eBay Has Started Its Top Rated Seller Program.

eBay has now started its so-called Top Rated Seller program.  How sweet is that?  Ever since eBay got joined at the hip with the morons that brought us DSR's or for those that don't know, Detailed Seller Reports, here is just another eBay mess based on those horrible DSR's.  I would imagine that the brain trust at eBay who are in a desperate battle to keep their jobs simply had to create something of value based on the unfair practice of DSR's.

Not only does eBay have their Power Seller program which is based totally on sales volumn but now here comes just another thing to take up screen space and auction space.  The large seal that is shown is displayed inside of a seller's auction or listing.  A much smaller version is seen when potential buyers are surfing eBay listings.

So does the new Top Seller program actually do anything at all?  We asked around and found out that most buyers pay no attention to these cute little impressive seals.  Buyers are searching for specific items of interest such as a certain year of a Morgan silver dollar.  When they find what they have been looking for it makes no difference to the buyer if the seller is "Top Rated" or not.  What the buyer wants is his item.  He is not buying from someone just for the honor of saying later that he bought his coin from an eBay Top Rated seller.  Buying from a Top Rated seller adds NO VALUE to the item purchased.

The other problem with the Top Rated seller program is the fact that it is based directly on the Detailed Seller Ratings.  Sellers have known from the very beginning of this flawed program and that it is totally unreliable at best.  A seller can do everything by-the-book and still get a low rating.  The reason is just simple human behavior.  Many buyers are very critical people and nothing a seller does will please them.  You could give them the moon-with-a-fence around it and they would still give a seller low marks which results a lowered eBay rating.  There are buyers that don't believe anyone deserves all high marks.  They believe everyone can still be better and that there is always room for improvment.  It's the buyers chance in life to be like a teacher grading some term paper.

A perfect example of this are those sellers that even get marked down on the price of shipping when all of their items come with FREE shipping.  Try and explain that one oh great and wonderful brains at eBay.

I think it is time that eBay does some real soul searching and goes back to the basics that made eBay what it once was.  None of these cute little eBay programs does anything for their bottom line.  Rather it hurts them and sellers alike.  Sellers are leaving eBay in record numbers due to eBay's constant changing of policies and rules and regulations.

eBay is a sinking ship and yet nobody at eBay seems to understand this.  Why you ask?  Because nobody who works for eBay has any experience being a seller and they can't relate to the hell eBay puts its sellers through.