Brian Burke

Including Neutral Feedback when calculating Positive Feedback percentage
Some sellers have seen their positive Feedback percentage drop since we introduced the changes. Though we mentioned that we would include neutral Feedback in the Positive Feedback percentage calculation, it seems that most sellers didn't realize this would impact their Feedback percentage.

We know that seeing your positive Feedback percentage drop is hard. But I want to be clear about why we did this. By not including neutral Feedback in our calculation, we were actually doing a disservice to our best sellers. Let me explain with an example.

Say two sellers have equal 1% negative rates.

• Under the old calculation – both sellers would have a 99% Positive Feedback percentage.
• Under the new (current) calculation – we count neutrals. If one seller has a neutral rate of 0.5% (roughly the site average), and the other has a neutral rate of 2%, under today’s calculation, their Feedback percentages are 98.5% and 97%, respectively. By including the neutral Feedback we are advantaging a seller who is providing a better overall customer experience (the one who now has a 98.5%), which is the right thing to do to create great buying experiences on eBay.

When looking at your percentage, I encourage you not to focus on the drop in your Feedback percentage as a raw number, but rather to think of it in context with other sellers' percentages on eBay.

Feedback Percentage Calculation
We've also received questions around how we now calculate the Positive Feedback percentage.

It's based on Feedback left for your transactions that ended in the past 52 weeks, including Feedback that qualifies for the repeat credit.

On your Feedback Profile page (found by clicking on your Feedback score), the "How is Feedback Percentage calculated?" link gives a numerical explanation. Here are the details in a nutshell:

• The percentage is based on the last 12 months of transactions
• The total number of positive Feedbacks for the period is divided by the total number of Feedbacks (including positive, negative and neutral). This includes repeat Feedback from members that have left Feedback for transactions that ended in different weeks.

Multiple Feedbacks left by the same member for transactions that occurred within the same week is not included in the calculation. For example, if a buyer purchased two items from you today and left you two positive Feedbacks seven days from now, only one Feedback is counted towards your Feedback score and Feedback percentage. This is to prevent Feedback manipulation.

Impact on PowerSeller Status
With the changes, some sellers may find that their overall Feedback percentage has fallen below the 98% threshold to maintain PowerSeller status. To help those who have fallen below the minimum 98% threshold get back above 98%, we will provide a 60-day grace period in which these accounts will retain PowerSeller status. After the 60-day period (ending on July 20), any PowerSeller who no longer meets the 98% threshold will no longer be eligible for PowerSeller status and benefits.

Other changes to your Feedback Percentage
Some sellers may notice a discrepancy between their Feedback percentage on the item page and on their Feedback Profile page – this is a temporary condition as we complete the system changes, and this information will be in sync again within a few days.

One last note: we have not yet removed negative and neutral Feedback left by members who are currently suspended. We'll begin doing so in late May, and it will take us a few weeks to complete. So, if you have negative or neutral Feedback from a suspended member, it should be removed by early June, at which point it will no longer affect your Feedback score and percentage.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. You can also read my interview with our eBay Ink blog that addresses several other member questions as well. And if you haven't already done so, please read our information page and updated FAQ for more details.

Sincerely,

Brian Burke
Director, Global Feedback Policy