When eBay introduced seller discounts one of the qualifications was to “initially be set at a ‘good service’ minimum DSR score of 4.6“. Now DSRs have improved and the average eBay seller now qualifies for a discount if they meet all other criteria.
The postage and packaging charges DSR has been the most troublesome to get right – the eBay average has sat at 4.5 for about a year but recently crept up to 4.6. Either this manes that sellers who were gouging on postage costs have been removed from the site or rehabilitated into charging reasonable postage, or every seller across the board has raised their game.
Either way it’s good news for buyers – they’re ranking sellers higher than at any time in the past. The 12 month eBay UK average DSR for P&P is still 4.58 but the 30 day average has risen to 4.60.
The big question is will eBay now raise the bar still higher and tweak qualifications for PowerSeller status, Seller discounts and shop qualifications?
36 Responses
Or this could also mean that sellers are begging their buyers for 5’s as I’ve seen many of them suggest in forums.
I believe we are starting to see the DSR inflation I’ve warned about.
Why is it whenever this discount program is mentioned they fail to mention it only applies to powersellers! Have small sellers sunk so low on the ladder that they are no longer even acknowledged? Funny – our money is just as green and is far from invisible…yet we are! 👿
We had to start adding cheaper lines to our range this year as we were simply not recieving enough feedback to be able to trade in a comfortable position on eBay, DSR instroduction for us has been a complete PITA and we get more hassle and trouble from £1.50 tubes of silicone and bubble bath than we do from £1000 baths, I’ve lost count of the number of items that haven’t been recieved however we simply don’t have time to stand inline at the post office and fill out recorded delivery slips every day of the week.
Every day someone from the office has to pack up these stupid packages and waste an hour at least going to and fro the post office all because of the flawed DSR system that is heavily biased towards volume sellers (thats volume in items not £.)
We are a proffesional manufacturing company supplying a highly specialised product sadly however in order to trade on eBay these days we have to waste valuable time each day selling crap that we have no interest in.
but the one thing that annoy’s me the most is the corrupt way in which eBay present DSR information to buyers, eBay wouldn’t stand out from the crowd at a Mafia trial, they are the biggest snakes in a big field of snake grass.
1000 Buyers purchase 1 item each from me, 1000 buyers tell eBay that my delivery service is Good (leave 4 stars), what would eBay do to a seller with 100% Positive Feedback with 1000 Positives and 1000 Happy Buyers who said they had a good experience?
Suspend you, remove your powerseller status, reduce your visability in search, tell you that your trading is unacceptable and kick your sorry ass off eBay,, wtf kind of DUMB system is that,,
It’s not DUMB though is it, even Custard support would struggle to come up with something that stupid,, they do it so they can hold you over a cliff each month and keep you inline like a dumb robot, we all run around like dumb robots every month working to feed eBay, I don’t deny that I make a lot of money out of eBay myself, but at what cost?
I only use eBay for the traffic these days, I pretty much despise every part of corporate eBay, I don’t buy on eBay anymore because if these reasons.
I dont love or hate ebay, I use ebay, ebay offer a service and I profit from it thats all that concerns me
if I make money I am happy, if ebay are bandits thats for the sherrif to worry about,
though thinking about it
I dont love or hate oxygen but I would be buggered without it
It could also be that buyers are now more aware of the effect the star rating system has on buyers.
After all it is buyers that leave the stars
Although whirly’s example shows a real need for the wording to be changed
only on ebay can good be bad.
Very possible. I get many sympathetic buyers visiting my site all the time. eBay says only the bad sellers don’t like the feedback changes but there are plenty of buyers that disagree with them as well. I’d hardly call them noise.
Purely anecdotal, but my use of DSRs when buying changed radically once I understood how eBay were applying the system.
When DSRs first started, I treated 3 as the starting point for a bog-standard transaction with stars being added or subtracted accordingly and 5 stars representing a reward for service above and beyond the whatever … then I realised that, if I left anything less than 5s across the board, I would be inadvertently penalising sellers who didn’t necessarily deserve the consequences eBay were meting out for the sin of only being good.
As I say, purely anecdotal but I’d be surprised if I were the only one who had changed my DSR-leaving behaviour in that way.
#8 I think if I did start buying on eBay again then I would only leave feedback, the DSR system is corrupt and I will not support it.
We’ve pretty much got used to being downgraded in search as result of low P&P DSR. The bottom line is that we have really bad P&P DSR and still make a loss on shipping. Just the Royal Mail collection has gone up to £450 this year!
We’ve recently started using PPI so no price of shipping is shown on the packet and now we have even worse ratings! Before people could see the price of Special Delivery, accept that we charged almost as much as shown – but still gave us bad rating because RM charges too much. Now they probably think that it costs us nothing to ship because there is no price on the parcel…
All other sellers in our line of business sell cheap items with free postage in order to sway the P&P DSR in their favour, but we find it too costly and time consuming.
