Diamond PowerSellers, feedback withdrawal and DSRs
19/06/2008 at 18:46
Diamond PowerSeller level
There is a new Diamond PowerSeller level in the US. This new level is for sellers with a $500k/mth and 4.8 minimum of all four DSRs.
Diamond PowerSellers will benefit from packages which will include pricing tailored for their business model. Specific requirements will also be included which could include criteria such as free shipping, despatch time or other service levels appropriate to the category.
Feedback withdrawal
eBay are emphasising that sellers should provide products accurately described with great service up front so that non-positive feedback isn’t left. However they recognise that buyers may occasionally leave feedback too early. Lorrie Norrington is expected to announce a limited capability for buyers to withdraw feedback left for sellers in her keynote speech at eBay Live! tomorrow.
DSR requirement lowered for Best Match
It’s expected that the minimum requirement for DSRs received from buyers will be lowered from 10 to 3 ratings. This will benefit high value, low volume sellers who would otherwise be advantaged in search under Best Match, but currently don’t receive enough ratings in a 30 day period to qualify.
API calls for DSR consoles
Brian Burke told us that eBay are planning to introduce API (Application Programming Interface) calls to enable developers to build 3rd party DSR consoles. These API calls will enable more granular information to be provided than is currently available. The type of information could include the percentage of buyers leaving 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 star ratings, and the average star rating for each seperate category the seller trades in.
Better DSR data would enable sellers to target the products or categories where they’re under performing and highlight the areas they excel in. This information is key to assisting sellers to improve their business for the future.
Larrylackpants says
7:13 pm on 19/06/2008
“Better DSR data would enable sellers to target the products or categories where they’re under performing and highlight the areas they excel in. This information is key to assisting sellers to improve their business for the future.”
Or put it another way, more ways to see how buyers will never be satisfied with the 100% serivce and effort put in and how sellers will always need to catch up despite best efforts.
A thread on the UK powerseller board highlights the fact that many sellers seemingly have not improved overall as red “naughty” bars are appearing on DSR consoles. More data that kicks hardworking sellers in the teeth will not be welcomed.
Larrylackpants says
7:23 pm on 19/06/2008
Oh and another thing:
Why is is when ebay (and others, ahem) talk about DSR’s it is always the assumption of seller underformance that is the cause of low DSR’s?
There is more than one way to skin a cat, hence there is more than one reason for a seller to have low DSR (singular or plural) and not all of them have anything to do with the seller.
Your Mother says
7:29 pm on 19/06/2008
Improvements coming out of this company should include any semblance of customer support whatsoever.
Any reasonable facsimile whatsoever.
What other delayed reactions, tentative guesswork, whitewash and propoganda have you been spreading?
ebay – going… going… gone?
Chris says
7:33 pm on 19/06/2008
Will the lowering of the minimum DSRs to 3 apply in the UK where we only have standard and lowered visibility? If my maths are correct (not my strongest subject) it is as likely to lead to lowered rather than standard visibility. If only 3 items were sold in the month and 1 buyer gave a 4 in any category that DSR would drop to 4.2 which would get that seller lowered in search.
Mark Classic says
7:33 pm on 19/06/2008
Diamond PowerSeller level
There is a new Diamond PowerSeller level in the US. This new level is for sellers with a $500k/mth and 4.8 minimum of all four DSRs.
Who remembers the level playing field?
It seems a distant memory…
Elliot Ness says
7:43 pm on 19/06/2008
Ebay/Paypal have absolutely NO WAY of investigating pertinent facts regarding a transaction, NO WAY of determining fraud by either party, NO WAY of justifying a refund, NO WAY of providing member security (other that a USPS tracking number).
The ONLY assurance a buyer or seller has of another members reliability is FEEDBACK.
And they have TOTALLY messed that up now.
Give it up eBay, you need a better system. Until then you are just jiving.
Chris says
7:47 pm on 19/06/2008
re # 4 – I think it’s actually 4.4 not 4.2. Should have known better than to comment on something involving maths! But even at 4.4 it would be perilously close to lowered standing from just 1 transaction.
northumbrian says
9:08 pm on 19/06/2008
Dont care ! Wont Care!
vzaar Jamie says
9:09 pm on 19/06/2008
What no paper PowerSeller level?
Hello from Live by the way!
whirly says
9:19 pm on 19/06/2008
Hi Jamie, not heard much from Chris….did he ever get out of Hooters.?
Disgruntled Ebay Powerseller says
9:47 pm on 19/06/2008
Can you stop feeding us the garbage and print something good? Maybe an article on the padded listings and fraud that ebay is committing.
whirly says
9:57 pm on 19/06/2008
#11 Don’t read it then. Go to paypal sucks dot com or ebay ate my grandma dot org and slag them off to your hearts content.
Tamebay is about eBay and how to use it to your best advantage, its a pro eBay blog.
