Ebay set me a note saying my performance is low???

[bacon]

Really peed off this morning when I saw this note from e-bay:

We've noticed that you may not be meeting buyer expectations, as indicated by your detailed seller ratings (DSRs). We've identified the following areas you can work on to improve your performance on eBay:

Communicate promptly and professionally

By keeping in touch with your buyers and maintaining a positive, professional tone, you can resolve many concerns before they become problems.

• Respond promptly to all questions or concerns.
• Send updates to keep your buyers informed of the status of their purchase.

For God's sake. I said I'd post items within 3 working days (lots of bank holidays have just gone). I mark as item despatched on the feedback thing. What? am I supposed to make a note to every single person that its been despatched. Whats the point of that I find these e-mails cramming up my in-box. Many a time I have actually let people know - when I have time - Also my comminucation is great I also answer questions politely so I havent wound anyone up. I always put everyone elses comms done as brill as you cant mark them down when there has been no need to communicate.

In general I have been selling fantastic baby clothes for 99p plus cheap as chips 2nd class postage (some I slightly under priced). I describe items in vast detail.

What more do people want???? And now do I have to thank everyone who bids, send a mess on despatch, send a mess hoping youve received and any mess chasing feedback. What on items 99p. Time wise its not worth the hastle - assuming why so many people no longer bother with e-bay. Anyone help?

marking the item as dispatched isn't communicating. You can send an email for 'your item has been dispatched'. the template is already set up. You can also send them in bulk so if you have just posted 6 items, check the six boxes, click on email, select dispatch and then send. Takes a few seconds.
You can never please all of the people all of the time; some consider emails/messages to be unimportant some like to receive a dozen 'I am now in the queue at the PO' updates. I find that just informing them that the item is on the way is all that is neccessary in most cases.

Could it have been triggered from the star rating bit of the feeback, I'd yours lower in that area than the others?

There is a standard it's been dispatched mail so it does only take acouple of clicks. Tbh I think peole expect more communication now than they used too, partly cause some people do go over the top.

I wonder wether you sent anything overseas recently? My DH sold some CDs, sent them next day, but they were late arriving due to the volcanic ash. Even though he explained this to the buyer (and had proof of postage) they still gave negative feedback!

If you dont routinely email people when the item has been dispatched then you probably will get slightly marked down on communication.

I think its what people do, they read the listing which states dispatch etc, they pay and wait for the item. When 1 week or so later it arrives they do the feedback. Seeing that they won it over a week and half they dont think what was stated in the listing hence.....bloody 'ell that was a while ago hence neutral star.

I keep my postage ultra low, no silly boxes, tissue paper etc. I buy the nice postal bags and fold the items nicely.

How will this effect me, or just havingthe 100% is fine for a simple honest seller like me? I will infuture send a e-mail stating that its second class.

Whats the point in agreeing to the terms and conditions when bidding then knocking the seller down?

This is stupid - its states on e-bay bidding on an item constitues a legal obligation and you have agreed (read) the description before pressing the button. Hence I have stated that the item will be despatched within 3 working days and 2nd class. so a item may take a week to arrive. You have agreed to this once you have bid. I dont understand how you can then knock someone down on comms/despatch. It shouldnt be allowed. Also the wording should read on feedback -
was the item despatched as stated not
did you receive the item quickly -
what a stupid question - if you receive it over a week later then you are bound to say no it wasnt quick! stupid e-bay.

The dispatch irritates me-people don't understand the word! I dispatch as quickly as possible but I quite clearly state it is second class postage so of course it takes several days-however I dispatched as quickly as humanly possible. I haven't got the full 5 stars for postage and yet I post free!!! How can free postage get less than 5 stars for reasonable? I think there are people who just never give 5 on principle.
Ignore them-do it your way.

Mine is low as well, on postage - when we lived in hampshire we ahd loads of stuff delayed/missing, I ended up paying back loads of people (all things sent recorded as well). Sometime I get people who demand to know why their parcel isn't with them the day after tehy won it

I've just had a woman wanting to know where her shirt is, 5 days after auction ended...I'm in Italy, she's in England and our airport was closed because of the ash for 36 hrs during that intervening 5 days....I always put on my insertion that stuff can take between 7 and 10 days in any case, even without bloomin' volcano intervention......My stars are low on dispatch time, even though I state within 3 days and always post within 3 days. I don't know what some people expect really.

Pisces, my Mum posts for free and hasn't got full marks either, which is really unfair, isn't it?

Yes it is a good idea to email people after they have purchased something to thank them for their purchase and then again when the item has been dispatched. This is what the communication rating is for. If I purchase I expect this and will leave a lower communication rating if this is not done. I do this when I sell items as well.

I always have three postage options, first, second and next day. The price goes up for each one, that way I think the customers gave to think about how long they are prepared to wait. Very few have next day or even first!

Just been on the e-bay discussion forum - there are some really nasty pasties on there who are "business sellers" and want us "Private sellers" to adhere to their way - surely e-bay is swomped by business sellers now and if I remember this wasnt why it was set up.

What they are saying is that we should post 1st class asap (even same day). In that case it would add more cost on and not necessarily sell.