The only DSR that kind of makes sense is the speed of shipping. Everything else is covered by the feedback rating.
1) Item is as described or not (no shades of grey there IMO especially if someone sells brand new items)
2) Communication – you send an email thanking for the payment and follow up any queries. If it’s a trouble free transaction (99% are) – buyer makes a purchase and the item arrives within 2 days. How much communication can you cram into 2 days??? How can you grade communication between 1 and 5?
3) Speed of shipping (kind of OK)
4) P&P – grossly unfair, meaningless and designed to bring more revenue into eBay’s pockets.
As an international seller I am being killed by this pathetic DSR system…listings show delivery guide time, email on dispatch says delivery guide time ,and I still get hit with SNP policy warnings then 30 days suspensions…HOW THE HE_LL CAN I CHANGE ANYTHING….the postal companys are in control NOT me
eBay you are morons
Same problem happened to me before suspension.
Buyers do not understand that shipping companies and customs can cause delays that are beyond our control ( as well as ebay/paypal ).
Try shipping internationally out of Canada and still be covered by Paypal Seller Protection – can’t be done.
I told Paypal this for months and no explanation.
Sickens me how these two companies can have such a disregard for sellers.
Ebay can go to hell.
So can Paypal.
Again, two words.
International Lawyer.
Chris, your stated OPINION of the DSR system couldn’t be more WRONG and totally misinformed on SO MANY LEVELS.
ONLY powersellers are allowed incentive discounts. The “average eBay seller” DOES NOT “qualify for a discount if they meet all other criteria”, since the average seller is NOT a powerseller.
How in the world do you come to the conclusion that slightly higher DSRs means “that sellers who were gouging on postage costs have been removed from the site or rehabilitated into charging reasonable postage, or every seller across the board has raised their game”???
Did you FACTOR in the 800,000+ buy.com listing which have VERY SUSPICIOUSLY high DSR scores? Did you factor in that sellers are forced to beg for higher DSRs? Did you factor in that more buyers are being educated about ebay’s lies about a 4.0 meaning “Good”, WHILE ebay suspends sellers for those scores?
Your hypothesis as to why DSRs are improved are extremely FLAWED!
Here is an actual letter, which a buyer recently received from his ebay seller. This DOES NOT indicate better service. It simply provides an example of the desperation ebay has inflicted upon sellers, requiring them to BEG or BUY higher DSR scores:
“We strive for 5 star in Detailed Ratings (any below 5 is considered as negative) and we want to listen to your voice. Please email me (****@****. com) if you have any questions.
As appreciation, we will automatically provide you our stores (www.***.com) 30% discount AFTER receiving your 5 star rating. Just For You!”
Buyers having to put up with emails and notes, which sellers have been forced to send in order to educate those buyers about ebay’s VERY DECEITFUL scoring practices, is NOT “good news for buyers”, no matter who presents the distorted “ebay spin”.
#13 “As appreciation, we will automatically provide you our stores (www.***.com) 30% discount AFTER receiving your 5 star rating. Just For You!”
How does that seller know what each buyer left? or does he just guess that the 30% is enough to sway a buyer into leaving 5 stars.?
we do nothing different, to what we have always done,
the only effect that DSRs have had on us ,
is a few hundred less quid in ebay fees
@ #14
There are sites out there that can assist people in guessing what DSRs a buyer left but considering how glitchy DSR reporting is I wouldn’t trust them at all. My guess is it is like those infomercials that say “call in the next 10 minutes and get …” I’m sure some people really think it matters when you place your order.
those that beg and manipulate the DSRs ,
would be better spending effort
taking a look at how they do business in the first place
#17 I can’t agree with that Norf, I had to take a step back and look at our eBay business earlier in the year, the result was I had to start selling cheap volume *crap in order to manipulate my DSR scores.
*Apologies to anyone who sells cheap products and keeps seeing me call it cheap crap, I do not refer to your products I am refering to my feelings about having to waste 10 hours a week selling crap that as a company we have no interest in. Mind you on the plus side, last week’s sales were so crap I think Lorna only posted 10 tubes Lol.
be interesting to see norf’s opinion the day someone slams his DSR’s.
“im alright” is all well and good while you are.
Im alright!just dont happen chum ,
its because of hard work and effort, our DSRs just dont happen!
and if our DSRs are slammed so what, we will simply trade our way round it,
no doubt or DSRS are slammed on occasion ,thats why we dont have straight 5s
whirly
I dont like paying vat or taxes, I dont like selling crap either
though business is business
we do lots of things
on ebay we would rather not do its the name of the game
I detest ignorant buyers
I dont like ebay support but I have to put up with them
#13 Actually the seller discounts are available for business sellers who are non-powersellers at the 20% level. Also the figures I was referring to are for eBay.co.uk and none of Buy.com’s listings/DSRs are included as they’re registered on eBay.com.
The “average” seller would qualify for discounts if the sale levels were met
#10 Your postage DSR’s are crap because your charges are excessive.
