A new service promised to help sellers deal with the problem of retaliatory feedback on eBay, but a back-door strategy prevents it from being foolproof.

Auction-management service provider AuctionHawk rolled out a new service called Last Minute Feedback (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m08/i10/s01) as a tool for sellers to leave negative or neutral feedback for unsatisfactory buyers without fear of receiving negative feedback in return. The AuctionHawk tool automates the feedback process, and can leave feedback one minute before the 90 day expiration eBay imposes for leaving transaction feedback.

However, eBay users can leave feedback after the 90-day window under certain circumstances. eBay spokesperson Hani Durzy said eBay users are guaranteed the ability to leave feedback for up to 90 days, but in many cases, users can leave feedback after 90 days. Once a listing is "archived," Durzy said, then there is no ability to leave feedback on the transaction. But there is no way to know ahead of time exactly when the listing will be archived, he said.

Typically users receive a message that says they are not allowed to leave feedback when attempting to leave feedback after 90 days. However, a back-door method exists by going to My eBay, as long as users know the eBay auction number and trading partner's User ID.

"There are legitimate reasons for wanting to automate feedback," Durzy said. While the policy is to give users 90 days to leave feedback, the technology does not prevent someone from leaving feedback after 90 days, he confirmed.

Feedback on eBay is a way for buyers and sellers to rate each other. eBay does not referee feedback and has been unable to protect users from unfair or retaliatory feedback ratings. eBay makes very few changes to the feedback system, but in February rolled out a new "Mutual Feedback Withdrawal" policy (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m01/i30/s02).

AuctionHawk changed the way it promoted its tool and renamed it 90th Day Feedback (http://www.auctionhawk.com/?90_day_feedback). It will continue to market the tool as a service to automate the feedback process. An AuctionHawk spokesperson said, "eBay was very pleased at the innovation, and we agreed to keep offering the utility as it still has strong value for the community. It is not, however, a 100% guarantee against retaliation."