Why this VERY confusing feedback page?

[vevintage]

IMO the wording is very confusing here: "tell us more about this item." Am I reviewing the product, or leaving feedback for the seller? This should be asking about my experience; "quality" and "appearance" are aspects that don't really reflect on the seller. Timeliness or accuracy would be more relevant. The text box is next to the item photo, below the bar (almost as if I am leaving two separate reviews at once,) so will my text be applied to the seller's feedback, or to a product review? If it were only phrased differently, it would be clear. Is it just me? Does this read as confusing to you, too? 

I  don't buy much so maybe this isn't new or has been a gradual change that wouldn't be confusing to people who saw it roll out in stages... but I don't care for it at all. The problems with conflating the service provided by the seller with the product that was purchased are obvious, and serious. We've all seen Amazon product reviews that say "never arrived!" or "not what I ordered", and leaving feedback based on the item itself, rather than how the seller represented and handled it, isn't helpful either. 

[wastingtime101]

Whatever you enter in that box will go on the seller’s feedback page. Most of us leave feedback for the seller, but a lot of buyers have been leaving product reviews because of eBay’s prompts.

My opinion is you should leave feedback for the seller/transaction.

Edit to add: I believe the "why" of it is because eBay's listing page layout incorporates feedback below the item description. For sellers that sell multiples of the same item, the feedback is filtered to that specific item. eBay thought that would be a good place to incorporate product reviews (I'm guessing) which is why they changed the prompts on the feedback page.

[vevintage]

I failed to mention this flag that appeared the first time I visited the page. It certainly adds to the confusion. I'm happy to leave a product review, but it should be clear that I'm doing so and which bits will be posted where. 

[wastingtime101]

OK the 5 star rate this item is truly tied to the product and will appear on product pages, listings, search, etc - but not on the seller's feedback page.

eBay has essentially merged product reviews and feedback in various ways to try and increase buyer participation in product reviews..

[mtgraves7984]

@vevintage 

Yes, that's for your seller. Obviously, the 'Positive/Neutral/Negative' and the text box are priority, the 'Optionals' are add ons.

[ebooksdiva]

I leave feedback for the seller as I have done for years. All that other stuff is superfluous optional fluff that I disregard.

[dark_jaguar]

Considering many of us are selling one of a kind items, such as homemade sweaters and the like, a "product review" is entirely pointless.  Indeed, since even in the case of mass produced items, if we're buying it used, the quality can vary widely, a "product review" is doubly pointless.

eBay is not Amazon, and should stop trying to BE Amazon.  You are a flea market.  Accept it!

[gator08041971]

They should have just provided two sections.  One for the seller and one for the product, and be done with it.

As it is now, this is, in my opinion, their way to discourage negative feedback for the seller by making it less obvious it still affects the seller.  Unfortunately, even getting a positive feedback is less likely as it doesn't look like its for the seller at all anymore.

Thanks a lot eBay.   I have noticed in the last two years a significant drop in the ratio of sold items vs feedback left.   My last sold item that I got feedback on was a negative, and it was nearly a month and a half ago!  I have had 20 sales since then, no feedback from any of them.  lol   Hard to dilute when you don't get any.

Oh well.  The feedback system could be better and more clear than it is.  But I hope they don't remove the classic, as I HATE the newer layout.