eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

June 25, 2007

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

By: Ina Steiner

Mon June 25 2007 15:06:13

Sellers are reporting that they are being targeted by eBay for seller nonperformance ("breach of non performance policy"). While this may or may not reflect a new policy, it seems the level of enforcement has increased in the past week or so. As with other recent Trust and Safety initiatives, eBay has not announced anything about it, at least from what I can see.

Here's an example of just one of many threads about the issue.

As you can see, this seller has no telephone number to contact eBay. It appears to me that recent T&S initiatives (beginning last fall) have increased the demand for customer support, but from my understanding, capacity has not increased.

Making the site safer by cracking down on sellers sounds like a sensible idea, but eBay sellers know that unscrupulous buyers can give them unjustified negative feedback. By going purely on raw feedback, and not taking into account circumstances like deadbeat and newbie buyers, some good sellers may get caught in the net. And as usual, sellers are left wondering if eBay exempts their top sellers from such crackdowns.

I have inquiries pending, in the meantime, let me know if you have been affected by this issue by posting a comment below, or calling the AuctionBytes Hotline (see this page for the toll-free).

Comments (179) | Leave Comment | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: eno59

Wed Jul 4 20:45:32 2007

Just earse my ranting its a waste of time .We have lost no matter how wrong it is . my store I'll close since its screwed any ways.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: RPOL1234

Thu Jul 5 22:09:11 2007

Yes my account was resticted also. No negative feedbacks in the past 30 days no open disputes. I have been told by other ebayers that neutrals are being counted as negative. Which is not right. One of my neutrals has that I describe the item right shipping was ok but I guess the buyer just didn't like the time that much. I always wokr with the buyers and offer some sort of compensation if the itme is disliked. I do not feel as though by account is giving ebay a bad name. Feedback is there for the buyers to look at. If they feel as though the seller is bad they can choose not to buy from that person. If as seller has hundreds of positives that should show that they are doing a pretty good job. How many complaints do you think a major department store gets a year. ANd with all the complaints thtat ebay has been getting lately according to these new rules ebay should be shut down as well.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: bonni

Fri Jul 6 03:06:08 2007

Yet another good reason to have your OWN website and use eBay only as a means of getting customers to it. Eventually, sellers will learn never, ever to rely on eBay. It's an unstable environment in which to build a business.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Fruitee

Fri Jul 6 11:30:35 2007

I dont think its a coincidence that the feedback star system went into place before this came around. We no longer have a way to protect our business from people who are abusing us in feedbacks. The fact that ebay puts a big friggin arrow on there that says SELLERS WONT KNOW ITS YOU pretty much is putting bullets in a gun.

and wouldn't you know it, for the ones they have targeted to kick out... they've ramped up their PROSTORES marketing in our sellers screens. lol

Ebay if you want to be my boss and exercise that kinda control over me... don't be surprised if you get a notice from the department of labor for being my employer. For a venue you sure seem to be applying employer/employee practices such as performance ranking

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Toni

Fri Jul 6 11:50:54 2007

This is so sad. Just like when the fees went up so high, it's terrible to learn of so many disabled and poorer sellers just trying to feed their families or pay the rent get axed by Ebay. These aren't just numbers; these are real live people with the need to make some money to live on. It's not extra money, but life or death money to them. And it's the children of all these sellers who will suffer also. And the elderly.

If anyone has been to Ebay Live you have seen all the REALLY poor and elderly and handicapped people who sell on Ebay. They are just trying to have a better life---to pull themselves up off the bottom and be productive. And then Ebay suspends them unfairly with no recourse and no explanation. How can you improve your feedback when you aren't allowed to sell anything or are suspended totally?

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Toni

Fri Jul 6 12:04:34 2007

There is a huge, huge shooting star powerseller (read Ebay's cash cow) who has a 90% feedback rating, has a star rating of 3.7 to 4.3 who is still in Ebay's good graces. He has had 11385 negs and neutrals in the last year; 2443 in the last month.

