Public beta
RepXchange FAQ
Why was RepXchange created?
The founders of this site used to run a small eBay business but found it increasingly difficult to make money as a few misbehaving buyers ruined the profit created from selling to good buyers. When eBay announced they would no longer allow sellers to leave negative feedback on buyers, like many other sellers, we were outraged and disappointed. The peer-to-peer feedback model was what made eBay a different place to sell, but without this transparency and network of trust, much of the attractiveness of eBay disappeared.
So we created this site to give sellers another way to protect themselves against undesirable bidders, and make eBay a place where sellers can still make a profit.
How does RepXchange protect sellers?
eBay has a nice feature that’s called a blocked bidders list. This is a list of user IDs that a seller maintains on bidders they don’t want to do business with. Usually these are bidders with whom the seller has had a bad experience in the past.
However, these bidders aren’t likely to return to the seller, so the preventative value of this list is limited.
RepXchange allows sellers to generate and download a list of bidders who have slighted other bidders in the past and add these IDs into their own blocked bidders list. By doing so, sellers proactively protect themselves against bidders who are likely to cause them loss of time, money and reputation.
How does it work?
The model is simple. Sellers upload their list of blocked bidders to this site. We will pool all these reports and allow other sellers to filter and download user IDs from this pool. The filters allow sellers to download only the blocked bidders that match their preferences. These filters are key to our service. For example, a bidder who’s blacklisted by several sellers because she’s got a tendency of returning handmade knitwear, might never have been blacklisted by someone who sells electronics. Thus sellers of electronics, for example, can filter and download a list of blocked bidders generated from reports other electronics sellers only. There are many granular variables that allow sellers to create their own unique and download their customized blocked bidders list.
What is a Blocked Bidder?
A blocked bidder is an eBay member whose ID you have put on your blocked bidder list to prevent them from bidding on your auctions. For more information, here is a direct link to eBay: Managing Bidders and Buyers (Block Buyers or Cancel Bids)
How many blocked bidders can I download?
As many as you want, although eBay allows a maximum of 5,000 user IDs on your blocked bidders list. However, the goal of this site is not to provide you with as many blocked bidders as possible, but rather, as few as possible out of a large pool of blocked bidders. To this end we have put some advanced filtering in place that will allow you to restrict your list to bidders who meet certain criteria. After all, you don’t want to turn away potentially profitable business!
How do I add new blocked bidders to my list?
Once you are logged into your RepXchange.com account, you will be taken to the Account Center. In the box titled “Your Blocked Bidders”, click on the button that reads “Add New Blocked Bidders”. You will then have the option of adding blocked bidders in a group or one-by-one with details of the transaction. The latter is more time consuming, but rewards you with much more credits!
What is the difference between reporting blocked bidders one-by-one vs. providing a list?
If you provide a list of blocked bidders (which we know is the easy option) you will get 25 credits per entered name. However, if you take the time to enter blocked bidders one-by-one with the details of the transaction, then you will receive 250 credits per entered name for your efforts.
Where is my Blocked Bidder list on eBay?
There are 2 ways to get to your blocked bidder list when you are logged into eBay (this is important – make sure you are logged in!). First, you can use this link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html#blocking or you can follow these steps from your account on eBay:
1) Go to your account Summary page
2) Scroll down the page until you see “Account” on the left hand side
4) Under Selling Preferences, scroll down to Buyer Requirements and click on Show and then Edit
5) Click on the link (in the text at the top) Buyer Requirements Exemption List
6) Under Blocked Bidder/Buyer List, click on Add an eBay member to my Blocked Bidder/Buyer List
As you see, eBay does not make it easy to find this list!
What’s the purpose of the credit system? How do I earn credits?
The credit system is like virtual money where you get a bunch of credits for each blocked bidder you report, while it only cost you one credit for each blocked bidder you download. We think this ‘give a little, get a lot’ model is a fair system as it rewards ‘good citizens’ who are agile in reporting new blocked bidders and make it hard to just be a leech of the system.
However, there are various ways to earn credits beyond submitting new blocked bidders. Here are some ways to ramp up your credits:
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Get up to 250 credits for every one blocked bidder ID you submit
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Get 2500 credits by referring another seller to this service
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Get 25 credits for every No longer Registered User (NRU) you report
- Get 5,000 credits by writing about RepXchange on a blog or messageboard - and then sending us the link to the post
How do I check if a seller has reported a particular eBay member?
You can check one of two ways: 1) from the home page enter the eBay ID of the member you are looking for in the “Check if a particular member has been reported” box and click Search or 2) log into your account and from the Account Center & enter the eBay ID in the same titled box and click Search. As a registered user of RepXchange, you have additional management & usage options at your disposal.
How do I sign up as a Seller?
Go to RepXchange.com and from the home page, click on the box that says “New Users Sign Up Here”.
Once signed up, you will receive a confirmation email and then you are on your way to enjoying full usage & access to the RepXchange.com site features!
Why do you ask for my eBay email and username?
We need this information for two reasons. First, we need to ensure the integrity of the data submitted. For instance, we may need to verify a blocked bidder submission against a member's eBay transaction record. Secondly, it's to protect our service against libel – e.g. individuals posting bogus information about other members under a fake ID. Also note that we do not ask for anybody's eBay password, so our member's eBay accounts remain private.
How can I trust that the information on RepXchange is accurate?
We have no patience or mercy for sellers who post inaccurate or false data. For example, if a seller submits a user ID as a blocked bidder, but the public record on eBay shows that no transaction has taken between the two parties, we will automatically remove the blocked bidder ID from our database and suspend the seller indefinitely. We reserve the right to compile and publish a list, available to both bidders and sellers, of such violating sellers.
How do I contact someone if I need more help or have a question about my account?
If you cannot find your answer in these FAQs, then go to the "About Us” link at the bottom of the RepXchange site; this will take you to an email link. Please explain the question, assistance you need or issue you may be experiencing. Please provide your account login ID and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Typically, answers are provided within a couple hours; technical assistance may require more time.
How do you use my information when I register?
First, we want to assure you that your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. We DO NOT resell or disperse any private information to 3rd parties without your consent, unless required by law. Please see our Privacy Policy for more specific details.
Does RepXchange protect bidders on eBay as well?
We will as a next step offer a service that protects bidders as well, but we want to make sure we have a solid service for sellers first.
Will RepXchange be available for sellers on other auction sites?
Yes – we’re already working on plans for extending this service to other ecommerce platforms and auction sites as well.
Is RepXchange free to use?
Yes, as long as you are a seller on eBay with better than a 98% feedback rating, you are eligible to join and use this site for free.
How does RepXhange make money?
Right now, we’re not making any money. We are just focused on meeting the immediate needs of eBay sellers, and hope that the site will get enough traction to cover our development, support and technology costs via affiliate sales, advertising or some sort of nominal subscription.
The service as it stands today will remain free. That said, on members' request (a pleasant surprise!), you may support this project with a donation. We do not expect or require our members to pay for this service, but your support is appreciated. We'll grant 100 credits for each dollar you donate.
How do I provide suggestions or new feature ideas?
At the bottom of the RepXchange site, there is a navigation bar. Select "About Us”; this will take you to an email link where you can tell us your thoughts & desires (our only request is that you keep them pertinent to the RepXchange site…we are powerless in any other area!)