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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Rewards for sellers delivering great buyer experiences Summary of changes What updates are coming to seller performance standards on eBay and why? To put more emphasis on quality and to reward and recognize sellers who create great buying experiences, eBay is:
How is eBay shifting the focus on Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs)? DSRs will continue to be an important measure for seller performance. We are evolving the way we evaluate quality by gradually changing the focus from a seller's average score to the instances of low scores—1s and 2s. Why the change of emphasis from having a high DSR average to having very few 1s and 2s? DSRs are an important measure for seller performance. We are gradually shifting the focus from a seller's average score to the rate of low scores (1s and 2s) for several reasons. First, buyers have different interpretations of what they consider a high score, but leaving a 1 or 2 is a clear sign of dissatisfaction. Second, monitoring their 1s and 2s gives sellers a clearer picture of where they need improvement—on item as described, communication, shipping time or shipping and handling charges. Third, many sellers have told us it's easier and more productive for them to focus on providing a level of service to buyers that minimizes 1s and 2s rather than on trying to achieve all 5s. This is particularly true for Canadian sellers, who face generally higher shipping costs, slower shipping times, and border-related delays that can make it very difficult to achieve 5s from domestic and US buyers. How are 1s and 2s calculated? Low DSRs (1s and 2s) are tracked and calculated for each of the four DSRs—item as described, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges. The seller's rate of low DSRs is the percentage of all transactions with global buyers that resulted in a rating of 1 or 2. Note this calculation includes all transactions with U.S. buyers, including those transactions in which the buyer left no DSRs. See more details on how 1s and 2s are calculated. How can I find out where I stand? At the end of this month (July), you'll be able to see a monthly updated snapshot of where you stand on 1s and 2s for each DSR on transactions with US buyers on your Seller Dashboard. Starting in October, you'll be able to see this information from transactions with US buyers and all buyers updated daily. New US Top-rated seller status on eBay.com and eBay Motors What is the new US Top-rated seller status and what is its purpose? The new US Top-rated seller status recognizes PowerSellers who consistently provide the best experiences to their customers. The program differentiates sellers by their relative performance and offers incentives and rewards for providing great buyer experiences. As a Canadian seller, can I qualify for US Top-rated seller status on other eBay sites? Canadian PowerSellers who qualify for US Top-rated seller status will be eligible for the same benefits as US PowerSellers who are US Top-rated on eBay.com and eBay Motors. Top-rated seller programs are also being introduced on the UK and German eBay sites. Starting in April 2010, Canadian PowerSellers are eligible for UK Top-rated seller status and German Top-rated seller status, based on transactions with UK and German buyers, respectively.. Canadian PowerSellers can enjoy the same benefits as UK and German Top-rated sellers, except for discounts on UK and German listed listings. When does the new US Top-rated seller status go into effect? All PowerSellers - including Canadian PowerSellers - who qualify as for US Top-rated sellers status will begin receiving the benefits starting in October 2009. Canadian PowerSellers will be able to qualify for the US Top-rated seller program by meeting the same criteria as US sellers, based on their DSR's from US buyers. Canadian PowerSellers meeting the US criteria will be eligible for the 20% discount for listings listed on eBay.com. What are the benefits of the US Top-rated seller status? Exclusive benefits for eBay Top-rated sellers include:
To qualify for US eBay Top-rated seller status, you need to:
Even though there is no US Top-rated seller status program on eBay.ca starting in April 2010, Canadian sellers can qualify for a 20% discount on eBay.ca-listed items if they:
If you qualify for the Top-rated seller fee discounts, you will see them on your monthly invoice applied to the Final Value Fees for your previous month sales. The first time you receive your Top-rated seller 20% discounts, here's how it will work:
Do I receive US Top-rated seller Final Value Fee discounts on transactions with only U.S. buyers? No, if you qualify for Final Value Fee discounts, the discounts are applied to all your eligible transactions on eBay.com and eBay Motors regardless of the location of the buyer. What is the Top-rated seller status badge and how will it be presented and explained to buyers? On eBay.com and eBay Motors, buyers will see "Top-rated seller" with the Top-rated seller icon in the upper right corner of the item page for items listed by US Top-rated sellers. Beneath the badge and the seller's user name these three points will appear:
Why are you only showing the US Top-rated seller statusbadge on eBay.com and eBay Motors? While we have done our best to ensure Canadian sellers can benefit from the Top-rated seller program being introduced on eBay.com and eBay Motors, we want to watch the US buyer experience as a first step before deciding how to implement a buyer-facing program on eBay.ca. Does it matter if I list on eBay.com and eBay Motors or eBay.ca for US Top-rated seller status?
