Ebay and 100% Feedback...

I will not buy on EBay unless I know the seller, and I have wondered what that 100% really means.

@ed-davis  It used to mean all you had was positive feedback.  I guess that went the way of the Model-T.

Posted by: @gdh

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Am I a virgin in the woods re this issue?

Hmm...    I've bought & sold on eBay  for over 25 years; I don't recall ever seeing feedback discrepancies like you describe. 

@chris  I will read all feedback before bidding from now on, instead of trusting the feedback %.  I regret not making a note of the seller's moniker, so I could show proof of what I found.  Dinner called at an inauspicious moment.

Dont they reset feedback after a period?

I'm so sick of the U.S ebay, their global shipping is a disaster, items handled 30-40 times over up to 15 depots, causing multiple damage opportunities including sending to Australia via Japan. And lucky if items arrive under a month. Few weeks back seller listed 2 models where I was able to buy the long sought after DM Cadillac 1932 blue LE MIB for $122, a bargain compared to what it can go for. Seller posts via global shipping where they put wrong labels on each model. I get an unwanted 1/18 Model A pickup, other buyer gets my DM LE. Our only options are to return each model, meaning I have to make a 90 minute round trip to their only return label carrier. 

Then there is the, and Australias ebay is even worse than the U.S here, where with no listing fees now, most so called sellers list their models at excessive buy it now or opening bid prices. If u have a minute look up Danbury Mint 1/24, ending soonest, on the U.S ebay now to see what i mean. There are only 6 models with bids out of the first 60 listings. 

Sorry to rant, but I cant help to take every opportunity to do so whenever an ebay discussion comes up.

I generally read their feedback before any purchases. If I see anything out of sorts, I move on.😊

@geoff-jowett Yes, eBay International Shipping is painfully slow.  As a seller I have only had one issue with it and that was many years ago.  I have a feeling I've just been lucky.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Jerusalem, the Old City has an extensive bazaar with four distinct quarters. Each quarter has its own personality, but all of them have over-eager vendors lining the aisles, trying to convince you to come into their kiosk. The first time I went, I didn't realize until after that I had paid a lot more for some items than I should have. The second time, I went with a friend who lives there. As we entered, he stopped, looked me in the eye, and said, "These booths are designed to get you to spend your money. Check everything before you pull out your money. Check the price, check the vendor, and don't buy anything if you feel the least bit uncomfortable. Just move on."

It's a good philosophy when shopping on eBay.  

What eBay has to say about this issue...

• Rounding: If a high-volume seller has thousands of positive reviews and only one or two negatives, the actual percentage might be 99.96% or higher. eBay rounds this figure up to 100%.
• 12-Month Rule: The percentage displayed at the top of a profile only factors in feedback from the last 365 days. If a negative rating is older than one year, it remains visible on the page but no longer reduces the top-level percentage.
• Negatives Rolling Off: A seller may have recently received a negative, but the total number of positive feedback over the last year is so high that the percentage remains effectively 100% until the negative "rolls off" after 12 months.
• Removed/Neutral Feedback: Sometimes the negative comment is removed by eBay (if it violates policy), but the rating itself remains, or the seller has received neutral feedback, which does not count against the 100% calculation. 

@lloyd-mecca I never knew eBay  did this, interesting.....  🤔 🤔 🤔 

What I do know, however, is that the Better Business Bureau (The BBB ) calculates establishment ratings in the same matter.   That is, BAD ratings fall off after so many months, rendering ANY good rating ABSOLUTELY useless.   

Practically NO ONE is aware of this, yet, everyone puts their faith in a good BBB rating  when, in reality, ANY accredited BBB business  MEANS NOTHING!   

LSS: I sued a contractor and won; he had stolen/swindled others too.    Subsequently, for a time, his BBB rating  was terrible.   But two years later, his rating was restored to almost perfect despite him being arrested, charged, and settling disputes in and out of court.

I tried suing The BBB  too but was told to save my money; "that's their policy, there's really nothing that can be done."    

I know this will probably go against the grain, but a seller who had a few problems a long time ago, but has had none in the last year, and has been actively selling for that year, may have reformed. 

@chris 

Yep, they are useless. When friends/associates mention they are going to check with them I always tell them not to bother.

@jkuvakas 

I agree. You just need to look at the whole picture before you spend your $$$.

@chris 

BTW, if that contractor has been to court, another way to get them is to pay for the public record and publish it. Can't argue with the truth.