mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@Anonymous wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@kosmetik.karnival wrote:
Re: FEEDBACK
I sell cosmetics on eBay. I see many neutral and negative feedback comments reflecting the buyer’s unhappiness with the performance of certain products. The comments range from “The color shown is not the same color as the item I received”, “I purchased for my mother who dislikes shimmery lipsticks”, and “Item didn’t work”.
Why are buyers allowed to leave what are obviously PRODUCT REVIEWS instead of feedback comments regarding the actual performance of the seller?
The issue regarding color will never be resolved as long as everyone’s computer monitor is calibrated differently. The other two examples are PRODUCT REVIEWS.
Is there some way to encourage buyers to leave feedback reflecting the seller’s performance, rather than comments about their displeasure with the product itself? If that is not possible, can these feedback comments be removed? It is not fair to hold sellers accountable (and punish them) for buyer’s opinion of the product.
Also, I think NO neutral or negative feedback should be permitted until the buyer and seller first discuss the situation. The seller should be allowed the opportunity to resolve the problem, thereby possibly avoiding a neutral or negative. Most sellers agree that they would be willing to work with the buyer BEFORE the dreaded feedback is recorded.
Thank you for your consideration.
Hi @kosmetik.karnival, while I understand that comments about the product itself can feel separate from the buyer's experience with you as a seller, this feedback does still hold value for you. If you are seeing a pattern of confusion about item details, it may benefit you to make changes to you titles or descriptions to minimize these issues. Remember, feedback is not a factor in your seller performance review and serves only to provide you with data that can help you grow your business.
Some comments can be removed in limited situations and our Customer Service team would be happy to review for options. When this isn't possible, you can consider reaching out to your buyer to resolve their concerns and once they have been addressed, you can see if they would be willing to revise their feedback.
Additionally, if you have met the requirements to be a PowerSeller, feedback can only be submitted after 7 days. This gives the buyer and seller time to address concerns and turn experiences around when there is a problem.
That raises another question for me. When Ebay phases out the PS program, since it doesn't have a lot of value anymore, will TRS still be able to get the 7 day FB lag time?
Hi @mam98031, great question! We have no plans to eliminate the PowerSeller program at this time and I'm happy to pass along the suggestion that this protection be available for Top Rated Sellers as well.
I'm not sure that is needed as a seller would be PS to achieve TRS, therefore TRS do have the benefit now.
I'm surprised to hear the PS program isn't being retired as it really has no value since the implementation of the TRS program.
@papermoneyforme wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
I need a little clarification on this Community rule.
Do not advertise items, listings, services, or commercial websites, including offers to trade, "wanted" posts, petitions or solicitations. Members are not permitted to tell others to stop selling on eBay or to leave eBay for any reason to include naming or posting links to off-eBay sites, groups or forums, for more information, click here. For more information about our Want Ads and Trades policy, click here.
Is this telling us that we are not allowed to post words like Amazon, Etsy, Stamps.com, etc. Or is it saying I'm not allowed to post links to these other sites?
Hi @mam98031, I noticed that this question came up in another thread today. I very recently replied in that thread with more clarity on this Community guideline and you can view it here.
Is Lithium fully aware of this?
Hi @papermoneyforme, Lithium is fully aware of the guidelines we've created. If you find posts that haven't been actioned then please report them and the Lithium mods will review it.
@fern*wood wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:Hi @mam98031, great question! We have no plans to eliminate the PowerSeller program at this time and I'm happy to pass along the suggestion that this protection be available for Top Rated Sellers as well.
I'm not sure that is needed as a seller would be PS to achieve TRS, therefore TRS do have the benefit now.
I'm surprised to hear the PS program isn't being retired as it really has no value since the implementation of the TRS program.
You can be a TRS without being a PS. My second ID is.
My apologies. You are absolutely correct. I did forget to mention that and it is completely valid.
I'm not sure what value there is in that since the bar is very low for PS now and I do NOT mean any disrespect. Back before TRS the bar was much higher to qualify for PS.
So what are the benefits of being PS nowadays?
@automotivepartsrecyclrs wrote:
So IF we tried it does that mean in search results we are placed above items of like when those sellers only offer 14 day returns or no returns?
Right now we offer 30 day returns but in search results see No returns or 14 day returns ahead of us in search results.
Hi @automotivepartsrecyclrs, a sellers return policy is one of the aspects of listings that is factored into Best Match results, so it can improve a listings placing. However, it is not the only thing considered, so there is no guarantee that a listing with free returns will be placed above a listing that does not offer free returns. Something else to consider is what buyers may think if they see two items that are similarly priced but one offers free returns while the other doesn't. The added confidence that free returns brings buyers could determine which seller they choose to purchase from.
@mam98031 wrote:
@fern*wood wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Hi @mam98031, great question! We have no plans to eliminate the PowerSeller program at this time and I'm happy to pass along the suggestion that this protection be available for Top Rated Sellers as well.
I'm not sure that is needed as a seller would be PS to achieve TRS, therefore TRS do have the benefit now.
I'm surprised to hear the PS program isn't being retired as it really has no value since the implementation of the TRS program.
You can be a TRS without being a PS. My second ID is.
