DSR'S - THE WHOLE PICTURE

I believe EBay had good intentions when they started the new DSR program which enables buyers to leave information about several aspects of their transaction with the seller.  Unfortunately, you know what they say - "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and that appears to be the case here.  It appears that many buyers do not take time to think about how their ratings will affect the sellers. In addition, it appears that more often than not, the buyers don't look at the whole picture when leaving this information.  They just look at what is happening inside their immediate world without taking other factors into consideration.  I hope the following examples - based on my observations and experiences - will help to shed some light on this situation and enable a mutual understanding between buyers and sellers on EBay.


SHIPPING CHARGES:

One prime example of misunderstandings as it relates to DSR feedback relates to shipping charges.  EBay sellers are allowed by EBay to charge small fees to reimburse themselves for materials used to ship product to customers.  These things are not free, and like the domino effect, they trickle down to the customers.  Most of the items I sell in my store are handmade jewelry designs.  I charge a flat $3.35 to ship to destinations within the United States, and a flat $4.50 to ship internationally.  This means you can buy one item or one hundred items and the shipping price will remain the same.  When someone makes multiple purchases, I often pay the shipping difference out of my own pocket.   Each jewelry piece is contained within a small ziplock bag.  I then bubble wrap the jewelry pieces and ship them in a heavy corrugated box.  The boxes are made to withstand rough handling during shipment, and it ensures that the pieces will arrive safe and sound to the buyers.  The cost of the ziplock bags, boxes, bubble wrap and tape (not to mention the price of gas to get to the post office) can really add up.  Based on all of these factors, I believe my shipping rates are very reasonable.  It amazes me when buyers leave feedback scores of less than five stars in the shipping area where I am concerned. 

NOTE:  For the past several weeks, I offered "FREE SHIPPING" on all newly listed items.  In addition, if these items are purchased with anything else in the store, ALL of the items ship for FREE.  Apparently, buyers still must not understand the concept of how the DSR's work.  My average DSR score in the shipping costs area is ONLY 4.7.  Since I am offering "FREE" shipping, this score should be a "5".  Please, buyers, keep in mind that "FREE SHIPPING ALWAYS EQUALS 5 DSR STARS."  Buyers who fail to recognize this are doing the sellers a serious disservice.

SHIPPING TIME:

I always ship items within 3 business days of the date I receive payment from my customers.  More often then not, I visit the post office every other day, including Saturdays, to ensure that people receive their packages in a timely manner.  Unfortunately, there are things which are out of my control which can impede on delivery time, and I think it's important that buyers know this before leaving a low score in this area.  I live in a small town, and for reasons completely unknown to me, it usually takes longer for the mail delivery in my town.  For example, an EBay customer mailed me a money order on May 1.  This was supported by the postmark on their envelope.  I did not receive the payment until the last week of May.  I have no idea why this occurred.  The envelope was in perfect condition.  It does not appear to have been damaged or misrouted in any sort of way.  It was just really late being delivered.  Sometimes, the opposite holds true.  Even though I mail packages to buyers in a timely manner, sometimes a buyer will contact me telling me they have not yet received the package, only to have it mysteriously show up at their home several days later.  My hope in bringing this issue to the forefront is that buyers will take a moment to check the postmark date before leaving poor DSR feedback for the seller in this situation.  What occurs at the post office is not the fault of the seller, and they should not be held accountable for this.

I should also mention that when I ship items, I ALWAYS send a courtesy message to the buyer to let them know the package is on it's way.  This way, there is no doubt about when or if the package has been mailed.

DSR'S CAN BE TRACKED BY SELLERS:

EBay informs buyers to be honest when leaving DSR feedback because it it totally anonymous.  That is simply not the case.  On a daily basis, the DSR scores change as people leave feedback.  Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible for sellers to determine who left the derogatory scores if they check these on a daily basis.  I can check my feedback and compare it to the DSR feedback on any given day and determine which set of buyers left me complimentary or derogatory scores in the DSR area.

DSR's CAN AFFECT POWERSELLER STANDINGS:

Until I became a Powerseller in early 2008, I had no idea how much feedback and DSR scores can affect a seller's standing in the EBay community.  For example, a Powerseller must maintain high scores in the DSR area in order to keep their Powerseller status.   If a Powerseller maintains a continual high DSR score - usually in the area of 4.8 and higher, they are entitled to receive anywhere from 5% to 15% of a discount in the final value fees that EBay charges us each month.  If a score slips below a certain level, the seller is admonished.  Not only can they lose their Powerseller status, but sellers also lose the discount.  EBay fees and Paypal fees are very expensive for the sellers, so it's nice to get a break where we can in order to not have to raise merchandise prices in our stores.  The domino effect of negative DSR's can also impact the buyers in this aspect.  If a Powerseller has to raise prices in order to balance the cost of a negative DSR, it will trickle down to the buyers who will inevitably have to raise prices to make up for this loss.

IN CLOSING:

If you are a buyer, please take a moment to consider ALL factors before leaving low DSR scores for someone.  Everyone will benefit from this in the long run.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can clarify any information within this guide.  I am always interested in hearing feedback from other EBayers.  If this guide has been helpful to you, please be sure to vote "yes" for it below.

Thank you and happy EBaying!!!