eBay have now suspended Despatch Time DSR
22/10/2009 at 10:00
eBay have announced that as promised the Despatch Time Detailed Seller Rating will be suspended as of today until further notice due to Royal Mail strike action. The rating will be reinstated at some point in the future once the industrial action is over, but eBay will give advance notice of when that will be.
In the mean time if you’re looking for methods to beat the strike eBay’s Alternative Postal Services page lists some options, although currently Interparcel are yet to post their discount code enabling sellers to take advantage of their offer. myHermes, Collect+, Parcel2Go and ParcelForce are all unaffected by strike action, as well as other traditional courier companies.
Updated to add: The Interparcel discount is 10% with the promo code “ebayparcel”
whirly says
10:24 am on 22/10/2009
I wonder how the carriers are coping with the extra volume.
Hereford United Fan says
10:40 am on 22/10/2009
My Hermes delivered a Next order yesterday.
Glenn says
10:45 am on 22/10/2009
I’m all for suspending Dispatch Time DSR during the duration of RM Industrial action, but it doesn’t go far enough.
Buyers rate a sellers overall performance not just Dispatch Time, and dissatisfaction with delivery times will probably carry over to the other DSRs
If you eat at a restaurant you don’t assess each part of your meal individually. If one part of the meal is spoilt, then the whole thing is spoilt, and your response by leaving a tip or not, or whether you will ever return to that particular restaurant will be influenced by the whole experience and not segments of it.
Dissatisfaction with Dispatch Time is almost certainly going to carry across to other DSRs, and with so much resting on DSRs, ebay really have a reasonability to make scores as far as possible.
JD says
10:56 am on 22/10/2009
There is a sting here:
Note: The suspension of ‘dispatch time’ DSRs doesn’t apply to overseas buyers.
Totally illogical!
Richard says
11:03 am on October 22nd, 2009
You’re not the only one that can’t figure that one out either, mail still has to go through RM’s system in the UK. If anything the time it’s in force for overseas sales should be greater than whatever it is for the UK.
Hereford United Fan says
11:53 am on October 22nd, 2009
Overseas DSR’s do not affect your TSR.
Sorry about all the TLA’s.
JD says
12:31 pm on October 22nd, 2009
@HUF
Oh yes they do!
Ireland for my UK TSR,
US for my US TSR
and Switzerland/Austria/Germany for my European TSR.
SinBad says
11:53 am on 22/10/2009
has anyone noticed that it is now impossible to create any new ebay guides. they don’t seem to appear despite the confirmation message. does anyone know whether they are closing this facility down? many people have spent hours creating guides. i’d start making a backup.
DBL says
7:50 pm on 22/10/2009
Got to say on a positive note …
EBAY, THANK YOU, YOU ARE STARTING TO LISTEN!
At least they’re doing something!
mrdave says
10:23 pm on 22/10/2009
Well im not happy!
There have been regional strikes on an off for the last 8 weeks. I have missed out on top seller this month, last month i had the status this month i just missed it. and i mean JUST. here are my stats as revised in todays update..
Item as described 0.50%
i qualify at 0.40%
Communication 0.50%
i qualify at 0.13%
Dispatch time 0.50%
i miss out 0.53%
Postage and packaging charges 0.50%
i qualify with 0.13%
now you might see why im so miffed at the moment with ebay.. im missing out on Top Seller status on this 1 DSR rating by .03% because of postage issues..
ive even written to my MP in the UK, i have sent my so called eBay account manager countless messages and they do nothing to even try and explain, i think she has given up.. i get no answers from eBay, just copy and paste replies, terrible communication and very poor service for sellers..
Since eBay made up these impossible dsrs ive been ramping up advertising on various other sites, referring direct to my website which has seen sales equal that on eBay for half the price..
I admit i spend more attention to eBay customers as its the only place you lose public face so much…
eBay has become a miserable expensive overpriced place to sell in the current market..
i have a lot to say on the subject and im going to be putting my feelings across more on TameBay if thats okay..
im not anti-eBay but im for supporting the sellers who actually make eBay a decent place to sell.. To miss out on a DSR by .02% and for this to reflect in a eBay fee hike based on royal mail performance is out of touch with the real business e trading world.
im ramping up marketing even more, to equal my fees i pay to eBay to referr more traffic to my website and its the way to go.
These efforts with DSR are short sighted and out of touch and too late.
eBay needs to get a grip, unless they start giving tools to assess and deal with low dsrs they are not allowing us to do anything about it.. You are best off getting a negative than a low dsr. at least a negative you can get neutralised.. with a dsr you have no idea who or why they left it..
Ebay has had its day as far as im concerned..
mrdave says
10:14 pm on October 23rd, 2009
well, i had a good chat with my account manager today
I also just wanted to add to my note that i left yesterday that as a former Top-seller on eBay, i do think DSRs are generally fair, sellers ‘generally’ get what they deserve and customers should be encouraged to be honest and fair at all times.
As a sole trader on eBay I simply need access to realtime detailed information to address any mishaps when im selling, who left the low DSR and why, i think the whole process should go to a dispute system if eBay will not reveal the buyer details. I do not think that a negative dsr (1 or 2′s) left by a buyer should go unchallenged or arbitrated between the seller and buyer. This is surely the best way for fair online trading, give both the buyer and seller a chance to sort any issue out if communication breaks down.
If eBay are to see a low DSR for any reason as a negative against a seller, then this arbitration must be in place to fairly protect the discounts or status of the seller. Of course if a genuine c%*& up has been made by a seller then fairplay, mistakes happen in business as in life, sellers are humans not perfected auto e-robots, no high street store is either.