Sellers who no longer meet all the US Top-rated seller statusrequirements but continue to meet PowerSeller requirements will no longer have US Top-rated seller status or benefits, but will retain current PowerSeller status and discounts if they qualify. US Top-rated seller and PowerSeller status are evaluated monthly and sellers will be able to see how they are trending to meet those requirements on the seller dashboard. New PowerSeller standards and rewards What's changing in the PowerSeller program in October 2009?
No. Until April 2010, you will receive the same discounts as long as you continue to meet the discount requirements under the current structure (20% with 4.9 minimum DSRs; 15% with 4.8; and 5% with 4.6) and also meet the new minimum standard for all sellers. Starting in April 2010, if I am a PowerSeller but I don't qualify for US Top-rated seller status, do my discounts change? Yes. Starting April 2010, there will be a new discount structure for PowerSellers on eBay.ca, eBay.com and Motors:
When will the current PowerSeller discounts transition into a 5% PowerSeller discount? The current PowerSeller fee discounts (5% to 20% discounts based on 30-day DSRs) will end on April 1, 2010. If you qualify for the PowerSeller fee discounts after April 1, 2010, you will see them on your monthly invoice applied to the Final Value Fees for your previous month sales. The first time you receive your new 5% PowerSeller discounts, here's how it will work:
At least 100 transactions over the past 12 months are needed to ensure consistency of good customer service. A seller's recent track record is also the most important indicator because business practices can change significantly over time. What changes are being made to the enforcement of eBay policies for PowerSellers and US Top-rated sellers? Some eBay policies are very severe, and eBay takes a strong stance toward severe policy violations from all sellers, including PowerSellers. These policies include shill bidding, selling counterfeit items, and manipulating Feedback, DSRs, or other performance measures. Violation of these policies may result in immediate restriction or suspension, as well as loss of PowerSeller and US Top-rated seller status and discounts. Enforcement and consequences of severe policy violations are not changing. For other non-severe policies, PowerSellers, like all sellers, are expected to follow eBay guidelines. Excessive violations may result in restriction or suspension, as well as loss of PowerSeller and US Top-rated seller status. PowerSellers (including US Top-rated sellers) are allowed a maximum number of non-severe violations based on their PowerSeller tier before losing status:
How can I check whether I am in compliance with policies or at risk of losing my PowerSeller status? You can check your policy compliance and possible consequences through the Seller Dashboard. You can also see which policies you have violated and in which listings and your count of recent violations. See details on levels for compliance by policy area. New standard for all sellers What are the new standards for all eBay sellers? Beginning in October, the minimum standards for sellers on eBay.com and eBay Motors will be replaced with new requirements based on a seller’s incidence of DSR 1s and 2s. For Canadian sellers, we will continue to base minimum standards on average DSR’s, which must be no lower than 4.1 for item as described, and no lower than 4.1 for communication. We will not look at shipping time or shipping and handling time DSR’s for Canadian sellers with respect to minimum standards, given the impact of cross border sales on these ratings for typical Canadian sellers. Canadians will need to continue to meet the 4.1 minimum average DSR for item as described and 4.1 minimum average for communication in order to list on either eBay.ca. Additionally, Canadian sellers who fail to meet the new US criteria below risk being demoted in search on eBay.com and eBay Motors, and/or being restricted from listing on eBay.com and eBay Motors:
These sellers will be lowered in search standing on eBay.com and eBay Motors. They may be offered coaching and training on selling best practices. In more serious situations, other consequences may also apply including limits to further selling, loss of PowerSeller status and discounts, and in some cases account suspension. How can I find out my current standing in relation to the new standard? You'll be able to see your status in regards to the new standard on your Seller Dashboard and the potential consequences:
Sellers with less then 10 total DSRs and no access to a Seller Dashboard will be notified by email if their performance does not meet the minimum standards. Changes scheduled with time to adjust Why aren't all these changes related to standards and the PowerSeller program happening at once? Making these changes in two phases will allow buyers and qualified sellers to reap benefits quickly from the new US Top-rated seller status (October 2009) and also give sellers eight months (until April 2010) to evaluate their standing and adjust business practices as needed. Use this chart to see exactly what you need to do by when to meet the standards and reap the rewards. Help for getting good DSRS I offer free shipping and always ship within the specified handling time, but I still occasionally receive low scores for shipping time and shipping and handling charges. What is eBay doing to prevent these buyers from impacting DSR scores for shipping time and shipping and handling charges? For transactions with tracking information or delivery confirmation, when buyers go to leave you Feedback, they'll see your uploaded tracking information and a message indicating when your package was delivered. The message on free shipping currently appearing in the Leave Feedback flow will also be stronger, encouraging buyers to leave five stars. What about listings with local pickup? For listings where only local pickup is offered, the DSRs for handling time and ship cost will be turned off. What is eBay doing to address buyers who abuse the Feedback system? How can sellers prevent buyer extortion and unpaid items from negatively impacting DSRs? To protect sellers, we are continually increasing our ability to detect and act on buyer abuse, including buyers who consistently leave positive Feedback with low DSRs. We will be increasing our enforcement in this area. We are taking faster, stronger action in response to reports of Feedback extortion. Also, the automated unpaid item process