Think of all the thousands and thousands and thousands of their buyers who may never return to Ebay again to buy from any seller. Yet a small seller (insignificant to Ebay's bottom line) with 500 feedback and 2 negatives from non-paying buyers gets suspended for life. This is so wrong.

When money talks, there is no concern for "buyer satisfaction" or the "buyer experience" on Ebay's part. These terrible super-cash-cow sellers hurt Ebay's reputation for the entire world, yet Ebay loves the money from them too much to take any action against them. For too high shipping or buyer complaints, including many Paypal chargebacks even.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: michele

Fri Jul 6 16:56:00 2007

This has happened to both of our ebay businesses. My family was selling on ebay full time as our only income, but it is gone now and we are trying to figure how to support our family. We have a warehouse full of inventory. Guess we'll hit the locale flea market!

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: George R. Hansen

Fri Jul 6 17:19:10 2007

I'm wondering if these sellers who are being suspended are selling low price items, below $25.00. I am wondering if these sellers are being blotted out because of the ''junk'' Meg was talking about. I am also wondering if this is paving the way to the ''New'' eBay.

It's obvious that eBay wasn't too happy when there wasn't more of an exodus last summer from those who have stores when they upped their fees.

I think there is a dollar amount somewhere in this suspended equation, whether it's monthly fees paid, low price items being sold, maybe sellers keep their stock month after month with item not selling in their stores. It's more than just a few negatives and neutrals at work here. I believe if eBay can't get you one way then they look for a way to get rid of you another.

Look at it this way. If you had a 4.5 or lower star feedback, how long would it take you to get that up to a 4.9 as eBay wants you to have and how many products would you have to sell in a months time assuming everyone purchasing from you will give you 5 Stars across the board which in itself probably wouldn't happen. Now, they monitor you monthly, so lets face it, that is almost an impossible task. The majority of the suspended sellers will never accomplish that goal.

Are only store owners being suspended or is it auction sellers too?

Someone up for taking a poll on these suspended sellers? EBay loves to take polls and comments from the community to make choices on how eBay moves forward. Pull your resources and find out the differences and the similarities of this situation and put 2 and 2 together. That's the only way you will come close to an answer.

Then once the poll is taken make it public for all the world to see.

Look elsewhere and hope that someone takes the auction and stores rein where eBay is loosing. I do believe some company somewhere with the guts and revenue is reading and watching this whole eBay fiasco and right now finding ways to take over the auction/stores market.

Dreams do come true!
Good Luck!

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: somebodysomewhere

Thu Jul 12 23:41:14 2007

The number one problem on ebay that contributes to a whole host of other problems including negative feedback on seller accounts is ebays total and complete failure to perform any verification whatsoever on buyer accounts. As of the last time I checked about a month ago ebay is still signing up buyers with no more verification than an email, this results in deadbeat bidders who as often as not will leave retaliatory feedback and lost revenue. If ebay would start requiring credit card or bank account info on all accounts deadbeat bidding and a lot of other related probelems would fall to next to nothing. As it is a deadbeat loses one account due to unpaid item strikes and they just sign up for another under another bogus name.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Paul

Sat Jul 14 01:46:23 2007

I just sent an email to meg@ebay.com

according to
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2003/nf20030818_184
4_db049.htm

She is reading her email right? although about 500+ per day i think it is worthy for us to send her about the comments we've put here, at least we "HOPE" that she will consider changing the policy a bit.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Jason

Tue Jul 24 15:42:55 2007

I have been affected. I had 100% rating on over 800 feedbacks before 1 auction where I sold 200 as is memory sticks for a guy. Some of them ended up not working and even though everything was clearly stated in the auction listing and I worked through the paypal resolution process with each of them, they still left negative feedbacks. Ebay gave me very little time to get my feedback rating up, which was impossible and then they suspended my account and my other account permanently. I have not been able to get in touch with anyone in ebay that is willing to listen to me and look at the facts.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Paul

Sat Jul 28 09:00:27 2007

Sadly. after one month I cleaned up all my negative/neutral feedback and disputes, and then send an email to request review. The Trust and Safety team just copy and paste their last same email saying I have limited privilege to sell for another 30 days. and ask me to further improve.

