- eBay join date. Near the top of every feedback profile, just below the eBay member ID, you’ll see the phrase “Member since,” followed by a date. This is the date on which the member in question first joined eBay. Give preference to traders who have been eBay members for a very long time—it indicates that they follow the rules and keep their trading partners happy over time, and are committed to maintaining their eBay membership in good standing.
- Individual transaction comments. Every feedback rating, whether positive, negative, or neutral, is accompanied by a comment. Most positive comments are fairly uninformative but negative comments can tell you a lot about the types of problems you’re likely to encounter with this trader. For example, repeated “Did not pay after winning!” negatives indicate that a buyer may be hesitant to pay for auctions that he or she has won, while repeated “Took four weeks for item to arrive!” negatives indicate that you may have a long wait ahead of you if you buy an item from a given seller.
- Responses to negatives. If the member has received negative feedback ratings, check the negative comments to see if the member in question has responded to them. Often this response can tell you a lot. A seller who responds with “I’m sorry you were dissatisfied—please contact me!” is likely to be much easier to work with in case of problems than a seller who responds to a negative with “This jerk gave me a frickin’ negative! What an idiot!”
The Big Picture
The feedback system is complicated and nuanced, and a large feedback profile can be a lot to take in. In the end, here’s how you should go about putting it all together, in order.- Look at the feedback percentage first. If the feedback percentage is too low, rule out the trading partner immediately—there’s no point looking any further.
- Look at the feedback score next. If the feedback percentage is high but the score is low, ask yourself whether you really want to deal with an inexperienced partner. If the feedback percentage is marginal but the score is low, rule them out—no sense making trouble for yourself.
- Consider join date and reasons for negatives. If the feedback percentage and score leave you on the fence, consider the less concrete factors like join date and the reasons for negatives to see if you’re comfortable trading with this person.
- Consider responses to negatives and any other factors. If you find all else to be ambiguous, consider anything else you see in the feedback profile—like the responses to negatives, feedback left for others, frequency of trades, and so on—to help you make your final decision.
In the final analysis, follow your instincts when deciding whether to trade with someone or not. Don’t talk yourself into trading with someone you really don’t feel comfortable with simply because the price is right—that’s now more negatives get made.
