Did ebay end blocking low feedback buyers?

[socalrecordexchange]

I have a problem with low feedback buyers opening cases and I have more and more 0 feedback buyers. I can't afford to keep refunding items and am insulted by this...

[papermoneyforme]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

For a very long time the block was for "buyers with a minus one" or something of the sort.  Since buyers can only get positive feedback unless they are using a seller ID, the block was sort of silly and has been removed. 

Historically speaking, when sellers could post a negative to a buyer's account, it was quite useful to give a phony buyer that neg 1 so they could not continue to do damage to sellers who employed the neg one block...  All we had to hear was "ship to my (cousin, grandmother, sister, aunt) for their (wedding, first communion, graduation, coming out party) in Nigeria, and any seller could pop the neg to make the ID a minus .....

Not so anymore.  Buyer feedback is not necessary.  It is no indication at all as to the integrity of your trading partner any longer.   Sellers proceed with their blindfold on as transparecy in the marketplace is shunned by the venue  tech comany. 

They have even gone as far as removing the block for buyers with policy violations.  The rationale being that ebay has such high tech fraud detection now, that the buyer violators will be stopped in their tracks so there is no need for the block...  

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say what? Surely you jest!

[reallynicestamps]

problem with low feedback buyers opening cases

Why are they opening cases,though?

If there are a lot of Disputes (more than 1% of sales) the problem may not be with the buyer.

Have you ever looked at your listings on a mobile?

About half of transactions are done on phones these days.

And your item is ....obscure.

Are many of the Disputes because buyers thought they were getting 8-tracks ? or cassettes?

It might be time to simplify your listings -- less 'hey cats and kittens' and more I dunno technical?

Your real customer is very specific, I suspect you are attracting too many customers-- particularly since the problems are with customers who are new and may not understand what they are actually buying.

Ask a colleague, who does not collect those kind of tapes, what he thinks he would get and how he would play it. The less knowledgeable the better.

Seriously.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@papermoneyforme wrote:

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 ... say what? Surely you jest!

It's true, take another look at the Site preferences screen shot in the post above.  Options like requiring a PayPal account and the block based on policy violations are gone. However, somehow the useless block on buyers with negative feedback is still there, over 10 years since the last buyer neg was given.

[fraaj-12]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Have you ever looked at your listings on a mobile?

About half of transactions are done on phones these days.

And your item is ....obscure.

Are many of the Disputes because buyers thought they were getting 8-tracks ? or cassettes?

Those listings look pretty bad on mobile imho

[ittybitnot]

say what? Surely you jest!

Surely not. 

[socalrecordexchange]

It's just random people opening cases pretty much for no reason and problems really don't exist on my end. An example is last week a buyer bought a tape and had not used his player for 30 years. My mercandise is tested and works. Buyer buys tape.  I ship right away then I get a case opened for non dilivery of Item with this message:

I am New to eBay. I received the 2 Trac tape loving spoonful. Will not play in my player. I won it when I was in high school. Not sure if it is the player. I am waiting on a 2 trac player that has tapes with it . Will try it in the player when I get it. Hope it works. Thanks Pat

So being the nice guy and not wanting probem buyers I refund her and tell her keep the Item. Your now blocked from bidding on my stuff.

Buyer change's name but is still blocked. Then Today I have a 0 feedback buyer with a bit older account.

[socalrecordexchange]

By the way I have been selling these things for over 15 years and I'm the go to guy for playtapes on the web. I never had problems wit claims until this year. Maybe the message seller button should be easier to find?

[socalrecordexchange]

So can I change my ad and say buyers with less then 20 feedback will have there bids canceled unless you contact seller first? I have seen that before.

[nobody*s_perfect]

eBay has a policy that prohibits hostile comments like that.  And it's unenforceable if you get a last-minute bidder.  Some very experienced buyers will avoid sellers who seem to have an attitude about their buyers.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

I have had plenty of 0 feedback buyers on both of my accounts, just had one today. I have only had problems in one category and it was a competing seller trying to jack up my auctions. He succeeded.

Other than the jerk, all the 0 feedback buyers I have had are great. Heck, this account is new, yet I am a long time seller and buyer. Everyone is new and a 0 feedback doesn't mean they are crooked. It usually means they are new to eBay, welcome them, give them great feedback and great service. Everyone is new at some point. I have had more problems from experienced buyers and sellers with a lot of 100% feedback. Non paying bidders, auction bid cancellations, you name it, more experienced eBay'ers know how it works here.

I love 0 feedback buyers. For me they are always great. They aren't jaded yet and they have enthusiasm. They leave feedback too, unlike older buyers and sellers who are lazy. I block buyers with several strikes against their account, ever since I did that, my problem child's have been few and far between.

[castlemagicmemories]

Ebay  never allowed blocking low feedback buyers.  They used to allow blocking those with -1 but since buyers can no longer get negs, that setting does not work for buyers anymore.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@futuretomorrow wrote:

I don't believe this is correct. Next, what is -1 or less? Is that not also inclusive of 0?

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No, it meant that there was one feedback and that feedback was a negative, thus -1.

[pburn]

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@futuretomorrow wrote:

I don't believe this is correct. Next, what is -1 or less? Is that not also inclusive of 0?

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No. -1 is not inclusive of 0. Here's how negative numbers work:

3    2    1   0   -1   -2   -3 and so on.

So, "-1 or less" (in red, above) would not include 0. Numbers less than -1 are -2, -3, and so on.

Think of it in terms of temperature: is 0 degrees less (i.e., colder) than -1 degrees? Or is it more (i.e., warmer) than -1 degrees? 

[gracieallen01]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

......................

They have even gone as far as removing the block for buyers with policy violations.  The rationale being that ebay has such high tech fraud detection now, that the buyer violators will be stopped in their tracks so there is no need for the block...  

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On occasion, I think they really believe that?  I don't think anybody else does, though.

[everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures]

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@socalrecordexchange wrote:

I have a problem with low feedback buyers opening cases and I have more and more 0 feedback buyers. I can't afford to keep refunding items and am insulted by this...

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You never had the option to block buyers with zero fb.
And as always...a new account or zero FB doesn't necessarily mean a new buyer. It can be an older member with a new buying account or opened an account to hide a gift purchase so it is not on their regular account. etc
And it may be a good idea to look at the issue of "why" they are opening cases...before you get restricted or suspended due to too many cases being opened against you.