If a seller has a perfect 5.0, then the vast majority of buyers are loathe to spoil it. The same has been seen and discussed in eBay forums regarding the main feedback score too.

However, if the same buyers see a seller has for example 4.7, then they are more likely to award a 4.5 than a 5.0 – this contributes to a time related drag down of the DSR rating a seller has displayed – not because they are bad or performing worse, but purely because of human nature.

Another factor the DSRs do not address is “horses for courses”. Many buyers do not take distance into account (as mentioned by Mark above).

Now if eBay were to also show a panel saying something like -

You are in the UK, Your Seller is in Thailand
The average on-eBay period between date of payment and date of buyer leaving feedback is 21 days for UK buyers receiving goods from Thailand – we regard this as indicating the average delivery time.
It is now 15 days since you made payment, this is faster than the average.

Then I would have unreserved support for the DSRs.

As it stands now,
I am supportinve of the product description and communication ratings
I am totally opposed to the rating for postage – caveat emptor is not just a legal fallback, it should be a life guide to all.
I support the despatch time rating – IF eBay would explain it means the time between payment and despatch, not the time between bid and delivery, which is how too many buyers interpret it.

The despatch time star should be a system automated function anyway. The core engine of eBay should be monitoring average time between payment and postage dates for each category, and applying a system rating for this – then everyone is playing on a level field, and not at the mercy, whim, and interpretation of a wide range of buyer comprehension of what it means. And lets be honest, buyers react differently to this one rating, depending on which category they are buying from, ditto with postage costs.

It’s important to realise that eBay themselves don’t expect sellers to achieve five out of five ratings, but rather say compare yourself to similar sellers in you categories.
Ranging on the high side of 4.6 and upwards is pretty good (at least I hope it is ‘cos I’m there too! )

Some buyers just have no clue.

“WHERES DVD? BAD SERVICE!”

I responded as politely as possible with :

“Your dvd, paid for on the evening of Tuesday 24th has been mailed on the morning of Wednesday 25th. Bearing in mind it was sent airmail from outside the UK, I very much doubt that it would be with you within 20 hours of postage. Bearing in mind the current weather & postal strike situations, I would expect an extra day or so on top of the usual delivery time.
If you check your “bulk” or “spam” folder, you will no doubt find the “payment received” and “item dispatched” emails sent to your registered ebay email address, both of which contain approximate expected delivery times as well as the information supplied above.

Regards…”

This buyer WILL without a doubt, lower my ratings, encouraged by ebays little blue box of malice.

Personally I’m of the opinion that people who do not understand “communication” and “dispatch” should not be allowed comment on “communication” and “dispatch”

If ebay can guarantee me that their shoddily worded & frankly irrelevant “dispatch time” rating will NOT be perceived as a “delivery time” rating by disgruntled buyers, then I’ll relax. However, I doubt they can offer such a guarantee.

And it doesnt stop there :

P&P charges (another irrelevance ; Why be allowed rate a seller after the fact on an aspect of the transaction you have readily agreed to upon purchasing?) “Hmmm – I paid for first class delivery, and despite the fact that 4 postmen drowned trying to deliver it to me here on the banks of the Thames, I really should have had it by Tuesday… 2 stars, methinks…

Etc. etc. etc….Another poorly thought out implementation by the non-traders who make the decisions on ebay.

when they grasp they can in effect leave a negative without fear of retaliation the DSR thingy is likely to become unbalanced