Seller Feedback
Why should we get into a stranger\u2019s car \u2013 or buy a stranger\u2019s laser pointer? In 1997, eBay introduced a feature that helped solve the problem: Seller Feedback. Jim Griffith was eBay\u2019s first customer service representative; at the time, he says \u201cno-one had ever seen anything like [it]\u201d. The idea of both parties rating each other after a transaction has now become ubiquitous. You buy something online \u2013 you rate the seller, the seller rates you. Or you use a ride-sharing service, like Uber \u2013 you rate the driver, the driver rates you. And a few positive reviews set our mind at ease about a stranger. Jim Griffith is not sure eBay would have grown without it. Online matching platforms would still exist, of course \u2013 but perhaps they\u2019d be more like hitch-hiking today: a niche pursuit for the unusually adventurous, not a mainstream activity that\u2019s transforming whole sectors of the economy.
Producer: Ben Crighton\nEditors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon
(Image: Hand touching stars, Credit: Cherezoff/Shutterstock)