Auctionbytes points out something rather interesting about the new Seller Non-Performance policy. eBay’s clarification last week contained an interesting mis-match in the criteria for restriction for low-volume and high-volume sellers.
- Low-volume sellers are given a two week total ban from selling if they reach 5% negatives. There is a two neg minimum for this.
- High-volume sellers are given a 30 day restriction to 75% of their previous sales, and there is a three-neg minimum for this.
My assumption was that low volume sellers with three negs or more would receive the same penalty – the two week enforced holiday. Not so, eBay Support told Ina Steiner:
A low-volume seller could not be restricted with 1 neg – they would need exactly 2 negs. Because of the way we’ve chosen to define this group, if a seller has more than 2 negs, they would not be a low-volume seller, and they would receive the 75% restriction.
So if you’ve had two negs and a total restriction, be sure to phone around the buyers who haven’t left you feedback yet and chase up those negs!
2 Responses
I think the important point is the differentiation between a low volume seller and a high volume seller. If you had an occasional customer and an every day customer, would you want to make the every day customer mad by cutting them off all together? Me either.
do not make the mistake of assuming that a high volume seller is actually doing more in gross sales (dollar wise) then a low volume seller.
We sell better antiques & collectibles on eBay. We might only list 10-items in a month yet we are gold level powersellers.
I worry the new policy can be manipulated by unethical bidders/winners. See a seller who sells 200 99¢ widgets is not concerened with FB/SPP at all simply because they are doing such a volume in total number of sales. Yet we can have two shipping issues in a month kill our eBay selling ability.
Understand we take great care of our buyers but we also worry if some internet nutbar wins a listing then it can be no end of a mess. And heaven forbid we decide to not complete the sale for security reasons…we are screwed then too.
So, yeah there are issues with this…but then again how much business are we all losing due to very crappy sellers? I think we all should ride this out and see what happens. I think it will help as it gives eBay a way to weed out the marginal to poor performing sellers.
And while I feel for those who think they are doing everything right yet somehow get either restricted or suspended. I still have to wonder if they really know what they are doing. I have won some items from nice people that ship/pack items in such a haphazard fashion that it is amazing the items arrive in just two pieces let alone undamaged. So, eBay weeding out these sellers cannot help but be good for everyone.