Interaction has little to do with someone intent on leaving negative FB.
I certainly have no understanding of people who use the BIN let alone win an auction, and have no intention of paying and then turn around and leave negative FB. That said there are hundreds of sellers who have done nothing aside from list a product and end up with a neg before they even send out a congratulation's email to the winning bidder. How could they have handled the interaction any different?
As far as ST is concerned (and I have been involved in 2 sucessful ST resolutions), it only works if both parties are receptive, same with both parties leaving negs and proceeding for mutual FB withdrawl.
The feedback system was a quick fix to a problem eBay had dealing with bad Sellers where one could develop a track record to reflect how good you are in satifying customers. It also reflected how good a buyer you are.
However, by itself it was destined to failure as most things in life are if left to themselves without any proper policing of misuse.
That being said, the FB system has been abused to the advantage of bad Sellers and bad Buyers who set themselves up to scam others on eBay.
eBay has to accept full responsibility for the continuing erosion of the system as the confidence in the FB system decreases with each and every misuse, then so does the very trust Sellers and Buyers have in eBay as a safe place to do business.
I will reserve my comments on how much value I see people foolishly place on the FB system, those with 100% positive getting their 1st neg and feeling as if the whole world is falling in around them.
Certainly I cringe and get upset at anytime I receive or am threatened with getting a neg, that is natural. I would like to strangle the idiot that leaves me a neg. I can also say that I could have avoided the last 2 negs, not because I did something wrong but I could have bowed to the demands of the customer, but why should I?
If eBay wont employ the people to police the misuse, then why dont they appoint or cause to be elected, some member volunteers to review FB complaints and render decisions to reverse FB, or comments or even recommend suspension following some fairly logical guidelines.
I am sure that everyone on eBay would love the opportunity to have a panel of their peers review FB complaints and perhaps overturn negative FB left should conditions warrant.
Its a no-cost idea for eBay that will pay back big as the FB system will undergo a much needed improvement through the possible elimination of unwarranted FB.
Malcolm