being introduced on eBay.com and eBay Motors will block buyers from leaving Feedback, including negative and neutral Feedback. We'll be extending this new process to eBay.ca in the near future. Use the Resolution Centre to report an unpaid item, Feedback extortion, or any other problem with a buyer. eBay investigates all reports and will remove any Feedback that's been left unfairly. Are numbers of positive, neutral or negative Feedback included in the PowerSeller requirements? What about item not received claims, significantly not as described claims, and charge backs? PowerSellers, including Top-rated sellers, will still be required to maintain greater than 98% positive Feedback. Items Not Received and Significantly Not as Described claims will continue to be tracked but will not be included in the requirements for the PowerSeller program or for US Top-rated seller status. However, sellers with excessive claims, negative or neutral feedback, or transactions with low DSRs below the new minimum standard for all sellers may receive lowered search standing, possible limits to further selling, loss of PowerSeller and Top-rated seller status and discounts, and in some cases account suspension. How low DSRs are calculated What time period is used to calculate a seller's DSRs? Starting in October, for sellers with 400 or more transactions during the most recent 3 calendar months, the evaluation period for both minimum average and rate of low DSRs required for US Top-rated seller status will be the most recent 3 complete calendar months. For all other sellers, the evaluation period for low DSRs (1s and 2s) will be the most recent 12 calendar months. Starting in April, these same time periods will apply for PowerSeller status. How often is seller performance evaluated? Seller status is evaluated around the 20th of each month. So, for example, the calculation on July 20 will include DSRs for all transactions in the months of April, May and June. Note that sellers who fall below the new minimum standard for all sellers would have their status changed immediately after the monthly evaluation, including loss of US Top-rated seller status and benefits. Sellers can see how they are trending to meet the requirements on their seller dashboard. What happens if my buyer leaves DSRs after the month of the transaction? Will those DSRs count? Yes, your low DSRs (1s or 2s) for a given month are related to all the transactions in that month, regardless of when DSRs are left by the buyer. Rates for each month are continuously updated as buyers leave ratings. For example, DSRs left in July for a transaction in June will be included in your rate for the month of June. If I am a low-volume seller, can one or two bad transactions result in me losing PowerSeller or US Top-rated seller status? No. To ensure sellers—especially lower volume sellers—are not penalized as a result of one or two transactions, it will take at least 3 instances of 1s or 2s in at least one DSR to lose Top-rated seller status or 4 instances in at least one DSR to lose PowerSeller status or face other consequences as a result of low DSRs. How is the percent of 1s and 2s for DSRs calculated? The percent of low DSRs (1s and 2s) is calculated for each of the four DSRs: Item as described, communication, handling time, and shipping and handling charges as follows: Number of 1s or 2s received ______________________________________ Total number of transactions Note that the total number of transactions includes all transactions, not just transaction where DSR scores were received. See specific examples of how low DSRs are calculated. Will a seller's minimum average DSR be calculated differently under the new system? Yes, in April we will change how we calculate the minimum average DSR's for Canadian sellers: Current method for calculating average DSRs:
New Selling Practices policy What is the new Selling Practices policy? The new Selling Practices policy sets minimum standards of professionalism for all aspects of a listing and a transaction: Item Details and Description—Sellers are responsible for providing accurate and consistent details regarding their items, including item condition and product details. For example, it would be a violation to select "New" in item specifics and say that it's refurbished in the item description. Also, listing descriptions must be professional in both language and tone. Terms and Conditions—Sellers can include only relevant terms and conditions. Violations would include conflicting information in a listing, failure to uphold stated terms, or a disclaimer of seller responsibility to deliver the item as described in the listing. Product Availability—Sellers are responsible for having items available for sale for the duration of the listing. Single quantity items or items in low supply should not be listed both on and off eBay simultaneously. Shipping and Related Charges—Sellers will continue to be required to charge only reasonable shipping and handling fees. Return Policy and Handling Time—As previously announced, sellers are required to specify their return policy and handling time in a listing. The new policy requires the information you specify to be accurate. Appropriate language—Listings cannot include comments that undermine confidence in the marketplace, such as comments expressing negativity toward buyers or the selling process. Can you provide some examples of unprofessional language and tone? Here are a few examples unprofessional language and tone: "Due to bad buyers on eBay, you must contact me prior to bidding or your bid will be cancelled and you will be reported to eBay!!" "I have had so many bad transactions with zero Feedback buyers. So, if you are new, don't bid!" "I will leave negative Feedback for all non-paying bidders." "I am forced to use PayPal." What's the purpose of the new policy? We know that as a seller, you want to provide smooth and satisfying transactions for all your customers. Clear guidelines and standards regarding professionalism on eBay will help you meet that goal. The new policy is designed to:
Starting in October 2009, violations of the new Selling Practices policy may result in the loss of US Top-rated seller status. Wider enforcement will begin in early 2010. What do I need to do to make sure I'm in compliance with the Selling Practices policy? To make sure you're in compliance with the new Selling Practices policy:
