Block these Ebayers- star dingers!

[MiRaja]

The only way I can explain the star system is just like tips. 

No matter how good the service is, they always have to find a drawback, a complaint, and then ding you.  The stars are the equivalent of tips.  You do everything to earn the most, but they always justify leaving the very least they can.  Those who make you jump through the most hoops are always the worst, and the thing is, they think it's somehow anonymous, because there's no element of confrontation, or so they think.  Same with tips.  If they actually had to tell you face to face what they were going to give you for a tip/star rating, and why they were justified in that, the world would be a much better place.

- Former Ebay seller - Current Server

PS:  This is why I refuse to deal ponies anywhere but the arena.  I do not understand how ANYONE can be making a living selling ponies or any vintage toys.  I dealt with HIGH END dolls that were upwards in the value of $1200 or more, and would make good profits on them, but with what ebay and paypal took from me, I was hardly making enough to scrape by.  I cannot imagine shipping so many packages for such a measly payoff.  I guess some people have a lot more patience.  :/ 

[ClosetAvalanche]

Here is a video explaining how it works. There's a little work involved, but it's worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI6vzUo356k

I really hate the DRS system, it's stupid and confusing to new buyers.

Oh, and let's not forget Ebay's new brilliant idea to add a pop-up that tells you how many buyers are looking at the item.

[banditpony]

MiRaja, that's a good comparison.

): It's like I always say, there was a day that I shipped a package within 4 hours. And I still got a star or two dinged for shipping time. (And it really didn't take too long to get to them either).

So there is still the factor of people not even understanding what they are rating. And I feel like that star should be based on if it gets to the post office, early, on time, or late. I think it'd be better then buyers who think that sellers are also responsible for the time that USPS takes.

[little.fox]

I'm realizing I don't know exactly how the star ratings work. In my opinion 4 stars is still a great rating, are seller actually penalized for recieving anything less than 5 stars? Thats just utterly stupid.

Oh, and let's not forget Ebay's new brilliant idea to add a pop-up that tells you how many buyers are looking at the item.

I have wondered about this, what on earth is supposed to be the point of it?

[MikeysGrrrl]

I'm realizing I don't know exactly how the star ratings work. In my opinion 4 stars is still a great rating, are seller actually penalized for recieving anything less than 5 stars? Thats just utterly stupid.

Oh, and let's not forget Ebay's new brilliant idea to add a pop-up that tells you how many buyers are looking at the item.

I have wondered about this, what on earth is supposed to be the point of it?

As far as the stars go, a seller is supposed to maintain an average of 4.80 per DSR category, so although in any other world 4 stars wouldn't be a bad thing, in ebay land, less than 5 stars slowly eats away at the seller until it officially dings them...

I despise that new pop up that comes up when you're viewing an item, I personally think it's supposed to make you feel an urgent need to bid or buy right away, it gives you the feeling that if that many people are viewing it, it must be popular, and therefore you better act first or you'll miss out on it...

[MiRaja]

MiRaja, that's a good comparison.

): It's like I always say, there was a day that I shipped a package within 4 hours. And I still got a star or two dinged for shipping time. (And it really didn't take too long to get to them either).

So there is still the factor of people not even understanding what they are rating. And I feel like that star should be based on if it gets to the post office, early, on time, or late. I think it'd be better then buyers who think that sellers are also responsible for the time that USPS takes.

And again, ebay is like serving.  People don't understand how the star system works just like they don't understand how tipping really works, that we don't even get paid min. wage or the fact that we tip out other employees in the house based on our SALES and not our tips, and because of that, if you shaft your server, they end up paying for you to eat out, just like bad stars make you pay more to do the same crap.  It's all freaking ridiculous. 

[HorsingAround]

Unjustified star dingers are so frustrating!!   Thanks for letting us know!

I had a very *challenging* buyer a few weeks ago.  They haggled relentlessly, requested that I ship to a country I normally do not, sent me messages on a DAILY basis asking where her package was (also requested the cheapest shipping which of course means no tracking).  All I could do was send her a copy of the receipt from the post office and reassure her that standard international post takes more than 3-5 days.   I was as nice as pie in the messages even though I was not having such nice thoughts.    So, the pony arrived safely in less than 2 weeks. 

She dinged my shipping time and cost of shipping  despite having shipped her item out the very next day (after receiving payment- which she put off for several days) and I charged her the ACTUAL shipping cost.... Mind you I did not charge her for the new bubble envelope, the tissue paper, or bubble wrap that I sent her pony in.   

