years.
Is there anyway to have it removed?
crutnacker
January 4, 2009
Holly S**T!!! I am having the same problems as you all are.Its so bad and I’m so pissed off about it all Ive been Google’ing my problems with ebay and I’m finding TONS of search results!I think the time has come and its VERY CLEAR from what Ive been reading,that we should all get away from ebay and let them sink.Let this Donohoe guy continue doing a marvelous job by pulling out each brick that has been layed over the years to build ebay.Maybe he is a transplant sent from another auction site? This DSR crap that ebay has started is VERY UNFAIR to the sellers and doesnt make any sense to me at all,also not being able to rate a buyer in any way but a positive one?I refuse to take paypal,so I accept checks and money orders STILL,and the buyers take weeks to send my money! Then they leave positive feedback but my DSR is slowly creaping down? The buyers are even leaving comments about fast shipping,but my shipping time star is a 4.1 !!!! and ebay now makes the seller put a shipping amount? so I do it with a flat fee, that all seem to agree on but my star for that is a 4.3 !!! My item as described star is a 4.5?but the buyers feedback reads nice item ,as described,very nice,etc. All 8 out of 10 auctions recently within the past month have been new in the package items,and 2 were 40+ years old which were described as acurately as I could say and both feedbacks for those 2 were positives,so how the hell does my item as described star drop? It makes no sense to us all I guess.I say let ebay keep up the “good work” and hopefully it will be too late before they fix it and there will be our revenge.I have moved to onlineauction.com and Craigslist since its free,and usually works for me.I will be checking out the others that I see people mentioning in all the threads like this one.By the way,have you all seen the site “screw-paypal.com”? very interesting.Theres another ebay scam.
Good luck to everyone.
BobbyGreen
January 26, 2009
f@#$ ebay! i am closing my account!
danlatu
February 16, 2009
DSRS are UNFAIR TO SELLER FEEBACK IS FEEDBACK GREAT TAHNSK I LOVE THE ITEM THEY LEVE LOWEST POSSIBLE DSRS AND NEXT YOUR BLOCKED TOTALLY UNFAIR
BULLISHBUYERS / IMPACT GOOD SELLERS
JACK
March 3, 2009
Great post! Really love reading them, can’t wait for more.
Blakeney
April 9, 2009
And eBay wonders why we have done 95% less business with them since these idiotic policy changes?
Why we have stopped all international sales and why we no longer sell certain items in specific categories?
It’s difficult enough for a seller to deal with the feral buyers eBay has attracted to the venue, but when the venue itself is a problem……………
Yes, eBay has always hidden behind the “but, we’re just a venue” excuse when they’re asked the hard questions. Now they are a venue that sucks.
junkforjoy
June 9, 2009
Glad for everyones insightful reporting of the DSR system. However as a reatialer who uses Ebay as a “blow-out sell” and only very partime my DSR score has excluded me from posting any future listings. I have no recourse in this matter and can no longer sell on Ebay. between my Ebay fees and paypal fees it was break even anyway. This was not a problem until very recently. In my activites I am subject to that demographic percentage of 1% “can’t make em happy at any cost. When Ebay changed the feedback rules I was subject to partial refund scammers. It only took two to shut me down.
david schrenk
August 9, 2009
Hello. The same thing happened to me. Normally I get the 20% discount for my 100% positive, and 4.9/5.0 DSRs. This month, eBay mysteriously found a 4.6 moment and I only received a 5% discount. I complained and challenged the score. Basically they said “too bad” you cannot challenge or complain about the system.
On a side note, the new system is no better. Even with my high scores I do not qualify as a top seller because 6 mysterious people gave me low DSRs for “shipping time” within the past year. “Shipping Time” is the most unfair DSR, as you very well know, we have no control over the post.
I wish there was more we could do than just complain here.
Mike Frye-Henderson
August 20, 2009
DSRs are completely bogus. Ebay pulls a seller’s DSRs out of thin air. DSRs DO NOT reflect the numbers buyers actually leave.
Ebay arbitrarily decides each month how many 5%, 15%, and 20% discounts they want to hand out. Ebay then fudges each seller’s DSRs to go with the number of discounts handed out.
So Ebay adjusts an actual 4.8 to a 4.7. Whatever Ebay needs to ensure only so many sellers get a discount that month.
Bill
September 27, 2009
YOU’LL LOVE THIS STORY!! BECAUSE OF A LOW DSR SHIPPING & HANDLING RATING, I HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED FROM FURTHER SELLING. BEING HANDICAPPED, I STIPULATE A 15 BUSINESS DAY HANDLING TIME, WHICH IS A CHOICE THE LISTING PAGE OFFERS. BECAUSE BUYERS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT, THEY GIVE ME A LOW DSR RATING ON SHIPPING & HANDLING TIME. THEY WRITE ME NASTY MESSAGES ASKING WHY THERE ITEM HAS NOT BEEN SHIPPED YET. I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE SAFE HARBOR SUPERVISORS, AND EXPLAINED ALL THIS. HIS ADVICE WAS TO NOT USE THE 15 DAY OPTION THAT EBAY OOFERS AS A CHOICE. I QUESTIONED HIM WHY I SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR USING THIS EBAY OFFERED OPTION, AND HE SAID “TO BAD”, HIS NAME IS DOUG. THIS IS MY ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME. WITH EBAY, EVERYTHING IS FOR THE BUYER, EVEN THOUGH THE SELLER PAYS A INSERTION FEE, FINAL VALUE FEE, AND PAYPAL FEE. WE CAN’T EVEN ACCEPT MONEY ORDERS OR CHECKS ANYMORE!! WE PAY THE SALARIES OF THE PEOPLE ARE SCREWING US!! I JUST CAN’T PUT INTO WORDS THE HATRED I FEEL TOWARDS EBAY RIGHT NOW. I HAVE SOLD WELL OVER 3,000 ITEMS ON EBAY, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM UNTIL THIS NEW DSR RATING SYSTEM CAME INTO AFFECT. THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT
JIM
March 7, 2010
bravo ,i have been one of the sellers who contact ebay regurly on this very issue ,i have had to pay scammers with claims overblown on old items ,that they think they should work as if it was new ,it has costed me about $100 in pay offs and i feel ashamed to do this as i am very pro seller and this does not help others ,but as i do this for a living it is becoming a cost of doing business,
i have been watching the other auction sires for ebay type site but as of yet none are selling as well ,i hope ebay gets their heads out of their pc butts and do something or i truly believe ebay will be on its last days ,i do think some of the thing ebay has done for the buyers is fine as there are still lousy sellers ,but the dsr is nothing but a way for buyers to extort items for free and ebay just to keep screwing who pays them
jim crowley
April 23, 2010
On top of that. When negative feedback is removed… the DSR they left remains. And worst, the buyer dont even have to pay for the item.