No optional buyer charges for insurance Why is eBay removing optional or required shipping insurance when I list or re-list my item? By removing optional or required shipping insurance, we are adjusting to help meet buyer expectations for ecommerce and aligning with industry standard practices. In most circumstances, buyers do not expect to pay for the cost of shipping insurance. This change also reflects the industry—and eBay—standard practice that sellers are responsible for their items until they are safely in their customers' hands. As a seller, can I still insure the items I sell on eBay? Yes, you are still able to insure your items. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, or contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage. You can also purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company on eBay when you print your shipping labels directly from eBay or PayPal. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling fee or item price. I sell rare, antique, or one-of-a-kind items that I must insure. How can I insure these items? There are several ways to insure items you sell. Check with your shipping carrier for insurance options, or contact a third-party shipping insurance provider for insurance coverage. You can also purchase shipping insurance from your shipping company on eBay when you print your shipping labels directly from eBay or PayPal. To help cover the additional expense, consider folding the cost of insurance into your handling fee or item price. Paying for shipping insurance raises my costs. What can I do? If appropriate, you can move the cost of shipping insurance into your handling charges or item price. How do I add my insurance cost to my Auction-style listings? If you list with Auction-style format, you can choose to add your insurance cost into your handling charges. You'll need to estimate the value of the item, and check with your shipping carrier or third-party insurance provider for approximate cost of coverage. You could also start your item at a slightly higher price to cover the cost of insurance. When does this change take effect? eBay is scheduled to remove shipping insurance from new listings starting the week of September 22, 2009. Do I have to update my listings? No, you do not have to update your existing listings. However, you will no longer have the ability to include shipping insurance in new, revised or renewed listings. You may want to update your item or shipping and handling charges to include the cost of insurance. If I want to revise my listings, are bulk editing tools available? Yes, bulk editing tools are available now. Will my listings be blocked in Relist, Sell Similar or Sell One Like This flows if they include shipping insurance? No, eBay will not block these listings, but we will automatically remove the insurance option from the listing when a seller uses Relist, Sell Similar, or Sell one Like This. You'll see a message that eBay has removed these options from your listing. What about Good 'Til Cancelled listings? The insurance option will be automatically removed from Good 'Til Cancelled listings when they renew. You'll see a message that the option has been removed. Does this change apply to all listing formats and categories? Yes, this change will apply to all listing formats and categories. I use a third-party listing service. Am I affected? Yes, this change impacts all third parties that provide listing and/or checkout services with optional or required shipping insurance as an option. eBay will require third parties to remove optional or required shipping insurance from their listing and checkout flows. I am a third-party developer. What changes do I need to make? By September, you should remove the shipping insurance option from your product or service's listing and checkout flow. New Seller Dashboard Can I find information now on my low DSRs (1s and 2s)? What tools can help me reduce my low DSRs? Yes, you can see a snapshot of your DSRs now in your Seller Dashboard, including your low DSRs (1s and 2s) and your average DSRs with US buyers, and where you stand in relation to US Top-rated seller status launching in October on eBay.com and eBay Motors. This snapshot will be updated monthly. You can also use DSR reports to see your total counts of 1s and 2s. To get this view, log into your Seller Dashboard and click the link at the top. You'll see a view that looks like this:  To see this view, just log on to your Seller Dashboard and click the link at the top. What changes are coming to the Seller Dashboard in October? Starting in October, your Seller Dashboard will provide you with information on your low DSRs (1s or 2s) on DSRs and minimum average DSR based on US buyers and all buyers, and your standing toward qualifying for the PowerSeller program and US Top-rated seller status with information updated daily. Starting in October, you'll see a snapshot of your standing updated daily. Will sellers be able to see the exact transactions that resulted in low DSRs? To encourage buyers to leave DSRs, buyers are assured that their ratings are anonymous. Sellers are not able to see exactly which transaction resulted in lower scores. For the insight you need to improve, you can run detailed reports on your DSRs by category, type of transaction, and other factors. Go to See Your Reports on your Seller Dashboard. 2. Enhanced search presents more relevant listings Best Match changes on eBay.com and eBay Motors What is Best Match? Best Match is eBay's default sort order to present search results. The goal of Best Match is to help shoppers find just what they're looking for from sellers they trust. For you as a seller, this means getting your listings in front of the buyers who are most interested in your products. Delivering great value and service to your buyers is key in determining your position in Best Match. How does Best Match work today (before the changes coming in September)? To show buyers the most relevant items for their search criteria, Best Match considers a number of factors to sort results. Today, those factors are:
Auction-style and Fixed Price listings are sorted separately according to the most relevant criteria for each format and then intermingled to show buyers a good mix of both types of listings on each page of search results. Why are we making changes to Best Match? We're continuing to refine and improve the technology for surfacing the most relevant, best-quality listings from sellers providing the best buyer experience at the top of search results—and give you the information and tools you need to get the best possible exposure for your listings. What's changing in Best Match?
