Reading vendor feedback
A vendor page shows several numbers and only some of them carry information. Knowing which is most of the skill, and it takes about two minutes to apply.
Recent beats lifetime
A reputation built two years ago describes two years ago. Read the last handful of entries and their dates. A large lifetime total with nothing lately is a reason for caution rather than comfort, because accounts change hands and a dormant profile listing heavily again is a recognised pattern.
Dispute ratio needs a denominator
A few disputes across hundreds of orders is normal and healthy. Zero disputes across a large volume is either exceptional or a history that was reset. Read the two numbers together, because either one alone is close to meaningless.
What the text says that the stars do not
Entries describing a problem that was fixed properly tell you what happens when something goes wrong, which is the only part you actually need to predict. A wall of five star ratings with no text predicts nothing at all.
Listing quality is a signal
A description stating exactly what arrives, in what quantity, within what window, prevents most disputes before they start. Most disputes are expectation gaps rather than dishonesty, so a vague listing from an otherwise good vendor is still a reason to ask a question first.
Selective behaviour and why size matters
Honouring small orders while taking large ones is a known approach, and it is exactly why a feedback total cannot protect you on its own. Order small with anybody untested regardless of how good the profile looks, and let your own experience decide the second order rather than their numbers.
The two minute routine
- Read the newest five entries and check the dates.
- Compare dispute count against order count.
- Skim the listing for a stated quantity and a stated window.
- Size the first order at what you would shrug off losing.
Why this is the highest value two minutes
Everything else in an order is procedure. Vendor selection is the only judgement call, and it is the one place where a couple of minutes of reading changes the outcome more than any amount of care applied afterwards.