eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

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

April 23, 2008

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

By: Ina Steiner

Wed Apr 23 2008 22:18:44

eBay's Lorrie Norrington had little new to say to a small gathering of sellers on April 23, 2008. Rather, she used the event to hammer home eBay's message that it is cleaning house, and using anonymous feedback from buyers - DSRs - to do it.

Norrington said, "eBay.com is moving towards a retail-like experience, where buyers have an expectation that they won't get ripped off, that they'll find the item they want or need, and they'll get a fair price."

While many sellers would agree with at least part of that sentiment, they may not agree with eBay's reliance on DSRs to accomplish this task.

Here's a link to the full transcript of Lorrie's speech, and a write-up in AuctionBytes Newsflash.

Comments (85) | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: dimes

Wed Apr 23 22:53:03 2008

Apparently the best way to get rid of the ridiculous DSR system will be to simply not use it.

Not as a buyer, not as a seller.

After all, feedback is voluntary. If everyone stops bothering to leave feedback, then what will eBay do?

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: SofterSilk

Wed Apr 23 22:54:14 2008

"Shape up or ship out?" It's about time! I applaud the house-cleaning!

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: steve

Wed Apr 23 22:58:10 2008

softersilk, can you say brown noser!!!

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: dimes

Wed Apr 23 22:58:59 2008

It's odd that eBay says it's moving toward a ''retail experience'', yet is increasing its reliance on something that doesn't exist in retail - feedback.

I don't leave feedback when I shop online at Target or amazon or Macy's. It's not a part of the online ''retail experience'' at all.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: donnellwells

Wed Apr 23 23:32:46 2008

The only thing I am experiencing is distaste at the constant and ill-conceived manipulation of what should be a laissez-faire marketplace where buyers, sellers and interested parties are constantly being played like pieces on a board game by Ebay/Paypal management.
There was a time when the rules were pretty clear.. now, they are so murkey that management can withhold money, pull listings and any number of dubious
business violations that are just corrosive for the experience that you are going to have with Management, not
buyers or sellers.

Even though I am a power seller, I do not need an Ebay nanny to help me learn to walk...except the other way.

I've lost that loving feeling for this gig. It is painful to see the battering such a great concept has taken in the name of ????----------- you fill in the blank, I am too disheartened.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: not-affiliated-with-Pesa-but...

Thu Apr 24 00:01:23 2008

''eBay's Lorrie Norrington had little new to say to a small gathering of sellers on April 23, 2008''

''a small gathering of sellers'', not unlike say, an IMA conference...Ina, we all know she spoke at the PESA summit....it seems that your wording in both the article and in the blog notice, you go out of your way to try not to acknowledge that the PESA seller summit is even happening or is of any interest to ebay sellers everywhere...what's up? Just curious...

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Don

Thu Apr 24 00:02:48 2008

Feedback is a wonderfull thing. Leave eBay some feedback in our poll:
http://donscycleware.bravehost.com/EBAYFEEDBACK.html

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Henrietta

Thu Apr 24 00:06:12 2008

You betcha donnellwells, I've lost that lovin' feeling too. I have taken my perfect feedback with an average of four repeat purchases per unique buyer and shipped out.

Why would Pesa sellers stand around and listen to such a bunch of old cobblers? Maybe they need some of softersilk's product to wipe the brown off their faces & boots too. They did say 'small gathering' maybe the smart ones did a bunk.

Look on the bright side, when the good sellers who actually care about little things like buyer satisfaction are gone eBay will not have nearly such a hard time finding the scum. After all scum rises to the top, scientific fact.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Linda

Thu Apr 24 00:16:14 2008

If Ebay believes the DSR ratings so much why not install it on their own Customer Service Reps. Either on phone or web after the call......That way each rep can be evaluated on the seller experience with Ebay.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Angela

Thu Apr 24 00:16:33 2008

PayPal is responsible for most of the problems they have. We were all just fine until eBay started going after a "retail experience" and insisting we provide it. Sigh. It's their sandbox though...

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Adrian

Thu Apr 24 00:42:00 2008

DSR's, the hated DSR's! How can you judge a seller by the DSR's? I charge exact shipping, no handling fee and sometimes end up paying a little of the shipping out of my pocket. Yet I have only 3/4 of a star about my shipping charges??

Item as described, only 3/4 a star! Yet everyone left positive FB and said they were very pleased?

I really got dinged on shipping time. However I was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and was very slow to ship several items. I have also had buyers that wanted their item day after tomorrow when they live across the nation. I know they have dinged me on stars to for shipping time.

In fact the DSR's are pretty much just a buyers opinion! How can eBay judge sellers on a buyers opinion?

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Randy

Thu Apr 24 00:50:45 2008

Ebay goes on and on about customer service and then slaps THEIR customers in the face with insulting new policies and talk. They are begging for sellers to leave. I am a great seller. Never a neg and many repeat buyers. I am DONE with ebay. I refuse to spend my money on a service that treats its customers like they are scum!

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Paul

Thu Apr 24 00:53:25 2008

I wouldn't have a problem with using DSRs for determining power seller discounts if eBay would use a 90-day rating instead of 30 days. In 30 days, one disgruntled buyer can ruin your average and drop you from 15% to 5% discount. And eBay knows this--in fact I am sure that is why they went with 30 days.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: o.c.d.collectibles

Thu Apr 24 01:44:28 2008

Sorry Lorrie darling, I just don't buy it. You are a terrible saleswoman!

