"NEW" Delcampe Feedback System

Delcampe's feedback system was updated in May 2023, shifting its focus to transactions from the last 12 months rather than considering the entire history of transactions over the years.

I couldn't find any discussions on the Delcampe Forum about the changes mentioned in the blog post here.
Link (https)

Was this not a significant topic for the community? Or was it communicated too briefly, with just this single blog entry? Perhaps the members either agreed with the change or didn’t pay much attention to it.

For me, this change has become quite relevant, so I’ve looked deeper into how the feedback system works.

I’ve been a member for 10 years with 228 positive feedbacks and recently received 1 negative, totaling 229 feedbacks. Under the old system, my rating would have been 99.56%, even after the recent negative feedback from a rookie with just 6 ratings. However, under the new system, my rating has dropped to 92%, as only transactions from the past 12 months are now counted. In the last year, I’ve only had 12 transactions (which may be impacted by the new Delcampe fees, as seems to be the case for many members).

While the updated feedback system has its merits, it also has downsides:

Advantages:
Focus on Recent Performance: It reflects the current quality of service, highlighting recent improvements or declines.

Opportunity for Change: Sellers who had issues years ago but have since improved can show their current reliability without being permanently penalized.

Relevance: Buyers often care more about recent performance, so this approach provides relevant data.

Disadvantages:
Undervaluing Long-Term Reliability: Sellers with a long history of high standards might feel that their past efforts are undervalued.

Potential for Volatility: A few recent negative reviews can heavily impact a rating, even if the seller has a long history of positive feedback.

Increased Pressure: It may create constant pressure on sellers to maintain a perfect record, ignoring the occasional unavoidable issue.

Ultimately, the fairness of this system depends on the platform’s goals. If the focus is on current performance, the system seems fair. But if long-term reliability is also important, it may be seen as unfair to some members.

Personally, I’m frustrated that a new member can tarnish the reputation of a long-standing member and will definitely open a dispute after the "grace period" of 7 days.

What do you think?

P.S. In my case, the buyer canceled a private deal unrelated to Delcampe, and I informed him that I didn’t want to do business with unreliable people. Weeks later, he bought something from me on Delcampe, and I canceled the sale. How could I have known he was on Delcampe? I left a neutral feedback without a rating, but he gave me a 0% feedback.