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Posted By: Anonymous

A few weeks ago I tried to list something for sale and was blocked because my DSR on shipping time is below 4.1. I had only 13 ratings total that made up the result and every item I sold that drew feedback posted over the last several months is great, with lots of "great shipping, fast" and so on. Ebay's rule stated that: "Sellers are required to maintain a rating of at least 4.1 on each DSR to sell on eBay. Sellers with one or more DSR below 4.1 will be restricted from listing until their DSRs improve." That makes so much sense. A rating of "very good" gets you suspended. I also had to wonder how my rating is supposed to improve if I can't sell anything? So I called Ebay's new personal calling line that they say they give to us select few good ebayers to get help. It was Orwellian:

1. They can't tell me how old the "bad" rating is.

2. They can't tell me how many ratings were bad.

3. They tell me they recalculate every 30 days on a rolling basis BUT they can't tell me whether the feedback(s) that dinged me would roll off in the next 30 days.

4. They can't tell me when the feedback will be re-evaluated.

5. Since they use an entire year's DSR feedback if you have less than 10 active ones, if more than 4 feedbacks fall off my chart at any given evaluation and they don't take the bad one(s) with them, I could be suspended FOR AS LONG AS A YEAR.

Brilliant: set up a detailed rating system for sellers, prevent the seller being rated from seeing the rating details, give zero guidance as to what might happen (which just does wonders for my business planning), create no form of review or appeal from the rating, and suspend sellers who have 100% feedback and great comments with an overall very good to excellent rating over what might be as little as one pissy review. Now there's a business model I'd like a slice of stock in...not.

In frustration, I sent Ebay an obscenity-laced tirade of an email complaining about the stupidity of the situation. Needless to say, I never heard back.

Since then, my DSR has not improved although one rating did drop off. I tried yesterday to list some items. It worked, even though my DSR hasn't improved.

I am completely baffled... If the powers that be are trying to alienate their customer base, they are doing a very fine job of it.

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