eBay sucks even more now for sellers (if that was even possible)

[GizmoDVD]

Looks like I'm out as seller soon.

# Rewards for sellers delivering great buyer experiences

* PowerSeller program to include more sellers
- New eBay Top-rated seller status coming in October
- Highest discounts and rewards go to Top-rated sellers
- Sellers of more sizes can qualify

* New way to look at DSRs
- Avoid low DSRs (1s and 2s)
- Only domestic DSRs count
- Updates to Seller Dashboard to monitor your status

* New minimum standards for all sellers
- New minimum standard for all eBay sellers
- New Selling Practices policy
- Buyer charges for shipping insurance no longer allowed

# Enhanced search presents more relevant listings

* Updates to Best Match sort order
- Changing title or price no longer resets recent sales (started end of July)
- Best Match considers impressions (end of September)
- Single quantity and newly listed items get impressions upfront (end of September)
- Auction-style listings still get a boost as they are about to end
- New Search Visibility tool to evaluate your listings' performance (end of September)

* Updates to Best Match for Antiques, Art, Coins & Paper Money, Collectibles, Dolls & Bears, Entertainment Memorabilia, Pottery & Glass, Sports Memorabilia, Cards & Fan Shop, Stamps, and Toys & Hobbies
- Auction-style
- Fixed Price listings

* Other search updates
- Buy It Now price for Auction-style must be at least 10% higher than auction start price
- Some listing features to be discontinued
- Featured First for Top-rated sellers only
- Product pages rolling out to more buyers; list with product details
- Shared product pictures can give you exposure or you can opt out by September 1


# Easier, more profitable selling on eBay

* Streamlined dispute process
- Unpaid items: streamlined process, faster recourse
- New automated option blocks negative buyer feedback
- eBay dispute resolution for buyer claims expanded

* Streamlined buyer communications
- My Messages updates: see the whole thread
- More options for responding to buyers
- User identity kept anonymous until transaction complete
- Post-transaction emails streamlined

* Shipping updates
- More control over international ship-to locations
- Only domestic DSRs count
- Upload tracking information for more carriers

* Editing listings made easy
- Now update multi-quantity listings with a sale
- Make bulk edits to more fields and listing descriptions

* More ways to boost efficiency
- New Selling Manager Applications--try them free now!
- Category and Item Specifics changes consolidated with the rest of updates
- Stores subscribers can now put all Fixed Price listings on vacation

The one that gets me is Insurance -
The insurance option creates the perception that buyers need to purchase shipping insurance as a protection on eBay, an experience they're not accustomed to on other ecommerce sites. In fact, sellers have always been responsible for their items until they arrive safely in their customers' hands. That's why shipping insurance will no longer be included in the purchase flow as either an option or requirement for buyers.

Of course you can choose to purchase insurance on shipments, but not ask buyers to buy insurance separately. In some categories like Antiques, Collectibles, and Jewelry, shipping insurance for sellers is essential. When appropriate, you can include the cost of insurance in your item or shipping price.

Screw that. Almost 900 feedbacks and I won't be selling with them anymore. I didn't know eBay was like Amazon and was 'expected'. Its a virtual fucking garage sale!

[bunkaroo]

Yeah - buyer's being unhappy is why Ebay isn't doing well. Are they stupid? Maybe it's got something to do with them chasing off many, many small to medium sellers (like myself) with their first round of idiotic policy changes. I haven't sold anything there for a long time. And I have a 3000+ 100% rating. Can't wait for that site to fail and have something better take its place.

[statcat]

Yeah - buyer's being unhappy is why Ebay isn't doing well. Are they stupid? Maybe it's got something to do with them chasing off many, many small to medium sellers (like myself) with their first round of idiotic policy changes. I haven't sold anything there for a long time. And I have a 3000+ 100% rating. Can't wait for that site to fail and have something better take its place.

agreed :up:

[Spicollidriver1]

Yeah I too am done with ebay but had I not been I probably would of now.

[UAIOE]

I'm not a seller (I actually quit buying on ebay years ago) but those points in bold are moronic.

Sounds like the owners want Ebay to be a "store" and not an auction site.

Another sign Ebay's best years are behind it.

[Living Dead]

I haven't sold on ebay in almost 2 years. There are so many people unhappy with ebay right now that I don't understand why someone isn't starting up a prominent new auction site. They'd likely make a killing.

