I just started using Banshee to manage my iPod (2nd generation touch). I copied the whole iPod library to my initially empty Banshee library using the import to library menu option. I noticed that play counts are not transferred properly.

I noticed that for around three-quarters of my music in the Banshee library, the play count is zero(Play field is blank). I checked with iTunes if this was correct, but iTunes shows zero play counts for around only one-quarter of the music. 

Although the copied Banshee library had missing play counts, Banshee was displaying the play counts correctly in the iPod library. I read comment 6 on the bug report 389550 which says that if playcounts in my library are zero syncing would copy playcounts from iPod to the Banshee library. So I synced with my ipod, but now I have missing play counts on my ipod, similar to the Banshee library. So most of the play count data is gone.