Seller Metrics ... how subjectively stupid!

[mr_lincoln]

So I checked my Seller Metrics and saw the pie chart and my % compared to peers and thought, " how utterly stupid".  The Pie chart shows ONLY 1 Not as described return yet the % compared to my peers is based on 5???  The other 4 returns were NOT "Items not as described".  I have 3 "arrived damaged" ... so is that MY fault? 

here's the other issue ... I have NO IDEA who I am being compared to and I can bet you dollars to dozens that since I sell mainly in collectibles the comparisons don't even match.  Its not like I am selling NEW T-shirts and am being compared to hundreds of other Seller selling New T-Shirts.  No, I am selling items that range from 30 to 60 (+) years old and if I OR any other Seller in these categories gets a real picky collector we might get an unjustified (ie: LYING) INAD return ... this is totally and completely subjective not to mention the Seller metric page does not even make sense ...

[femmefan1946]

I basically agree with you-- my annoyance is when eBay compares my slow selling sewing patterns and tells me my price is too high-- then cannot show a comparison. A Vogue Issy Miyake used pattern does not compare to a new Simplicity Delta Burke pattern -- one will sell for $75-$100 the other $10 with shipping included.

Buyt

I have 3 "arrived damaged" ... so is that MY fault?

Well, yes.

Not your fault but your responsibility.

You packed the item to arrive securely --but perhaps not as well as you thought.

And you chose the shipper for safe handling and prompt delivery-- but he let you down.

It's like your toddler wets his big boy pants. It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility to have clean clothes ready to change him.

[nc-daydreamer]

I have never fully understood the whole thing either.

[mam98031]

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@nc-daydreamer wrote:

I have never fully understood the whole thing either.

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It isn't a transparent policy.  It can't be since Ebay will not share who we are being compared to since that would be considered a breach of confidentiality or something about our account information.  So without know that very important piece of the puzzle we must trust that Ebay is comparing us correctly.

Lucky for Mr. Lincoln they don't have enough issues to be put in the penalty box because you must have 10+ for the penalty to kick in.

I have always been of the opinion that the Service Metrics is a redundant way of potentially penalizing sellers.  IDK why the Seller Dashboard / defects isn't enough of a burden on sellers to make sure we stay as clean as we can there. 

We also have to concern ourselves and keep our fingers crossed that too many buyers won't open a return request for something that was completely out of our control and untruthful to begin with.  

I have always thought this was the single worst policy they have ever brought to the site and I firmly believe it is unfairly burdensome on sellers.

[spoo_4285]

eBay is stupid in general some might say. 

[reallyhardtofind]

Somehow I don't think they want Antique & Vintage and collectable sellers here anymore.

[dubiousgain]

I totally agree with you, and I have never been able to figure out why some sellers give it so much credulity, and concern. Just one more garrulous matter to fret about. It's like reading the wet paint sign and then touching it to see if it really is- (Hope you can understand the metaphor 😁)

[mr_lincoln]

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@dubiousgain wrote:

I totally agree with you, and I have never been able to figure out why some sellers give it so much credulity, and concern. Just one more garrulous matter to fret about. It's like reading the wet paint sign and then touching it to see if it really is- (Hope you can understand the metaphor 😁)

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Your metaphor is a whole lot easier to understand than the Seller Metrics ...

[mr_lincoln]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

I basically agree with you-- my annoyance is when eBay compares my slow selling sewing patterns and tells me my price is too high-- then cannot show a comparison. A Vogue Issy Miyake used pattern does not compare to a new Simplicity Delta Burke pattern -- one will sell for $75-$100 the other $10 with shipping included.

Buyt

I have 3 "arrived damaged" ... so is that MY fault?

Well, yes.

Not your fault but your responsibility.

You packed the item to arrive securely --but perhaps not as well as you thought.

And you chose the shipper for safe handling and prompt delivery-- but he let you down.

It's like your toddler wets his big boy pants. It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility to have clean clothes ready to change him.

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Or the carrier simply damages the item ...

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@nc-daydreamer wrote:

I have never fully understood the whole thing either.

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It isn't a transparent policy.  It can't be since Ebay will not share who we are being compared to since that would be considered a breach of confidentiality or something about our account information.  So without know that very important piece of the puzzle we must trust that Ebay is comparing us correctly.

Lucky for Mr. Lincoln they don't have enough issues to be put in the penalty box because you must have 10+ for the penalty to kick in.

I have always been of the opinion that the Service Metrics is a redundant way of potentially penalizing sellers.  IDK why the Seller Dashboard / defects isn't enough of a burden on sellers to make sure we stay as clean as we can there. 

We also have to concern ourselves and keep our fingers crossed that too many buyers won't open a return request for something that was completely out of our control and untruthful to begin with.  

I have always thought this was the single worst policy they have ever brought to the site and I firmly believe it is unfairly burdensome on sellers.

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@mam98031   Yep, that pretty much sums it up ... great post & worthy f a repeat.

[byrd69er]

The graphs mean nothing.

Don't worry about the performance of others. It matters not one bit how well, or not well, others are doing.  They're not you.

[valueaddedresource]

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@byrd69er wrote:

The graphs mean nothing.

Don't worry about the performance of others. It matters not one bit how well, or not well, others are doing.  They're not you.

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@byrd69er  - in eBayland the performance of others absolutely matters because we are arbitrarily rated against others and risk being hit with 5% extra fees if we don't "measure up" according to eBay - that is the whole point of this topic.

[valueaddedresource]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

here's the other issue ... I have NO IDEA who I am being compared to and I can bet you dollars to dozens that since I sell mainly in collectibles the comparisons don't even match.  Its not like I am selling NEW T-shirts and am being compared to hundreds of other Seller selling New T-Shirts.  

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@mr_lincoln  - One thing I think eBay could do to make the Service Metrics at least a tiny bit more fair would be to base the peer group on the specific sub-category the item is in, not the often much broader main category.

A main category like Fashion might have much closer average return rates across sub-categories, but many of the top level categories are so broad it is ridiculous to lump all the sub-categories in together.

eBay Motors is a great example - that category encompasses complete vehicles, car parts & accessories that have very specific fitment requirements, boat parts, airplane parts, on down to things like car wax, tools & repair manuals, key chains, automotive themed t-shirts/apparel and more.

Obviously those sub-categories are going to vary widely as far as average rates of returns with those who sell fitment specific parts being much more likely to encounter false SNADs from people who order the wrong item for their particular year/make/model and just want a free return.

In Collectibles you are probably correct that those you are being compared to may not match up in a lot of ways to what you are selling.  eBay needs to be a lot more transparent about what exactly makes up the "peer group" in my opinion.

[byrd69er]

again....

Don't worry about the performance of others. It matters not one bit how well, or not well, others are doing. They're not you.

[greenhousefoliage]

They should at least tell you if you are being compared to other sellers that sell in the same category as you do. That would at least be a little helpful. 

'Item arrived damaged' is 80% your fault and 100% your responsibility.  

  If it is a problem for you, you should reconsider your packaging practices. See if you can get packaging tips from other sellers that sell items similar to yours (I actually bought similar items to see how they were packaged, what worked well and what didn't). Try out new packaging ideas by packing up similar, unimportant items and putting the package through the worst you can imagine the post office can do. It takes a bit of work but it pays off in the end.

To try to prevent damage, I always package my items with the assumption that the postal workers will play dodge ball with the box.