Arbitration also gives the seller something to work on to improve, there is nothing to gain by not learning from any feedback or having any unhappy customer.. Likewise, If a buyer is placing impossible demands or has unrealistic expectations on a seller then they should be dealt with in the same process. Its also very open to pathetic tit for tat public attacks of inter-seller abuse…
If the process for arbitration on low dsr’s / negatives is not in place then i really cant see how eBay expects any seller to really improve seller performance effectively. As a business seller on eBay i want to have the opportunity to know why, when, who and what to do about it.
If eBay are serious about supporting sellers of all shapes and sizes then they need to provide the tools for the job, not base seller performance on lob sided flimsy dead end measures that do not carry any facts or allow for recent events or real issues. Let alone ones that permit no remedial action. I would rather have a happy customer than an unhappy one..
Low DSRs need to be 100% transparent and enabled for detailed investigation so that a resolution between a buyer / seller can always be made or at least attempted.
Ebay acknowledge in a letter to royal mail http://www2.ebay.com/aw/uk/200910.shtml#2009-10-08133018 on the 7th of october.
Regional postal strikes have been ongoing for months, look on the cwu website, you can find regional strikes going back to July relating to pay and conditions.. eBay are slow to react as ever, they are falling short of providing a current marketplace. I think in retrospect this measure should have been removed on the same day as this announcement. I get the impression that this was nothing more than a half hearted PR attempt, a lightweight gesture for ebays sellers?? A bit like the governments involvement in the postal dispute..
one way or another eBay needs to address the DSR system now to give sellers and buyers confidence for buying or selling in their marketplace especially with the current postal situation, the financial climate and christmas peaks. It needs to adapt in real time to support a shrinking economy not make it worse with a flakey system…
well thats what i think, but im only a business systems analyst (
possibly available for consultancy work after christmas) …
Gerry007 says
1:54 am on October 24th, 2009
I think you have it is ONE!!
PERHAPS EBAY Should adopt a question & answer thngy, when a buyer attempts to leave a 1 – 2 rating.
DESCRIPTION; Q; PLEASE TELL US WHAT IS WRONG IN THE LISTING?.
COMMUNICATION; Q; PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SELLERS COMMS?.
DISPATCH TIME; ‘fact’ All business (BIN’s)listings have to have a Dispatch time, which the seller has agreed & is held to in the sale email & by ebay. If the buyer has marked the item sent & it is within the time scale allowed, the buyer cannot down rate the seller to a 1-2 without full comment to reasons.
P&P CHARGES; ‘Fact’ ALL listings have P&P charges + additional items set out clearly. ALL buyers have a choice not to buy From a CERTAIN SELLER, the buyer cannot down rate the seller to a 1-2 without full comment to reasons.
1st, this type of system would stop alot of the petty marking, ie: just had a tiff with the missus so someone has to get it in the neck.
2nd, As generally 1-2s are minimum against 3-5s the system would not take alot of space or time to set up.
3rd, AND PROBALY THE MOST IMPORTANT, If a buyer genuinely feels aggrived & fills in the questions, that answer sheet should be sent to the seller so at least they can either act on it/see what is wrong.
The BUYERS ID is likely to remain incognito, & as ebay state buyers can sometime leave feedback weeks/months later their ID is safe EVEN IF THEY ARE COWARDS FOR HIDING BEHIND DSRs & NOT CONTACTING THE SELLER IN THE 1ST Place. PLACE.
The DSR system is so open to manipulation & abuse by both buyers & other sellers(competitors??), ebay should act now on this, as come Jan’ 1st, none qaulifying TRSs sellers will start to loose £000′s each month in PS discounts, beyond loosing business & customers.
My thought anyway.
Chris Dawson says
10:05 am on October 24th, 2009
PERHAPS EBAY Should adopt a question & answer thngy, when a buyer attempts to leave a 1 – 2 rating….
Would it surprise you to know that eBay do ask questions if you leave a one star, at least for description?
Gerry007 says
1:05 pm on October 24th, 2009
Hi Chris
Yes, I am Surprised, but having never left a 1-2 rating was not aware of this.
But, if ebay have a system in place (even partly) it could be rolled out easily & most importantly the seller should be sent a copy at least of the answers, then at least they could act on them.
Chris Dawson says
1:38 pm on October 24th, 2009
Actually it’s not a bad idea – I’d love to get generic data on why people were marking me down, even if eBay persist in keeping it anonymous.
Just a monthly summary of “You were marked down twice for quality and once for damaged” or similar would at least be useful to know.
dan says
4:34 pm on 23/10/2009
But I DO want to leave a low DSR for something that HAS just arrived and was bought over a month ago and posted only 3 days ago. Postal strikes had no effect the seller was just very poor. Now I can’t warn others about this poor seller other than in my comment and I wanted to say other things in that. Poor show by Ebay in my opinio. Not thought out at all – no change there.
whirly says
7:25 pm on October 23rd, 2009
My understanding was Dan that DSR’s would be suspended from the day the postal strikes started, if you bought something pre strike you should be able to leave whatever stars you want. Have you tried to leave a rating for delivery?
Andy says
9:21 am on October 24th, 2009
You can’t leave despatch time DSR’s for anything now. Whether bought yesterday or 59 days ago.
Ellen Kunec says
7:53 pm on October 23rd, 2009
But why not just neg your seller?? After all, taking a month to post an item is outrageous by any standard.
Gerry007 says
1:05 am on October 24th, 2009
SEE ABOVE
Nick says
7:40 pm on 23/10/2009
Is it only me that thinks My Hermes is a really daft name for a carrier?
I can’t help thinking My Herpes or My Hemroids
(I would like to point out that I have never suffered from herpes)