WARNING check your expanded dashboard

techspec

Strapped wrote: »

Just to say - the automatic 5* for comms doesn't seem to be working exactly as eBay intended. I set dispatch to "within 2 days" on all my listings (even though I do usually post next day). Yet I have been experimenting with not sending dispatch messages to buyers and it does seem that I am getting the automatic 5*s.

I won't boast about my stars :P

Ive stopped emailing buyers - to get the auto 5 stars.

Only one as complained to me about not emailing them. I told them Ebay had emailed them - so i think they were scared of punishing me :rotfl:

soolin

I am going to ask the forum team about changing the sticky threads, maybe removing some we no longer need and putting this one up for a while- what do people think, and what should we remove sticky wise (assuming the team agree)?

The dashboard is a real soap box issue for me, I've seen too many people banned without even knowing what is was and that is unfair.

anyway- I've had some people contact me about p and p and whilst they do not wish particuarly to add to this thread there appears to be a bit of a theme developing about recorded delivery. Whilst I cannot prove it and my only 'evidence' is anecdotal it does seem that using recorded on low cost items seriously damages your p and p stars. If you are showing low stars it is something to consider.

Can I also please urge people not to stop selling if they get a warning, again I am terrible at explaining things and I think people have misunderstood me- but as the figures are based partly on a percentage if you stop selling the good stars will fall off after a year and the poor stars will become a higher percentage of the total.

lastly, well done to those people showing excellent dashboards and for those who have turned theirs around.

soolin

Oh and for those that asked, no I will not post my scores here, but I can say that all of my selling accounts show at least 1 low star somewhere (the biggest ones show more than 1) even though my headline feedback shows between 4.9-5.

metoyoubear

I vaguely remember reading something about not contacting buyers & I thought that can't be right!

Myself or my OH will post items daily if we sell anything so 1 day despatch isn't a problem.

What happens if say something is paid for on a Saturday evening,is it fine to mark it despatched on the Monday or do you have to mark it despatched on the Sunday for example?

Thanks for any advice.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

With regards to communication before setting your dispatch time to 1 day you really need to ask "how bad are my comms"?

There is no reason at all to fear comms stars if you can communicate. Firstly eBay will send some messages to buyers automatically, these are generic but can include a personal message (which you can change as often as you wish, e.g I update my dispatch daily with that day's date in the message).

This can be done here:

http://contact.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ManageBuyerCommunication

If you get any messages from buyers the first thing to say is "Hello NAME, Thank you for your email" and end with something along the lines of "If you have any other other questions please don't hesitate to let me know. Best regards, SELLER".

Any buyer with any complaint should hear the word sorry, even if it's not your fault and all messages should be spelt correctly, have correct grammar and not be written in all lower or upper case. Comms is all about quality, not quantity.

With regards to the 1 day dispatch time you may find with services which are not guaranteed the item may arrive after eBay's (very short) ETA and you get hit on dispatch instead. You also have to ask will there be a day when the car breaks down, you are ill, you have some kind of serious emergency, etc, etc.

Personally I think it is better to set 2 days for dispatch and under promise, over deliver.

Out of 4600 sales in Oct, 3 marked low for comms, did they not get eBay's emails, did they not like the auto emails, did they not like something I said, who knows and even if I did know you can't please that tiny percentage over something so subjective without finding another tiny percentage who won't be unhappy for a different reason.

Just be polite, helpful and professional and you won't need eBay's auto five stars for comms.

metoyoubear

I was thinking about the automatic one because my comms one does seem to get knocked down it's at 4.92 but considering I message each buyer saying their item has been despatched surely it should be higher.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

metoyoubear wrote: »

I was thinking about the automatic one because my comms one does seem to get knocked down it's at 4.92 but considering I message each buyer saying their item has been despatched surely it should be higher.

How does your message read?

metoyoubear

I Thank them for their purchase & payment & tell them their item was despatched today(insert date)

I don't think Ebay messages get through do they all the time,I had one recently where someone messaged me asking a question,I replied,the next day they asked the same question again so I replied with the same answer saying I'd also replied yesterday,they said they hadn't received it,so who knows.

soolin

metoyoubear wrote: »

I was thinking about the automatic one because my comms one does seem to get knocked down it's at 4.92 but considering I message each buyer saying their item has been despatched surely it should be higher.

4.92 is excellent, you do not need worry at all.

xpf

These are my last 3 months worth of scores
Item as described 4.92 0.00% (0)
Communication 4.85 0.00% (0)
Dispatch time 4.73 0.00% (0)
Postage and packaging charges 4.45 0.00% (0)

My 12 month scores are all above 4.82

I've only sold about 20 items in the last 3 months due to illness (only sell my unwanted household things anyway) but am really miffed about the P&P charges low score as I weight everything and have not charged more than it's actually cost cost to send it by RM. I always quote for and send second class and always post within 1 day of payment.
Most of my items start at 99p and only sell for a few pounds anyway so am not in a position to offer free postage.

Am I likely to get my account suspended in the near future?