I don't think I'd mind any of the new policies so much if they hadn't made it a 5% "dissatisfied" cutoff. 7-9% would be acceptable.
"Dissatisfied" to them means "filed a paypal dispute". Well, if I resolve the issue surrounding the dispute and they withdraw it or it closes automatically, it still counts as a "dissatisfied buyer" even if I then work to satisfy them and succeed in doing so.
"Dissatisfied" also means a 1 or 2 in any of the DSR categories. So I can ship them the item the same day they pay, lose money on shipping, but US customs holds the item at random or whatever, I get positive FB, 5, 5, 2, 5... my "buyer satisfaction" score goes down a point anyways. Nothing I can do.
In some fields like selling kids clothes or 99 cent trinkets or used records, buyers are more polite. In my field, used computer equipment, buyers are more demanding, rude and problematic because not all of them even know how to turn their computer on, much less install parts into it. I know almost nobody selling used computer parts who's above 98% anymore unless they're a gigantic company with a huge staff.
Sooooo today I get another negative from some moron who bid a computer part up, won it, then decided he'd bid too high on it. I file an unpaid dispute, he says he refuses to pay because he "can't find the support website for the item", I shrug and file for FVF credit after a few more days, he leaves me a negative. eBay's new policy changes for 2008 are the single worst thing they have ever done, it's almost as though they're attempting to run themselves out of business or lower their stock values on purpose. Again, fine, but they're screwing a lot of hard working people who've been making their living using eBay as a marketplace in the process.