eBay

momcqueen · ‎01-04-2017

I know Feedback doesn't count for seller performance any longer but my rate of Feedback Received has dropped from 50 per cent to 30 to 20 per cent of feedback reciprocated over the last three years. It looks like I do no business on an annual basis. I'm feeling a little frustrated. I leave feedback on shipment for EVERY buyer and yet 80 per cent of the people purchasing in my category don't bother to do the same. Sigh. Whining over. I have another order to pack. It just looks like I don't ever have orders to pack. I worry it reflects poorly on my online business presence.

I have 99 followers and more than a hundred items with multiple watchers but I am concerned I look like a lame duck with 59n ratings under Detailed Seller Ratings. Maybe buyers don't bother to look at that, I don't know. It cold be only sellers judging one another that way in which case I guess it really doesn't matter.

momcqueen · ‎01-07-2017

The Product Review itself is lovely and complimentary but it's for me, if I may be so bold as to sound egocentric. It's all about the specific product that I sent the buyer, the price and the service, not about just any item of its kind. It should be seller feedback, I need the seller feedback, my count is dropping like flies. I now sit at 95 for the year, down five from only a few days ago. A review of that product would read something like, "Great colouring and pattern on a popular, highly-sought character that kids clamour for. Nice size for play. Spinning propellers are a bonus." Know what I mean? The buyer left a lovely product review but it's really written as seller feedback for me.

As both a buyer and seller, I find Product Reviews are just more garbage clutter on a page. I don't read reviews from random mouth-breathers when I'm trying to decide whether to buy one item versus another. I bellyached loud and clear when ebay announced they were coming here. The only value to a Product Review is when they are curated by the manufacturer or site host. And a smart seller will allow the poor ones to stand. With reply. That's how Product Reviews are properly done.

My buyer was a lovely lady, I want to add. Certainly not a mouth-breather. She is a repeat customer too.

momcqueen · ‎01-08-2017

Here is another problem. This is my listing and a Product Review from my buyer, as a matter of fact. Immediately before or after purchase, he hasn't received it yet. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/THOMAS-amp-FRIENDS-MINIS-DC-SUPER-STARFIRE-BLUE-BEETLE-GREEN-ARROW-BRAINIAC-4...

He bought another of this series two days later after a length discussion about currency conversion. The buyer is, in fact, the only persons with whom I have ever had to discuss currency conversion. I don't mind taking the time to walk buyers through things when they need help, but THIS is NOT a Product Review. I've reported it. Who wants to bet it will never, ever, ever, ever be removed?

dutchman48 · ‎01-08-2017

I get them on currency, but they are from totally different buyer's purchases from other sellers and even different currencies

Ebay refuses to remove them

momcqueen · ‎01-08-2017

It devalues the entire concept of Product Reviews adding value to the site if they don't remove the garbage ones.

dutchman48 · ‎01-08-2017

I can see product reviews on new items, but not on used.

They should also not be attached to a specific seller, but only to the generic product to prevent feedback instead of reviews.

Maybe Ebay should use the catalog to put reviews in so they are not attached to any seller or do it like amazon and attach to the product displayed where it can not be confused as seller feedback.

Better yet get rid of them as it does more harm to sellers than anything else

dutchman48 · ‎01-08-2017

My feedback is down about 300 for the year and dropping regularly as are sales.

momcqueen · ‎01-08-2017

My sales slumped in the summer and fall but picked up to 'the average mark amount' for Christmas when I usually do four times that. But there are contributing factors to that for which I cannot place blame on ebay.

My feedback received, however, has not kept pace with sales performance. I used to get feedback left for me at a rate of 60 per cent or more. Then it fell to 50, then 30 then about 25 per cent and now it's not hitting even 20 per cent of Feedback Left for Others. I don't like the way that looks. Product Reviews are helping to make buyers feel that seller feedback is more irrelevant.