WTF....

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Wolf

Sat Jul 28 10:29:12 2007

Digg this story guys!

http://digg.com/world_news/eBay_suspending_good_standing_selle
r_accounts_without_warning_You_re_next

The more people that digg the story (click the digg it button to the left), the more exposure this will get once it's on the front page.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: dale

Sat Jul 28 12:48:28 2007

From 1999 to 2006 I was on ebay and then suspended with over 30,000 in pos fdbk with a 98.4% rating....BECAUSE of negative feedback! (and after I began to complain about fees quite loudly) With no way to contact a human being at ebay, and after weeks of faxing replies from my customers who had complained (that indeed their merchandise was received - just late due to an internal problem quickly resolved here on my end - and that they were happy and TRIED TO REMOVE the negative - BUT COULDN'T) I quit. But the REAL problem was born from the fact that in 2001 it cost me $2200month to list the products it now costs over $7000month to list. Competition and changes in the industry were forseen and adjusted for and only played a small part. Income falling from 100K to 12K per year due to fees was, and is, the problem. Customers who enjoyed fantastic bargains and great service that felt wonderfully personal due to the technology of email - are the losers. Ebay's treatment of it's sellers is the evil. Greed is it's name.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: K.

Sat Jul 28 14:05:27 2007

There are a lot of us sellers that worry more now about the PITA buyer that buy's a Factory sealed item ,And will Ding US with less then positive over :A how the company made the Item !B. the color of used by the company ! I got Less then postive over the wrong shade of red on a fire truck by a toy comnpany ! the Item was still factory package mint.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: K.

Sat Jul 28 14:05:45 2007

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Bob H.

Sat Jul 28 15:59:08 2007

A few comments on this topic. And no, I DON'T work for eBay. Some of these comments will upset most (if not all) of you. Sorry about that... sometimes the truth hurts.

It's possible that eBay is ''weeding out'' the unprofessional sellers that do irritate buyers and cause them to ''blame'' eBay for what the buyer believed to be a bad eBay experience. And, I know that some buyers are just as bad as some sellers. Unfortunately, eBay's reputation suffers in the long run. I believe that they would rather upset that bottom 2% and have them leave eBay than upset the 98% that they would rather keep. Let's face it...eBay is a business. They make money for their stockholders. They don't owe any of us anything. I'm sure that their financial analysts have determined that they will make more money overall by following this path.

Instead of griping about having your ''business'' shut down, do something to change your selling habits. Of course, if you had done the right thing from day one, you wouldn't be in this mess.

Frankly, I'm getting tired of reading comments from eBay sellers who can't spell, form a complete sentence, or clearly describe their issues. I'm starting to wonder if all of these eBay gripers are uneducated and don't know how to run a business. How about a little professionalism in your business dealings?

Look, it's simple: Describe the item accurately, stop ripping off buyers on shipping, and ship the item promptly. THAT is the formula for keeping your feedback high and your ratings close to 5.0

Yes, I'm one of those sellers that sells items less than $25. I have close to 2000 FB rating and 4.9 ratings. I have achieved a 100% rating by following the selling principles listed above AND being courteous at the same time.

