1. What specific changes to the feedback system are being made?
2. Why is eBay making this change?
3. Why did eBay choose 90 days and not a different time period?
4. Why is eBay removing positive, neutral, and negative feedback?
5. When will feedback begin to be removed?
6. Which type of suspensions will result in feedback removal?
7. Are there indefinite suspensions that will not result in feedback removal?
8. Can a member ever be reinstated if indefinitely suspended and, if so, will their feedback be reinstated?
9. If eBay makes a mistake and wrongly suspends a member, will the feedback be reinstated?
10. Can additional suspension types be added or excluded from this policy in the future?

1. What specific changes to the feedback system are being made?
   
   Feedback (both the rating and comment) left by members indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration will be removed.
   
   Note: Indefinite suspension occurs when eBay suspends the member with the intention of keeping that member off the site for good, not just temporarily.
   
   
2. Why is eBay making this change?
   
   The principle behind this policy change is that a person should demonstrate good behavior (be in good standing) for a minimum period of time on eBay before they are able to have a permanent impact on another eBay member's feedback score. We believe that 90 days is an appropriate period for a new member to understand the importance of leaving feedback responsibly.
   
   
3. Why did eBay choose 90 days and not a different time period?
   
   90 days of activity is long enough for a member to become familiar with eBay yet not so short a period of time that it would make the policy ineffective. Our research showed that individuals who fit this profile did leave a higher percentage of negative feedback, but our goal is to remove any feedback from individuals that aren't considered members of the Community.
   
   
4. Why is eBay removing positive, neutral, and negative feedback?
   
   In order to maintain a balanced feedback system it is important for us to remove all feedback left by a member who has been indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration.
   
   
5. When will feedback begin to be removed?
   
   This policy change will go into effect in the week of September 19th, 2005. Starting from this week, feedback will be removed for any member who meets the criteria outlined in Question 1 above.
   
   
6. Which type of suspensions will result in feedback removal?
   
   Generally speaking, when a member violates a policy for the first time, we try to educate them about complying with our marketplace policies. For more serious violations, we temporarily suspend a member. However, some policy violations (depending on their seriousness and/or frequency) may result in an indefinite suspension which, in turn, will result in feedback removal if the member is suspended within 90 days of registration.
   
   
7. Are there indefinite suspensions that will not result in feedback removal?
   
   Yes. Not all indefinite suspensions within 90 days of their registration will result in feedback removal. For example, a seller that is late paying their eBay fees can be indefinitely suspended. However, as soon as they pay their fees they are reinstated. We will not remove the feedback these members have left. Members can also be suspended if they do not provide eBay with proof of their identity. Once they provide the information, these members are reinstated. We will not remove feedback from such members either.
   
   
8. Can a member ever be reinstated if indefinitely suspended and, if so, will their feedback be reinstated?
   
   Occasionally, members may be reinstated after receiving an indefinite suspension. However, even if their account is reinstated the feedback that they had left will not be reinstated, because at the time of the suspension it was our intention to remove them from the marketplace. For example, if we have indefinitely suspended a member for multiple violations of our Prohibited & Restricted items policy, the person can appeal for reinstatement after a significant amount of time (a year) has passed. If they demonstrate a sincere commitment to abide by the marketplace policies, we can reinstate them, but their feedback will not be reinstated.
   
   
9. If eBay makes a mistake and wrongly suspends a member, will the feedback be reinstated?
   
   If we mistakenly suspend a member and it results in feedback removal, we will reinstate the feedback that was initially removed when we reinstate the member.
   
   
10. Can additional suspension types be added or excluded from this policy in the future?
    
    Yes. Our intention is to remove feedback from members that are malicious or clearly harmful to the marketplace and we will continue to evaluate the various suspension types to ensure that we only include those where our intent is to indefinitely suspend the member.

Related Help Topics:

• List of Topics in Feedback
• Question: I received retaliatory negative feedback. Can it be removed?
• Question: Can feedback comments and scores be removed?
• Understanding Feedback Scores