Wednesday, March 28, 2007

eBay Feedback System

It appears the eBay Feedback System has major flaws when it comes to buyers/sellers (in particular buyers) wanting to change the feedback score they have left. As I understand it, once feedback is left for a completed transaction the +, 0, - score is permanent and only an additional comment can be recorded.

This system "might" work for small items one receives in the mail and can inspect in hand but for many items, and especially land, the system is virtually useless. Issues arise past 90 days that could have a major impact on the original feedback. If land is described, pictured, and advertised in a certain condition, location and with certain amenities, including being buildable and in a "subdivision with services and roads", and the declarations are not found to exist upon inspection of property the eBay feedback needs to be changed to reflect these facts. Even smaller items could be found to be not as promised months after receipt. Let me not forget about honest sellers who experience all kinds of bs from moronic buyers long after the original sale for no sane reason. They can't change their feedback either.

The eBay feedback system prides itself on being able to discern good eBayers from bad eBayers. This is not true. The system is extremely limited and even misleading.

Example: A buyer responds to a eBay listing for property for sale and the listing describes in detail where the land is located and it's proximity to other attractions, the view it provides, services to the property, how the land elevates to provide panoramic views, attractiveness in being located in desirable and sought after area, and easy to build on. The buyer purchases the property and visits a few months later to find nothing in the sales literature is accurate, and most is outright incorrect.
The seller has a 99% feedback score with 100 feebacks. (Seems like a good eBayer with that score.) Meanwhile, countless dissatisfied and outraged buyers cannot change the feedback they left other than to add a new comment. Although innocent until proven guilty, eBay continues to provide a venue for the seller to list additional properties after eBay fraud was notified of problems with the seller and, criminal lawsuits in public courts are filed with the same list of deceptions. Could eBay put a "hold" on the seller until an investigation is completed so their members are protected somewhat from a scam? What does eBay fraud do anyway? The stamp guys have been operating for a long time selling duplicate and copied stamps.

From my point of view, although eBay "just " provides a medium for buyers/sellers they charge a fee for this. They created a rating system to highlight good members and expose bad ones. They call their participants "members " and have a fraud department. Why have all of this??

eBay seems to perpetuate fraud by creating half measures to ensure their members transactions are consistent with the high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade.

But that's just how I see it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think there's 90 or 180 days when the feedback link is available for the transaction, to both buyer and seller.

Apart from this technical aspect most buyers and sellers it appears, post feedback very shortly after their transaction ends even though they have 90 or 180 days before they have to.