Ruby Lane is switching ratings providers, EcommerceBytes learned, and spokesperson Palmer Pekarek confirmed that the marketplace for antiques and vintage goods will be using TrustPilot instead of ResellerRatings for merchant reviews.
The reason for the switch – TrustPilot allows buyers to rate more than one shop per transaction and allows them to rate the entire experience, Pekarek said. The goal is to increase overall satisfaction and increase repeat traffic.
The ratings are displayed in Ruby Lane shops as an average. In cases where a buyer leaves a review of less than 3 stars, Ruby Lane customer service contacts the shop owner and tries to figure out why. They will help the shop owner to work with the dissatisfied buyer, who can go back and change their review.
“We are striving to have the best buying experience online,” Pekarek said.
Ruby Lane is in the process of readying an email to shop owners letting them know about the new system.
A Ruby Lane merchant who learned of the change in advance and contacted EcommerceBytes said she was not happy about the changes. “From the shop owner point of view, there is a huge difference to having these ratings on TrustPilot and having them under your shop name on Ruby Lane. Our real names (first and last) appear alongside our shop names. In my opinion this is a serious matter. One really bad review could not only ruin a shop but could also ruin a person’s reputation.”
“And,” she asked, “if Ruby Lane hosts vetted shops, then why should shop owners be subjected to individual shop ratings.”
Pekarek said Ruby Lane vets the items their shop owners list on the site and the ability for owners to take payments, but does not vet the entire transaction process. “If there is a consistent problem, we get involved,” he said.
“Reviews build trust for other buyers,” and he compared Trust Pilot reviews to Yelp. It allows buyers to rank each shop individually, providing a more encompassing review than ResellerRatings.