My apologies. You are absolutely correct. I did forget to mention that and it is completely valid.
I'm not sure what value there is in that since the bar is very low for PS now and I do NOT mean any disrespect. Back before TRS the bar was much higher to qualify for PS.
So what are the benefits of being PS nowadays?
Hi @mam98031 - the majority of benefits for being a PowerSeller have been retired or transferred to the Top Rated/Top Rated Plus program.
The main benefit of the program is that it is a requirement to become a Top Rated Seller in the Global program.
A PowerSeller also enjoys exclusive access to the PowerSeller Business Board on Community to connect with fellow PowerSellers! #ShamelessPlug 😉
@vrykalak wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@automotivepartsrecyclrs wrote:
We are confused on this Free Returns program:
If a buyer buys a item for $2.00 with $1.00 shipping for a total of $3.00 then requests a return will they be refunded the original $1.00 for shipping? No case just a regular return.
If so it seems like buyers would be able to purchase and return without any out of pocket expense. Kinda like renting or borrrowing a item.
Hi @automotivepartsrecyclrs, a full refund is expected when a buyer returns an item and this includes original shipping costs. While I understand that this is a loss for a seller, the overall benefits of offering free returns typically outweigh this. Free returns are optional so each seller will need to determine if it fits their business model. I suggest giving it a try for a few months to see how it works out and then making a decision based on that data.
This reminds me of a thread that has come up several weeks in a row and, as far as I can tell, has never been adequately answered:
Why am I being encouraged (by seeing a big blue button opposite the info on an item I purchased) to RETURN THIS ITEM rather than to LEAVE FEEDBACK?
I have purchased 10 items in the last two months. The big blue button on
one (the oldest one, from March) says WRITE A REVIEW
eight say RETURN THIS ITEM, and
two (the two I haven't received yet!) say LEAVE FEEDBACK
I think this is an appalling change.
They all used to say LEAVE FEEBACK.
That makes sense.
Please ask the PTB to change it back to that.
Hi @vrykalak, it looks like tyler@ebay responded to your question about this in last week's chat. You can review the details here.
To reiterate, we've had this option presented for a number of years now. Buyers do not return items simply because the option is presented to them, but instead because they are not satisfied with their purchase. It does not benefit anyone to make this option difficult to locate. The easier the return process is, the more likely that a buyer will be to return to eBay for future purchases.
I understand that you may disagree, however, we have addressed this topic previously in the weekly chat as well as in multiple threads on the boards. I encourage you to use the search feature on the Discussion Boards to find conversations about this topic and read over the information provided therein if you would like additional context beyond what we have provided here 
@labs118 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@kosmetik.karnival wrote:
Re: FEEDBACK
I sell cosmetics on eBay. I see many neutral and negative feedback comments reflecting the buyer’s unhappiness with the performance of certain products. The comments range from “The color shown is not the same color as the item I received”, “I purchased for my mother who dislikes shimmery lipsticks”, and “Item didn’t work”.
Why are buyers allowed to leave what are obviously PRODUCT REVIEWS instead of feedback comments regarding the actual performance of the seller?
The issue regarding color will never be resolved as long as everyone’s computer monitor is calibrated differently. The other two examples are PRODUCT REVIEWS.
Is there some way to encourage buyers to leave feedback reflecting the seller’s performance, rather than comments about their displeasure with the product itself? If that is not possible, can these feedback comments be removed? It is not fair to hold sellers accountable (and punish them) for buyer’s opinion of the product.
Also, I think NO neutral or negative feedback should be permitted until the buyer and seller first discuss the situation. The seller should be allowed the opportunity to resolve the problem, thereby possibly avoiding a neutral or negative. Most sellers agree that they would be willing to work with the buyer BEFORE the dreaded feedback is recorded.
Thank you for your consideration.
Hi @kosmetik.karnival, while I understand that comments about the product itself can feel separate from the buyer's experience with you as a seller, this feedback does still hold value for you. If you are seeing a pattern of confusion about item details, it may benefit you to make changes to you titles or descriptions to minimize these issues. Remember, feedback is not a factor in your seller performance review and serves only to provide you with data that can help you grow your business.
Some comments can be removed in limited situations and our Customer Service team would be happy to review for options. When this isn't possible, you can consider reaching out to your buyer to resolve their concerns and once they have been addressed, you can see if they would be willing to revise their feedback.
Additionally, if you have met the requirements to be a PowerSeller, feedback can only be submitted after 7 days. This gives the buyer and seller time to address concerns and turn experiences around when there is a problem.
That raises another question for me. When Ebay phases out the PS program, since it doesn't have a lot of value anymore, will TRS still be able to get the 7 day FB lag time?
Hi @mam98031, great question! We have no plans to eliminate the PowerSeller program at this time and I'm happy to pass along the suggestion that this protection be available for Top Rated Sellers as well.
@Anonymous
Why is there no way to find information about Power sellers any longer since the start of the new designed help pages
Many Poer sellers are showing a drop in status have the numbers & $ amount changed for levels of PS?
Hi @labs118, I've actually contacted our content teams on this exact topic just recently. We are working on ensuring that details are included on our site resources, so keep an eye out for potential updates down the road
