Launching new Seller Standards for eBay.in sellers

[seemak@ebay.com]

Consistently delivering to great buyer experiences is a key driver towards business growth. At eBay, to ensure our sellers deliver to a great shopping experience, we continuously evaluate our sellers' performance on site.

Performance of sellers on eBay India is currently evaluated basis the Seller Non Performance Policy [click here for more details: http://pages.ebay.in/help/policies/seller-non-performance.html ].

However, starting 20th May 2011, the evaluation criteria for our sellers’ performance will be replaced by a new set of guidelines referred to as Seller Standards. The new standards aim to give sellers recognition, insights and the help they need to improve and grow their business.

With launch of new Seller Standards, eBay will consider low DSR’s as key constituents to deficiency in sellers being able to provide expected product / service to buyers. Hence we have shifted away from evaluating sellers basis neutral and negative feedbacks to evaluating sellers basis the low DSR they receive for their transactions.

Additionally, with Seller Standards, sellers will now be evaluated on all their transaction, whether the feedback for the transaction was received or not (i.e. if feedback is not received at the time of evaluation, the transaction will be deemed good).

Through Seller Standards, eBay expects its sellers to have a very low amount (within set thresholds) of 1 or 2 stars on the Detailed Seller Rating score. To meet the minimum performance standards, sellers need to satisfy either one of the below requirements:

•The minimum DSR percentage rate; or
•The minimum DSR count

If both the DSR percentage rate and the DSR count are not meeting the minimum requirements, then the expected level of service from an eBay seller isn't being met. Until their ratings improve, sellers who fall below the minimum standard may face a number of consequences including demotion in search and restrictions in selling activity or even suspension.

We are also enhancing the Seller Dashboard so as to provide you more detailed information regarding the sales you have done with buyers in India and abroad. This will give you the opportunity to identify your areas of improvement.

Why are we moving to Seller Standards?

To put more emphasis on quality and to reward and recognize sellers who create great buyer experiences. Through Seller Standards, eBay will now consider the rate of low DSRs received by a seller – specifically 1s and 2s – as a way to assess the quality of buyer experiences the seller provides. All sellers will be expected to have low rates of 1s and 2s.

How is Seller Standards more beneficial than Seller Non Performance Policy?

• Unlike SNP policy which was used to identify & restrict sellers who do not meet buyers' expectations, Seller Standards works on rewarding sellers through increased visibility / recognition ensuring growth in their business on eBay
• With SNP policy, sellers were evaluated only basis known transactions (i.e. where buyer has provided feedback / raised dispute), while with Seller Standards sellers will be evaluated on their overall transactions (whether or not the feedback was left)
• While SNP used to evaluate sellers on a weekly basis, in Seller Standards sellers will be evaluated on a monthly basis which provides the seller an opportunity to work with the buyer and revise the feedback received
• To ensure all sellers are fairly evaluated, sellers will be evaluated basis their volume of business
o For sellers with 400 or more transactions, evaluation period will be last 3 months
o For sellers with less than 400 transactions, evaluation period will be last 12 months

New Seller Dashboard

From May 2011, you will be able see a snapshot of your DSRs in your Seller Dashboard, including your low DSRs (1s and 2s) and your average DSRs. This snapshot will be updated monthly. You can also use DSR reports to see your total counts of 1s and 2s. To get this view, log into your Seller Dashboard and click the link at the top. You should be able to see a preview of this new dashboard within the next two days.

For more details on the Seller Standards please click on this link http://pages.ebay.in/help/seller_standards.html

We will be conducting an online workshop to answer any queries you have around these new changes on Tuesday, April 5, 2010 at 4 pm IST. Please post your comments, feedback and queries on this thread

Regards
eBay Team

[amitava123gems]

Seemaji,
If seller has 400+ FB and does not sell anything for 3 months, how do you propose to evaluate?
I think, you should be having another equation.
Thanx,
Truly,
Amitava

[seemak@ebay.com]

Hello Amitava ji,

If you have no transactions in the past 3 months, since your overall transactions will be less than 400 transactions, your evaluation period will be 12 months.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Seema

[rhtdm.6624]

Hi,

What about those buyers who intentionally leaves negative or low DSR to sellers. Is there is any plan do you have to avoid such issues.

Thanks
Vilas

[rajelectroniks]

For any policy to be successful, transparency factor is very important. Only then will the sellers to believe in it. As long as things are not transparent and foolproof and when ebay gives canned replies like" we cannot reveal the details", then that casts a shadow of doubt over the genuineness and integrity of such policies.

Anyway good luck with the new policy and god bless the sellers on ebay !!!
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[amitava123gems]

Seemaji,
Thank you very much for your reply.
DSR is definitely more accurate assessment of performance.
Indian buyers are smarter than international buyers. Unless you give free gift, you have a 80% chance of landing trouble.
If we are considering introduction of international standard for poor harassed Indian sellers, it ought fail to indicate true scenario. Unless you introduce certain measures to contain the greed factor among Indian buyer community, I have my own reservations about your success.
Thanx again,
Truly,
Amitava

[inteli_india]

dear seemaji,

we appreciate ebay's effort to provide the best platform for ecommerce, however we would like a open debate on the following

we would like to know how will ebay treat neutral feedbacks such as "good" "ok" we received 4 neutral feedback as such which states as "okay" "good" and such as " please ship my item soon" why cant ebay remove such feedback,

1. why are you punishing the seller for the buyers mistake,

2. how will you treat a negative feedback as this where the evidence lies openly and yet we receive a negative feedback. http://forums.ebay.in/thread.jspa?threadID=500008567&tstart=40&mod=1299391065477

3. we often hear from ebay support "we cant disclose the details" "we cant provide the exact reason" if you cant disclose and provde the exact reason why take action against the seller?

4. every buyer expects free shipping which is impossible, our courier partner charges us 70rs for the 1st 500gms, doesnt matter if its 10 gms or 499gms, (of course couriers like professional, maruthi offer cheap but you can assure delivery and they do not accept apparels) but we deduct the profit and charge around 40-50rs for our customers, but still our shipping DSR ratings are low (4.4 low according to ebay) what shall we do in such situations?


we would be grateful if you could answer these, since every time we plan of investing for ebay we are not sure if we can invest boldly, despite 98% and 4.6 stars we still face ac restriction

[rajelectroniks]

@Seemaji...

Just to add, If ebay India is wishing to have DSR scores as a measure of seller performance, then the first thing that need to be done is to change the wording of the DSR parameters on which the Indian buyers give their ratings, the present DSR parameter questions are not at all in line with Indian buyers way of thinking and it need to be immediately reworded according to the Indian scenario.
Your view please on this....
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[cosycom]

I love you eBay , I feel now it is urgently required to add a new text book of at least 500 pages in CBSE and other state boards to educate coming generations in India to properly educate them about : HOW TO USE EBAY

Just making the subject complicated more & more , especially targeted to wipe out small sellers .It is no more a user friendly place for new enterprenuers to start a small online part time business .

hope for the best .

Narinder 🙂

[krishnamobileacc]

hi
ebay
i dont like this new standard policy for ebay india sellers , its seems more complicated and more tuff than present one
please not launch this one