Feedback (specifying eBay but applicable to other marketplaces, too) should be published by default as positive unless a buyer/seller either opts out of leaving feedback or specifies negative feedback (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Intro for those unfamiliar with what I'm talking about (Click here)

When you buy something on an online marketplace, you're usually asked a few days after delivery to leave feedback on the item/seller/experience if you haven't done so already. Buyers obviously have 3 choices when this happens: A/B) follow the prompt and write positive/negative feedback which is sometimes published as a review on the item/seller's page, or C) ignore the prompt, in which case no feedback is posted on the page. I don't believe "C" should be allowed.

Online marketplaces (like eBay) should mark all "ungiven" feedback as positive unless the buyer specifically opts-out of giving feedback (which must be selected on each order) or, obviously, leaves negative feedback. The current system punishes good sellers just for selling their items to buyers who can't be bothered to click through two forms on an email.

People are very quick to leave feedback when something goes wrong but rarely go out of their way to write a review when the order is fulfilled just as expected, this artificially inflates negative feedback. The feedback system I'm suggesting would counter this effect.

An order where nothing goes wrong is a "good" order! If an item you ordered arrives exactly as you expected, when you expected, etc., then the seller should receive positive feedback on their end, yet people rarely do so because they consider that the bare minimum. Counterpoint: Maybe so, but what's the "above and beyond" in that situation? The reality is that marketplaces require sellers to have positive ratings in order to succeed.

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[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I've used eBay since '98 or '99 and the feedback process hasn't changed at all since then. It's gotten a fancier-looking UI but the mechanics of it are exactly the same as it's always been. I think the only difference between then and now is the text used to be limited to 50 characters and it's 500 now.

this post was submitted on 28 May 2025

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