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It’s been a whirlwind month. Within the last thirty days I have been both crowned and deposed as an eBay TopRated Seller. I think I have handled both my rise and my demise with humility and grace, especially considering that I was not notified by eBay when I had become a Top Rated Seller. (I found out when an eBay seller colleague emailed to congratulate me.) Neither was I notified by eBay when I was stripped of my title. (I found out when a customer emailed me to ask: “Where is that cute little ribbon that used to be next to your logo?”)
Confusion abounds about this new status and the eBay community is abuzz with what the Top Rated Seller status means – and doesn’t mean. During a recent phone conversation with a representative from eBay – during which I was assured that my data indicates I will most likely be a Top Rated Seller once again as soon as I am reevaluatednext month – I struggled to understand the benefits and drawbacks of what this new status means to those of us who are consistent eBay Power Sellers.
The benefits of being a Top Rated Seller are multiple and include:
- Top Rated Sellers will receive a 20% discount on their final value fees (eBay Power Sellers continue to receive discounts, but this program will terminate as of April 2010);
- Top Rated Sellers’ items may be given priority in ranking and searches (selling price, format, distance, past sales history and free shipping continue to weigh in here, however);
- Buyers can choose to order their search results by Top Rated Seller only, eliminating all other items andsellers from their search results;
- When buyers mouse over the Top Rated Seller icon, a pop-up appears with: “Get fast shipping and excellent service when you buy from eBay Top Rated Sellers.”
- Sellers get a “cute little ribbon” next to their user name, that tells customers that this seller: Consistently receives highest buyers’ ratings, Ships items quickly, Has earned a track record of excellent service. (Implying incorrectly, perhaps, that other eBay Power Sellers have not?)
Some eBay sellers are saying that the Top Rated Seller status creates an uneven playing field for smaller and newer eBay stores. Others complain that the rating system seems unclear and arbitrary. My biggest complaint of this program is its inconsistency, in which sellers are reevaluated – and potentially rebranded - monthly. For those trying to create an online presence, this monthly reevaluation wreaks havoc on how we market and define ourselves assellers. In my case, and in the case of many eBay sellers, reevaluation means we totter every month between the titles of Top Rated Seller and Power Seller with one or two low DSR scores always threatening to come between us and our goals. Like many eBay Power Sellers, I have 100% positive feedback and my average DSR’s are 4.85/5. Clearly, we “Consistently receive highest buyers’ ratings, Ship items quickly, and Have earned a track record of excellent service.” However, if for some reason, whether it be dissatisfaction, confusion or even poor communication skills, one or two of our hundreds of customers gives us a low score in one area of our DSR’s, we are sent tumbling from the heights of Top Rated Seller and given thirty days in the eBay “time out” chair to think of what we have done wrong and try to correct it. Which, presumably, means offering Free Shipping on every item. I was told during my phone conversation with an eBay representative that buyers are allowed to leave only DSR’s of 5, on items that offer Free Shipping.
This lack of consistency can be confusing to sellers and buyers alike and can make it very difficult to create a consistent online presence. Like many eBay sellers, I also market myself extensively, online and otherwise, as an Education Specialist trained by eBay and with this inconsistency I run the constant threat of perjuring myself. While last month I could confidently declare myself a Top Rated Seller and post that on blogs and print that on flyers, this month, I can not. And I am not the only one disappointed by this seemingly random change.
Since I am equal parts Pollyanna and The Grinch, and since most of this post was written by The Grinch, I will end on a positive note and say that my sales, since my falling from grace, have been just about the same as they were when I was a Top Rated Seller. I have always found that eBay buyers are a very pragmatic bunch and in general will simply make their purchases from the seller who has the best item at the best price.
What do you think?
What are your thoughts about the eBay Top Rated Seller status?
Like it? Hate it?