change in feedback

LegoWeLove

Hi so 1 year ago I saw an offer that I could carry my feedback over from other platforms to brickowl- I have over 2500 + feedback on ebay where I originally sold my lego - this was originally added to my account as it represents my reliability as a seller of Lego - then after a very short time brickowl changed it to just 1000 - which I didnt like but accepted- Now it was been completely removed and Im down to just 130 - this will effect my business and I am not happy - I have asked for proof that thois boost was for just 1 year and none has been provided. I realise that other sellers wont like that I had this boost but it did represent many years of selling lego on Ebay without any negative feedback and so was a fair representation of my business. I have contacted brickowl who have provided me with no proof that it said it was for a year and I do not recall reading this at the time. Sales have already dropped and this is my only income now and I have stopped selling Lego on Ebay alltogether now having moved over to brickowl and bricklink. Has anyone else had similar issues - i am looking at contacting the regulatory body to make a formal complaint as no proof has been provided showing that this offer was for just 1 year - I would have continued to sell on ebay had I known but have now uploaded so much stock on here that this is no longer an option

Emporiosa

It's only for a year - it has always stated that. I have been registered longer than you and when I had boosted feedback, it clearly stated 1 year. There is 0 harm to your reputation from starting over on this platform. The fact that we're offered a boosted feedback for some time is already more than most other sites will offer.

Threatening to go to a "regulatory body" about this is just nonsense. Your sales are not dropping because your feedback lowered. It is just a slower time, and you're in the UK where Brexit is having a much larger impact. Continue to offer excellent service and people will return. Your buyers have been leaving great feedback, so continue with what you are doing and you will continue to get sales.

Bricks_nw_uk

Everyones sales are currently taking a hit, particularly in the UK. Bear in mind we are leaving the winter period which is usually prime time for afols. By the time March comes around buyers are usually eyeing other jobs in the garden etc.

I think the intro offer by Brick Owl on is very fair and allows you to get established on here, However you wouldn't get this concession on eBay, Bricklink or any other online platform. After 12 months you should be good to go with what feedback you have accrued on here and this is a far better metric of you selling through this platform.

I have substantial feedback on other platforms but chose to start from scratch, but that was my choice.

Personally, taking the action you mention is your choice, but certainly is not one I would take.

Vosblokjes

As far as I recall the boost was always for just 1 year and since April 2020 for max 1000.
Both confirmed searching the forum.
You state that your sales are dropping, but looking at your feedback there is no drop visible. And don't forget that annual sales aren't evenly spread over 365 (or 366) days, there will always be days that no orders get in.
Your feedback is positive, and I don't think there are many buyers that care if you have 130 or 3500 positive. I really don't think it is hurting your business.

What maybe hurting you is a small inventory, only 12.371 items, that's not enough to have a steady order flow in the whole year (heck, I have almost 300.000 items and not a steady order flow looking at it day by day (or by week).

And you handling/combined order fee for more than 10 items could be holding buyers back from ordering from you.

And as for proof, there does not need to be proof, it is something that is kindly provided as an option, not something that you agreed upon starting your store, you only found out about it after starting a store, because only then you could find the option, not before that.
Do you have proof that it would last forever?
And save your energy, don't go to 'the regulatory body' if your business here fully relies on feedback that you accumulated on another selling platform to do business here, you have a poorly planned business. Use that energy to get more inventory, loose some weird terms and do your best at fulfilling orders.

Oh, and looking at your BL store, you also don't have a continuous sales (or at least feedback) there as well and you don't have your ebay feedback either.

Hoddie

What regulatory body? You're 'avin a larf!

Mrs Swoop

That paragraph on your storepage that Baskrie mentioned, the one about the handling/combined order fee, I actually don't understand what that means, and I don't know how you would apply a fee for an order you didn't like but I agree that it would put me off buying from you.

Captain.M

Don't even know where to start with this, but at least the others before me have already clearly & politely pointed out the flaws with your assertion that BrickOwl owes you...anything.

