eBay Sellers can no longer hide behind Private Feedback

It was just announced that eBay will implement a new policy preventing active sellers from having their feedback set to private. This policy will go into effect later this month. Buyers can still have their feedback private but if they want to sell an item, they must switch it back to public.

This is a very good thing for reputable sellers and all eBay buyers alike. The eBay community was built on trust and this policy will help build that even more. I just surprised it took them this long to implement it!

Why would a user make their feedback private? Some sellers would switch their feedback to private if they had a very negative comment from a buyer. They might even switch it back to public after the feedback was buried several pages deep. This will no longer be an option.

Feedback is the critical factor in determining the reputation of a seller and buyer. Even if a seller gets a negative rating they do have the opportunity to respond to their rating within the feedback system. As a Trading Assistant / eBay Seller, the key is to always act professional and leave appropriate, factual comments. Personal attacks or retaliatory feedback always results in lowering your image and creates distrust.