Any competitor can easily buy, dont pay and leave negative feedback and screw the DSRs. All the seller can do is remove the negative feedback and ACCEPT the DSR and get kick our of the Top Rated status.
What a joke?
ss
May 27, 2010
Great article! Ebay’s DSR crap has finally finished me as a seller. Can’t anyone force Ebay’s hand? I relied on Ebay as my bread & butter. They are merciless & rude. For a company who “doesn’t police the site” they sure run it like a concentration camp.
stan
November 22, 2010
Hi There
i believe this is a growing problem, and one i have now also suffered from, but in my case the buyer left positive feedback for a multiple purchase, 12 items, and stated clearly she would buy from me again. Only later did i discover the low dsr she left for “item not as described” and also for P&P. In the first case, she didn’t like the photos i used, despite them clearly showing the items which were as described. As for p&p, the individual p&p was fine and i gave her a generous discount, despite not advertising one, but she then complained that she was expecting more discount…
I received a restriction on my account which basically cripples my selling, making it harder to gain enough positive DSR to overcome this one customer. I have written over and over to ebay and every time they fob me off with a nonsense answer, with URLs to show me how to be a better ebayer, which i find insulting and patronising, and telling me that either a) I can have the comment removed if i resolve the matter with the buyer and she requests it, or b) nothing can be done once the DSR scores are left or c) as the scores are contrary to the positive feedback left, i can ask for them to be removed. In reality, nothing is done and when i press the matter so far, all i get offered is a phone number, which to be honest, i find infuriating as i fail to see why i should pay an expensive rate to call only to be told the same doublespeak.
Clearly nothing will be done so i resign myself to warning others, and selling most of my items elsewhere. Thanks for nothing eBay…
Peblsrock
April 3, 2011
As a regular ebay patron, I find that the real problem with DSR’s is sellers who don’t understand the meaning of a SCALE. It is so infuriating reading product descriptions that beg and beg for high DSRs, trying to convince the buyer that anything less than 5 stars is negative. That’s actually not how a five star scale works. It starts at 1 star for terrible and gradually improves until you get to 5 stars being exceptional. You get exceptional ratings when you earn them, NOT when you demand them like spoiled children!
Personally, everything I buy starts with 4 stars in each category – good, but not exceptional – because this is where most ebay sellers position themselves. Then for every exceptional factor of the transaction, I add another star.
However the insistent begging for high DSRs has added another element to this process – every time that the seller asks for a 5 star rating instead of earning it, they lose a star from me.
annoyed buyer
August 29, 2011
Rather than get into my personal experiences with eBay, I think there’s something more important to consider. Obviously eBay has become the most risky, stressful, and hated auction site out there, but where are these posts and rants getting anyone? We are no closer now to getting a solution than we were when we lost our accounts, income, and dignity. What needs to happen is SIMPLE. We can’t change eBay. Other auctions sites are too small to make any real money on. So, eBay must go. This is the BOTTOM LINE. PayPal/eBay needs to be sued by each and every one of you with a testimony to give. Protests should be organized and led by those of you with the gift to do so. Government officials need to open their mail only to find it flooded with letters by YOU expressing the disapproval of the monopoly for which eBay controls, the unethical manner in which eBay conducts business, their constant abuse of human rights, and most importantly, the fact that our ELECTED OFFICIALS have done NOTHING to alleviate the hardships this evil corporation brings on HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. Report them to ethics boards, file complaints with the Better Business Bureau and ask them why eBay has an “A” rating despite having received so many already, blog about them, tell your friends, run an add in the paper, don’t buy their stock, promote and use other auctions sites, but whatever you do, don’t just sit around doing nothing. If you want change, be willing to step up to home plate and swing away. With a collective effort, it is my sincere belief that this corporate giant can be dethroned once and for all. When this happens, and only then, will other auctions sites with much more promise be able to shine their lights. The POINT IS, YOU and ONLY YOU can rid us of this unjust eBay/PayPal Company in order to let alternate auctions sites compete for our affection and that of our customers. Please, let’s make this happen, one person at a time.
LegalActionBringsChange
September 18, 2011
Please…if anyone can tell me how to join in on the class action lawsuit against ebay for unfair DSR ratings….please email me with the information. I got an indefinate suspension to sell on ebay for low DSR rating in shipping time. I was very ill with heart problems and pnuemonia and provided proof that I was ill from my doctor and they refused to Reinstate my account still. So please email em with info on how to join this lawsuit.
Vicki Miller
September 26, 2011