Changes to Feedback in the Selling Experience

[uk-news@ebay]

Introducing two new changes to feedback 

Over the past few months, we’ve been working to improve the feedback experience. We are making these changes in order to give potential buyers better insight into your products. 

We’ve started to introduce images on feedback for listings with more than one unit

Starting this month, some sellers will be able to preview feedback images on their own sold items for listings with multiple quantities. At this time, other eBay buyers and sellers will not be able to view images in your feedback. Once this rollout is complete, we will update you as we expand image feedback visibility to other eBay members.

To date, we’ve received just shy of a million feedback images from buyers on multi-quantity listings - and the vast majority showcase the great products and positive experiences buyers have had with sellers.

We appreciate that there may be some concerns that not all of the images posted will be positive. But rest assured, we take the protection of your reputation very seriously and have built moderation systems that review photos for inappropriate material. 

You’ll be able to report any inappropriate feedback images in the same way that you’d typically report inappropriate text feedback. We’ll review the reported feedback and take action to remove it if it violates policy.

For more information, visit our images, video and text policy.

We’ve updated the default sort to highlight the most relevant feedback

A large share of feedback is made up of generic feedback like “A+++ eBayer” or one word answers like “good”. However, in an age where buyers are increasingly looking at reviews before making a purchase, this isn’t always helpful. 

By updating the default sort on listings to highlight the most relevant feedback and deprioritise more generic feedback, this will enable buyers to receive a better understanding of what’s great about your products.

Please note that this is simply the default sort. Buyers will still be able to see feedback for all previous transactions, and on your feedback profile page, buyers can easily sort feedback by timeframe should they want to.

[ojewellery]

Even a  prison sentance gets spent over time (generally no longer needs to be declared) . 

An eBay buyer who ordered after last post on a Friday, for their partners birthday on the Monday of a bank holiday weekend - that anger at seller for not being able to time travel stays for ever.

[stephen689]

This is the worst part. I provide a high level of service, which near enough every buyer is happy with. And with enough volume of sales, its near impossible to avoid an occasional negative feedback.

I tend to get one around every couple of years, as you can't always avoid irrational/difficult buyers. But you always had the peace of mind that after 1 year it would no longer be visible.

Having historic negatives, from many years ago, that no longer effect percentages, readily visible on a sellers account, does not in any way reflect the current service provided by the seller. And does the complete opposite of what eBay are trying to achieve by 'revamping' the feedback system, which is some how meant to improve buyer confidence.

Simply displaying feedback replies in the app would do a lot more to instill confidence in buyers. But despite eBay encouraging sellers to leave replies, to tell their side, its not important enough to be displayed on anything other than the desktop site (despite the fact i expect 95% of buyers exclusively use the app).

[santlache_sales]

Here are my thoughts eBay....

STOP MEDDLING ALL THE TIME WITH THE SITE.

It works fine if you can call it that with only one-way Feedback, so cut all this 'experience' total nonsense you always try to use. Half the things on here added for our 'experience' people never use anyway.

IT DOESN'T NEED CHANGING !

Fix the search engine if you want some advice, it's totally BROKEN.

[santlache_sales]

Over the past few months, we’ve been working to improve the feedback experience. We are making these changes in order to give potential buyers better insight into your products.

Go away, this as always with eBay is total rubbish and just utter corporate speak nonsense.

"Oh we are working to improve you 'experience'".

Would you really like me to tell you what I honestly think of your 'experience', along with all the rest of them that you've added over the last 10-15 years, when you started to ruin this site and it changed beyond all recognition ?

This site has become a joke.

[rainbowtrax]

Thanks for your reply anita@ebay . So what does the "on listings" part of that sentence mean then ("By updating the default sort on listings to highlight the most relevant feedback...") as it makes no sense being there?

So, looking at my own and others' feedback, I'm still not getting any changes on either desktop or app (I've just updated the app this morning). So where/when is this change and where's the option to change the default sort order as I've got none of this.

Btw, it's an absolutely terrible idea. Having seen the sort of drivel generated by ebay's AI description tool, it beggars belief what ebay deem to be "relevant" so I dread to think what horrendous, ridiculous comments this (no doubt computer generated, I won't call it AI) system will bring to the top.

[goingfishinguk]

Over the past few months, we’ve been working to improve the feedback experience.

....it appears you failed, next!

[theelench]

Amazingly I've never had a negative FB but I have been given a neutral (it must have been over 5 years ago).

The buyer's comment was something like "The item stank of cigarette smoke".