Take it from me and from any other seller here that takes the time to correct you, the feedback boost was only temporary for a year. Consider yourself lucky to receive such a benefit in the first place, very few platforms offer such a thing.

This post would be hilarious if it didn't come across as ungrateful.

Calibrick

They VERY generous boost for one single year has always been the policy at BO - I benefited from it myself back in 2018, its purpose being to give a new seller to this platform the opportunity to leverage feedback from other services until they can generate their own local feedback over the next year.

It's a privilege given to Brickowlers... I've certainly never seen another service offer something of this nature.

Captain.M basically took the words out of my mouth... on a practical note, as BasKrie mentioned, it's just that time of year (sales slowdown).

Papa Pearson

Take it from a store that has only 7 Positive Feedbacks (0 negative) on 30+ orders since joining BO at the beginning of Feb...that number only means something if you have negatives. I seriously doubt someone doesn't buy from you because you only have 130+ positives. I would say its the extra fees and a smaller inventory the others have mentioned. And you will always have way more orders than people that leave feedback. I read somewhere that only 40-50% of buyers leave feedback. Maybe even lower.

tons_of_bricks

The feedback boost has always been for only a year. Be thankful you got one here, because BL won't give you one.

TechnicMadMike

Brickowl gives you a service you don't get anywhere else, but its really up to the sellers to make their stores get orders. 130 positive feedback is better than 0. The Only feedback to worry about is negative!!! Trust me I learnt that lesson the hard way

WESTIEKaTH

Have to agree with all the other replies. Def 1000 for a year - no doubt.
Brick Owl is the best by far and I feel that it is very fair to offer us the feedback at all let alone a year!!
We are all taking a hit on our orders lately - after Christmas/Covid/unemployment etc just be grateful for the orders you receive - I certainly am!!

Wookie2

As a buyer who has actually looked at buying from you, adding a £1.00 fee to postage for more than 10 items put me straight off (and it appears that the more you buy the more you're penalised - by up to £10 extra). Your terms are very similar to those seen at some stores on Bricklink which I avoid too as it makes buying from them too complicated and overall very costly. I've always preferred BrickOwl in many ways as everything here is generally much more transparent.

If you don't want people buying all of your cheaper parts then raise the part price rather than appearing competitive yet at the same time denying yourself business. If someone only wants less than 10 items then I guess you're fine as your costs are reasonable but any more and I'm sure many will empty their baskets just like I did.

Lawrence

I can confirm we don’t allow fees like that and have informed the store of this. We will ensure that is removed.

LegoWeLove

thanks everyone - The limit on number of items per postage was simply to deter huge orders that for a business as small as mine are really not profitable. I have removed it - I would have preferred a handling fee option on larger orders but can only see the option for combined orders and I dont want a combined fee on orders unless they are over a certain size to cover the additional time to find them. Its for those 100 + item orders not the smaller ones. The boost was great and I did appreciate it - its why I started selling on here and left ebay ! now that it has been confirmed by everyone that it is just 1 yr, though I dont really understand why it has to be removed for anyone , I have let the matter go- I do feel it will effect my sales, and as my only job right now that is very worrying, but if you guys who have more experience than me say that it wont I will wait and see.

alexwilcox

Struggling to get my head around 'deter huge orders'???

Why would you not want huge orders? surely the bigger the order the more profitable they would be?

I'm also curious as to who this regulatory body is you refer to?

Hoddie

Some stores do prefer small orders because of limited time, and a large order can take several days to deal with. @LegoWeLove - consider using the lot limit feature to manage the type of orders you get.

Mrs Swoop

@LegoWeLove from what you've said I wonder if you've misunderstood the Order Combining Fee. If a customer places more than one order with your store they may be able to combine the orders, in which case the Order Combining Fee would be charged instead of a second shipping charge to cover things like the Paypal fixed fee and any extra handling.