I can’t freaking stand eBay personally but it delivers traffic, I want that traffic so I stick with it, reading about how eBay is going to shaft you has no interest to me, reading about how to deal with eBay tyring to shaft me does.
northumbrian says
8:00 am on 20/06/2008
larrylackpants
has it just about right,
I dont need more information, I cant do anything more than I do already ,
if thats not good enough tough, ebay and their buyers can sod off,
I am tired of the paranoia and virtual ransom ,these effin DSRs cause
northumbrian says
8:11 am on 20/06/2008
There is more than one way to skin a cat, hence there is more than one reason for a seller to have low DSR (singular or plural) and not all of them have anything to do with the seller
too right again,
I have a canadian buyer giving me grief over for £20 shipping for a 2kg parcel he wants it for a tenner
the silly sod cant understand that the package he received last week from the UK for only £10 was only 450grams
Chris says
10:07 am on 20/06/2008
Whirly, do you mean ebay is a ‘pro ebay site’ in the sense of generally in favour of eBay but annoyed/struggling with recent changes, or that it is only for professional business sellers?
whirly says
10:25 am on 20/06/2008
Hi Chris, I think that the authors of Tamebay (Sue&Chris) are pro eBay but I don’t think they speak for eBay, I’ve heard both of them very annoyed and vocal at some of the changes that have been made.
If I logged on here and every article was about how wonderful eBay is I wouldn’t bother reading it. I log in and read Tamebay because they present information about whats happening at eBay very well and provide good advice on the best way to deal with the changes, not forgetting of course the reader contribution is generally very good and kept on topic.
I have had a great deal of assistance from Tamebay covering a wide variety of issues in the past which has helped me alot for which I am grateful.
So far as the future of eBay I can see a point where smaller traders are forced out, I hope I am wrong but who knows, I don’t think the announcements that I speculate will be made today are going to be good news for an awful lot of us, will have to wait and see.
northumbrian says
10:35 am on 20/06/2008
I am very much pro ebay .I have a lot of time and money invested in Ebay.
I want ebay to be the best, I need ebay to be the best,
but it dont mean those that work and control ebay are above criticism
IMHO, Sue and Chris are balanced , effective, and articulate in their criticism
Chris says
10:50 am on 20/06/2008
Thanks Whirly. I stumbled on here by accident when I was trying to find an alternative to the forums on the ebay site, where I was fed up with the endless ranting. The articles here do seem to be the best balanced I have come across.
I have been selling items as I clear my house for sale and had intended to start a small business through ebay later, when I had moved. Now I am looking for other outlets and will probably just sell the misc items from the house on ebay. Even if small traders are allowed to stay I don’t know if I could stand the suspense of watching the feedback and DSRs, when so little can lead to a suspension.
whirly says
10:56 am on 20/06/2008
I was reading Auction Bytes earlier, apparently Mutual Feedback is back on the table, not sure what the time is over in the USA but apparently they will be talking about it Friday morning, which will be good news for us little guys who cant hide bad feedback with massive sales volumes.
Chris says
11:09 am on 20/06/2008
Fingers crossed!
I think Chicago is about 5 hours behind us normally, but it’ll be an extra hour at the moment because of the clocks being forward, so they’re probably still all in bed.
northumbrian says
11:29 am on 20/06/2008
Mutual feedback now theres a laugh! these days
cant see sellers mutually withdrawing their positives
lol
John says
12:19 pm on 20/06/2008
Have been watching .com bookseller primemediaking as an example of the new eBay ‘way to go’.
Started just over 1 month ago with around 200,000 listings.
20 neuts and 8 negs later listings down to around 75% of that. S/H DSR is stuck at around 4.5. Feedback 98.3% currently.
Failing business model methinks, 99c books with ~$6 s/h, all books sent individually. Not a prayer on S/H DSR!!
I will keep watching the progress of this one.
Anybody else watching a bigger newbie?
Patty says
4:21 pm on 20/06/2008
Whirly where on Auction Bytes did you read about the mutual withdrawal?
whirly says
5:43 pm on 20/06/2008
Go to the blog, its under “more changes yet to be announced” it was announced earlier today by lorrie/norrie lol, should be in place this xmas.
Patty says
7:05 pm on 20/06/2008
Oooops think Xmas will be a bit late to remove some of the silly comments we have had recently and powerseller status will most definitely have long gone by then.
Alonicus says
11:49 am on 21/06/2008
Interesting that they introduce the Diamond Powerseller level shortly after concluding the deal with Buy.com
Does anyone think that this fits in with their seeming strategy of bringing in big corporate sellers in preference to the private, small business and “mom & pop” sellers ?
EbayRaisedSearchPowerseller says
3:07 am on 28/06/2008
Yeah, it’s to cover up all the news about the padding and the FREE listings. I gotta tell ya they are trying to cover their arses.
EbayRaisedSearchPowerseller says
3:09 am on 28/06/2008
BUY.com, is NOW a diamond powerseller, with this kind of feedback:
http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=buy&ref=home
UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!!
Their stars are definitely rigged!