How are you making a loss on postage? Postage charges for your item:
AVIREX Black & Grey Zip Jumper Cardigan are £9.60.
Who here thinks £9.60 for 1st class Recorded is reasonable for a cardigan?
Even taking packaging into account the charge should be less than half that IMO. I could book a 24 hour courier delivery for less.
The only thing that amazes me more than the charge is that ebay lets you get away with it.
I hear you Norf, the difference between you and me is the volume of feedback you recieve allows you to trade with alot more confidence and safety than I can, you can take a few knocks and it will be off the scale before eBay even notice.
The other thing that bugs me about having to sell much much cheaper stuff in order to keep a good balance of DSR stars coming in is my feedback page, every sale we ever made used to be a high value bath and I think that gave all those future buyers alot of confidence in buying from us, if you look at my feedback pages now I look like an advert for bubble bath and silicone and I have convinced myself that is damaging our reputation. Am I being daft?
#23 – the item in question goes by next day courier delivery, not 1st class. We only send tiny items worth less than £30 by first class recorded.
I hear you too whirly,
we rent holiday cottages on another id , even if we get a 100% booking thats a maximum of 4 feedback a month,
you just need one or two holiday makers to be attacked by a wild haggis,
bit by a vicious sporran ,and were buggered on that id.
and as its connected to our other ids. it could mean big trouble
#22 Chris you said:
“Actually the seller discounts are available for business sellers who are non-powersellers at the 20% level.”
Well I never did get the discount I should have got in the month where I qualified to get my PS status back because “you weren’t a PS at the time” and no amount of arguing with Custard Support would change their minds. According to CS you only get discounts if you are a PS. I gave up in the end because it would have cost me more in phonecalls than the discount was worth.
Re DSRs it’s impossible to please some people.
I sold a CD this morning, sent my automated email out which says I will post “in the next few days” and got this response:
“What’s wrong with posting it today? You must already have it packed up with postage on it. Just stick my address label on, job done.
Next few days is a very worrying concept. I paid instantly, so I think you should post it as fast – it’s only fair.”
Except that I work full time and by the time I get home and find I’ve got a sale, (he paid at 10.18 this morning) it’s too late to post same day, the post office is shut. I sent an email explaining that, and that normally I pack stuff in the evenings and post next day and that the “next few days” bit is to cover me for when work commitments (like a day trip to Belgium or a day when I can’t get away at all before the PO shuts) mean I can’t post next day.
Also I really can’t have everything packed up ready and waiting for a sale and a label! What planet is he on??? Some of the stuff never sells at all!
Dunno what sort of response I’ll get but I’m sure it won’t be 5 stars.
My partner thinks I should cancel the sale and refund his money but that’s a sure-fire way to getting a neg so I’m not going to do that.
It’s worrying though that ebay encourages people to assume that “business” sellers are available all day and will send stuff out same day – that’s why I never wanted to be registered on ebay as a “business” at all, I’m convinced it makes people think you are a shop or similar.
Oh well, I suppose I needn’t worry so much – once the changes kick in I’ll have to reduce my inventory (despite all the hype from ebay) and I expect my sales to drop accordingly – especially as nobody will be able to find them as big businesses get all the advantages in the new search functions. I’m fully expecting to lose my PS status again in the next few months. (From reduced sales not any other reason).
“What’s wrong with posting it today? You must already have it packed up with postage on it. Just stick my address label on, job done.
PMSL – yeah like everything is packed in blank boxes ready to go 😀 And I suppose we sellers unpack and repackage stuff if they buy multiple items 😀
Wow, Kate, that’s a classic.
Having to pull ourselves back from suspension, selling things off cheap with cheaper postage etc has indeed worked regarding the star system and so now it would seem that this is the only way to stay afloat on ebay unless you are a large volume seller.
Having the postage on already is impracticable if you sell internationally due to different rates of postage. Just had an item bought and paid for while looking at this, will be getting it in the post today!
Here is something I found that backs up my assertion in #1.
https://aswas.typepad.com/hall_of_fame/2008/09/surprise-effect.html
ebay is crumbling.
This is the perfect time for another auction site to launch, I intend to invest in the first decent contender that I find. This is the absolute PERFECT time to launch, ebays stock price will continue to tumble as they alienate everyone. People who leave negatives generally have low feedback scores. People with high feedback scores generally sell items. Put the two together and what have you got – sooner or later no more sellers and therefore no more buyers and so no more customers ebay.
BUYERS are what any auction site needs
sellers will follow the money,
as a buyer why should I use any other auction site other than ebay ,especially if they are not biased towards buyers, unless the goods are cheaper
and Cheap prices are not what I need as a Seller
so the end of ebay is not going to happen anytime soon
All I know is I had $1000 to spend on eBay two months ago and it literally took me two weeks to find something to buy. Maybe I’ve run out of things to buy or eBay isn’t showing me what I should buy.
I would have bought elsewhere but the 10% off coupon was for eBay only.