eBay: rating the sellers

Back in November AuctionBytes ran a survey about eBay's feedback system. Not surprisingly, opinion had shifted rather strongly against since the previous poll of January 2003.

I haven't had time to do more than skim the academic papers devoted to eBay's feedback system (an example here), let alone delve into all the online discussions on the various official and unofficial eBay forums. The suggestions submitted with the AuctionBytes survey, however, provide a pretty good indicator of what is wrong with the rating system as it presently stands.

A quick summary for those not already eBay-experienced:
Even bad sellers usually have very little negative (or neutral -- an orphan category that really should be abolished) feedback. If there is any at all, especially recently, it's worth digging up for a closer look.
Even great sellers eventually get some bad feedback. There are people out there who are unreasonable, cannot be pleased, or quick to anger. If you sell hundreds of items, it's but a matter of time before one crosses your path. Reading the bad feedback often tells you a lot about those who left it -- as does their own feedback, or lack thereof (new participants often leave undeserved bad feedback, not realizing how serious it is and not appreciating the necessity of trying to work things out first).
Very little feedback? Could be OK, but don't automatically give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Escrow's a good option (but watch out for scams); I sometimes suggest that the seller send the item first, before receiving payment, but this only works if you already have enough feedback yourself that the seller feels confident going this route.

Posted by David on December 31, 2004 1:07 PM