I think the double-digit numbers next to my Detailed Seller Ratings makes me look like I don't sell much. I don't sell like gangbusters but I sell more than it appears that I do. And I think buyers look for successful sellers. I'm worried I don't appear to be very successful any longer due to an ever-dwindling percentage rate of feedback received.

dutchman48 · ‎01-08-2017

Rumor has it that Ebay is doing a lot of intentional game playing as they can't get rid of sellers for legitimate reasons.

Hide their listings, reduce sales, increase costs, and anything else to get rid of the 20% discount then make it get to the point that it becomes not worthwhile for the time and trouble to have a store or even list.

Many sellers stats are all showing the same signs, and it seems to be hitting many long time sellers.

Just rumor of course

momcqueen · ‎01-08-2017

That sounds like the kind of conspiracy theory that's been cooked up by someone wearing a tinfoil hat. I try to avoid those, they hurt my head.

rose-dee · ‎01-08-2017

Although I find it hard to imagine this lack of FB is completely random or coincidental, exactly what the cause may be is anybody's guess. I suppose I'm one of those long-time sellers 'dutchman' refers to -- up to about 5 years ago my FB rate was nearly 100%. It has been dropping steadily in the last 4 years, but there's been a nose-dive in 2016. I'm fortunate now if 1 out of 10 buyers leaves FB.

One of my own theories is that with people being inundated and constantly pestered by online incoming messages, reminders, spam, advertising, and whatnot, a tipping point of attention has been reached. Or perhaps eBay has streamlined, automated and depersonalized selling on this site to such an extent that buyers no longer think about the real person behind the transaction who is providing them with good service.

Or maybe eBay has just expected too much of buyers, making feedback too complicated and time-consuming. We now have 4 modules on the FB page for each transaction (positive/negative button, FB comment, on-time question, and the 5 DSRs). In addition, there are now product reviews for buyers to input, which to my mind are completely worthless (and even harmful to smaller-scale sellers) on a site that has no direct control over quality or even over the type of product(s) being offered. Maybe buyers don't care anymore -- they just want to get their stuff and be gone.

The one thing I can say from my own experience, if it means anything, is that FB has also dropped dramatically on another site from which I sell, and other, longer-established sellers than me have been complaining of the same thing there. Sales have slowed as well (although not as much as here on eBay). This makes me think the phenomenon of plumetting FB is not specific to eBay.

One positive way of looking at this: if a rising tide raises all boats, this ebb tide is going to have the opposite effect on a lot of us. So no one seller is going to look particularly bad for lack of recent FB, at least amongst the smaller sellers. Buyers may just get used to seeing that, if they even bother looking.

I actually don't know whether buyers (especially newer or younger ones) pay any attention at all to FB anymore, even when making a decision to buy. This seems especially likely ever since eBay began to focus on mass-produced tech equipment, fashion items, household gadgets and the like. These products are often handled by big retailers who can display dozens of product reviews up front, and thus benefit from the comfort of large numbers to dilute the effect of the occasional bad review. It makes sense that this is what buyers -- especially on mobile devices -- would be more likely to see first and respond to. Whether or not buyers understand they're reviewing the product, not the service or the seller, is another matter.

As I see it, these product reviews are most helpful for bigger sellers, whereas they can be detrimental to smaller sellers, as you point out. Is that intentional on eBay's part? Certainly the helpful part.

EBay is nothing if not a constant challenge. I shudder to think what's coming our way in the 2017 Spring Seller Update.

rose-dee · ‎01-08-2017

Actually, it's a good thing I haven't had a single sale on eBay over this weekend. We're buried in nearly 40cm of snow, and more continues to fall, so getting out tomorrow to go to the P.O. is not going to happen. We can't even walk through the stuff to get to the end of our driveway. Who needs FB anyway?

Even the snowplow truck gave up running on the main road after 5pm today. I must admit it does look very pretty out there though.

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-08-2017

As for a lot of things, it depends a bit on what you sell, and also how much time and effort the buyer puts into the purchase process.

