Sellers are no longer able to leave negative feedback to buyers. This opens up all sellers to increased fraud.

Before, sellers were able to pre-screen buyers based on negative feedback received in the past. Now the only way sellers can screen buyers is by registration country, which is meaningless because it’s easy to change. If sellers can only leave positive feedback, it means having to wade through all of the buyer’s feedback looking for negative comments.

I have to re-neg on my previous post on Ebay vs. Kijiji issue. My best recent sales have been through Kijiji (and I’m also trying out Craig’s list). Much less hassle and no listing or final value fee.

I understand that Ebay has a Dispute process in place, but it takes approximately 2 weeks to complete which is plenty of time for a nice little scamming spree.

Ebay is becoming very unfriendly to sellers: with a complex listing form, increased fees and this new feedback development. Expect many more bidders “from Nigeria”.

In case you think I don’t shop on Ebay, wrong – I’m as much a buyer as I’m a seller on Ebay (probably 50/50), and I don’t mind getting negative feedback if it’s deserved. Pay promptly, don’t be a jerk and most times it all works out okay.

Anyway, recently I’ve been shopping more at online stores instead of Ebay. Perhaps I’m not alone in this and Ebay is trying to invite buyers back, but the feedback issue is not why I personally stopped shopping on Ebay.

• Sellers have raised prices across the board – and I can understand that, with Ebay’s ever-increasing fees, they must do it. Also, shipping charges have gone up significantly and I find that online stores offer better shipping rates (probably due to their wholesale agreements with carriers).
• Another reason is that I receive more and more defective merchandise from Ebay sellers and often can’t return it.

I just convinced myself that Ebay is unfriendly to both buyer and sellers. Ebay is forcing out more or less normal people who no longer find it worthwhile to buy or sell there, with only the dross remaining (explains why I get defective stuff so much more often). There’s just so much wrong with Ebay now.