The changes to Best Match will launch between September 22 and October 1, 2009. When will the changes be effective on eBay.ca? We plan to introduce a Canadian version in the future that will mix all of the new eBay.com and eBay Motors factors with Canadian-specific factors. Watch for further announcements. What is the listing performance score? The listing performance score is based on the listing's recent sales in relation to the number of recent impressions it received. An "impression" is any time a buyer sees a search results page that includes the listing. For example, in the new Best Match, a listing with 100 recent impressions and 10 recent sales will score higher than a similar listing with 1,000 recent impressions and 10 recent sales. What counts as an impression? Any time a buyer sees a search results page, an impression is counted for each of the listings in that page. Why are my listing titles more important than ever? Writing accurate, relevant titles has always been a best practice. However, to maximize your listing performance, you should only use keywords that are relevant. Otherwise, they could drive impressions - but not sales - and hurt your listing performance score. You always want to keep the ratio between your impressions and sales in mind when writing your titles. A title with broad, less specific keywords may get you more impressions, but a lower percentage of sales. This could reduce your overall visibility in search. An example of a title with broader keywords might be something like "Brand New Digital Camera, 7MP." With a title made up of highly relevant, specific keywords, you probably will show up in fewer searches, but generate more sales per impression. This higher listing performance score will give you an advantage in search. An example of a title with more specific keywords would look like this: "New Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera w/AF-S & 18-55 mm Lens." Why will Best Match use the listing performance score as opposed to recent sales? The listing performance score will be a more accurate measure of how buyers perceive a listing than recent sales alone because it measures the listing's recent sales against the number of times it was shown to users. An item that sells with fewer impressions will have a higher performance score than the same item that sells with more impressions. In addition, the more recent your sales and impressions are, the more they will count towards your score. So today's listing performance counts more than yesterday, and yesterday's more than the day before. What about single quantity Fixed Price, or new Fixed Price listings without sales history? New multi-quantity and single-quantity Fixed Price listings will be given exposure in Best Match even though they have no sales history. These listings will be given a certain number of initial impressions based on the relevance of similar listings that have sold. All things being equal, new listings with a lower total cost than similar sold items will generally get assigned more impressions than new listings with higher total cost. How does Best Match determine what listings are similar to my new Fixed Price listings? We look at the title and category of your item, and compare it against sold items with similar titles and categories. Do all sales count towards my listing performance score? Not all sales count as recent sales in your listing performance score. Only one sale per transaction will count towards recent sales. For example, if a buyer buys two items at the same time from a multi-quantity listing—that counts as one sale. However, if a buyer buys two items from the same multi-quantity listing at different points in time, both sales will count towards recent sales. If I raise the price, or change the title, category, or item condition of my Fixed Price listing, does that negatively affect my recent sales or listing performance score? As of July 27, 2009, raising the price or changing the title will not affect your recent sales or listing performance score. Changing the item condition from specified to unspecified or changing the category will continue to negatively impact your recent sales score. We understand that actively managing prices provides a competitive advantage in some markets. However, if your changes make your listings less competitive and result in a decrease of your recent sales or listing performance score, those listings will appear lower in search. How can I see the recent sales and impressions for my listings? You will be able to see your recent sales and impression range for each of your listings in the Search Visibility tool available in My eBay. Use it regularly to help you evaluate your listings and stay on top of search results. How do the Best Match changes affect Auction-style listings? Auction-style listings will continue to receive a boost in search results when they're about to end. Given the improvements in the way new and single-quantity Fixed Price listings are treated, and the new guidelines for Auction-style listings with Buy It Now, it will be even more important for sellers to use Auction-style listings the way they work best—with a low start price to attract buyers and stimulate bidding. Some sellers may see significant savings without loss of exposure by moving Auction-style with Buy It Now inventory to Fixed Price. How do I choose the right listing format? Use the Auction-style format when:
