1st off, I have posted here semi-regularly for the past 2 years under a different ID. I created this account solely for this post as my ebay user ID is very similar to my regular posting ID. I stopped posting regularly a while back due to vindictive behavior because someone didn't agree with my point of view. A few bad apples do spoil the barrel...
Anyhow, I've wondered for two years what impact accumulated negative feedback has on sales. So this past free listing day, I experimented.
I used my account and my wife's account and uploaded virtually the same auctions. I uploaded several hundred auctions to each account that were 98% the same items. I had multiples of each item.
My feedback is:
2986 positive
25 neutral (10 past 6 months)
30 negative (10 past 6 months)
My wife's feedback is:
299 positive
0 neutral
1 negative
There is a fair amount of selling activity on both accounts.
End result:
My account - 112 sales for $850+ in sales
my wife - 91 sales for $690.00 in sales
I consider 30 negatives a "fair" amount of neg feedback and a higher percentage than some of you all think is reasonable. To be completely honest, 5 are deserved, about 12 claim non-receipt of goods (DC on most) and the remainder are deadbeats retailating...
I found the "result" interesting. I expected the opposite result - AT BEST, and am pleasantly surprised.
The only conclusion I've drawn from this is that MOST bidders can clearly see the activity in the feedback profile, or, they don't care one WHIT about it.
I had been thinking about opening a new account and will now stay with mine.
posted on January 6, 2003 05:17:33 PM new
Thanks for letting us know your results. It made me feel much better about my 13 negs and 12 neutrals (3700+pos).
posted on January 6, 2003 06:02:49 PM new
Thanks so much, that is very interesting as I just got a new account and planned on posting some new items I have on it to keep them seperate but with over 6000 on my other account and just 36 negs I will stick with the main account and figure a new way to list them.
posted on January 6, 2003 06:20:08 PM new
Yeah, about the only time I ever hear about negative feedback is when some vindictive witch writes to say, "I KNEW I should have looked at your feedback first!!!!! 32 (or whatever) negatives!!! Why does eBay let you get away with cheating people?!?!?"
Oh, and they always use the picket fence punctuation.
posted on January 7, 2003 09:03:57 AM new
Fluffy, I got one of those emails recently. Over slow shipping and email rudeness, though I don't remember exactly. This newbie seller (I sell auction management tools) who's been on eBay three months wrote me a long email about how I was no asset to eBay, I should retire in shame, it's time to move on, etc., etc. LOL! I've been selling on eBay since the days of AuctionWeb.
IMO negative feedback hurts sales a little, but starting over with (0) feedback is much worse. Most buyers are smart enough to look at the whole feedback picture. Although feedback isn't perfect, a 1000+ rating is rock solid in most people's book.
posted on January 8, 2003 09:19:52 AM new
koto1: I had to come up with a name for it. I was noticing that every excess exclamation point or question mark in a sentence was raising my blood pressure one point.
I love the English language (I read Dickens for pleasure) and deplore its abuse.
Sniping works up a thirst"