eBay Confirms It Is Hiding Seller Feedback as a Test

by: ajeweler

and more lashings, e**Y is still doing what ever it can to benefit them and not the sellers, all these years that sellers offer great help and costumer service and literally jump thru hoops to be Shure that their feedbacks are glowing, all now in vain. again smoke and mirrors . this is going to drive buyers crazy, I will bet the DSR's are still in place. I do agree that most other places don't use feedback the sellers are more at ease to say no to low ball offers or problem buyers and scammers,
I think now if they remove or hide the feedbacks the DSR's will be the new feedback system time will tell

by: sasikat9

Its just another way that Ebay is trying to protect their diamond sellers and favorites who have racked up all those negatives.  Best to hide them and let the buyers get stiffed.

by: This a joke, right?

I have never thought feedback was useful and when they made it so only the buyer could leave feedback I found it less useful.
I am proud of my almost 25K feedback but wouldn't be upset if it went away.
I have always felt that it would be better to post # of transactions and show how many as a buyer and as a seller

by: Just Plain Irritated

I think it won't be long and they will eliminate Top Rated Seller status and the 20% fee discounts that goes with it.

by: rhawk

OMG.

Just get rid of feedback period.  Ebay is so full of not needed BS.  Freaking ridiculous.

by: Basset

Couple thoughts:  

If feedback number went away will transactions & comments also eventually go? They have already been removing identifying info from the transactions found in feedback.
 

Just a few hours ago I was looking at a seller's 90% feedback to see what their issues were.  I was trying to decide if a purchase was worth going through possible aggro - even WITH eBay's buyer happiness policy.  Still undecided.  

But --- seeing that 90% was enough to make me step back and think on it.  


If feedback number is not visible, would buyers be as tempted to commit feedback extortion as they might be otherwise?

I don't think it makes any difference to me if my FB is not visible.  What I WOULD like screamingly visible is ''See sellers other items'' AND my listings.

by: Rexford

For me, it is even about having feedback or not having feedback.

I AM TIRED OF THE CONSTANT CHANGE!!!

eBay's house will never be built.  STABILITY PLEASE!!!!!

by: gizmo

Without equality , nothing they do will work. If I cannot read a persons feedback , what good is it at all? I wont buy , if I cannot see. Wont work!! Move on , Next dumb idea.

Give me the seller/ buyer, the ability to honestly describe my nightmare buyers. They do deserve it. More so than most sellers I know. Youre treeing the wrong dog ebay.

by: JQ

Unf*cking believable.

Ebay managment suite is a God Damn asylum.

I will have no expectations of improvement at the site until a very deep housecleaning of all senior management happens.

by: Troy Stiffler

This is not going to solve Ebay's problems with banning sellers.  Feedback is not the problem, and never really has been.  Micromanaging their users' businesses is the problem.

Ebay needs to stop banning sellers, and let the customer decide whether or not they want to deal with a seller.

If a seller has a 90% feedback rating, you probably don't want to buy from them.  Unless it's a good deal.  Maybe you'll take a risk.  Or maybe you'll at least know what to expect.

I think the change is too radical for Ebay.  And I think the only way to make it work will be for a new startup to do it.  Ebay's empire will crash and burn as soon as someone steps in and makes a better platform.

by: Sierra

If a seller had just a 90% feedback score, I would have to be willing to lose my money altogether if I were to order from them, and that's not likely to happen.

by: bitbybit

Guess ebay considers me as one of those subset users. Not seeing a sellers feedback numbers upfront and then adding another click or two to view the actual feedback is irritating. I really believe this is being done to make all those newbie sellers (new vulture prey for eBain,I mean eBay), with little to no feedback, blend in with the seasoned sellers. It's another one size fits all but do not be deceived into thinking this makes a level playing field. It isn't. If ebay continues to use buyer's opinions against sellers along with defects and ebay's other arsonal of weapons, there will be no level playing field for sellers. All of this coincides with ebay's latest promotional invite to list fixed price for 30 days geared to those bright eyed & bushy tailed new sellers. This also coincides with the breakup of Paypal/eBay which looks from what I have been reading to be in June.    

by: brokentoys19

What difference does hidden "feedback" (a misnomer and technically incorrect term to begin with) when listings, descriptions, traffic reports etc are hidden (or broken/discontinued) anyway? If people fall for all that, feedback is small potatoes anyway.

