Ebay's new Seller Defect Rating taking a toll on me

DoNotInsertIntoMouth · 2014-07-09T03:27:13.000Z

So if anyone has listened (I don't blame you if you don't), you might know I have mentioned I have quite a big problem with USPS now and in my past en devours with the company. Well them and Ebay are finally getting together to really take it to me with this defect rating. So I sort of need some advice from people. The major issue: When the new defect rating goes into effect, if I lose top rated status for the first time, will I get the time to get back within the stated areas like I would if I normally lost it? Since the rating came out, I have been hovering just over 1%. I certainly make a mistake every once in a while - get packages switched, etc - but maybe 1 every two months or so. I average 1-2 cases a month for items not received which are always either lost or delayed through USPS (in Birmingham which seems to be run by morons). Unfortunately I have hit some back luck the last 3 weeks of pretty bad proportions. I currently have 10 defects (putting me just over 2% line) - 3 Items not described cases: 1 for USPS destroying an item, 2 are my fault (switched packages) - 6 Item not received cases: 4 cases item was lost in shipping and I gave the customer a new item AND a freebie for the trouble. One was lost for about 5 days then delivered. The other was the buyers fault as their address was wrong and it was returned - they opened a case anyway. - 1 low detailed rating: It was a minifigure and he left glowing positive feedback so I am not sure why he gave me a low rating. The main problem with Ebay's approach - Sellers open cases without ever messaging someone first. If they changed this to where a user could only open a case if they sent a message to a seller (seller has 2 days or something to respond), people wouldn't get penalized for this stuff. I have never had a buyer that was really dissatisfied after talking to me. If there was a way to retract cases, I guarantee 99% of my buyers would have done it. Its just silly. So right now: - Will I be penalized at the beginning of August (the newest ones wont go off before then in the 3 month period)? - Anyone have some good ideas about what I should do? I am going to try to give Ebay some feedback on this, but i doubt that matters. I have loaded up on cheaper, easier to ship, new stuff and am going to have a firesale on that to get my transactions up - but I have the same problem with USPS. If they lose my packages, Im finished. Though it wouldn't kill my store to lose top rated, I would currently lose over 100$ a month before factoring in lost sales for less promotion in Ebay's search function. I will most likely end my Parting out and Ebay business at that point and move to Amazon which I have been considering anyway since Ebay obviously doesn't give a crap about their buyers. Sorry to rant - I am actually pretty calm - just want to explain and see if people on this site may have some good ideas, advice, etc. for this. I would be able to deal with it so much easier if I just felt like it was in my control...