To print: Click here or Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

This story was printed from silicon.com, located at http://www.silicon.com/

Story URL: http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39169939,00.htm

eBay bans bad feedback as customers scared off by nasties
If you've got nothing nice to say then…

By Elinor Mills

Published: Wednesday 06 February 2008

In move to curtail retaliation by vengeful sellers in its feedback system, eBay plans to prohibit sellers from posting negative feedback about their customers.

Check out silicon.com's latest Cheat Sheets…

♦ Galileo
♦ CRM
♦ Biometrics
♦ Encryption

Beginning in May, sellers will not be able to leave negative or even neutral comments about their customers, only positive feedback, said an eBay spokesman.

Sellers are crying foul, saying the policy change isn't fair.

But the spokesman said some sellers have been abusing the system, retaliating against customers who leave them negative feedback, which has left many buyers afraid to leave honest comments, or even use the site at all.

He said: "The number one reason buyers cited for decreasing or ceasing their activity on eBay was negative unwarranted retaliatory feedback they received from sellers. There has been a four-fold increase in this over the last several years. It's cited as a bigger problem than even not receiving shipment."

Meanwhile, eBay is offering more solutions to protect sellers when customers don't pay.

The move is the latest in a series of changes that involves how search results on the site will be displayed and fees for listing items announced recently.