Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

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

February 26, 2009

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

By: Ina Steiner

Thu Feb 26 2009 10:06:17

eBay managers and sellers reached an impasse yesterday over the issue of Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs). Many callers to the company's Town Hall Meeting expressed frustration over a feedback system that they said had the ability to punish them for satisfactory or good ratings. Managers told them that the data they studied proves the system works, and not to worry.

It's unfortunate that eBay doesn't publish the audio and transcripts of the meetings in a timely manner (the last available transcript is from September 2008). You can read my summary in AuctionBytes Newsflash, and there are some details about the Seller DSR reports that are coming here (written for developers who use eBay's API system).

One manager revealed eBay's achilles heel in its attempt to compete with mainstream ecommerce sites (the Amazonification of eBay): it won't have a shopping cart available until at least late 2009 or early 2010. eBay is unlikely to roll out a major platform change during the holiday season, so it's likely another year before any cart rolls out.

Update: eBay does make the audio available, as someone pointed out in the comments. Here is a link to yesterday's recording.

Comments (84) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: ZEAK

Thu Feb 26 10:32:02 2009

scary how out of touch the ebay people seemed to be. glossing over the hard answers by complimenting the questioner. ebay has gone to political mode

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Daisy

Thu Feb 26 10:32:36 2009

If your customers are crying out that they're unhappy, why doesn't Ebay listen. They're losing ground so fast and in this current economic meltdown, that is certainly not where they want to be. The ineptitude continues.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: txseller

Thu Feb 26 10:34:47 2009

It is amazing how each month our DSR's drop around the ''snapshot'' time. Then, after our discount is figured, our DSR's go up. This has happend too many times to be a coincidence. It's hard to believe that all of our happy buyers leave feedback at the first of the month and that all of our end of the month buyers find something they don't like.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: katydidscards

Thu Feb 26 10:35:07 2009

Daisy, I'm surprised that you're surprised that they don't really care how we feel about things. Did they ever?

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Caryl

Thu Feb 26 10:38:48 2009

As a FORMER seller on Ebay (antique car parts), one of the issues we deal with is the DSR for shipping costs. Invariably, ALL the people I know in this field suffer from lower ratings specifically in the cost/shipping field.

WE are punished for the high USPS rates -- with higher rates coming our way again! If an oversized/odd-sized item is charged accordingly by the USPS ($12-$20 domestic, $20-$35 overseas) and a SMALL ($1.00-$2.00) handing fee (for taking up to 30 minutes to safely pack/wrap a vintage part) is added, the buyer invariably complains about the shipping costs, and rates the seller accordingly -- Even if the postage rate is clearly labeled on the package!

Sellers take the hit for USPS rates...and there should be a means of differentiating between buyers' distaste of USPS rates, and a seller's price-gouging (i.e. 5 oz. of cell phone ear plugs for $14.00 shipping!).

Additionally, even when a seller can document that an item was shipped in a timely manner -- if a package is lost in transit, or delayed in transit for one reason or another -- the seller is also rated accordingly. There are many circumstances where shipping time is OUT OF THE HANDS of sellers...and again, are rated inappropriately by the buyers.

Ebay might want to consider an ''explanation'' section for these anonymous ratings - just for accuracy's sake.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Henry N

Thu Feb 26 10:39:13 2009

I recently heard a cute ad that I think sums up the current eBay management team. Question: What is the difference between ignorance and apathy? Answer: Frankly we don't know and don't care! The answer might just be eBay's new business slogan.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: 726631

Thu Feb 26 10:39:36 2009

Wow..I read your details on the Town Hall meeting and was amazed by some of the issues brought up. All the issues seemed important, but the only one that they are going to addresses in the near future is changing the color bar to a different color then red!

I was glad to see eBay knows how to prioritize the important stuff! Impressive!

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Mike G

Thu Feb 26 10:42:13 2009

Ina -- many thanks for printing this summary. So much better than having to sit through it! You saved me a ton of time, again!

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Another Wronged Seller

Thu Feb 26 10:42:18 2009

''Managers told them that the data they studied proves the system works, and not to worry.''

Data like this is called fiction!

Nothing to worry about for us sellers.... we'll be off the site in no time!

Conversely, my data shows that DSR's in their current form do NOT work and ebay ''management'' has it's head in the sand.

This is the way ebay listens to its sellers by telling us not to worry.... If they were serious about listening to it's sellers they wouldn't blow off sellers concerns like this.

I give ebay management a solid ''3'' satisfactory rating. They'll be fired in no time.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: getem

Thu Feb 26 10:47:35 2009

A solid "3" satisfactory rating???? I rate them -5 and that's being generous. Fools are currently running Ebay.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Et tu, Brute!

Thu Feb 26 10:54:49 2009

I do not understand why people complain complain complain about ebay and it's *fill in the blank here*.

Quit whining and leave already!!!

Even if the Board turns everything around do you still want to STAY? The Board of Directors has sanctioned ALL of this, don't you get it?! It's not changing unless they are driven back against the wall and for *x,y,z* HAVE to.