This was for a used Bakelite ashtray which must have been packed when I did still smoke, but Bakelite can have a strange smell anyway as I gave up 6 years ago.

I wonder if that neutral will be dredged up as it's the nearest to a neg. that ebay's A.I can find?

How relevant will it decide it is as, having sold-off my bits and pieces of Bakelite, I've been selling glass since then and a non-smoker for over five years.

To have that shown to buyers years after the event and with me now selling completely different items is completely at odds with what we're being told is the intent of this change.

[the_book_seekers]

There are areas of the site that need improvement and there are areas that worked just fine. Why does ebay seem to 'improve' areas that work and not those that don't? I do hope buyers have the option not to include photos. If it is mandatory to do so I can see feedback levels dropping even further and what good will that be for sellers?

[theelench]

What seems odd to me is that this isn't the first change to FB in the last few years, yet the results of previous changes haven't encouraged more buyers to leave FB, rather the opposite from my experience. 

But whoever instigates the changes never seems to learn the lesson, so having seen the rate of leaving FB fall after their last "improvements" (I definitely did), still seems to think that by adding further features and complications  --  making the process more of a long-winded chore  --  will reverse the trend?

How many years has ebay been improving itself?  Is there any aspect of the site that hasn't been "improved", sometimes more than once?  Has any of it made ebay more popular with buyers or sellers?  Not from the consistently deteriorating figures over the last few years.

Someone mentioned that amazon had hardly changed in years, the other site I use certainly hasn't had any major changes for years and both seem to be growing sales.

The only other site that I used to buy on regularly was etsy, it also seemed to be going through some sort of metamorphosis favouring PL over non-PL listings, to the point that I rarely look at the site these days because I don't trust their search any more than I do ebay's.

The big surprise to me is the number of people I speak to who's first port of call these days is face-book, although many also find fault with it.  But they still keep using it.  I wonder if the geniuses that run ebay and etsy have considered why?

Could it be that for all its faults, it seems very "Back to basics", easy to use, no bells or whistles, just put up your ad., talk with the buyer, sell the item and get paid.

Remember the slogan that ebay used to use when it was booming?  "List it.  Sell it.  Get paid."

Perhaps that's the point that ebay have missed  --  people like quick and easy?

[the-nutwood-collection]

I think that eBay is failing to process feedback, and I've thought that for some time.

When I print the packing slip, I leave feedback.  The pen icon changes colour, and that is my indicator that the order is in process.  It is part of my routine, and always has been.

I regularly receive 'Leave feedback for your items' emails.  When I click the link, the items awaiting feedback are sales.  They've had feedback - I did it when I printed the slip.

I've looked at the last email.  There are 13 buyers on it.  I've checked each buyer's feedback (on a desktop, the feedback version that hasn't been messed about with) and found that only three buyers have my feedback on their profile.  Ten feedbacks have gone missing.

[sarahs-attic]

One thing I would like to add to the subject of feedback....  would it be possible to consider automatic postive feedback being left after a set period, if no neutral/negative feedback has been left and it is clear there are no issues?   

It is something that some other sites do (e.g. Vinted - which states that it is automatic feedback).   If a buyer has had no issues, then they were obviously satisfied with the produce/service they received.   

It can be disappointing as a seller when you've provided a great service and met the buyers expectations and they don't leave feedback.  I think an automatic feedback feature (after a set amount of time e.g. the seller return period, or perhaps 60 or 90 days) would be something sellers would really appreciate and benefit from.

[douglaspuglas]

Automatic feedback - no just no.

Feedback is supposed to be voluntary.

What you suggest makes it compulsory and frankly meaningless.

As is sellers leaving generic A+++ wonderful buyer feedback as soon as the buyer pays.

[kempseykate]

---

@sarahs-attic wrote:

One thing I would like to add to the subject of feedback....  would it be possible to consider automatic postive feedback being left after a set period, if no neutral/negative feedback has been left and it is clear there are no issues?   

It is something that some other sites do (e.g. Vinted - which states that it is automatic feedback).   If a buyer has had no issues, then they were obviously satisfied with the produce/service they received.   

It can be disappointing as a seller when you've provided a great service and met the buyers expectations and they don't leave feedback.  I think an automatic feedback feature (after a set amount of time e.g. the seller return period, or perhaps 60 or 90 days) would be something sellers would really appreciate and benefit from.

---

There is a down side to that.

If I buy somthing and it's OK, but not quite as described and the seller didn't bother to post it for a few days, I would maybe not leave feedback rather than leave a neutral or neg.

