As an Ebay seller, you probably are well acquaited with the importance of maintining high DSR's. Those ratings are critical to your listings being "raised" in the search engine standings. Without a Raised standing your listings will languish on page 9 of the search results. Ebay's logic as to how the search engine standings are calculated, would drive Spock nuts!!! So here are a few tips to navigate this mess.

1. Offer Free Shipping. It will cut into your profit, but Ebay has decided that we can simply raise our prices to cover that expense. NOT! However, free shipping listings get higher search standings.

2. Maintain High DSR Scores. Easier said than done because a key component to 1st page results happens to be "number of sales". Again Spock would be pulling his hair out over that one. You might ask, "How can I raise my sales if my listings are languishing on page 9?". The answer you can't - quickly. But by RELISTING auctions, you can slowly crawl up in the search result standings.

3. Relist listings; do NOT put up completely new listings. Relists get higher placement in the search standings.

4. Solicit positive feedback from EVERY sale you make. Call or send an email to EVERY one of your purchasers begging for postive 5 STAR feedback. Those little stars DETERMINE your DSR scores. Anything below a 4.85 average will not be very helpful. GET THE 5 STAR FEEDBACK RATINGS AT ANY COST! TELL THE PURCHASER THAT THE 5 STAR RATING IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE IT DETERMINES YOUR SEARCH STANDINGS. Be Honest and earnest, BUT BEG! Spock would like that one.

5. Invest in Listing Upgrades. Paying for the Promotional pack (yes I know it costs $35 per listing) also increases your search standings. Who says money doesn't talk on Ebay?

Thats about it. Solicit and get 5 star positive feedback, invest in listing upgrades, pray for more sales, relist existing listings when they expire, offer free shipping and keep your DSR's up by having the patience of Job with the occasional knot-head buyer. One negative, or even a positive feedback with low DSR "star" ratings can be disasterous.

Welcome to the no logic zone of Ebay! Their policies are not compatible with developing new Power Sellers. At present they help the successful and punish the newbies, but someday we hope they see the light.

Paitience and constant reassurance to yourself that one day the inmates may no longer be running the Ebay Asylum is also advisable.