I use the 3 day despatch as I have two pre-school children and live in the country. Price of petrol etc I try and post efficently as possible do popping to the PO at the same time as doing chores. Whats wrong with that? Its not always practical to wrap the items up same day either especdially when you are offering reduced postage on combined postage.

I am really shocked by it all. I can see why so many mums are off e-bay if this is the way "private micro sellers" are treated. God I thought my lovely thorough description of items was exceptional against the "in used condition" full stop.

there is actually some very good advice and good explanations of how it all works on your thread on the ebay forum.
Maybe read through it all again? Like I said some good advice

I agree with bacon. I think that ebay wants business sellers and wants private sellers to do it like a business. I am not, I am simply having a clear out. I buy some and sell some, not much of either and I think that is how ebay should operate. I try to buy from people who are doing it in the same sort of way.
I hate all the 'buy it now' -if I wanted to 'buy it now' I wouldn't go to an auction site! I don't do returns-I am not a business (only if something is wrong with it)and I do second class. I do free postage so that I can allow for the correct postage in my price. I email to say that I have posted it so that I can get good marks for communications but I don't really see the need-I have already said that I will post on the next working day.

I have to admit I send everything the same day 1st class and I am a business seller. However, I still get low stars.

In fact as a business seller the star rating affects me greatly. I now have an average of 4.9 on everything and 100% feedback, but 3 people have left 1 or 2 stars in one category so my 20% fees discount is now 5% and will be like this for 12 months. When you have a lot of sales a month this greatly increases the bill and is why I think the stars rating is pants! I really don't see how someone can leave positive feedback, but then only 1 star. I think a service is either good or it isn't!

I think they should forget the stars-I am convinced that some people just never leave 5 stars.

Sorry-I mean they are satisfied or even pleased with the purchase but still don't put 5 stars.

I got one of these emails and was very pissed off. My telling off was about postage. I always posted 2nd class recorded as I figured it was the cheapest most reliable way that covered me and the buyer. I agree that some buyer just don't seem to take in the fact that the described postage will take a certain amount of time and if you agree to pay the postage then don't complain about it afterwards.
Ebay's suggestion was that I should offer free postage. Yes which then means I have to increase the initial asking price, which make more in fees for ebay. What a surprise.
I filled in one of their interminable surveys shortly afterwards and let them know how I felt.

I don't think that they take the least notice of how you feel! Their postage is ridiculous, e.g. they have a £2.70 top rate for books and yet many cost much more to post. I used to keep my starting price down to 99p and charge the correct postage. It is now all too much hassle, especially since when buyers rate on postage they seem to conveniently forget that padded envelopes, or even brown paper and sellotape cost money, and so I send it free and build it into the starting price. It does however irk me that ebay then gets increased fees. Whoever heard of a system where a book costs in excess of £5 to post and yet you can only charge £2.70?-I would be paying them to take my book!!

Yes, I did Freepost just after Christmas and sold about 50% of the items I had. I realised after that its not cost effective as you have to add the postage onto the item hence you are paying more commission. If e-bay go this way then I will not sell at all.

I sometimes (stupidly) underprice the postage - only by a few pence and sill dont have 100% on p&p....I think some people just dont like to give your 5 stars!

Like I've stated before us private small sellers are not here to offer "a business sale". We run a very successful business from home (nothing on e-bay) if someone phones and wants a job done then sometimes they have to wait, they agree to this and wait. No way do they ever say we provide poor service. If they cant wait they go else where. I dont understand why some people dont get it.

If e-bay thinks service is paramount with speed of delivery then they shouldnt offer 2nd class on the pull down menu nor state when the package will bw despated (1-3 days). How many times have we ordered things and agreed that this is how it works and never knocked them down for it.

This is taken from the DSR description:

How satisfied were you with the seller's communication?
Recall if the seller addressed any questions or concerns that you had, and did so in a professional manner.

Consider only business days when evaluating the timeliness of the seller?s communication (sellers might not check email on weekends and holidays).

APPROX 98% of the time there are no questions. Nowhere on here does it mention letting people know its been despatched etc etc.

How quickly did the seller dispatch the item?

Rate the seller on the time it took to mail the item, not the time it took you to receive the item.

Don?t hold sellers responsible for delays in mail services, international custom delays, or for the time it takes for your payment to clear. If the item is for local pick-up you won't be able to specify this rating.

There we are then! 1-3 working days to despatch isnt ridiculous. Also buyers have to take into account weekends (dont think some people understand working days) plus any B/H inbetween.

As far as I am concerned I havent made any errors.

In contrast to I recently bought somthing on ebay and have about 5 messages from the seller, I don't need that level of communication, your level of comunication would have been fine I buy a lot of stuff on ebay I am quite happy to not have an invoice sent to me ( I always pay straight away) and I would only expect an email saying the item had been sent if it had taken more than a couple of days to get to the PO.

I don't think yu've made any errors either, but why don't you ask on their forum? It has been v helpful to me in the past.

Sorry if a bit dim but can you tell me where the template is for sending an email to let the buyer know an item has been dispatched. I always send it in 'messages' but it is a bit of a bind.

email buyer > drop down list, choose dispatch (and edit it if you need to. (you can edit all your templates if you want, which makes it quicker when sending in batches etc)

Sorry, I honestly can't even see email buyer to start off