Quote: › Dear bobbiesbuttonsandbows, Just a quick note.....yes, a neutral does bring your rating down as much as a negative would. I have 708 feedback total, with only one neutral, and under the new convoluted way of calculating, my rating went from 100% positive to 95.8%. OUCH! This is my repayment for over 8 years of hard work and really putting myself out for my buyers. If you were to read my feedback you'd see that most of it isn't just good, but glowing. I had one problem buyer who didn't read my listing details, or a single one of my emails to her and then blamed me for problems that were because of her preconceived notions of what should happen, without even giving me a chance to work things out with her before leaving the comment. Just thought you'd want to know for your own protection, neutrals can hurt you very badly. Astounded in Mass., Darleen

Darlene - I'm in exactly the same situation - number of years, glowing feedback. Neutrals brought me down to 99%. I was referring to the score. My score is 1025. It was not reduced by the neutral. But the percentage was reduced from 100% that I maintained for 8 years to 99%. One good thing. A buyer bought three items. I shipped, post office lost, she left three neutrals. Only one counted in the percentage calculation.

ligafra- love your avatar!

I really think that IF I were to ever sell again on eb, I would bow out of posting any form of feedback. And if anyone emailed me (as they all do) about posting, they would receive a very nice letter explaining that my stand is to NOT post feedback until the FB issue changes. Sorry, but that's just how it is. I'm sure it would PO many newbies and they'd retaliate for it, but what is a seller to do?

I'm sure there are many law suits in the making as we type. This is just completely against any form of fair business practice. I was absolutely shocked at some of the new negs and neutrals being posted today. Now is a great time to be dormant as the power monger buyers get their frustrations out and try to destroy businesses.

I think auction style and bid cancellation / bbl is in order, keeping close track of what is bidding on your items. That doesn't work for snipes, but hey...it might help for a small percentage of items.

TyeDye, Good option- boycott. I don't see many other options

pearldobrin wrote (View Post): › TyeDye, Good option- boycott. I don't see many other options

Maybe that's the answer over a long period of time, if sellers don't give feedback, how is a buyer to gain feeback? The feedback system (of course, over time) has to fail. However, I'm sure that the big freebie listers (buy and the many more to come) will have automated feedback for the buyers.

"...if sellers don't give feedback, how is a buyer to gain feeback?"

A close friend of mine reported that she's had two buyers email her after they paid for their respective items. Both said essentially the same thing (paraphrased): "I will provide feedback after I receive (the merchandise) and it's as described and shipped fast and cheap. I will let you know when I receive it and that I am satisfied -- then, after you give me feedback I will leave it for you. If you don't leave feedback, I will use that in considering any feedback I decide to leave." There's no extortion demand for special consideration in the emails. But the expectation of receiving feedback from the seller is made abundantly clear.

Again, this is a composite of what was said by both buyers. Actual wording was different -- much longer in one case -- but this was the essence of both messages. Not stated, but implied, is the threat of "no feedback from you first, I'll leave negative feedback about you not giving feedback; and, there's nothing you can do about it."

Let the games begin....

Pearld...some of who saw this coming left and started stores elsewhere. I honestly do not know how a seller can do it and make money.

Garage sale type of selling might work because those folks would not care how their feedback really looks. It won't impact their fee reductions or much of anything. I have a cousin who only sells once in a while. They won't care much. They are not doing a business.

I can't afford what ebay has set up. I refuse to be a victim of their stupidity...or of their purposeful ejection of good sellers. I hopped out.

Still have my id just to see what happens. But at this point, not sure I want to try to sell on there. We will see what counsel time and observation brings.

here's an idea: what if sellers set their feedback to "private." If a seller can't judge a buyer, then why should the buyer be able to judge the seller?

Update I just received this via email today from feebay

Starting in July, ebay sellers will be required to specify shipping
charges using either the eBay shipping calculator or
flat rate shipping.

I got lowered to 99.7% based on neutrals. Stinky policy, but then it may backfire if it gets more sellers shrugging off feedback and deciding not to try for 100% or near-100%.

I had my defining feedback experience some years back, when after 1,500 or so at 100% there was some total jerk with a history of belligerence that just couldn't be pleased. After going through the usual gamut of emotions, I didn't want the "pressure" of trying to maintain 100% and having the buyers know that.

Ebay needs to consider the possibility that sellers might know what it'd take (if even possible!) to get the best in their "scores," but have decided as a matter of business sense that the extra TIME and effort required (or cost, if it's pulling up an S&H DSR rating) can't justify the benefit.

In fact, many sellers probably used tax time to crunch some numbers afterward in a real post mortem. The biggie: net revenues divided by hours worked. If eBay keeps adding steps or making it all take more time without bringing more money, then that's the equivalent of a PAY CUT in the non-eBay world.

So if they don't lose sellers outright, they'll have more who'll just "let the averages settle" and then, if eBay gives them trouble about it, fire eBay.

The downside to ending participation in the feedback program will be buyers will neg you for not giving them a positive.
Most likely buyers will neg you for not giving positive feedback fast enough. This will force sellers to give glowing positive feedback within seconds of purchases. This will quickly qualify new scammers, who have no intention of paying for any purchase, to sell on ebay and open an ebay store. Thus scamming more ebay visitors before they are suspended and move on to a new ID with their profits.

Not looking forward to eBay's new Feedback system. I can see all the problems already. eBay is gearing up to the big time sellers who sell thousands of items a day and don't really care if they receive negative feedback. I feel bad for the eBay newcomers who are trying to sell some items just so they can make some extra money to afford to fill up there car. They better be on the top of there game or else they'll be looking at a -3 feedback rating right off the bat.
http://asapsellsit.blogspot.com/
JP

greywolf18 wrote (View Post): › here's an idea: what if sellers set their feedback to "private." If a seller can't judge a buyer, then why should the buyer be able to judge the seller?

Sellers can't have private FB anymore. They used to be able to, and I'm not sure when this started - within the last year or so, because I remember some China sellers in the past months who had private FB. Haven't seen private FB for quite some time now.

CabinFever wrote (View Post): › WPH-that is very funny! About Tammarah and the 666. My feedback also jumped up. Am wondering how long the powerseller status lasts when you haven't been selling and were not meeting the quota for 2 months prior to that.

Well that's a bit tangled, though I will say that it's not full compliance since she doesn't still have full powerseller status; just the icon.

It's not the first time with 666: the first time they tried to kill the business was on June 6, 2006. Our sell through actually went up during the month with, no new auctions listed and selling down the store listings, due to listing suspension. I figured there was something that couldn't be "tweaked" when the account was restricted that way.

artstampn wrote (View Post): › The downside to ending participation in the feedback program will be buyers will neg you for not giving them a positive. Most likely buyers will neg you for not giving positive feedback fast enough.

Eventually all the sellers will just set up auto-feedback and forget about it, and buyer feedback will just be a stat on purchasing history. If you're selling products mostly to adults or collectors I think you'll survive it without too much headache.

moved to EBay Feedback Cutoff Kicking In, Sellers Angry thread

http://www.powersellersunite.com/viewtopic.php?p=171397#171397