Yes. Seller performance continues to count. Top-rated sellers will get promoted in Best Match for their Fixed Price listings on eBay.com and eBay Motors. Sellers not meeting the new minimum standard will be demoted for both Auction-style and Fixed Price listings on both on eBay.ca and eBay.com and eBay Motors. Does offering free shipping help my position in search? Yes. Fixed Price listings with free shipping will receive added exposure. As always, keeping costs reasonable continues to be a best practice. Both Auction-style and Fixed Price listings with excessive shipping will be demoted in search. Auctions-style listings with Buy It Now: Update What is the Buy It Now feature? Buy It Now is a feature that can be added to your Auction-style listings for an additional fee. When adding this feature to your listing, you are giving buyers the option to either purchase your item immediately or bid on your item. You set a Buy It Now price and a minimum start price for bidding. When bidding begins on your item, the Buy It Now option is most often removed from the listing, and the listing continues as an auction only. The Buy It Now icon appears on your listings and in search results when buyers search or browse on eBay. Buyers can use the tabs on the search results pages to view Auctions only or Buy It Now only. What is the new guideline for using the Buy It Now feature with Auction-style listings? The Buy It Now price you set when listing your item must be at least 10% higher than your auction start price for that same item. All Auction-style listings with the Buy It Now feature listed on or after September 22, 2009, will be required to follow this new guideline. Why is eBay implementing this new guideline? There has been an increase in inappropriate use of the Buy It Now feature where the auction start price and the Buy it Now price are the same dollar amount or within a few pennies of one another. This practice takes away from the excitement of auctions for buyers, confuses buyers, and negatively affects buyer perception of value on eBay. Auctions with a low start price drive buyers to bid on items. The new guideline will help preserve the benefit and excitement of auctions, and also encourage sellers to list their items in the proper format (Auction-style or Fixed Price). Learn more about choosing a listing format that works best for you. When will sellers be required to adhere to this new guideline? All Auction-style listings with the Buy It Now feature listed on or after September 22, 2009, will be required to adhere to this new guideline. Previously scheduled listings with a start date after September 22, 2009, will not be impacted by this new guideline. What will happen to my Auction-style listings with Buy It Now that are live prior to when the new guideline takes effect? Listings that are live prior to September 22, 2009, will not be impacted. How will eBay enforce this new guideline? When you are creating an Auction-style listing with the Buy It Now feature, you will not be able to submit your listing unless the new guideline is met. A message will appear asking you to enter a valid Buy It Now price that is at least 10% more than your auction starting price. Do I have any other options to list an item that a buyer can purchase immediately instead of using the Buy It Now feature in my Auction-style listing? Consider listing your item in Fixed Price format instead of Auction-style format with the Buy It Now feature option. Some sellers may see a significant savings without loss of exposure by moving Auction-style listings with Buy It Now inventory over to Fixed Price. You can also use Best Offer with Fixed Price to give buyers more options. To sell an item in Fixed Price format, you must start the item for at least $1.00. Learn more about the requirements for selling at a fixed price. How do I choose the right listing format? Use the Auction-style format when:
This new guideline applies to listings on eBay.com and eBay Motors and eBay.ca (French and English). Some listing features discontinued What is changing with optional listing features on eBay.ca? Optional listing features and applicable changes effective September 22, 2009, can be found below.