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

I am selling less and less about 6-12 months ago I had about 50 items for sale I currently have about 25-30, the profit margin is slimmer and slimmer which doesnt allow me to flip alot of things on there. Im about 20 feedbacks away from 1000

[GizmoDVD]

Im at almost 900 feedback and 99% done with eBay except for the occasional item I might sell.

As a buyer, I can essentially get anything, when it arrives claim not as described, get my money back and keep the item. Yay!

[SethDLH]

Another nail in the coffin.

[SpinalGuffman]

Is Google planning anything? I had heard they were a couple years ago... Now would be a good time. Looks like a lot of angry (but experienced) sellers would jump on it.

[Dean Kousoulas]

I think i'm also done with eBay soon. They really have fallen pretty hard over the past year or two.

[Funk]

Add me to the list of long-time sellers who no longer bother. Close to 1000 feedback, member since '98. Haven't sold on there in at least a year. Not worth the hassle.

[mcfly]

I swore off eBay when I got hosed when selling a textbook in May of 2008. Haven't used it since. The problem here is dishonest people and how eBay continues to support them moreso than sellers. A big beef I have is the dishonesty; people want something for nothing. That or they get something and claim its busted when its not. That's just how it is and unfortunately I think PayPal disputes are moot now since 99% of the time, they'll side with the buyer no matter how ridiculous.

I've been an eBay member since 1999 and haven't used it overall in about a year. My last transaction was a purchase last October. Haven't had a need for it since then.

[SethDLH]

I swore off eBay when I got hosed when selling a textbook in May of 2008. Haven't used it since. The problem here is dishonest people and how eBay continues to support them moreso than sellers. A big beef I have is the dishonesty; people want something for nothing. That or they get something and claim its busted when its not. That's just how it is and unfortunately I think PayPal disputes are moot now since 99% of the time, they'll side with the buyer no matter how ridiculous.

I've been an eBay member since 1999 and haven't used it overall in about a year. My last transaction was a purchase last October. Haven't had a need for it since then.

This is a huge part of the problem. Earlier this year I bought a pair of expensive Nike's for a friend and what we recieved were cheap, counterfeits from China (the package was even delivered from china, while the auction was based in Seattle). There was nothing even close to authentic on these shoes (Michael Jordan had a beer belly!) and we gave photos of what we recieved, including all packing materials, and photos of what we should have recieved, along with how the ebay member was no longer signed up, and we lost a $200 auction (my friends money as I was just helping him buy them) just because we received a pair of shoes. It made no difference to Paypal if they were the right shoes, let alone authentic.

[UAIOE]

I knew when I started hearing about "chargebacks" and whatnot that PayPal wasn't any good.

People say "its easy and convenient" and I say "I'll never have to tell a story about how someone ripped me off thanks to Paypal's stupid policies."

[glassdragon]

I have never used ebay, and honestly the reason is because I'm afraid I will sell something and some unscrupulous person will say it's broken or something and I'm screwed out of money and my item

[UAIOE]

Ebay was a better place circa 2000. Before dumb feedback changes, paypal only, and those stupid sniper bidding bots.

Having some website/bot bid for you at the last second took away the thrill of waiting to see if you won your item for a good price or not.

[newginafets]

so far i'm satisfied both as a buyer and a seller.

[wewantflair]

The problem is, as someone stated earlier, that ebay is suffering from an identity crisis. Are they an e-commerce site? A virtual garage sale/flea market? The whole appeal of the site was the ability to take old stuff from around the house and get more for it than you would at a local garage sale, since you were exposing your items to a worldwide audience. Now, for many people, it's just not worth the hassle.

[jeffbase34]

The problem is, as someone stated earlier, that ebay is suffering from an identity crisis. Are they an e-commerce site? A virtual garage sale/flea market? The whole appeal of the site was the ability to take old stuff from around the house and get more for it than you would at a local garage sale, since you were exposing your items to a worldwide audience. Now, for many people, it's just not worth the hassle.

Here's how I see the history of Ebay:


Ebay gets very popular as a great way to sell and buy collectibles

Mega sellers swarm in selling lots of retail junk clogging up the system

Ebay gets greedy and constantly raises fees, changing rules, all designed to put more money in their pocket, less in the sellers

Sellers leave and flock to Amazon

Ebay tries to mimic Amazon with Ebay Express, a total failure

Ebay forces sellers to only accept paypal, an act that enrages many people

Ebay continues to raise fees.