Has eBay given any thought to restoring the original feedback system? What about all the gaming of feedback? Will eBay ever correct that? Will ebay simply nix the feedback if they can't leverage or monetize it? Do tell, Mr. Wenig.

It's a sham anyway. Ha!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?&_nkw=feedback


(i
nsert thinking day joke here, then throw another gobstopper on the eBay funeral pyre.)

[condescending Wonka.jpg]

by: windsorbear

Feedback on eBay is useless.  The DSR system is useless.  And from my experience of late, even bothering to list items on eBay is useless.  They just need to pull the plug on their e-commerce platform and do something else.  Maybe they could actually make Cassini work and become a search engine... you know... instead of saying ''I'll Google that'', people could say ''I'll eBay that!''. Hmmmmm...... never mind.......

by: aim04744

If feedback is being counted against me I want to be able to see all of it. Even the comments. And I want to be able to respond to my feedback.

Nothing like setting up goals, making them invisible and then saying sorry you didnt hit it but since we arent showing them to you you will never know if we are telling the truth.  

by: Ric

Hiding feedback will discourage buyers from leaving it unless there was a problem, then eBay's coddled buyers will rush to leave the seller a negative.

With fewer positive feedback received, negative feedback left for a seller will end up hurting the seller more than it would have if buyers were leaving feedback as they do now.

This will lead to large numbers of sellers losing their TRS status and their TRS discount.

That in turn will result in higher profits for eBay while at the same time alienating sellers in greater numbers than eBay is already doing.

Let's face it, Devin Wenig is going to complete the implosion of eBay which was started and nearly completed by John Donahoe.



Personally, I have ceased buying new inventory and fully expect that I will be winding down my eBay business due to eBay corporations failure to provide a solid, stable and reliable platform.

As for purchasing on eBay, if I can not see that the seller of an item I am considering is reliable because eBay has hidden feedback, then I will simply complete my purchase elsewhere rather than return to the days when scam artists prevailed.

With eBay, it's one step sideways and three steps backwards for sellers.

by: val2525

Non-viewable seller FB might work for sellers who sell only new, run of the mill, consumer goods (batteries, office supplies, etc), but it absolutely will not work for used items. I've purchased too many items on eBay touted as 'LIKE NEW!' only to receive them and discover they're faded, damaged and pilly. Good feedback and buyer comments is what sets the good sellers apart from the lazy crappy sellers eBay has been encouraging lately. No feedback to judge by, I won't be shopping here any more.

by: AgendaSwallowsAll

@JQ

''Unf*cking believable.

Ebay managment suite is a God Damn asylum''

I may have said it differently but I couldn't have said it any better.

Seller feedback is the first thing I look at and then I do my research to determine if for the most part it has been gumps who have left less than positive or if there is in fact a track record of a specific recurring seller issue.

Many of our customers write to specifically state ''We purchased from you because of your rating''.

''Unf*cking believable.

Ebay managment suite is a God Damn asylum''

Couldn't have said it any better.

JD & Co. is controlled by the New World Order or similar, Bain as the ''similar'' example and it may all be one in the same. A CEO change is going to do nothing re: a back peddle as it should if all were Kosher. There is something far from Kosher going on here.

by: nitro

I use FB to determine those with whom I'd like to conduct business. Taking it away likely means I will NOT be spending as much money with eBay as I have in the past. Without buyers, eBay sinks and I'm tired of things being weighted against us: can't leave FB about eBay resolution having to step in because a buyer can ask for it to be removed. If you stink that badly buyers SHOULD know it took eBay to make you fly straight. Tired of being stuck with return postage for misrepresented items, etc.  

by: Ebay's Slow Death

I too, think it is to protect those Favored Mega Sellers, who have a bunch of bad feedback.

I don't buy much on Ebay anymore, but when I do buy the occasional DVD or book, I always look at the feedback to see how quickly the Seller ships, and how reliable their descriptions are.

Besides, as a Seller, I have earned my great feedback, by giving excellent customer service. As usual, smaller Sellers are getting the good, old, shaft by Ebay once again.