positive hostage

cool. it seems a small thing, but it always bothered me how ebay evolved from a place where the power was on the buyer to rate the exchange more than the seller. over time i noticed this phrase pop up a lot: “once you leave me positive feedback, my system automatically does the same for you” and i thought that was some real bullshit. so, what…the onus falls on the buyer, and if s/he doesnt leave the feedback the seller likes, s/he gets whacked? i used to fume. thinking “When the hell did this become okay?”

well, it seems ebay finally wised up.

eBay’s Feedback system continues to evolve as the community and marketplace dynamics change. 

The eBay Feedback system was originally designed to provide a simple, honest, accurate record of the buyer’s and seller’s online experience to ensure safe and satisfactory trade. It was driven by the belief that through a transparent reputation system, members could hold each other accountable. Over time, we found that the transparency of the Feedback system made some buyers reluctant to hold sellers accountable. For example, buyers fear retaliatory Feedback from sellers if they leave a negative. …

Sellers can no longer leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers.

Buyers should leave honest Feedback without the fear of receiving negative or neutral ratings.