Feedback system flawed by design?

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
1,201
First a link to this thread where this issue is currently being discussed: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/986660-Oleg-Krymlin?p=11272404#post11272404

To sum it up, it seems as though bad makers and sellers often do not have negative feedback ratings.

So why is that? I think it might be because there is tremendous RISK in giving someone negative feedback, even when they deserve it. It's a simple concept: If you give them negative feedback, they can retaliate and ruin your reputation by giving you negative feedback "for being a jerk".

After 10 years, Ebay finally figured out this major flaw in this sort of system and changed their rules. They no longer allow sellers to issue negative feedback to prompt paying customers. In other words, if the buyer pays promptly, their obligation is filled.

There are a lot of people who look at feedback ratings as some kind of true value of a seller's reputation. But it is NOT a good way to know who a bad seller is because negative feedback is almost never given.

Is there any way to adjust the system to better protect buyers from retaliation?
 
Are you aware that you can report an unjust negative feedback and have it removed?
 
If you look at the posts just here in TS, you'll notice that there is more false feedback left by buyers or people that think they were prevented from buying than sellers. It's a two way street and sellers should have just as much of a voice when dealing with a bad buyer as buyers with bad sellers, especially since all sellers are paying members while buyers don't need to be. If a feedback rating is left falsely from either side, it can be looked into and removed.

The mods here aren't an equivalent to Ebay's automated rush-job system.
 
rycen said:
Are you aware that you can report an unjust negative feedback and have it removed?
Click to expand...

I suppose I'm aware of that, but I'm not aware that this process is consistent and easy.

I have not left negative feedback in the couple of times I've been burned because I did not want to get into a "he said/she said" argument between me, the seller, and a moderator. It's the HASSLE of the back-and-forth that is the problem.
 
Los Angeles said:
I suppose I'm aware of that, but I'm not aware that this process is consistent and easy.

I have not left negative feedback in the couple of times I've been burned because I did not want to get into a "he said/she said" argument between me, the seller, and a moderator. It's the HASSLE of the back-and-forth that is the problem.
Click to expand...

The process is embedded in the feedback itself: there is an icon on the feedback line for the transaction.

As for the hassle, if you won't stand up for yourself, and for the community, who will?

As Hillel said, If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
 
Stand up for myself? I believe that I AM sticking up for this community by bringing this issue to the staff's attention.

And I think this is a perfect example: the best way to avoid a bickering fight that has more risk than reward is to simply walk away, and that's what everyone is doing with this broken feedback system.

Thanks for reading and responding, and I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
 
There is a reson EBay changed their system, and as you can see by the users the current system isn't working as intended, it's actually INHABITING some of the most critical feedback.

Allowing a seller to leave bad feedback as "payback" is just foolhardy, and having such poor controls (one guy, the owner who I'm sure is a busy guy) who you have to appeal to is less then ideal.
 
I agree with what you said except for one thing we don't have a widespread problem with people abusing the feedback.
 
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