My fees went up. Not down. My reports don't lie.
I have a very high DSR but it will not remain as such once the other sellers bid on my auctions and grade me down to level the playing field.
I'm not eligible for the discount of 15% anyway because I couldn't quite make the 1K level of powerselling.And only 30% of ALL the powersellers left is only a drop in the bucket. There are wayyyyy more sellers who are not powersellers.

And they are boycotting, so there is no way they will remain powersellers, and there is no way they can BECOME powersellers at this point in time.

Now, lets get to the boycott and the sellers who have left. This topic is never mentioned. Not once. Why?

Passionate? a boycott is passionate? I don't think so. That sounds utterly ridiculous. And you sound ridiculous saying that, now, come on!

So I stopped selling, am now registered to sell in a ton of other places, but gee..ebay has left a rotten taste in my mouth that gets worse with every lie about fees and feedback that you and your cronies dance around with every interview. This is condescending and hurtful, and it makes me sick.

And I'm a registered Nurse so it takes A LOT to make me sick!LOL!

Now, stop trying to feed us bologna, we want Roast Beef!

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Fruity

Thu Apr 24 02:36:48 2008

wonk wonk wonk, whoopdeedoo

maybe if she didn't spend the past year kissing someones butt to get that job she'd realize that for the past 5 years ebay has been adamant that the level of ripped off buyers were such a minuscule amount. oh so it's only actionable if you have something you can pitch us is that it? You're just gonna use anything you can to get to the goal. Ebay has let this site go from bad to worse so they can coordinate other program launches and get member adoption

Ebay just wants to implement policies to hold back a certain segment of sellers so they can close the door and give it to those who have made this place rotten. Then they can justify it

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: Wim

Thu Apr 24 02:54:19 2008

When nearly all sellers have lost their faith in eBay, it'll be the death of eBay.
This will be happening soon.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: leapingcat

Thu Apr 24 03:02:58 2008

Yet another distortion of the truth by Ebay. I have 100% feedback and DSRs of 4.8 to 4.9, but I get nothing in return, because I am selling my own surplus things and sell about 10 items per month. I also buy similar things from other small sellers. Ebay must be made to realise that it does not exist for powersellers alone and if it prices other sellers out of the market then it will suffer.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: JustMe

Thu Apr 24 03:03:26 2008

What a laugh that they are stepping up customer service. They just laid, what, 142(?) Customer Service Reps off!

As an ''eBay Refugee,'' I get this disgusted feeling in my stomach each time I read one of eBay's arrogant ravings about their so-called great DSR/feedback ''improvements.''

After much grieving over the loss of a much beloved site, I have found some better places to be. There are several, and, according to a discussion board I am on, people are selling and are happier. Check out the other auction sites! They are growing and care about their customers enough to remember who they serve.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: horsemama

Thu Apr 24 03:08:22 2008

I love how the insertion fees that went down a NICKEL were "reduced" but the FVF's that went up 66% were "adjusted." Isn't INCREASED ASTRONOMICALLY a better description?

I love how eBay is holding its CUSTOMERS (the sellers) to a higher standard of customer service than it provides itself. Hello? Robotic C&P answers based on keyword searches are NOT "customer service."

They are "servicing" us in the manner one refers to when one speaks of a stallion "servicing" a mare.

PESA and Scot Wingo are suckups, plain and simple. They and eBay deserve each other.

They do NOT deserve me, or my BUYER dollars. I'm only a casual seller of the despised "flea market" variety but for seven years ebay.com has been the HOME page to my browser because THAT was where I went FIRST to buy anything I needed.

Well, guess what? No more. May 1 I will change it to Amazon, or ioffer, or eCrater, or OLA, or ewaey, or inetflea, or etsy, or one of the MANY other selling sites that actually KNOW what customer service is.

Do as I say, not as I do must be eBay's new motto. Their so-called "Community Values" are dead, embalmed, in the coffin, and dangling over the grave, just waiting for the feedback changes in May to tip them in so the dirt (or whatever) can be shoveled in on top of them.

RIP eBay. It's been fun, but frankly, eBay sucks now. Enjoy your decline. You deserve it.

eBay Sellers Must Live or Die by DSRs

by: luckie

Thu Apr 24 05:45:35 2008

This woman, Lorrie Norrington, sounded mad, angry.

What Right Do You Have To Feel Angry Miss?
None!

It is the sellers that have the right to be indignant. eBay treated the sellers unfairly by unilaterally deciding to make changes. eBay didn't even bother to warn their sellers the hostile changes would be sweeping and have a huge impact on small sellers! Nit only has eBay and all management been abusive to sellers they have traumatized them! Shame on eBay for twisting the truth and hiding behind better buyer experience, when it's evident ebay wants the small sellers to leave if they say they want to compete with the large retailer. Lorrie Norrington, you are guilty of playing with the minds of countless sellers and then you think you can spit your anger at them too! You are a power tripper my dear!

Leave those sellers alone if you cannot be commonly decent to them!

eBay is unfair, exercising it's power over the small seller and unilaterally weakening the small seller with it's ridiculous buyer satisfaction excuse to make irrational changes.

You see all these sellers have excellent feedback, knew how to work with their buyers in a courteous, responsible, professional and friendly way where there is absolutely no excuse to lie that the buyers were somehow dissatisfied with the sellers goods and service!

Seeing through you, Lorrie Norrington! And eBay's John Donohoe...bet you really didn't like the changes Lorrie...bet you were forced to go along with them too! Feel a little sheepish~

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