Why is eBay making these changes? Buyers want an improved and consistent shopping experience on eBay that will enable them to find what they're looking for quickly and have satisfying purchase. These feature changes eliminate buyer confusion and unnecessary costs for you as a seller. Which features are being discontinued? As of September 22, 2009, the following listing features will no longer be available: Border, Highlight, Featured Plus and Pro Pack. Additionally, Featured First will only be available on eBay.com and to eBay Top-rated sellers only. To increase your item exposure and sell more items, we recommend you focus on maximizing Best Match search results. What do I need to do as a result of these changes? There is nothing specific you have to do to your listings. These feature changes will be applied to your listings automatically. Going forward, we recommend you focus on maximizing Best Match search results to make sure you get the best position in search and the best value for your selling fees. What will happen to my active listings with features that are being discontinued as of September 22, 2009? Effective September 22, 2009, if you have an active listing that includes Border, Highlight, Featured Plus, Pro Pack or Featured First, the feature will be removed from your listing automatically. If you are an US Top-rated seller statusand list on eBay.com and eBay Motors With Featured First, Featured First will remain on your listings. (Featured First will be available only on eBay.com and eBay Motors and only to Top-rated sellers effective September 22, 2009.) What happens if I pay for an optional feature on a 30-day listing, but the feature is removed from my listing as a result of the feature changes? Will I get a refund for the optional feature fee? If a feature is removed from one of your active listings as a result of these changes, you will receive a partial or full credit back within the next billing invoice after the listing ends. I used these features to drive more traffic to my listings. What options are available to me now? There are a number of great features that will continue to be available such as Subtitle, Bold or listing in two categories. You may also consider eBay's AdCommerce advertising tool to drive more traffic to your listings. This program allows you to target your messages to the right audience while paying only for results. Learn more about how you can take advantage of eBay AdCommerce. Previously, when I purchased Bold and the International Site Visibility feature, the Bold feature would appear on both the UK site as well as the Canadian and US sites. Now it will only appear on the Canadian and US sites, but I'll still have to pay the same price. Why? Starting September 22, some features - when purchased in conjunction with the International Site Visibility feature - will only appear on the Canadian and US sites and not on the UK site. These features include Bold, Border, Highlight, Featured First, and Featured Plus. For example, an eBay.ca listing with Bold and International Site Visibility will display Bold on the US site and Canadian sites, but no Bold on the UK site. How can I increase the exposure of my items on international sites? The International Site Visibility feature will continue to provide basic exposure on the UK site. To increase exposure overall, we recommend you focus on maximizing Best Match search results. If I become an US Top-rated seller status and use Featured First, will my listing appear in the Featured section on eBay.com and eBay Motors when I sort by anything other than Best Match? Featured First listings will only be displayed at the top of Best Match sorts. There will be no Featured section on non-Best Match sorts. This change is being made to improve the relevance of search results when the buyers choose to sort their results using a filter other than Best Match. If I become an US Top-rated seller status and list with Featured first on eBay.com, will my listing appear in the Featured section on eBay.ca? Because we will no longer be offering featured first on eBay.ca, we won't include a featured first section in search results on eBay.ca. What happens if I lose my US Top-rated seller status, and I have Featured First on my listings? If you are an US Top-rated seller status and you lose this status, Featured First will automatically be removed from all of your listings. You will receive a partial or full credit back. Do these changes apply to all eBay sites globally? No, the availability of optional listing features varies by site. The optional listing feature changes described here apply only to eBay.ca. Similar changes are being made on eBay.com and eBay Motors. 3. Easier, more profitable selling on eBay Faster process for unpaid items being introduced on eBay.com and eBay Motors Changes are being introduced for unpaid items for sellers on eBay.com and eBay Motors. These same features will be introduced on eBay.ca in the future. Please refer to the US announcement for details. eBay Dispute Resolution For Buyer Claims: Seller Update What is the new eBay Resolution process? We are introducing a new dispute resolution process for when buyers claim their item was not received or the item they received was not as described in the listing. This new on-eBay Resolution process will be the primary avenue for settling eBay transactions and is designed to:
We started introducing this new resolution system on eBay.com and eBay Motors only in April 2009 and expect to ramp it to all eBay.com and eBay Motors buyers and all Canadian buyers and sellers in 2010. Once complete, the new on-eBay Resolution process, backed by eBay Customer Support, will serve as the primary resource for buyers who are unable to resolve disputes with sellers. For Canadian sellers, the eBay Resolution process can impact you in your interaction with buyers on eBay.com and eBay Motors.
Managing buyer emails What's changing with email communications on eBay? Starting this fall, all conversations with eBay members (whether you respond through your own email box or within My Messages itself) will be "threaded" so you can see the entire communication. Can eBay view my email conversations with other users? eBay can only view email conversations with other members if you grant us permission to view them, or if there is a case filed against the transaction. Should you or the buyer file a case against a transaction (such as an unpaid item dispute, item not received, or item not as described), then eBay Customer Support will be able to view the conversations about the transaction in order to help resolve the issue. Please note that only emails about that transaction will be visible. Streamlining post-transaction emails What changes are you making? In October, we will be consolidating and improving the eBay emails that a buyer gets after a transaction is complete. These include emails like the buyer's winning notification, shipping notices, payment reminders and Feedback reminders. As a result, buyers will get fewer - but more relevant - emails. Are you including emails from PayPal, third parties and other sources? No. This project only impacts the emails that eBay sends the buyer after a transaction. Emails from other sources are not included. How are the post-transaction emails changing?
