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Opinions, Is this better for the Members?

What do you guys think about the new Audiogon feedback rating system. At the end of the process and a remedy is not reached will it be possible to leave a negative feedback on a member. Below is the new policy.

"This system is being implemented so that transactions are verified by both parties prior to posting of Feedback. It provides documentation of a given transaction and allows both members to review the feedback involved before any feedback is posted. Consequently, any disagreements arising from such transactions can be mediated from a basis of fact. Furthermore, this system increases the value of Feedback as one criterion by which to judge the standing of fellow members.
The old system allowed any member to post feedback when certain written criteria were met. Now, feedback will not be posted until both members agree that there was a transaction. Also, in the past, if a member did not agree with feedback given, they only had the option to file a dispute to get it removed. Now, they can disagree with the proposed feedback before it is posted."
jea48
Admin
Audiogon Official
The new system was designed to provide more feedback security and strengthen the integrity of the feedback. It allows us to preemptively address problems and protect members where the old system did not.

Please be aware that negative feedback can be posted. When a member disagrees with a negative feedback, it will be posted unless the member has a strong case against it. This allows us to protect members that have unjustified negative feedback posted to their accounts and limits abuse of the feedback system.

In addition, generally, feedback has a maximum 2 day pending period. If a member with pending feedback doesn't respond, the feedback gets posted whether it is positive, neutral, or negative.

Since the new system has gone into place, we have posted about 50% of all the negative feedbacks. With the old system, we had to remove roughly the same percentage as a result of disputes.

We hope this shows that the new system does indeed allow negative feedbacks to be posted even if the member disagrees with it.
goinbroke
105 posts
 
Thanks Audiogon. That post was a lot more specific and clear than the quote that leads off this thread. With the additional information, I'm sure many of us will feel at least a little more comfortable with the new system. Unfortunately (unless I'm missing something), it still doesn't seem to have any way to address buyers or sellers who back out of an agreed upon deal prior to payment being sent. How are we supposed to weed out potential buyers who routinely fail to follow through with payment or sellers who routinely break commitments to sell, presumably because they got a higher offer than the one they already agreed on, if we can't leave feedback until a faulty partial transaction has occurred? Am I missing something?
mgx1138
8 posts
 
Did you ever hear the expression "an armed society is a polite society." Well having a non-refereed system is like arming buyers. Sellers have to try to make buyers happy. The new system weakens the little leverage that buyers have. I'd leave it alone. The old system puts some pressure on sellers to be fair, honest and accountable.
reubent
6,939 posts
 
I liked the old system better. I don't like the delay in the new system. BTW, I had zero issue with the old system. What was wrong with it?

TIC
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
AGon staff I agree with most of your above remarks. There seem to be numerous concerns from members who feel that they should (still) be able to post feedback when in fact no transaction ever occurred; money/property did not exchange hands. Apparently the rules are being ignored, perhaps due to fb policy ignorance? That was the exact problem that I once encountered from a vindictive buyer who repeatedly tried to bully his way with me, and I finally decided to cancel the whole transaction as he kept on trying to alter the inital agreement to his further advantage. So in order to "get even" he would post negative feedback on my account, AGon staff would subsequently delete it, he would repost, on & on until his membership priviledges were called into question should the illegal behavior continue.
Feedback isn't about that; it's about whether honesty & trustworthiness in fact do exist when dealing with any particular seller.
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