Rating System at Ebay - Needs Amendments

[pyramidtraders]

Discussion on Rating system adapted by Ebay.

I am a seller at ebay now and was a agressive buyer for 4 year (even bazee days)

I feel the feedback system is a good mechanism to judge the performance of the buyer or the seller.

I have few questions to put:

1. Why cant a seller give a negative/neutral rating to buyer? Even they default in payment/Communication etc.

2. Before a buyer could rate a seller, why dont ebay provide a proper trainig of what a negative rating is?

I have personally come accross situations where customers had put negative without knowing what a negative feedback can do? there is no mechanism to separate product and seller rating. All is clubbed in to one.

I think ratings system is more favourable to buyers than sellers.

A seller should be rated on two things:
1. Product
2. Seller services

The above are 2 diffent things. while the product can land late or damaged but the seller can do a lot with his services to correct the situation. Like re-sending, communication etc.

[stylish_india]

I agree with you. Ebay system really need amendments.
For me I don't like the idea of this 5 star rating :(

[rajelectroniks]

Ebay India is not in a position to do anything about the FEEDBACK and RATING system unless the DIRECTIVE comes from US of A.

*********************************** Regards.
Raj Electronics.

[amitava123gems]

Hi,
Luckily most buyers are normal people.
That is a big solace in unusual situation.Whatever policy ebay adopts,humans will act as humans.Somethings we cant discuss here but everybody knows.Get hit below the belt and you cant shout.Hope things fall in place in future.Afterall those guys up there are no gods.They are also humans.
Thanx,
Truly,
Amitava

[sreelakshmitraders]

Amitava,

I partially agree with you, but these kind of issues has been raised for years....but still no action from ebay to protect sellers....last week one buyer left me a neutral feedback stating that he bought the item but he does not want it now....how strange...who's the loser here???

Regards,

Pethachi

[oceankorol]

I am a buyer and the reason why negative feedback is not there for the buyers is because of the fact that many sellers had a policy of reciprocating the same feedback as that left by buyer.

e.g- Buyer bought an item and paid by paisapay (netbanking), the amount has been transferred and in time too. Now the seller ships the product defective or with some problems, the buyer leaves a negative feedback and in the spirit of 'tit for tat' the seller leaves a negative feedback for the buyer who had paid in time.

Removing the buyer negative feedback is not a correct method. However, in case of clear payments like by paisapay removing the negative feedback for buyer is a good step.

I remember seeing sellers writing in their listing that a positive feedback will be given to those who leave positive feedback. What would such a seller do for a buyer who faces the problem as in the above example? Will he leave a positive feedback for the timely payment made by buyer though the buyer had left negative feedback for the damaged product ?

[pyramidtraders]

I do not agree. Sellers should also have control over the buyers.
- Many buyers simply bid and dont buy. What do u do in that case.
- the product get lost in transit, but u get negative rating. Why???
- Product is damaged in transit, but u get a negative rating .. why???

the point is the buyers do not understand whom are they rating - Service/Product/Courier/ Seller etc.

they make a general rating.

as of now I might not have solution to control this situation, but definately required attention.

[oceankorol]

If the buyers bid and win and then later don't pay or buy, then the option for a negative feedback should be open, but in that case, how will the seller avoid the earlier 'tit for tat' negative feedback ?

I am in the favour or removing negative feedback for buyers but it should be only for those who use PaisaPay (which incidently I won't be using in future).

Other feedback method requires changes for both buyers and sellers.

Coming to transit damage or loss, it's upto the seller to choose the courier service by seeing their old records of delivery times, quality and reliability. Provide shipping insurance and ask the amount for it ! A buyer who leaves negative feedback with regards to courier service problems is entitled to do so since the choice of courier and packaging details rest with the seller. However I do agree that in the points this feedback should have a little lesser negative value than the negative feedback left for the seller itself.

Yes, for buyers the negative feedback option should be there but only for those who don't choose to pay by PaisaPay.

[pyramidtraders]

Point is not to claim money from the courier company. the point is the reputation. which goes for a toss with unwarranted negative remarks...
I had experienced the faults from the big couriers like TNT and Bluedart etc.
And I sure every seller must have experienced such things.

It take a toll to collect positive remarks, however a negative remark can sometimes close your shop!

completely unfair...
I agree that there has to be a strong way by which sellers mends their way while doing ecom business becasuse ebay repurtation is also at stake.

But time has come to thing for an alternate way of doing so...

you can not ignore a seller on the cost of buyers...
Seller are also contributing a lot to make the marketplace happening and competitive.. Which indeed give a perfect platform for the shoppers to buy...

TIME TO RE-THINK.... ALTHOGETHER A NEW STRATEGY...

one such solution is to see what a retailer do offline when he sells an item.

[oceankorol]

I guess India is still not ready for ebay. The rules as pointed out earlier come from the parent ebay and are copied here. In the parent country, the courier companies can be help responsible. The good ones don't work like they do here in India and are more reliable.

Negative remarks can close a shop but if the negative remarks are too many - there has to be a reason !

I always read the negative remarks left for the seller before I make a purchase and I try to understand what must have happened. I have left one neutral remark till now and in that too, I have made it clear why.

Yes, it's time to change feedback method. The present one is not perfect but it works.