DailyTech - EBay Outlines New Top Rated Sellers Program

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Internet EBay Outlines New Top Rated Sellers Program
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - July 28, 2009 10:25 AM

13 comment(s) - last by Seemonkeyscanf.. on Jul 28 at 1:02 PM

New program will start in October with about 150,000 getting the designation

Most consumers know that if you want to sell something online and get the widest possible audience, you go to eBay. The online auction giant is a great place to connect sellers with buyers, but the auction service is not without its complaints.

The poor economy is certainly hurting eBay, but despite the economy the auction house was able to post earnings higher than expected by analysts. EBay also has some other tricks up its sleeves to help increase sales volume and make consumers more comfortable when buying.

EBay has outlined a new scheme where it will slash its seller fees by up to 20% for sellers who are top-rated. EBay will bestow the new top seller designation on about 150,000 sellers currently using the site and push their listings higher up the page in search results. Shoppers will also be able to sort the search results for a product by just showing top rated sellers.

To be eligible for the top rated sellers program a seller will have to be located in the U.S., UK, or Germany and conduct at least 100 transactions per year with at least a $3,000 annual sales volume. The sellers must also have a detailed seller rating of at least 4.6 on criteria for accurately described, shipping time, and cost.

EBay's Usher Lieberman said, "We've raised the bar on quality but we've lowered the volume requirements. With the lowered volume requirements we're able to welcome in a whole lot more smaller sellers."

According to eBay, about 57% of the sellers in the 150,000 number that will become top sellers in October when the program launches would not have qualified under earlier requirements. The eBay feedback system is flawed with buyers often leaving negative feedback or low seller ratings for arbitrary and often unwarranted reasons. EBay says it is trying to improve that rating system.

The company will now place a greater emphasis on a seller's lack of negative ratings rather than the difference between a 4 or a 5 on a detailed ranking. EBay will also provider new tools to help sellers list and maintain items easier.

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I'm thankful for Ebay.

By hoosiertech on 7/28/2009 12:50:10 PM , Rating: 4

I've been buying and selling on Ebay for 10 years and have had well over 1000+ transactions. With the vast majority going through Paypal with several over $5000 transactions.

People may love to bash Ebay and Paypal for some of the isolated incidents, but I'm thankful for over the years it has provided some extra income for me and has enabled me to find items that I would have had difficulty finding locally and for a much better price.

Over 1000 transactions and I've not had 1 bad experience yet.
Sure Ebay has adjusted it's policies at times and I have not always agreed with them. But they also seem to be willing to adjust those policies if they prove to be not working.

My only gripe is they have gotten so large that in some categories your item gets lost in the 1000's of listing and makes it challenging to get it exposure enough to always get the right price for just a straight auction style listing. It seems fixed price is the direction that most of the listings are going.

It would be cool to see a real competitor emerge to combat Ebay and give us another option. I was hopeful google would have stepped up to the plate.

I've read over the details of the new policy and overall I think it is very positive move as the biggest challenge at the moment is getting exposure for your items amid the sea of listings. This new policy very clearly lays our how to improve your listings standing in the searches and does not just reward the Uber volume Powersellers.

I don't think anyone here will argue Ebay has been a very positive influence on Ecommerce and a big part of the success of internet retail commerce.

RE: I'm thankful for Ebay.

By KillerInTheRye on 7/28/2009 12:54:17 PM , Rating: 4

You must not sell much. People who do, except the Platinum Power Sellers, are regularly screwed by E-Bay policies on a consistent basis. Not to mention having to deal with anonymous ratings that we can't tell how to improve because we don't know where the problem originated because its freakin anonymous.

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RE: I'm thankful for Ebay.

By Seemonkeyscanfly on 7/28/2009 1:02:19 PM , Rating: 2

I don't think anyone here will argue Ebay has been a very positive influence on Ecommerce and a big part of the success of internet retail commerce.

So, you think e-bay has been a negative influence on E-commerce?? Based on what you said, I think missed another "not" somewhere in that statement.

The fixed prices are from "normal" businesses trying to pick up sales. Which has killed the bidding side of it. It would be nice to see that side come back.

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Ebay Lowers Fee's

By michal1980 on 7/28/2009 11:06:48 AM , Rating: 2

oh wait, Thats an Oinion headline,

there was a time when it made some sense to 'dumb' err, sell stuff on ebay.

Now with ebay + paypal fee's, theres stuff I just don't bother with anymore.

Plus it became so 'buisness' like that buyers expect amazon like shipping and handling. I miss parts of the early ebay days, where it was more of a P2P sales system, vs a now a masked business to consumer.

RE: Ebay Lowers Fee's

By Seemonkeyscanfly on 7/28/2009 12:35:30 PM , Rating: 3

I have an idea, let's create a company called U-bay. Were you auction off items but if you sell more then an average of 30 items per month you will be punished and pay a higher fee. This way businesses should stay away accept for some close out type items here and there and it should stay focus on consumer to consumer type of sales..... Cost is a flat fee 50 cent to list something, and $1.00 if item is to sell over $100.... period, no extra, no percentage.... Buy and sell at your own risk. Thumbs up thumbs down rating.

Sound like a good start to anyone?

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Sadly misleading article...

By KillerInTheRye on 7/28/2009 12:51:16 PM , Rating: 3

The article states,

quote:
The company will now place a greater emphasis on a seller's lack of negative ratings rather than the difference between a 4 or a 5 on a detailed ranking. EBay will also provider new tools to help sellers list and maintain items easier.

This statement is not true. I sell around 30 items a month on E-Bay, but under the new rules you are distinguished more by your low ratings than by your high ratings. Thus as the new rule allows, if I get 3 (some people can only get 2) 1-star DSR ratings I cannot qualify for the Top Rated Seller program until that feedback falls away in 12 months.

The headline I'm waiting for...

By acase on 7/28/09, Rating: -1

RE: The headline I'm waiting for...

By cochy on 7/28/2009 10:44:00 AM , Rating: 3

Since eBay owns Paypal, I figure you will continue to avoid eBay for quite some time.

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RE: The headline I'm waiting for...

By acase on 7/28/2009 10:45:22 AM , Rating: 2

...i'm aware, but they'd be much better off to just contract it out.

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RE: The headline I'm waiting for...

By Spivonious on 7/28/2009 10:55:55 AM , Rating: 2

If some sellers are avoiding Paypal then they're breaking EBay's policies.

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RE: The headline I'm waiting for...

By Motoman on 7/28/2009 11:02:15 AM , Rating: 2

Yup. That was one of the various reasons that I finally stopped using eBay altogether, after having amassed a ~500-point rating with only 1 negative ever over a span of probably 7 or 8 years.

eBay/PayPal are heinously abusive to sellers. And they're not great to buyers either, but clearly buyers get the better end of that stick.

I am not joking at all when I say that the eBay/PayPal organization is absolutely the worst organization in the world that isn't actively killing people. The closest thing to evil I ever want to brush up against.

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