In a desperate attempt to keep business, Ebay totally revamps their website, procedures which only creates more clutter, mess and confusion.

I stopped selling mainly because the listing fees, FVF, and paypal fees were higher than the big 15% cut that Amazon takes. In the good ole days, you could cope with high up front fees because auctions often would sell at a better than average price. Not anymore. Buyers have other choices now.

[Goldblum]

Ebay has added a bunch of crappy rules concerning buyers. But this is (perhaps the only) one I actually agree with.

[spainlinx0]

Is Google planning anything? I had heard they were a couple years ago... Now would be a good time. Looks like a lot of angry (but experienced) sellers would jump on it.

I can't see there being another Ebay the way it used to be. I remember when I first started going to Ebay I would just browse around checking out whatever crap people had thrown up there. Maybe I would pick up an old game I was longing to play. Now, I can't imagine doing that.

Any new site that comes up, is going to run into the same scenarios Ebay did, only much faster. Powersellers will use it as a storefront, counterfeiters will be everywhere, and management will be indifferent as long as the fees roll in. They aren't that interested in policing. If I want to buy a DVD, I shouldn't have to scour to try and determine if it's legit.

[sleepyhead55]

I'm not a seller but don't these new rules favor more dishonest people claiming that they didn't receive their item or other complaints. I've purchased on ebay once since the last year (and that's only because I had extra paypal money in the account). If you're purchasing from ebay, buyer beware.

[Josh-da-man]

There are a handful of sellers I've dealt with in the past who I'd love to have been able to screw over in the above-described manner.

I quit buying on eBay years ago because I was tired of sellers sending me items that were not as described, over-graded, reeking of cigarette smoke, or damaged because they couldn't bother to properly package them for the tender mercies of the USPS. And there's no way to tell the good sellers from the bad. Even sellers with 1000+ 100% feedbacks would send me "like new" books and DVDs that looked they were run over by a lawnmower.

[Al_Tahoe]

^^^^^ Excellent post, Josh!

[GizmoDVD]

I remember the good ol' days when I searched for 'Gremlins' and pulled up 20-30 items.

[dkedvd]

I've only used ebay three times in over about a 6 year time period. And only then because I was selling some used "big ticket" items and wanted the few hundred they were worth rather than the $5.00 I would have gotten at the pawn shop. All 4 times I HATED my experience. The last time the most. I had my auction shut down twice because they claimed a bidder had used a stolen account to bid on my item. Only one of those times the stolen account won. So in other words if you get lucky and your item starts a bidding war thus getting you more money for your item than you were expecting (like my item was) and someone using a stolen account bids (but does not win) the auction is closed anyway and you have to start all over again. I was asking for $200 and was up to $300. In the end after starting my auction over twice I only got the asking price of $200. I think eBay owes me $100. Anywho... That's the worst so far. Lucky I work in a mail room and get all my postage for free so I always insure & track my packages. Once I had someone claim a $300 printer I sold them was broken when they received it (it was in 100% working condition when sent and i securely packed the hell outta it). Luckily I insured it. And thanks to us United States Postal Service when you make a claim on an insured item you need to show them the item and whatnot so its the problem of the receiver not the sender. All other times dealing with eBay I just found it to be such a pain. If not for the opportunity to get what my items were worth I would NEVER have used eBay. Thank god I rarely ever have anything of real value to sell because the less I use eBay the better!
And on a buyers note. About 5 years ago I bought two Disney DVDs off a seller. When I received them they were bootlegs. When I went to complain the seller was gone and eBay said there was nothing they could do. This was before PayPal was the big thing. So I paid by credit card. I was out the money. Needless to say that was the first and last time I bought anything off eBay or anything other auction/used site again.

[Pistol Pete]

So in other words if you get lucky and your item starts a bidding war thus getting you more money for your item than you were expecting (like my item was) and someone using a stolen account bids (but does not win) the auction is closed anyway and you have to start all over again. I was asking for $200 and was up to $300. In the end after starting my auction over twice I only got the asking price of $200. I think eBay owes me $100.

