Online marketplace eBay is launching a new feature that aims to bolster seller trust following positive transactions.
Announced during the eBay OPEN25 seller event earlier this week, a new Automated Feedback feature will be used for sellers in the United States starting in September.
According to eBay, Automated Feedback will be left by the company for deserving sellers on eligible transactions when buyers skip the option.
“Great transactions deserve recognition, and more feedback means more trust from future buyers, as well as greater visibility into seller excellence — but today, only about one in three buyers chooses to leave feedback,” eBay wrote in an announcement for the feature.
“Beginning in September, when a seller in the U.S. uses a tracked service, delivers on time, and no issues are reported, eBay will automatically leave positive feedback for the seller if the buyer hasn’t already done so.”
Feedback has become a critical part of buying and selling on eBay, with users typically associating the ratings with the quality of each member on the platform. Feedback profiles for each member can display the total number of ratings received, the overall positive feedback percentage and recent reviews from other members.
Sellers will sometimes fear low-feedback buyers will request bid cancellations or refuse to pay for items after winning. Buyers can also be skeptical of low-feedback sellers, worrying those accounts might cancel winning bids.
Other features announced on the first day of eBay OPEN25 include AI-assisted messaging, the ability to negotiate offers when messaging and a new Inventory Mapping API.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.