The day has finally come where eBay sellers can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers, while buyers can continue to leave whatever feedback is warranted for the seller.
eBay originally announced this plan in January and set off a flood of negative criticism from sellers and talks of boycott began swirling. Sellers expressed that the new rules unfairly gave buyers more power and negates free speech. While eBay does recognize that the new policy will raise red flags for some sellers, the end results will improve the overall eBay experience.
"We’ve heard some complaints [from sellers], and we’ll probably hear some even louder complaints [after the changes go live], but we believe that the overall marketplace will be better and healthier for it," said Brian Burke, eBay director of global feedback policy. “The goal is to hold buyers accountable in the marketplace and to hold sellers accountable in the marketplace.”
eBay originally stated the reason for the change was that the previous system prevented buyers from leaving honest feedback since they feared retaliation from sellers, if a negative comment was left. "What we discovered through research was that any negative feedback that the buyer gets reduces their purchasing or willingness to purchase within the marketplace," said Burke.
Some believe this tactic was implemented to help create a buyer’s environment to help boost traffic to the auction site due to recent lack luster numbers. Whatever the case may be the auction site will try its best in filtering unscrupulous buyers leaving negative feedback by penalizing or banning the buyers from the auction site. However, it may not be enough to swing sellers back, as many are beginning to find alternatives.
This has been a long time coming. I am glad for it.
This has been a long time coming. I am glad for it.
"any negative feedback that the buyer gets reduces their purchasing or willingness to purchase within the marketplace"
It's all about increasing money for ebay, nothing else.
on top of that...to set up a registered paypal account you used to have to register a bank account which became the default payment method which would eliminate the buyers option contesting the payment with credit card companies...why because each time a payment is canceled ebay loses the commission...
i hope ebay/paypal/skype etc falls apart...
-c
-c
on top of that...to set up a registered paypal account you used to have to register a bank account which became the default payment method which would eliminate the buyers option contesting the payment with credit card companies...why because each time a payment is canceled ebay loses the commission...
i hope ebay/paypal/skype etc falls apart...
-c
Does anyone else know of decent, preferably worldwide alternatives to eBay?
even if it falls under their new misguided "guidelines". They can't even send you a real e-mail response (only canned idiot chatter). They know they cannot police these deadbeats, many of whom get kicked off and re-register under a new ID with exact same name (and frequently same e-mail) as before!! A 1st grader could do a better monitoring job.
The real reason this is being done is because EBAY has to refund the
Final Value Fee (their commission when YOU sell an item) if a seller files a Non-Pay Dispute against a deadbeat. THEY KNOW THE AMOUNTS they're refunding - but they want these commissions - they don't want to refund them. What's a seller to do? File a dispute and risk negative feedback (however unwarranted)??
BOYCOTT EBAY - I'M GOING TO VISIT "THE AMAZON" !! Let's see how their bottom line survives when bidders have no merchandise to "buy"!!
The problem that sellers are now having is that there still is buyer feedback, its just only positive. So now a buyer can still threaten a seller with negative feedback unless they leave the buyer positive feedback AND the seller can't leave legitimate negative feedback. So in some ways this is worse than the old system. They need to scrap buyer feedback entirely.
"Watch in a few years Paypal will be the only method of payment allowed."
It's happening in June here in Australia... And I'm sure it won't be long until it's enforced worldwide.
taken from: http://www2.ebay.com/aw/au/200804.shtml#2008-04-10105658
10 April 2008 | 11:05AM EST
"We're making it safer for all our members to trade on eBay.com.au. To ensure members use only the most secure payment methods, it will soon be required to offer PayPal on all listings on eBay.com.au.
When will this occur?
Changes will be introduced in two stages:
1. All items listed for sale on eBay.com.au on or after 21 May 2008 must offer PayPal as one of the payment methods.
2. All items appearing on eBay.com.au as of 17 June 2008 must be paid for using one of the following:
1. PayPal
2. Pay on pick up (i.e. paid for when picking up the item)
3. Visa/MasterCard (with transactions processed by PayPal).
No other payment methods will be permitted. "
So in effect, they're limiting the options, at least here in Australia for now, to ONLY accept Paypal payments!
In case you weren't aware, Paypal is owned by eBay:
Troy Wolverton (2002-10-03). It's official: eBay weds PayPal. CNet.
http://www.news.com/Its-official-eBay-weds-PayPal/2100-1017_3-960658.html
So eBay is double dipping, once with their listing fee, and again with their Paypal transaction percentage. That's not counting the profit that they make from international currency exchange.
A seller that I know very well recently received a negative feedback for an "incorrect shipping and handling fee" from an idiot buyer. The amount charged for S&H was LESS than the value of the stamps on the package, and, the item was carefully padded and packed at no charge. Under the new system, the seller has no other option than to open a dispute with eBay in an attempt to get the seller to mutually agree to withdraw feedback. My friend tried this, the buyer IS an idiot, it wasn't withdrawn.
I can understand eBay's intention to turn their auction site into a buyers market, but if they continue to mistreat their sellers, how long will it take before the sellers jump ship and their is nothing left to buy?
eBay sellers AND buyers, with questionable ethics and IQ levels need to be weeded out and the feedback rating system SHOULD assist in this process to truly make it a safer sales environment for everyone.
Their recent statements are nothing short of BS to fool the sheeple into thinking that they actually care. I hate monopoly...