Lesson 3: DSR Star Ratings

Detailed Seller Ratings

I hate them. I am addicted to checking my status. I check it nearly every day hoping that I am maintaining a 4.9 star rating, but knowing that it doesn't take much (one buyer not realizing how damaging anything other than a 5 star rating can be) to lower my rating.

Why do I care? Is it the fact that if I maintain a 4.9 star rating as a Power Seller I am eligible for a 20% discount on my final value fees? And if my rating drops to 4.8 that discount lowers to 15%? Could it be that I am concerned that with just a few disgruntled buyers I could be looking at a 4.1% rating at which time eBay would not let me sell at all?

I am a competitive person. Possibly being raised with 6 siblings, each of us trying to outdo the other contributed to my compulsive need to do better than the next guy. See, I know that anyone, at any time, can view my star rating and while my feedback is glowing, the stars do not seem to be a direct reflection of the feedback system. I want 5 stars all the way. I answer every email, I ship daily, I keep my product and shipping prices in line, and I do my best to describe my products and put clear pictures in all my listings.

The problem is that eBay gives the impression that 4 stars is a good rating when in reality 4 stars can be damaging to a seller's overall rating.

Per eBay

How accurate was the item description?
1 Star Very Inaccurate
2 Stars Inaccurate
3 Stars Neither Accurate Nor Inaccurate
4 Stars Accurate
5 Stars Very Accurate

Can you describe something more accurate than accurate?

How satisfied were you with the seller's communication?
1 Star Very Unsatisfied
2 Stars Unsatisfied
3 Stars Neither Unsatisfied Nor Satisfied
4 Stars Satisfied
5 Stars Very Satisfied

Buyer buys something. Seller sends an invoice. Buyer pays. Seller ships. 90% of my transactions do not have any further communication beyond the automated notifications.

How quickly did the seller ship the item?
1 Star Very Slowly
2 Stars Slowly
3 Stars Neither Slowly Nor Quickly
4 Stars Quickly
5 Stars Very Quickly

The problem with this rating is that many buyers don't take travel time by the carrier into consideration. They leave the ratings based on how long their item took to reach them rather than when the seller actually shipped the item.

How reasonable were the shipping and handling charges?
1 Star Very Unreasonable
2 Stars Unreasonable
3 Stars Neither Unreasonable Nor Reasonable
4 Stars Reasonable
5 Stars Very Reasonable

Sellers have no control over the cost of shipping. As a buyer, if I don't like the shipping charges indicated in a listing I don't buy the item. If the listing doesn't specify shipping charges I don't buy the item. In my early, uneducated days of eBay I purchased a painting for $ .01 knowing I would be paying $19.95 for shipping. When the canvas arrived in a tube with $2.41 postage on it, I wasn't surprised. I knew the seller had to make money somehow. I didn't know I was contributing to the seller's fee circumvention. (Final Value Fees are calculated on the selling price, not the shipping price.) If the star system had been in place, I would have left the seller 5 stars because I decided that the painting was worth $19.96 and that is what I paid. It didn't matter to me how much was for the actual canvas and how much was for the shipping.

I've seen listings where sellers have requested buyers to contact them if they felt they could not leave 5 stars in all categories, or since the rating is voluntary to not leave stars at all. It seems like this might encourage buyers to request a discount or refund. I prefer subliminal messages. I put the phrase '5 Star Customer Service' in my listings in bold letters followed by 'Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding our products and/or services. Your eBay experience is important to us.' I also enclose an invoice with each shipment that has '5 Star Customer Service' at the top of the invoice.

Now if only I can get everyone to double their orders subliminally.