Unfair feedback scoring system

[lamborg2008]

I'm trying to reach out to all the sellers on eBay, who also think feedback scoring system is absolutely unfair to sellers and we should do something about.

For example, for the last 3 years, I had over 7000 transaction but only got about 3000 feedbacks. This is because, once the buyer is ok with his purchase, he wouldn't bother to leave positive feedback (that's why I'm short about 4000 feedbacks)

But once the buyer thinks something is wrong, he would run to write some nasty stuff in negative feedback (and 2 scores will be removed from your sellers's feedback score).

Isn't it time to do something??

What I suggest is, eBay must create a rule, if the buyer doesn't leave any feedback for 60 days, a seller automatically gets positive feedback.

If we all get together and demand it, I think eBay will have to change it.

[richkazman]

What's also bad, imho, is the way seller and buyer feedbacks are merged in determinging your favorability rating. Since buyers can only receive largely meaningless favorable feedback, it than inflates their score. This is bad when they are also sellers because it disguises their scores, potentially hiding actually poor performances as sellers.

[yourtopbrand]

Contrary to above I was advised just last week (Jul 23) by an eBay representative, since a buyer hadn't left me anything on the detailed seller ratings but did indeed give me positive feedback, eBay assumes all one's (1's) not five's (5's). I disputed this with the representative and was told I should contact the buyer and request they complete the DSR. I insisted this would be a burden on both myself and the buyer as well as poor customer service. I was then instructed to go to the help center to research what other buyers are doing. I give eBay zero's (0"s) across the board for their lack of good customer service.

[kathieskorner]

I wouldn't believe much of anything an ebay rep told me about any of ebay's operating systems work. 

[savanna.dance]

If the stars aren't rated, why would eBay count them as anything? Did you run the report to see if the buyer did indeed rate the stars?

[wearmans]

I ran the transaction defect report, Is there another report I can run?

[savanna.dance]

@starroute-us and @cynthealee2 can you help?

[Anonymous]

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@yourtopbrand wrote:

Contrary to above I was advised just last week (Jul 23) by an eBay representative, since a buyer hadn't left me anything on the detailed seller ratings but did indeed give me positive feedback, eBay assumes all one's (1's) not five's (5's). I disputed this with the representative and was told I should contact the buyer and request they complete the DSR. I insisted this would be a burden on both myself and the buyer as well as poor customer service. I was then instructed to go to the help center to research what other buyers are doing. I give eBay zero's (0"s) across the board for their lack of good customer service.

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Holy cats, ebay can be the devil but that cannot be right.  Your rep was probably one of those people who think 1's are the best and 5's are the worst.

Also, the customer can't go back and complete the DSR's after they've already left the feedback, if that's what this rocket scientist was advising.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

As far as I have read, Ebay doesn't assign anything to DSRs that are left blank. They effectively work out to be fives because all the pertinant percentages are calculated by

number of bad things / total number of sales

So the unscored ratings are counted as if they were fives. It would make NO sense for Ebay to mark unscored ratings as 1s and we would see it in the calculation, which we do not.

[penultimate.leotards]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

As far as I have read, Ebay doesn't assign anything to DSRs that are left blank. They effectively work out to be fives because all the pertinant percentages are calculated by

number of bad things / total number of sales

So the unscored ratings are counted as if they were fives. It would make NO sense for Ebay to mark unscored ratings as 1s and we would see it in the calculation, which we do not.

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Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant.

Simple math shows us that they do no count "unscored" DSR's as a 1. 

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

If the rep truly said that, that rep needs re-education.

Paula

[david*42]

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yourtopbrand wrote: ... since a buyer hadn't left me anything on the detailed seller ratings but did indeed give me positive feedback, eBay assumes all one's (1's) not five's (5's).....was told I should contact the buyer and request they complete the DSR.....

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Wrong, and wrong again: It's not possible for the buyer to rate or revise DSRs if they have already left feedback, except through a "feedback revision request," which can only be sent if the feedback rating itself was negative or neutral.  

As the others have noted, the notion that the default is a "1" is mathematically demonstrably untrue. The DSR averages shown in a member's profile are based only on the ratings that have been actually left by buyers and on automatic 5's.

[vdejan2015]

I recently complained through ebay about sheets that I purchased from ebeddings that were supposed to 1000tc Egyptial cotton - they cost me $100 each Australian which is a lot of money.  The sheets were thin, rough, not shiny like the picture and had a horrible odour.  I believe I was scammed.  Seller refused to give me feedback and instisted that they have so much positive feedback that I am delusional.  I looked at the feedback & it is all exactly the same working posted in the same month.  Surely this cannot be right.  Ebay stepped in and took the seller side so I did not get refund.  I think this is because ebay makes commision from seller.  So unfair.

[best_vintage_photos]

Wow, if eBay sided with the seller against you, you must have done something wrong. Yes, sellers are the ones who pay eBay the fees, but eBay siding with the seller seems to be about as rare as somebody hitting the lottery these days.

[*eponymous*]

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@vdejan2015 wrote:

I recently complained through ebay about sheets that I purchased from ebeddings that were supposed to 1000tc Egyptial cotton - they cost me $100 each Australian which is a lot of money.  The sheets were thin, rough, not shiny like the picture and had a horrible odour.  I believe I was scammed.  Seller refused to give me feedback and instisted that they have so much positive feedback that I am delusional.  I looked at the feedback & it is all exactly the same working posted in the same month.  Surely this cannot be right.  Ebay stepped in and took the seller side so I did not get refund.  I think this is because ebay makes commision from seller.  So unfair.

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@vdejan2015 File a dispute with Paypal for "item not as described" and escalate it to a claim.  You will have to pay return shipping.

That particular item has a 4.34% dissatisfaction rating from other buyers, which is really poor.  In effect, other buyers warned you, but you ignored that.  Always check seller's feedback before you decide to bid or buy.

[vdejan2015]

thanks for the tip but I though 4.% bad feedback was good and that the seller posted all the positive feedback to boost his score - I am inexperienced in how all this works.  I appealled my case to ebay as I am absolutely convinced that I have been scammed and ebay it seems does not give a hoot.  I offered for ebay to examine the sheets themselves because it is so obvious that they are cheap and poor quality.  I gave seller negative feedback but ebay removed it.  I will think twice before I purchase things from overseas.  I wish I could warn other buyers.

[vickysecretpink]

I completely agree with you when something is positive they don't leave a feedback. Unfortunately I had some abuse me and leave 3-4 negative feedbacks on my ebay recently after they bought something so even though I agree that Ebay should do something about it. They probably won't. They also spread lies about me and one of them emailed me saying they thought me a lesson. At least it was worth it when I used to make money. But then resellers kick you off even if you are only selling one thing like a handbag. If they are selling 1,000 handbags or watches they will try to kick you off for selling one or two as if that is competition. And they will even create dummy accounts to buy from you and then leave a negative feedback so their real accounts don't get ruined. I think you are exactly right the feedback system should be overhauled.