So someone using a stolen account bids up the final price and you think you are owed this amount? How does that make any sense at all? Since the final price of the legit auction was $200, the value of your item was actually only $200.

Anywho... That's the worst so far. Lucky I work in a mail room and get all my postage for free so I always insure & track my packages.

Meanwhile you are stealing from your employer to ship out your personal packages? Good luck with the moral high road.

[Tarantino]

Meanwhile you are stealing from your employer to ship out your personal packages? Good luck with the moral high road.

Maybe he's finding his postage in the lost and found.

[UAIOE]

Maybe free postage is a "perk"?

Who knows.

[Jeremy517]

I don't think this changes much since 99% of buyers didn't pay for insurance anyways. If the seller offered insurance, the buyer didn't take it, and the item got damaged in transit, the buyer would still win the dispute.

[dkedvd]

So someone using a stolen account bids up the final price and you think you are owed this amount? How does that make any sense at all? Since the final price of the legit auction was $200, the value of your item was actually only $200.

Meanwhile you are stealing from your employer to ship out your personal packages? Good luck with the moral high road.

Ohh wow he jacked it up by 2 dollars. Sorry... I meant eBay owes me $98.00. And who says I'm stealing? We are allowed free shipping up to a point.

[troystiffler]

Most of my business is on eBay. I'm at around 10.5k feedback (98.7%), with around 6600 listings. While I do get a lot of off eBay/trade site sales, most of it is on eBay. It's a love/hate thing. I enjoy the exposure and the status that backs up the selling experience. I hear a lot of people complain. But I have next-to-no issues with anyone. I generally don't hear from my customers (which I would say is a good thing). They get it, they leave feedback, that's that.

I must say, the new "1% 1 or 2 star ratings" is very, very strict. Right now, I hover around 4.8 and 4.7 ratings. That means, in example, that for every 10 buyers, 9 people leave all five stars and one person leaves 2-4 stars. That's a very rough estimation. I think I'm actually at around 3% '1 and 2 star ratings'. But it just doesn't seem bad to me. I don't have *that* many issues, especially for a used-equipment company. But that 1% is demanding. I hope it turns out well with my new flyers/packing slips. But I just don't know.

That said, I was up in arms over the last big eBay change (positives only, DSR system). But it all turned out fine. It just took a little more discipline to make sure that orders went out on time and I started hammering people about leaving positive, five star feedback (which was kind of hit and miss ... I pissed off some people by emailing them weekly). I think it'll be fine. I'll hold off on buying that revolver [to blow my brains out all over the computer screen] for the day when I get kicked off eBay. :)

I wouldn't say that eBay is "buyer beware". I would say "use your credit card to pay, or buyer beware". Credit cards still back up your sale, even if eBay doesn't. The unfortunate part is that the seller either needs a merchant account hooked up to eBay (which they do now), or a $0 PayPal balance. Those PayPal bastards don't let you use a CC if you have a balance in there. And I've been burned a few times because of it.

And, man, I don't sell consumer electronics. But it seems like EVERYONE has some ghost story about eBay. I really find a lot of them hard to believe. I think a lot of the time someone is lying ... whether it be the storyteller, or misinformation from a lying buyer/seller, which lead to false facts in the story. I just fail to believe that so many people have trouble with people saying that they didn't get there item. I ship out around 70 packages a week (Fed Ex Ground and USPS Priority Mail). And that NEVER happens. Maybe five times in the past ten years. Back when I sold cell phones (a consumer electronic), it (chargebacks, 'lost packages', etc.) would happen once in awhile, but hardly worth complaining about. I think it's all just boogeyman talk.

In the old days, before there were so many sellers, I used to be able to get good money for 'normal' items (used tools, for example). But, now, where there used to be 20 framing nailguns on eBay, and people would pay $50 for one, there's now 500 on eBay, and it's hard getting $15 at auction. So, instead, I do a 'fixed price' listing for $75 and then take offers. I also can't just market my heavy, capital equipment at a dirt-cheap auction and expect someone to buy. That stuff takes time to find a buyer. There's other places online to list the stuff. But, admittingly, eBay is the best. Not sure if it's the Google hits, or if people just go to eBay. But it works.

Furthermore, hell, when I was a young pup, I would buy movies from Reel.Com (etc.), sometimes watch them and then sell them on eBay for a profit. That was back before EVERYONE had their DVD's on there. And that was also before all of those bootleg jerks showed up.