BUT, if I knew that automatic (undeserved) positive feedback would be left after a certain period, I would be more inclined to leave a neutral/neg.

Personally, as a seller I am not bothered if a buyer leaves feedback or not. Sometimes I get really nice thank you messages from the buyer, but no feedback - that's absolutely fine, in fact, I think that's nicer than 'A+++ seller' type feedback.

[insidethe93]

Buyers too might like such a default system.

At the least, eBay, please give us a single click method to fill in the umpteen rows of stars e.g. "click here to fill all rows with 5 stars".

And, eBay, maybe please give buyers a time-saving drop-down menu for leaving feedback comments with one click, plus a text area for optional extra comments. Standard options could range from "superb, above and beyond" down through "perfect, would buy from again" down to "buttock-clenchingly *bleep*-poor" (in which case, for fairness and/or to allow the buyer to vent, completing the text area should be compulsory).

I for one am beginning to run out of praise & thank you comments, or ones that don't come out as an essay. My regular sellers probably wonder at my limited vocabulary.

[douglaspuglas]

There is already a default system either leave feedback voluntarily or don't bother.

Please don't give eBay an excuse to make it compulsory or mess about with it again.

[insidethe93]

I personally don't like the default of "don't bother". As there's a feedback system, for me anyway it'd seem rude to a seller not to say anything at all. Even in a bricks & mortar shop, you usually say "thanks" to the person who's sold you something, even if it's just the shop's check-out person. eBay seller feedback is a polite thank you, confirmation the goods have been received*, plus confirmation you're happy with the goods, and reassurance that the seller's sales/packaging/despatch methods are fine.

* which is why I leave it feedback soon after receipt, as some sellers say they'd like to be told, saying so in a note that comes with the goods; I'm not going to bother them by messaging, no the least-bothering and most sensible place is via seller feedback.

[the-nutwood-collection]

I agree with @kempseykate.  If I'm not happy about an aspect of a transaction, I don't leave feedback.  I've never left a neg or a neutral.

However, I ordered from a seller that promised same day despatch, 1st Class post.  It took them three days to despatch the item and it was sent 2nd Class.  The scissors weren't urgent, so fortunately it didn't matter.

If positive feedback was automatic, I might have been inclined to give a neutral.  Late despatch could be a mistake, but late despatch plus downgraded postage looked like a scam.

[sarahs-attic]

What I'm suggesting doesn't make it "compulsory" at all for the buyer to leave feedback, they could still leave feedback, or not, as they choose.   However, if the buyer doesn't exercise that option, the seller would simply receive a positive for the transaction, if no issues were raised within the specified time period. 

This is the feedback vinted leaves sellers, when buyers don't bother to leave feedback:

"Auto-feedback: Sale completed successfully".

I don't agree that it would be meaningless, as it gives buyers a much clearer indication of how many successful sales a seller has made.  In my opinion part of the point of feedback is to give buyers confidence that a seller will do what they say - send on time, as described etc.   Showing buyers that more successful transactions have been completed can only be a good thing in my eyes.   Personally, I wouldn't mind if it was a positive from automated or a customer, the main thing is to show the transaction went smoothly.

It is also my understanding that feedback plays a part in the Cassini algorithm,  so the more ebay sees that a seller has successful sales and is keeping their end of the bargain, the more it should help boost visibility of listings.

[sarahs-attic]

I think that's a fair point.   I always ask buyers to message me before leaving feedback if they have any issues or concerns, but perhaps the ones that couldn't be bothered to leave feedback wouldn't do that either.

It's worth mentioning that Vinted does give the buyer the option to revise the automatic feedback, so if they want to expand and say something nicer than the standard text or raise any issues, they can easily do so by amending the rating and standard wording.   If any issues are raised, it also gives the seller the opportunity to reach out to the buyer and resolve any issues they may have.

I just find it a bit frustrating sometimes when only a fairly small fraction leave feedback.  It's not something I dwell on too much, I'm used to it really, but I do think it would be nice if feedback showed a fairer reflection of successful transactions.

[plpmr]

“One thing I would like to add to the subject of feedback.... would it be possible to consider automatic postive feedback being left after a set period, if no neutral/negative feedback has been left and it is clear there are no issues?”

No matter how you word it that makes feedback compulsory.

If feedback has not been left it does not mean that there are no issues.

Many, like myself, find, at times, a transaction does not merit positive feedback, so leave none.

Bring in what you suggest will mean more bad feedback for sellers.