eBay feedback boycott

soolin

Tirian, if you read the other thread you will see why any sort of boycott or petition will have no effect at all. They don't want us smaller sellers, that's the whole point and we are the only ones that are particularly upset by these changes.

There was a selling boycott last week I believe, did anyone actually notice any difference?

Tirian

Yes, but a selling boycott can by its nature only be very temporary - sellers need to keep selling. A feedback boycott can be continued indefinitely at no real detriment to sellers (especially if there's no way for them to leave anything but positive feedback anyway ..)

tomstickland

Tirian wrote: »

This doesn't really make sense - everyone starts with low feedback, it's not exactly "mysterious". You can't possibly make an assessment of a buyer based on feedback that hasn't been left - you wouldn't even know that it's supposed to be there in the first place!

Apart from looking at their buying history. Anyway, I'm not particularly bothered about the detail of how it will pan out, but the point still stands that the market will somehow adjust itself closer to what it wants to be.

Tirian

I am always amused by people who have such a touching faith in the abstract entity of 'the market'. If 'the market' were really such a resilient and untameable beast then institutions like eBay and international governments wouldn't waste their time with all the regulations and restrictions they put in place.

I have a feeling that you have swallowed an textbook of economic theory somewhere along the line ... in some idealised free market, perhaps 'the market' might respond to external influences smoothly as you suggest. In practice the reality is that our 'markets' are not at all free, they are very heavily constrained and controlled (eBay especially so!!). There is not the scope for this 'market' to respond in the way that you seem to believe it will.

brightonman123

who would care what the seller thinks of your purchase, so long as you got the goods as advertised?

RFW

Tirian wrote: »

Yes, but a selling boycott can by its nature only be very temporary - sellers need to keep selling. A feedback boycott can be continued indefinitely at no real detriment to sellers (especially if there's no way for them to leave anything but positive feedback anyway ..)

If it has no detriment to sellers it will then have no detriment to Ebay. The only effect a feedback boycott will have will be on the sales of whoever is holding the boycott.

I stand to be corrected, but I don't think that the changes in sellers not being able to leave negs/neutrals will have any effect except on the poorest sellers who overcharge on postage or sell copy goods and retaliate when they are left a negative for it (these are the sellers Ebay are targetting).

The adjustments Ebay are making in feedback (allowing repeat buyers feedback to count, after a week (read the announcement!), adjusting %age score to cover the last 12 months, DSR, etc) should ensure that the better sellers survive and prosper and the dodgy ones fall by the wayside.

The original Ebay model for feedback was to rely totally on the honesty of all concerned, a nice idea, but ufortunately for feedback, Ebay grew too big too quickly and the conmen got on board.

I think the point "tomstickland" was making regarding markets is that your petition and your boycotts may have a minimal effect, but as long as people keep buying they will be totally ignored. Its a bit like the earthquake we had, most people in the country didn't feel it, a few shook for 30 seconds and 6 chimneys fell down, otherwise nothing happened.

Tirian

I fail to see how a feedback boycott will affect my sales at all. I already have substantial good feedback. If I put something up for sale that people want, they will bid for it.

I also fail to see any good reason why I should waste my time leaving feedback for buyers if it's nothing more than an acknowledgement that they've won an auction. That is not 'feedback' - it's just a counter for how many auctions they have won. If they pay then I will send them their goods - if they want a pat on the back, then they can provide that for themselves. There's no benefit that I can see for me to participate in the feedback system any more.

RFW

Tirian wrote: »

I fail to see how a feedback boycott will affect my sales at all. I already have substantial good feedback. If I put something up for sale that people want, they will bid for it.

Best of luck then. It won't affect short term sales, it will deter repeat customers. Buyers like feedback, personally I always prefer the money, but happy customers=sales. I would also suggest that your DSR will start to drop as well as a result of you not leaving feedback.

As far as I can tell you appear to be saying that your main use of the feedback system was to use it negatively and you are stopping because the negative (and neutral) option has been removed. The reason for leaving a buyer positive feedback is not being altered yet your attitude towards it has. Leaving a positive has always been a 'pat on the back' for a buyer, so why have you left before and will not be leaving again?

imagia

Here's an excerpt from a live chat I had yesterday. FYI, we got onto this point when I was told that I could always cancel bids of buyers once I'd viewed their feedback.

Me
"But, we can't leave negative feedback for buyers, so how do we know who's scamming sellers? Do we just not leave feedback if we're not happy with that buyer??"

eBay rep
"Yes as for the changes that is the only option you have to either give them or totally not give them one."

You heard it here first. No feedback is the new neg.

StaffsSW

But how can we tell how many "non-feedback" transactions are involved?

I have a buying account with over 300 feedback, but I know I have bought over 500 items against it, but i don't leave, or expect feedback for many of them. Does this make me a 60% rated buyer?! Or 100% as the 300 I have are all positive? I hear nothing of ebay showing this data.

The new system will mean there will be no distinction between a good and bad buyer, and therefore all will be treated the same. Sellers may take more negs, but if too many buyers leave petty and malicious negs, then how will the genuine buyers know which seller to trust.

The feedback system was far from perfect, but i still fail to see how this is an improvement.