Over on the AZ many folks consider 2-3% feedback to be average. With 10% as spectacular.

Useless data points:

My AZ feedback (last 6 months of 2016): 38% (compared to around 45% five years ago)

My current eBay feedback on 30-60 day old sales: 52% (no idea if that's trending up or down)

...

recped · ‎01-08-2017

I don't even buy a lot online but I'm bombarded by feedback requests, customer satisfaction surveys and the like. I rarely respond to any of it anymore and even on eBay I often never get around to leaving feedback for sellers. Amazon is about the only other marketplace where I shop, I don't even know how to leave feedback there.

I still leave feedback for my buyers but I say thanks to anyone who hands me money.

Feedback is so 90's........

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

38e_avenue · ‎01-08-2017

@rose-dee wrote:
Actually, it's a good thing I haven't had a single sale on eBay over this weekend. We're buried in nearly 40cm of snow, and more continues to fall, so getting out tomorrow to go to the P.O. is not going to happen. We can't even walk through the stuff to get to the end of our driveway. Who needs FB anyway?

Even the snowplow truck gave up running on the main road after 5pm today. I must admit it does look very pretty out there though.

Can you not order CP pick up? It's what I am doing all winter. I am very happy with the service - it costs only 4 CAD.

I order it twice a week (Tuesday/Friday), so the total monthly cost is 32 CAD.

momcqueen · ‎01-08-2017

That reminds me, we had lettermail delivery yesterday on a Saturday. For some odd reason.

38e_avenue · ‎01-08-2017

@mjwl2006 wrote:
That reminds me, we had lettermail delivery yesterday on a Saturday. For some odd reason.

It might be a "private" delivery done by your neighbor

I am living on 38th street, and almost every week I get letters and packages (xpresspost included - tracking says" successfully delivered!) destined to the same civic number, but at 39th street. So I do my private delivery. I think I should ask CP to pay me a salary for the delivery service I provide ..

recped · ‎01-09-2017

@38e_avenue wrote:
@mjwl2006 wrote:
That reminds me, we had lettermail delivery yesterday on a Saturday. For some odd reason.
It might be a "private" delivery done by your neighbor

I am living on 38th street, and almost every week I get letters and packages (xpresspost included - tracking says" successfully delivered!) destined to the same civic number, but at 39th street. So I do my private delivery. I think I should ask CP to pay me a salary for the delivery service I provide ..

Yeah I vote for that because I got a small package delivered last Monday which was definitely a Canada Post holiday.

For me at #255 much of my mail ends up at #225 (same street) or #255 the next street over (completely different name).

Best yet (not CP) were two steel I-Beams (I couldn't even lift them) that were meant for the renovations at 255 the next street over.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

momcqueen · ‎01-09-2017

Ha, no. Not this time, it was an actual Canada Post letter carrier, he came down the street on foot and up my driveway as I was loading my family into the van to leave for a birthday party. Not my regular carrier, he's on holidays. But totally a postal employee. Parcels were delayed earlier in the week, I was all antsy about it, so maybe they're playing catch-up with all the statutory holidays and post-Christmas mailings. If I wasn't so surprised to see him, I might have asked the reason he was working on a weekend.

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-09-2017

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Ha, no. Not this time, it was an actual Canada Post letter carrier, he came down the street on foot and up my driveway as I was loading my family into the van to leave for a birthday party. Not my regular carrier, he's on holidays. But totally a postal employee. Parcels were delayed earlier in the week, I was all antsy about it, so maybe they're playing catch-up with all the statutory holidays and post-Christmas mailings. If I wasn't so surprised to see him, I might have asked the reason he was working on a weekend.

Might it have been catch up because of:

January 3, 2017 – Yellow alert: The severe weather conditions in Southeastern Manitoba, including Winnipeg, are currently impeding mail delivery. While every effort is being made, some customers may not receive mail today. Once the conditions improve, normal delivery will resume.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/blogs/announcements/details.page?article=2017/01/03/mail_delivery_a...