Rapleaf was mentioned in yesterday’s BusinessWeek online round-up:

What’s the Trick to Selling on the Net?
Build up a reputation for being trustworthy. For the three quarters of a million small businesses that rely primarily on eBay (EBAY), along with hundreds of thousands more that use other sites, the ratings accorded the seller are key in establishing buyer confidence.

A new survey of consumers by Rapleaf.com, a site that helps businesses establish selling “scores,” showed the seller’s reputation to be the most important criterion in closing a sale, followed by the site’s reputation, and the payment methods accepted. More than 70% of buyers sampled reported not doing business with a seller because they didn’t have a sense of trust, and half reported an experience in which the product wasn’t accurately pictured or described.

and special thanks to Scott Allen for putting together the survey that BusinessWeek refers to.