Lastly, eBay calls itself a "marketplace" these days. I don't think that they call themselves an auction site anymore.

[nickdawgy]

The insurance thing isn't that big of a deal. I always offer it, and it's usually declined. If I sell a big ticket item, I add it free to get more bids. It's worth spending a bit extra for.

That being said, I have had some crazy buyers. I hate the fact you can't leave a buyer negative feedback. I have rarely had to do so, but it sucks that it's not an option anymore.

I had one buyer complain that I charged $5 for shipping back in 2004 or so, and I only paid $2. Another complained I sold him a strategy guide that wasn't sealed in plastic.

[UAIOE]

I would have asked him where he found one sealed in plastic.

[That'sAllFolks]

The biggest difference to good sellers will come next year. Right now, you can get discounts of 5%, 15% and 20% off FVF for DSR's of 7,8,9 in each of your 4 categories.

If I understand correctly. coming in April 2010, good sellers will only get 5 and 20% off based on their DSRs, dropping the middle category. The top spot will be called "Top Seller". The problem with this, if you are a low-medium volume seller and some jerk wants to screw you around, they can to alot of damage and cost you a lot more than the cost of the item.

[troystiffler]

The top spot will be called "Top Seller". The problem with this, if you are a low-medium volume seller and some jerk wants to screw you around, they can to alot of damage and cost you a lot more than the cost of the item.

Volume or not (I sell around 300/mo on eBay), that Top Seller standard is sooooo high. It's going to be worth the effort. That includes same day shipping ... even if I have to hire someone else, DSR flyers, emails and overall better customer service ... even if I have to find someone to answer the phone when I'm busy. But that extra 15% is a lot of money.

Right now, the standard for that 20% discount is 4.9 across the board. I've really, really tried, and max out at 4.9/4.8/4.8/4.8. That's the best I've ever been. It happens throughout any regular month. Usually, by the 9-13th (they don't tell you when they pull the rating .. sneaky stuff), I just qualify for the 5%. But I know that I'm at 4.8 sometimes throughout the month. The 4.9 feels unattainable. But I think I can pull it off someday.

To break it down, you have to have less than .5% 1 or 2 star ratings. So that's 1 person, out of 200, leaving 1 or 2 stars per category. Right now, I'm at .5 - 2.5% across the board. And I work all day, most of the night, just to keep up on my orders and emails. Sometimes I think that people think there's a bunch of workers around here doing everything. But it's just two of us.

[RonG617]

Sellers should at least be able to leave negative feedback when they have to file a complaint with Ebay to get someone to pay. I am so sick of fighting with people who bid on things and then don't pay for 3 or 4 weeks. I am also sick of the same excuse when they finally pay. "They were out of town because of family member was sick, or they were sick themselves". I love that they won't respond to my 2 or 3 emails, but the minute I file the Ebay non payment complaint, they respond within hours. The deck is so stacked against the seller, it is driving me away.

[GizmoDVD]

Exactly why I no longer sell on eBay. I'm done. I'll find ways to sell my stuff other places because their raised fees and allowing Buyers get away with robbery is ridiculous.

[kstublen]

All of the changes are due to both dishonest sellers and to dishonest buyers. I very rarely have problems on eBay and usually I am buying, not selling, but the one time I had a problem as a buyer I will never forget. I bought a CD and I emailed the guy back and forth several times to make sure it wasn't a bootleg, he assured me it wasn't, showed me pictures of the real thing, etc. When I got it in the mail it was a CD-R. Needless to say I was furious. I contacted him and he said tough luck. I reported him to eBay and left him negative feedback. Keep in mind I paid for the item the day he sent me the invoice. He then proceeded to leave me negative feedback as retaliation. So on the one hand I do agree with sellers not being allowed to leave feedback; if anything, eBay should just make it so that if the seller receives prompt payment they HAVE to leave positive feedback. Because really, that is all that matters if you are the seller. As the buyer I have more issues (fast shipping, item as described, etc.)

Still, I've used eBay for years and have had only that one problem. I can't really complain. I do use it as a buyer most often, although as of late I am just using Amazon more; most of the older CDs and DVDs that I want I already have now and the few that I don't I check periodically for.

