eBay are reducing the amount of information that can seen about a buyer on eBay. They’re tinkering with feedback and also research tools.
eBay appear to be restricting when you can see a buyer’s previous purchases. The image shows the Advanced Search view from eBay UK and eBay.com, the option to search for a buyer’s history has been removed on the US version.
This is combined with eBay starting to remove product titles and item numbers from buyer feedback. Naturally if eBay wish to hide the products a buyer has purchased it makes sense also to block an advanced search for the information.
Hiding feedback titles and item links has always been an option for sellers with use of Private listings on eBay. The only real difference is that eBay have started to hide this information for everyone for every transaction.
We know that any changes to feedback and checking out an eBay buyer’s or seller’s history always provokes strong reactions. Honestly though, as a professional seller until there’s been a problem with a transaction how often do you look at buying or selling history?
Professional sellers certainly don’t have the time nor inclination to delve into feedback for every transaction, in fact many sellers don’t even see eBay User IDs – With automation as soon as payment for an order comes in software kicks in spewing out an invoice, shipping label and picking list. As a buyer I don’t have time to check out the feedback of every seller I purchase from, if they’re at the top of Best Match and have 100% (or close to 100%) feedback that’s all I really care about, after all I have the eBay Money Back Guarantee to cover me.
Of course if you still want to see a buyer’s bidding history on eBay.com it’s still possible. It’s just that the menu option has been hidden, the search option is still available. It’s likely that the only people that will make use of this search will be the rabid shill hunters, but we hate to disappoint so for reference the Advanced Search URL to search a buyer’s history on eBay.com is .
8 Responses
Neve seen this before but is this the same in .co.uk ??
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ebayadvsearch?_sofindtype=3
ooops just noticed you were referrring to .com
I should have looked first.
I wish eBay would stop messing about and let us all make some money together. Sales are dead vs same time last year. Listings are better, products are nicer, pics are bigger, all hoops jumped through. And, yet, no sales (15% what it was this time last year). Perhaps eBay could stop tinkering and actually help their sellers to find the buyers? I for one am not very happy with eBay as a sales channel anymore and I am looking at alternatives. Who’s that over there? Oh, hello Amazon…
I wish they would stop messing too. I’m not holding my breath for them to listen though as they have to keep all the staff occupied doing something don’t they!
I read this as another nail in the coffin of feedback. As a seller the only use feedback really has now is as an investigation tool for when you get a non-receipt or like claim. It can be used to try and determine what sort of “buyer” you are potentially dealing with. This has no impact on that, but it does raise the question as a seller why bother with feedback at all?
I suppose the downside would be the lateral sales as a direct result of snooping on other peoples past purchases and accidentally finding something of interest.
Gives the trolls something to talk about!!
As a buyer of used goods I do normally check what other items the seller has sold to gauge their expertise in the subject matter. It helps to distinguish between the general seller and the specialised seller. I can then judge the merits or otherwise of the description and either buy or pass. I will no longer be able to do this which may result in a higher number of disputes and returns.
And also a lower number of sales for those specialist sellers.