They already have their millions/billions and DON'T CARE!!!

How much more "We couldn't care LESS about you!" do sellers have to take?

This is a form of abuse and you continue to lay in the gutter sniveling.
It is becoming disgusting. No, worse.

It is pathetic.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: erbbundolo

Thu Feb 26 10:56:15 2009

Oddly, despite all the hubbub over DSRs and whether it works or not, I have to say that, at least for me, it's working out just fine. Usually runnng to 4.7 or 4.83 in all categories (shipping is usually the lowest one). Still wish I could leave feedback that was negative, but I'm NOT getting any negative feedback so it's not a problem.

All in all, I still understand other sellers' ire completely. Selling on eBay is like having a home in a minefield--you never know when something will go boom.

Apparently now only twice a year.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Frank Provasek

Thu Feb 26 10:59:10 2009

Wonder what eBay's star ratings would be?

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Clay

Thu Feb 26 11:03:49 2009

Speaking of DSR's, I wonder if anyone asked them about the DSR ratings for the diamond sellers. Our most infamous 2 sellers stats are as follows:....

SL...
Approx 3100 sales in 6 months,
24- Neutrals
44- Negatives
DSRs: 4.8, 4.8, 4.8, 4.7

SB...
Approx 2100 sales in 6 months
21- Neutrals
41- Negatives
DSR's: 4.8, 4.8, 4.7, 4.8

30 of these Negatives were garnished during the months of Jan 10th until now. We posted an article on Jan 10th about them when their Neg feedbacks were 12 each. 30 negs posted in 6 weeks and their DSR's stay this high ? Yeah right

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: wondering

Thu Feb 26 11:04:19 2009

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT PROCLAIMED TO BE COMING ON THE 25TH BY GRIFF, PERTAINING TO FEES?
you know, the one about monetizing the pages with ads, (maybe) lowering the fees to sellers?

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Sandy

Thu Feb 26 11:14:12 2009

I agree with the questioner who stated that it was not the DSR system, but the verbage. My DSR's are also high, but I send a note to my buyers....not begging for a high rating, but simply explaining how the rating works and what impact ratings of 4 (that a buyer is told is good) can have on a seller. Sellers and buyers need to be on the same verbage page when it comes to DSR's.

Frankly, I've never had a problem with not being able to leave negative feedback for a buyer, unless they don't pay for the item. I do believe a seller ought to be able to rate non-paying buyers some way so that other sellers can avoid them.

As for the shopping basket idea, that really does need to be thought through carefully. A method that allows the buyer to see combined shipping costs before committing to buy is not a problem. But.....we don't need a "shopping cart" where you can plunk stuff and then never pay for it. That will only do more harm to sales.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Patricia

Thu Feb 26 11:22:19 2009

It seems there is not one modicum of sanity left in Ebay management. They arrogantly issue policy changes and tie sellers up in mindless rules and regulations....all the while their business is declining....declining Donahoe - that means you and Ebay, are NOT successful! Get a clue!

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Patricia

Thu Feb 26 11:25:54 2009

"SL...
Approx 3100 sales in 6 months,
24- Neutrals
44- Negatives
DSRs: 4.8, 4.8, 4.8, 4.7

SB...
Approx 2100 sales in 6 months
21- Neutrals
41- Negatives
DSR's: 4.8, 4.8, 4.7, 4.8
"

Wow! I have more sales then both of those guys.

0-neutrals
0-negatives
DSR's 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0!!!

It can be done if the seller is a good and honest one! But I hardly sell there anymore because my stuff is buried so sour cream like those guys can rise to the top! Good going Donahoe LOL

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Clay

Thu Feb 26 11:37:47 2009

I neglected to add to these statistics a very important set of numbers. For....

SL out of the approx 3100 FB's only 2275 posted a DSR rating....or 1 Neg per every 52 transactions

SM out of the approx 2100 FB's only 1710 posted a DSR rating.....or 1 Neg for every 42 transactions

Normal sellers accumulating such feedback would be suspended plain and simple.

Impasse over DSRs at eBay Town Hall Meeting

by: Shirley

Thu Feb 26 11:49:17 2009

I think I know what some of the changes to DSR's will be.

Go to your seller dashboard and click the ''see how ebay calculates your rating'' under the Buyer Satisfaction section.

At the end of this page there is a link Seller Dashboard help page.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/seller-dashboard.html

There is a section called Detailed Seller Reports that is not yet available that I can tell. It gives the instructions but they don't work.

Here is what it says:

Detailed seller ratings reports

To generate reports of your detailed seller ratings, click See your reports in the bar chart.

Detailed seller ratings reports help give you more information about your customer service. Run reports regularly (such as every two weeks or monthly) to see how your ratings are affected by your buyer’s location, by the categories you’re selling in, by shipping services, and other factors.

Now--if this worked--it would be a great thing. Just to know which categories are causing you trouble would be fantastic.

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