[darkdaze73]

All of the changes are due to both dishonest sellers and to dishonest buyers. I very rarely have problems on eBay and usually I am buying, not selling, but the one time I had a problem as a buyer I will never forget. I bought a CD and I emailed the guy back and forth several times to make sure it wasn't a bootleg, he assured me it wasn't, showed me pictures of the real thing, etc. When I got it in the mail it was a CD-R. Needless to say I was furious. I contacted him and he said tough luck. I reported him to eBay and left him negative feedback. Keep in mind I paid for the item the day he sent me the invoice. He then proceeded to leave me negative feedback as retaliation. So on the one hand I do agree with sellers not being allowed to leave feedback; if anything, eBay should just make it so that if the seller receives prompt payment they HAVE to leave positive feedback. Because really, that is all that matters if you are the seller. As the buyer I have more issues (fast shipping, item as described, etc.)

Still, I've used eBay for years and have had only that one problem. I can't really complain. I do use it as a buyer most often, although as of late I am just using Amazon more; most of the older CDs and DVDs that I want I already have now and the few that I don't I check periodically for.

It should go both ways. The system as it stands now is too far beneficial for the buyer.

A couple of months ago I put a couple of dvds of the same title up for sell. Some idiot decided to bid on not only the two movies I had, but also a third of the same title(which I found out about later through his feedback history) from smoeone else. After the auctions ended he deicided to only pay for the cheapest of the three. Just some fyi, it wasn't mine.

After msg'ing the guy twice over a span of a week, he finally responds saying "something has come up and he can't pay for my items". I filed the non-paying customer complaint and he responds to ebay with the same msg. I got a FVF credit and he got 2 bidding strikes against him. Then, and only then did he offer to pay for the items. By that time I had sold one & the other was about to end. I go to check out his profile a couple of days later and see the 2 strikes were gone. Less than a week after they were placed on him.

So in the end, I have to pay to relist my items while that sob gets off totally free. And all this was before the "new" rules. So yeah, the sellers do get the shaft.

[GizmoDVD]

All of the changes are due to both dishonest sellers and to dishonest buyers. I very rarely have problems on eBay and usually I am buying, not selling, but the one time I had a problem as a buyer I will never forget. I bought a CD and I emailed the guy back and forth several times to make sure it wasn't a bootleg, he assured me it wasn't, showed me pictures of the real thing, etc. When I got it in the mail it was a CD-R. Needless to say I was furious. I contacted him and he said tough luck. I reported him to eBay and left him negative feedback. Keep in mind I paid for the item the day he sent me the invoice. He then proceeded to leave me negative feedback as retaliation. So on the one hand I do agree with sellers not being allowed to leave feedback; if anything, eBay should just make it so that if the seller receives prompt payment they HAVE to leave positive feedback. Because really, that is all that matters if you are the seller. As the buyer I have more issues (fast shipping, item as described, etc.)

Still, I've used eBay for years and have had only that one problem. I can't really complain. I do use it as a buyer most often, although as of late I am just using Amazon more; most of the older CDs and DVDs that I want I already have now and the few that I don't I check periodically for.

Just because a buyer paid does not mean he has completed his end of the transaction.

[kstublen]

Just because a buyer paid does not mean he has completed his end of the transaction.

How so? If you sell something on eBay and I win the auction I owe you money and you owe me the item in the condition you listed it. If I send you payment the day the auction ends, what else do I have to do? Aside from opening the package and using the item, I can't think of anything. After I pay, I should get positive feedback regardless. The only time I should get negative feedback as a buyer is if it takes me entirely too long to pay or I don't pay at all.

[dtcarson]

I don't disagree that the seller should be able to leave feedback, but all the buyer should have to do is pay the agreed upon amount via an agreed method in an appropriate time frame, and include proper shipping information. The only other thing I would hope/expect from them is that they leave feedback - but it seems people don't leave positive feedback very often any more.

[MinLShaw]

Once upon a time, eBay was the perfect model for a de-regulated economic market. Sellers provided goods regularly not found locally and buyers had a host of options before them. Then, eBay became obsessed with maximizing their profit--and expanding their corporate identity--and became the very essence of what President Reagan characterized as "big government." Only, at least with a big government, as much as they can screw things up, they still at least pave the roads once in a while and make sure someone's there to answer the phone if I call 911. What has eBay done with its allegorical profit?