Reading Vendor Feedback
A star average is a number that flatters. A feedback strip ordered by most recent is a record that tells the truth. The difference is the difference between a vendor who is fine and one who is getting worse, and it is the first thing to look at before you commit to an order.
Why recent matters
A vendor with a four point five average and three recent complaints is a different vendor than one with the same average and three recent praises. The average smooths the trend away. The recent strip shows it. Read the last ten, not the number, and you see the direction the vendor is moving.
The patterns that warn you
Complaints about shipping time that get longer over time. A vendor who used to ship in three days and now takes nine. Disputes that used to be rare and now show up every few orders. A sudden change in the description that matches a new price. Each one is a signal, and none of them is visible in a star average.
What to do with it
If the recent trend is bad, order from someone else. If it is mixed, start small. If it is clean, the feedback is telling you the vendor is worth the order. The strip is a tool, and using it is the whole skill. There is no mystery in it, which is why the vendors who are getting worse hope you do not.