Ebay... Would You Give Low Star Grade For Something You're Happy To Bid On....

[MustangLady]

On eBay they have a star grading which can be applied at the feedback stage. Example: you've seen an auction item that clearly shows postage costs, you're happy to bid for item & you win it. Once received from seller you can give feedback & give a glowing feedback saying you're happy throughout. However, you can give individual star rating for item description, despatch time, communication & postage costs... this only being viewable by eBay themselves (not buyer). Would you give a low rating on postage even though you saw costs on auction, happy to pay those costs & eventually bought item? Does anyone realise consequences/meaning of this star rating? Just curious if anyone had any comebacks as result of this star rating alone..... absolutely nothing do with the feedback comments.

[MadMen]

I would only give a low star on postage costs if, after I'd received the item, I thought I'd paid too much.
I don't think I've ever given anyone less than the full 4/5 stars though, as I realise this can screw up a sellers account. If I was unhappy with anything, generally I contact the seller beforehand and it gets sorted out.

[NOX]

No. You saw how much the item is and you saw how much the postage is and agreed to pay both. Postage is not just the price of a stamp, it's the price of packing goods, time spent packing goods, if you are rural driving to the post office etc, and it's unfair to give bad star ratings based on something you agreed to.

[hc4361]

Depends. I would happily pay over the odds for postage and packaging if the item was packed very well and posted promptly using the postage method paid for.

I wouldn't be so happy if the seller took a week to post the item any old how in a supermarket carrier bag turned inside out, using 2nd class when I'd paid for first.

And that note saying - thank you for your order. I will leave feedback as soon as you have posted yours. No feedback from me in that case, unless it warrants a neg.

[RATTER15]

I gave a low star rating to someone a few days ago for an item I bought, it was described as good condition, in fact it had been stretched out of shape in the wash.

I was also a little tempted, (but I didnt) to leave a less than perfect score for two items of clothing I bought separately from the same person, the postage on each item was £4.00 and she charged £8.00, clearly she could have charged less as both items were very small and packaged together.

[NOX]

Some people actually make a living selling on Ebay and incorporate postage charges to account for their time taken to sell the object, and materials cost. I think it's perfectly reasonable to pay what you agreed and not quibble.
Condition is another matter RATTER, I think it's absolutely fine to give a low star rating if it's not as described, just not for postage if the postage cost is listed and people have seen it before they buy.

[RATTER15]

Nox, that is why I didnt. I grudgingly accepted it.

[MustangLady]

Thank you, you basically feel same as I feel. I had an eBay account less than year, 43 transactions total, selling personal items surplus to our needs (kids/adult clothing, shoes etc). I have now been banned from selling indefinitely, as apparently I've received 4 low rating stars for postage costs. I received notice of this by email from ebay, no warning just banned immediately. I'm gobsmacked. Thinking I'd done something against eBay regulations, I've emailed them asking what exactly I've done that so wrong for lifetime ban in selling account & they replied exactly same thing. They say due to low performance in sellers rating for postage costs. I replied that all my charges were below the recommended maximum (they always between £3.50-£4.50. The max allowed for clothing is £4.75). The costs clearly shown on my sales and buyers have never mentioned costs in my feedback or complained to me. Infact I have 100% positive feedback with glowing comments. EBay inform me that they do not take this feedback into account, only the sellers star rating. They confirm they have no other complaints with my account, infact remarked how impressed they were with my communication to my buyers. Only 4 low star ratings have resulted in my performance grading, from which they can remove an account permanently. They say I can still buy & access everything else, just my selling account. I am astounded. I've emailed them 3 times to check the facts, they state it is lifetime ban, I'll be refused another account if I try opening another and they may refuse to reply if I send them any more emails on this subject. I've been polite & just enquiring throughout trying to resolve this but to no avail. My partner who has his own separate eBay account has just received email

[MustangLady]

(Sorry pressed submit in error) my partner received email saying he now restricted to a maximum selling amount over monthly period as they notice he has connection to me (share home address). Just wanted vent my anger on here & absolute amazement as to what happened here.

[RATTER15]

MustangLady, Im amazed they would do that to be honest, appears very unfair indeed!!

[MustangLady]

Buyers have commented good communications, items as described (some even new with tags, never worn), excellent delivery times. I pack in proper postal bags (or boxes if needed), always state 2nd class and send as such. I account my costs for postage, the packaging which I buy for purpose of item being sent & minimal cost of getting it to post office (I take short bus journey). I really shocked at this outcome as you can see.

[MustangLady]

@ratter15. I am too that's why I triple checked with them and they confirm back as given. That's also why I bring to all your attention if you realised consequences of those star ratings, I had no idea, I thought feedback was the important factor.

[estelle37]

I think that if you knew the cost of the postage then you should not complain about them. If you think the costs are too high then you should not buy - try another seller. I have had people complain about postage costs to me even when I have made a loss on the postal charges - they should be complaining to the post office - not to me.

[woofgang]

I find that strange.....As a seller, I have had stars taken off for p and p and my account wasn't limited. It has to be more than one rating, you can be a power seller provided that you have less than 2% of stars lost for p and p, so surely it can't have been just one?
One one occasion i gave a 3 star rating for p and p as I had been charged 11 quid for p and p on some plants. When they arrived, they were packed in a used but sturdy box wrapped in old newspaper and the p and p was about 4 pounds so I couldn't see how the sender could justify the amount. Other sellers send stuff out in new purpose designed packaging so the cost might have been reasonable. Personally i don't mind either way but don't expect to pay over the top for recycled packaging.

If I am listing something with what looks like high p and p, I will add a comment to the listing that the price reflects the actual charge by weight that the Post Office will be charging.

[hc4361]

The argument about knowing the postage cost before bidding isn't relevant.
I don't know how much the postage will actually be as I don't know the sort of packaging the item will be sent, nor the weight of the item itself.

If expect to pay more than the stamp price but do not appreciate getting ripped off. Not suggesting for a minute that you hyper-inflate your p&p costs, MustangLady, just making a general observation.

I've even heard the reason for high postage is that the seller lives in the sticks and it is a 16 mile round trip to the PO. Not my problem.

[MustangLady]

EBay definitely state 'postage & shipping costs' in their reply emails. So appears nothing even to do with packaging or other reasons, just purely down to minimal amount of buyers not happy with my postal cost (even if stated at point of sale).

[vulcan]

I've always thought this was a very unfair system,comments by both parties, sellers and buyers, should be seen by each other.E-bay should not be making arbitrary decisions based on one sided views when the seller doesn't know what's happening and cannot react to it. It's a ludicrous situation where the seller sees " perfect transaction " and E-bay sees"postage too high". How can that be fair?

[NOX]

Ebay are ghastly. I had something very similar happen to me and was banned for life, also my son was banned who had never sold anything because he had the same address and I was furious, having a 100% feedback over 6 years. I did rejoin by stealth ( can be done quite easily but you have to be super careful) but really you shouldn't have to, they are a disgrace and it offends me that i was treated that way when I had done nothing wrong.

[bert_h]

I think the problem on eBay with buyers' ratings for postage costs is that excessive postage and packing charges count as 'avoidance of eBay fees'. No such anti-eBay interpretation attaches to low buyers' ratings in the other four categories. A life ban for it still seems quite out of order, though.

[hc4361]

Nox, if you think the company is so bad why bother with it? Take your custom elsewhere.

[NOX]

Purely because I sell about a grand a week on there and it's most effective site for doing so-otherwise they could quite cheerfully kiss behind.