Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption worldwide, eBay has managed to successfully grow its seller base by approximately 8 million buyers, growing 29% during the second quarter of the year.  During this period, the company has capitalised on the increasing number of sellers using the platform by launching a variety of initiatives, such as Traffic Month and Waivered Listing Fees to help small and medium businesses establish their presence and increase sales.

So, as eBay continues to refine its onboarding process to simplify registration, invest in more tools for sellers, and update its marketplace mobile app, it is essential for eBay sellers to consider how the impact of these new platform changes will affect their strategy. As more sellers join the platform, it can become increasingly competitive, therefore sellers should consider the importance of seller feedback when it comes to building a successful strategy and building resilience online.

The importance of seller feedback

eBay seller feedback was a pivotal factor to a merchant’s reputation in previous years but the marketplace has now changed considerably. As consumers have become accustomed to convenience and ease-of-access when shopping online, eBay has shifted away from auctions as the standard format in favour of fixed-price listings.

Buyers are not interested in reading through hundreds of feedback comments to differentiate why a seller has a 99.9% or 99.8% percentage rating. While feedback is less important than before, buyers still associate positive feedback as a signal that it is safe to purchase from a seller. Another reason to maintain a good feedback rating is that it is difficult to maintain seller performance without it. It is a simple, easy-to-understand feature which can indicate to sellers and buyers whether your other performance metrics are also heading in the wrong direction.

How are seller scores and percentages calculated?

Seller feedback is score is based on a buyer’s experience and satisfaction with a product. Feedback is made up of three essential parts:

• An overall rating which can be negative, neutral or positive

• A feedback comment with a short summary of the transaction]

• Detailed Seller Ratings covering four aspects of the transaction

The overall total feedback score is calculated with +1 for positive feedback, no change for neutral feedback, and -1 for negative feedback. It should also be noted that the same buyer leaving feedback on multiple sales in the same week will count as one. This is commonplace for eBay, resulting in most sellers having a lower total feedback score compared to their actual positive minus negative feedback.

Feedback percentage

Similar to the feedback score, positive feedback percentage can be nuanced. It does not reflect the actual amount of positive feedback received as it is limited to only include transactions within the past 12 months and exclude feedback for repeat purchases, ignoring neutral feedback entirely.

Buyers are also able to submit more detailed seller ratings which can provide information on four different aspects of the seller’s service. Each rating is scored out of five stars, with eBay displaying both the total number of feedback and average star rating. The four aspects covered by this include:

• The accuracy of the item description

• Whether the seller communicated well with the buyer

• The shipping time for the transaction

• Whether the cost of shipping and handling charges were reasonable

Improving your score as an eBay seller

Sellers looking to improve their overall score should focus on ensuring that customers are happy with the transaction process and encourage them to leave feedback. This can be achieved in numerous ways, including:

• Offering fast customer service response times to answer queries before and after the sale, handle complaints and return requests

• Optimising listings with detailed, accurate descriptions to ensure buyers are more likely to purchase the correct items

• Using a reliable shipping courier to ensure that all items are dispatched promptly and packaged correctly

• Providing reasonable terms of sale for returns and refunds

Sellers can also encourage buyers to leave feedback with a personalised message, although sellers should allow sufficient time for the item to be received and used; there are a variety of software tools available which can automate this process.

Removing negative feedback

Fortunately, negative feedback is not permanent and can be removed in the following instances:

• Automatic removal by eBay can be triggered in cases such as unpaid item case against the buyer, or a Money Back Guarantee case favouring the seller

• Manual review and removal by eBay, which is limited only to instances when there was a failed delivery attempt, or the comments contained inappropriate content

• Manual review by the buyer, after receiving a feedback revision request.

Programmes available for top sellers

Sellers that maintain a performance score of 98% or above, have a good sales history and consistent quality of services can also enrol in the PowerSeller programme. This was the original programme created for top sellers but has since been replaced with eBay’s Top Rated Seller scheme. More information about this is available on the eBay website, although it is essentially an honorary status with no tangible benefits.

The Top Rated Seller programme does offer improved benefits such as better search ranking and increased seller protections, but it has no link to seller feedback. The determining factors include performance metrics such as defect rates, late shipment rates, and cases closed without seller resolution.

Summary

Although eBay seller feedback is no longer the most important factor for sellers on the marketplace, it is worthwhile to maintain good ratings as an indicator of trustworthiness and good performance. There is no one-fit strategy that is suitable for all sellers, and factors such as time and resources will always influence the buyer’s experience. It is recommended that sellers attempt to refine the purchase process to minimise the chances of customers having a negative transaction.