What can you do TODAY to get on the track to becoming a better eBay seller? Stop griping about it and just DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! My opinion... nothing else.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Mariann

Sat Jul 28 19:12:38 2007

I too have been affected by this. After receiving my first notice I used live chat hoping to get some answers. I didn't. They said all I could do was send an email so I did. Here's what I wrote:

"I received this notice and want to know why -SNPC NOTICE: Restricted Account

I tried to list something for sale tonight and could not list it. This is unacceptable. I am a reputable seller and would have a 100% positive feedback if not for unfair negative comments. For example: item was not received even though I mailed it to the address given (buyer did not insure item and there was no way of tracking it),negative feedback was left because buyer said she was overcharged for shipping but my shipping charges are always a flat fee and she bid on item anyway. My feedback is now 99.4%. I did put in for retraction of negative feedback when I received my first negative comment but Ebay never did respond to it so I didn't pursue the rest. Anyway, this is very upsetting to me to now have E-bay restrict my account when I am a 53 year old woman who has the utmost integrity and ethics when it comes to selling on E-bay. Please respond to my situation as soon as possible. If this is not a mistake please give me all the specific details. The restriction notice said I could sell an item but I could not list one this evening. Please let me know what is going on. I would also like to have a phone number where someone in the Trust and Safety department can be reached."

My reply to this email was another automatic response, no personal information whatsoever. Of course, no phone number was sent. So, I sent off another email today hoping Ebay would make this right but after reading all the postings I doubt they will.

I think as sellers we are being treated so unfairly. They are looking at, in my case, 3 unfair comments made by unknowledgeable E-bay buyers and penalizing me, an honest seller trying to make some extra money.

The fact that there can not be any personal phone contact to set things straight just frustrates me so much! They really need to step up their customer service.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Bob H.

Sat Jul 28 21:28:18 2007

Hey, eno59....

No wonder you are in the bottom 2%. Seventy-seven total feedback with 5 of them being negative? That % is horrible. How can you claim to be a good seller if you have that many people giving you negative feedback in such a short time? Come on, get real. You are not running your business properly. And then you rant about it on this blog? Yes, you SHOULD close your store.

When eBay gets rid of the low-performing sellers, my business is sure to go up. Customers buy from people/stores that supply these things:

1) Fair and honest price (and that INCLUDES shipping).
2) Fast service (quit blaming it on the postal service). Ship your items the next day and 10 days through Canada Post won't seem so long. 45 days? Who wants to wait that long?
3) Friendly customer service. Provide emails to let them know when you're shipping, notice of any delays, etc...

Those three items are the cornerstone to successfully selling on eBay.

eBay Sellers Complaining of Crackdown

by: Mrs. Smith

Sat Jul 28 21:30:59 2007

You all want to say that those who were suspended KNOW WHY, and it was deserved. Wrong Answer! I have 99.7% feedback; no outstanding issues; account current; NO negs; (3 w/d); 1 neutral for past 90 days -- and the comment was ''great seller''.

I am a Silver Power seller, so I called the support line. Before you think I'm a huge seller, my feedback number is around 4000, acquired over 7+ years. The very nice fellow at eBay support can't quite figure it out, either! (I was watching the listings being removed as we were talking on the phone.)

So ... he says he will escalate my issue. He calls back a couple of hours later to tell me that because of the specifics in my case (?), instead of restricting my account from selling altogether, they would put the listings back up as closed, and I could sell 75% of my gross sales from the past 90 days, averaged monthly. As of last night, my account was still completely restricted from selling.

OH - You can add another 740 positives to my account that DIDN'T COUNT, because the customers were so happy with their product and service that they not only returned to eBay, they returned to buy items from ME.

YES, if someone does not pay within 2 weeks, I send a NPB notice. If they still don't pay, I file for my final value fee credit, and the buyer gets a strike. This is how things work on eBay.

It's also always been my understanding that the entire point of feedback is so that eBay can be self-policing. Buyers and Sellers rate their experiences, and this lets their future potential trading partners know what to expect. Are buyers so ridiculously stupid now that this will no longer work? I sincerely doubt it.

Rather than going after the sellers who may have made an error or two, they should be looking at the repeat offenders with the truly horrible feedback; those with a record of real dissatisfaction; those who take the money and run; those who deal in counterfeit items; and those who post mis-leading ads. The feedback system as it was prior to stars was working fine.

Those of you who remain so loyal to eBay need to realize that if it is me this week, you are not too far behind. Everyone eventually gets a dissatisfied customer.

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