eBay expects sellers to consistently provide service that results in a high level of buyer satisfaction.
When a seller lists an item on eBay and a buyer bids on or buys it, the seller and buyer enter into a contract that both members are expected to honor. For sellers, this contract includes both formal requirements, as well as informal, "common-sense" obligations to provide good service to their buyers. If the seller doesn't meet these requirements, it leads to a bad experience for the buyer and may result in negative or neutral Feedback or low detailed seller ratings (DSRs) for the seller.
Sellers who don't meet these requirements and obligations are not honoring their contract and are creating bad experiences for buyers. Sellers who create excessive bad buyer experiences compared to how much they sell may violate the Seller Performance policy.
Buyers can let eBay know about their experience with a seller through item not received or item significantly not as described disputes, as well as Feedback, including DSRs.
To ensure a minimum performance standard from all sellers, eBay requires sellers to maintain at least a 4.3 average for each DSR (Item as described, Communication, Shipping time, and Shipping and handling charges).
Sellers with one or more DSR below 4.3 may be subject to lowered standing in search results.
Sellers with one or more DSRs below 4.1 will be restricted from listing until their DSRs improve.
This average is based on ratings from the past 30 days unless a seller has less than 10 DSRs for that period. In this case, eBay will evaluate DSRs over the past 12 months instead.
Sellers are also required to resolve all performance issues on accounts that are not in good standing before buying or selling with other accounts. Accounts that have been restricted or sellers who have a lowered search standing are not considered to be in good standing. Sellers who are not in good standing are not allowed to register new accounts or use an existing eBay account to avoid buying and selling restrictions or other policy consequences.
Violations of this policy by a seller may result in a range of actions, including:
Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
Selling fee schedule adjustments
Requirements regarding payment options and potential holds on payments made through PayPal
Limits on account privileges
Loss of PowerSeller status
Decreased visibility in search results
Referral to law enforcement
What buyers can do if they feel a seller has violated the seller performance policy
If a seller refuses to complete a sale and you haven't sent a payment or your payment has been refunded, you can report the seller
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If you've paid for an item and haven't receive the item or a refund, or if the item was significantly different from the item description, you can refer to the item not received or significantly not as described process. You can also contact eBay to report the seller on this page.
We also strongly recommend that you use eBay’s Feedback system to leave comments and detailed seller ratings about your transaction.
Note: Your eligibility for buyer protection is determined by the payment method that you use and the eBay site where the item was purchased. You can see how your purchase is protected on the item page.
You can only report a problem on the specific eBay site where you purchased the item. If you try to report a problem on an international eBay site other than the site where you purchased the item, you'll be asked to continue your dispute on the appropriate eBay site.
After receiving a report, eBay will review the information provided and the circumstances of reported violation and take the appropriate action if necessary. To protect the privacy of our members, eBay is unable to discuss the result of the investigation.
If a seller is unable to complete the sale because the item is no longer available for sale, the seller may contact the buyer, explain the situation, and try to reach a resolution that both the buyer and seller are happy with. eBay encourages the buyer to be open to a reasonable resolution proposed by the seller. However, the buyer isn't required to agree to the seller's offer.
What sellers can do to avoid violating the seller performance policy
Good selling practices that help sellers promote high levels of buyer satisfaction include:
Accurately describe the item's condition, size and quality directly in the listing.
Honor the original terms by accepting payment for an item at the end of a successful sale.
Promptly ship the item with appropriate packaging once payment has been received.
Respond promptly and professionally to questions from the buyer.
Proactively communicate with the buyer throughout the transaction.
Issue refunds promptly when accepting returns or when there are problems with delivery.
Find more helpful tips for improving your Feedback and DSRs.
Why does eBay have this policy?
When you buy and sell on eBay, both the seller and the buyer are expected to honor their commitments. eBay has this policy to ensure that eBay’s sellers understand their obligations and to protect eBay’s buyers.
For more information on this policy, please read the Frequently Asked Questions
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