I was feeling brazen and decided to send her a follow up message.  I told her that I really appreciated her purchase and was sorry to learn that she was dissatisfied with the cost of shipping and shipping time.  I went on to explain that I shipped it the day after receiving payment and that she was charged the actual cost to ship the pony.

She sent me a message back indicating that she thought that the stars were more generalized. Like, how long it actually took in transit and her general feelings about paying $6 and change for shipping.           

Until I somehow take over the US postal service I imagine I will continue to get star dingers in these two areas. 

Sorry, if I hijacked this thread a bit... I went off on a rant!!! 

[MiRaja]

Unjustified star dingers are so frustrating!!   Thanks for letting us know!

I had a very *challenging* buyer a few weeks ago.  They haggled relentlessly, requested that I ship to a country I normally do not, sent me messages on a DAILY basis asking where her package was (also requested the cheapest shipping which of course means no tracking).  All I could do was send her a copy of the receipt from the post office and reassure her that standard international post takes more than 3-5 days.   I was as nice as pie in the messages even though I was not having such nice thoughts.    So, the pony arrived safely in less than 2 weeks. 

She dinged my shipping time and cost of shipping  despite having shipped her item out the very next day (after receiving payment- which she put off for several days) and I charged her the ACTUAL shipping cost.... Mind you I did not charge her for the new bubble envelope, the tissue paper, or bubble wrap that I sent her pony in.   

I was feeling brazen and decided to send her a follow up message.  I told her that I really appreciated her purchase and was sorry to learn that she was dissatisfied with the cost of shipping and shipping time.  I went on to explain that I shipped it the day after receiving payment and that she was charged the actual cost to ship the pony.

She sent me a message back indicating that she thought that the stars were more generalized. Like, how long it actually took in transit and her general feelings about paying $6 and change for shipping.           

Until I somehow take over the US postal service I imagine I will continue to get star dingers in these two areas. 

Sorry, if I hijacked this thread a bit... I went off on a rant!!! 

People are stupid.  Extremely.  I'd tell her, honestly, that because of that, you know have to pay more, and sorry, but you cannot do business with her again.  Sounds like she isn't worth the effort to be honest. 

[blondee1982]

I think we are all feeling used and abused on eBay and it is sad, I have just been trying to not let it get to me because otherwise it will eat me alive do you think if we all voice our frustrations to eBay it would make a difference? Probably not but worth a try maybe

[coinoperatedgirl]

As far as the stars go, a seller is supposed to maintain an average of 4.80 per DSR category, so although in any other world 4 stars wouldn't be a bad thing, in ebay land, less than 5 stars slowly eats away at the seller until it officially dings them...

You know those surveys that businesses ask you to fill out, the ones that generally print at the bottom of your receipts at restaurants and stores?  Sadly, it works the same way with most of those - anything less than a 5 doesn't matter.  In fact, the surveys that my pharmacy asks people to fill out doesn't even factor in scores that aren't 5's.  If there's 10 questions and someone rates everything anything 4's because we did everything that we were supposed to do but didn't do anything spectacular like save a life while they were there, that person may as well have not even taken the survey at all.

[Ringlets]

Bleh! the ebay star rating thing is rubbish   . I think I've lost count of how many times I've said that since they introduced it . Thanks for letting us know what happened with these two buyers . I think waaay too many people dont understand how the star rating works  and sellers end up paying for that

 

I despise that new pop up that comes up when you're viewing an item, I personally think it's supposed to make you feel an urgent need to bid or buy right away, it gives you the feeling that if that many people are viewing it, it must be popular, and therefore you better act first or you'll miss out on it...

I think that too ^^ . How irritating!

[Shenanigans]

I had no idea the star system was like this!! I've never left anything below 3 before, but I'll make sure to only leave a low star rating only if I'm extremely dissatisfied. Sellers shouldn't have to go through all this junk because of star ratings!

Now I feel terrible for leaving 4 star ratings If they say they ship in 3 days and it takes them a week to ship then I would put "fast shipping" instead of "very fast". That seems right. But I don't want ebay to penalize them if everything else was all good, but shipping wasn't VERY fast. Ugh! Ebay!

[bluerose9978]

People from eBay need to read this thread to be informed....LOL! Ebay does NOT give enough information on how the stars work. They really need to put buyers through tutorial before they allow them to leave ratings or just change this altogether.

[MikeysGrrrl]

People from eBay need to read this thread to be informed....LOL! Ebay does NOT give enough information on how the stars work. They really need to put buyers through tutorial before they allow them to leave ratings or just change this altogether.

I agree. maybe when you leave less tha 5 stars a window could pop up and say are you that you want to leave that, is there something you weren't happy with? There should also be an explanation next to each star category so everyone can understand lol.