Bottom line is that ebay is no longer the Utopian site for selling on the internet.

The last feehike sent many sellers off looking for other homes. A few came back because there really was nowhere comparable for exposure and buyers. However, things are changing. If not now, soon there will be stiff competition for ebay and the ebay sellers leaving in droves will help hasten that day.

Of course, the recent evacuation will not be the downfall of ebay, no one wants that -not really. But there are many sellers who are going to be feeling the pinch with what is really another fee increase in disguise; and losing their selling capability because of the removal of their being able to give appropriate feedback, which will make them victims of unscrupulous buyers who will toss those negs around with a vengence.

Ebay has in essence set a very unbalanced playing field. What many have not even been mentioned because of all the other changes, is the bar that Ebay has set for sellers is an excercise in failure. The futility is just beginning to dawn on sellers as they incorporate the new ideas. Ebay has initiated a rating system referred to as DSRs. They give the buyers explanation of the ratings as 1 very poor, 2 fair, 3 satisfactory, 4 very satisfied, and 5 excellent. Well, wouldn’t most buyers be happy with sellers who are 3 satisfactory & 4 very satisfied? Well, not so on the other side of the fence. If sellers get a 4.8, they lose cash incentives, if they drop below 4.6 they can have their accounts restricted and ultimately be removed from selling. Also, if a seller receives a certain number of negatives or neutrals over a 90 day period (sometimes this only takes two or three) their percentages drop below the top 5 percent of sellers, they also have their accounts frozen and can ultimately lose their privilege of selling.Now with all the power given to the buyer, they can indiscriminately neg anyone for any reason, even so far as causing them to go out of business and the seller has no way of warning other sellers that a buyer is NOT a good buyer.

Sellers have been given the ability to block a bad buyer but how can they identify one until AFTER a bad transaction. In the past, the negatives from other sellers was the only way to identify the poor buying habits of bidders, so now they have NO way of protecting themselves from buyers who perpetrate frauds, scams or other unsavory habits like…gasp… NOT PAYING.

With all the ‘noise’ that sellers are making, I only hope that ebay comes to their senses regarding the feedback and also the Paypal 21 day hold on seller funds which is a whole nuther outrageous plan, but I will let someone else address that.

One last note. I know of many sellers who have left every time Ebay enacted radical changes, but have never seen such a volatile reaction as with what is on the planning board this time. Many many more sellers will be leaving Ebay for other selling options. Support the sellers for without them, there will be nothing to buy