This is my posting id. This is a long winded rant. I love ebay and hope to continue to sell on ebay for a long time but I am bothered by the current DSR system and would like it revamped.
I am a small time seller, selling about 75 items a year, started in 2001. I have over 500 feedback at 100% from both buying and selling, I ship out the same day, pack well, have a 14 day satisfaction guaranteed return policy, charge exact shipping and yet I've received a couple of 4's over the past year.
Most buyers when they go to provide feedback and rate the seller, think that "4" which is good is a good rating. Little do they know that it can hurt a seller. Also only about 50% of buyers even leave feedback.
Aside from ebay, I give feedback only when I have:
- received exceptional service (they did something out of the ordinary, they went out of their way to do something that was unexpected, like they moved me up to first class from coach, upgraded my hotel room to deluxe)
- or if I recieved really poor service.
If I am satisfied with the service I don't usually say anything or provide feedback. I was satisfied and happy, nothing out of the ordinary, all was good, it was a "4".
It doesn't bother me that someone thinks my service is good and not exceptional. My service was exceptional, but I told them I would ship the same day and I did. I told them when they could expect to receive the item. They can see what I paid for shipping right on the package, there was no handling fee, so they think all is good. I didn't do anything special over what I told them. I could have said I will ship in a week and ship the same day, that's out of the ordinary and then they could give me a 5.
From all of the suspensions I have seen then year apparently ebay doesn't think that GOOD (4) is good enough for most sellers.
What bothers me is why those few people didn't rate me a 5? I need more information for the DSR feedback to be useful.
- I would like to know, shipping out the same day, how could I be faster?
- Communication where was the error, did a communicate too much or not enough?
- Why do they think that the postage was too high when it shows on the package?
Oh sure, I could play the game and not communicate with the buyer and then I will get a 5 rating or offer free shipping, just add the cost into the item (it is never free shipping) and get a 5, but that's not the point.
If buyers are rating me, tell me why you rated me the way you did so I can improve, I don't know how? Unless I want to play the game, or ebay, needs to change the DSR system.
I find that one of the most important questions a buyer can answer is "Would you buy from this seller again?" That to me says it all.
I found this very good article by a woman who talked abou the DSR system from a buyers perspective.
http://voices.yahoo.com/ebay-dsr-stars-good-ebay-still-bad-sellers-2185361.html
Thanks for listening to me.
