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eBay hits back at boycotters
Auction company: It's all about making sellers more successful

By Tim Ferguson

Published: Monday 21 April 2008

eBay has hit back at a proposed seller boycott over changes to the site that will mean sellers won't be able to post negative feedback.

From May, eBay is banning sellers from posting negative feedback in order to avoid unjustified comments posted on buyers' profiles unfairly compromising their reputations.

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The company suggested some sellers alter their feedback ratings by threatening to leave negative feedback in retaliation for less than complimentary comments from buyers.

An eBay statement said although the company doesn't want to be dismissive about the "small number of sellers who are unhappy at the rate of change taking place on the site" the changes are designed to make sellers more successful.

But a group of sellers is proposing a boycott of the site on 1 May to show their disapproval of the move.

eBay is also proposing to make it easier for sellers to report bad buyers and remove unfair feedback left for sellers.

The hope is to boost user confidence to leave honest feedback in the knowledge that they won't be unfairly treated in return.

The company said this means sellers with good reputations will stand out even more as bad sellers won't be able to affect their trust rating.