eBay is set to enact their new lopsided feedback system on Feb 20th and a group of eBay sellers are set to strike starting Feb 19th. The sellers’ proposed strike is set to last until Feb 25th. eBay is also introducing a new fee structure along with the feedback system changes.

eBay will reduce the upfront fees from $0.20 to $0.15, but will increase the commission that the company takes after an auction successfully closes. eBay claims that with the new fee structure, 60 percent of sellers will see a net savings. But the sellers aren’t buying it. AuctionBytes.com editor Ina Steiner said, “Net-ne, sellers are not impressed with this at all. No one is saying ‘this is going to help me sell more.’” eBay’s response: “We have a passionate community. If we weren’t hearing from them on this, we would be worried.”

The new feedback system may leave sellers open to negligent bidders and scammers. The new feedback system will not allow sellers to leave negative comments about their buyers. “You get bad buyers as often as you get bad sellers,” said M. Owens, a Severn, Md.-based seller of high-end dolls that typical go for several hundred dollars each. With high value transaction, a buyer that disputes the transaction after they’ve received their merchandise can be financially devastating. eBay’s new plan give sellers only one course of action: file a complaint with eBay, and if eBay finds the buyer guilty then their account will be removed. This doesn’t put money back in to the seller’s pocket though.

If eBay sellers decide to leave en masse, this change may prove to be very profitable to another auction house.

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