Does this change the way buyers get updates about their items, such as when I ship an item? Yes. Instead of sending one update per item, we are now combining updates for all the items in the order in a single email. Will the Payment Reminder email change? Yes. How often buyers receive the Payment Reminder email will vary depending on their previous behaviors and other factors. This is done to help protect both parties and give sufficient lead time to the buyer before an unpaid item dispute may occur. Are these changes happening on other eBay sites? Yes, these changes will be applied globally. Customizing emails in Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro I am a Selling Manager Pro user. What changes are happening to my functionality? We are keeping most functionality like customization, creating templates and configuring the time of sending the Feedback and follow-up emails. But now you will also have the ability to edit the emails eBay sends out to your buyers, allow you to add your own content and customization to eBay emails and reduce the number of emails you send to your buyers. As we bring Selling Manager Pro and eBay emails closer together, we are removing the following functionality:
No, you will not experience any changes with your email functionality if you are a Selling Manager subscriber. Which emails can I customize? You can customize any email you wish as long as you stay within the guidelines. Are there guidelines for customizing these emails? Do they differ for Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro? The guidelines differ from email to email. Selling Manager users will still have the ability to create templates and manually send emails as they had before. Selling Manager Pro users will have the ability to customize certain post-transaction emails (such as Order Confirmation and Order Update) that eBay sends out to the buyer. How can I customize these emails? For Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro, you can still customize your own templates. However, the option to customize eBay emails is only available in Selling Manager Pro. To customize these email, just go to the Manage Template page in Selling Manager Pro, and click on the "Customize" link to be able to customize these emails. Can I make my own custom template as before? Yes, for both Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro, you can still customize your own templates. Will my previously created custom templates be carried over? We will carry them over for Selling Manager. Because of the changes we are making in the Selling Manager Pro email customization process, Selling Manager Pro custom templates cannot be carried over. Is there cross-seller merchandising in these emails? Yes, seller merchandising will be in the Order Confirmation and Order Update emails. In the Order Confirmation and Order Update emails, we merchandise relevant items for the buyer based on their initial purchase. We will give preference to same seller items in this cross-merchandising, but we cannot guarantee that other sellers' items won't appear. Can a seller change the cross-merchandising? No. This is controlled by eBay. Exclude ship-to Locations Why is eBay providing a ship-to location exclusion option? One of your top requests is the ability to specify countries you do not want to ship to. For example, if you specify today that you ship to Europe, buyers from all European countries can purchase your item. If you wanted to exclude buyers from Italy or Russia, for instance, you are unable to do so. The ship-to location exclusion option allows you to specify countries you do not wish to include in your international listings. How will the exclusions work? This project will not change existing shipping locations. You will still use the same shipping locations that you specify in your listings. However, we're adding an exclusion list that includes all countries worldwide. This list will give you more control over where you want to ship the item. What will change when I list an item? First, set up your own preferred exclusion list right in My eBay, or create an exclusion list for an individual listing. Then apply the exclusion list while you're listing your item through the Sell Your Item form or Turbo Lister. This option will only be visible if you choose to sell internationally. Is there anything I need to do to use the exclusion list? If you are using the Sell Your Item form, you just need to create an exclusion list and apply it. If you are using a listing tool other than the Sell Your Item form, you will also need to set the existing Buyer Requirement: "Block buyers who are registered in countries to which I don't ship." To do this, just follow these steps:
Yes. The ability to use a ship-to location exclusion list will be available to third parties. Can I set a default ship-to location exclusion list so I do not have to enter exclusion information every time I create a listing? Yes. You can set a default ship-to location exclusion list in My eBay that can be used for all of your listings. Can I have a different ship-to location exclusion list for each listing? Yes. You can choose to have different exclusions for each listing. Can I apply my exclusion list to existing listings? Yes. When creating or editing your default ship-to location exclusion list, you can apply it to all open listings. Or, you can revise your listings one by one and set an exclusion list for each. How will this look to buyers? Buyers from blocked countries will be prevented from bidding on or buying an item before they reach checkout. If a buyer changes their shipping address in checkout to a country you do not ship to, they will not be able to complete the transaction. Can I make an exception for a particular buyer? Yes. Use the Buyer Block Exemption List if you wish to sell a particular item to a buyer whose shipping location is on the item's ship-to location exclusion list. You can do that by following these steps:
No. This functionality is only available on a per-country basis. Shipping tracking and delivery information update How is shipping tracking and delivery confirmation changing on eBay? Shipping tracking and delivery confirmation information gives your buyers more visibility into the status of their order and the expected delivery date of the product. This helps you manage the expectations of your customers and gives you peace of mind knowing that your item was delivered to your buyer. Sellers who provide either shipping tracking numbers or delivery confirmation are likely to see an increase in shipping-related DSR scores and a reduction in the number of buyer contacts asking "Where's my stuff?" eBay is making shipping tracking and delivery confirmation more visible by enhancing the add/edit tracking numbers page, adding support for more shipping carriers, and sharing shipping tracking and delivery confirmation information in more places on the site. How is the Add/Edit Tracking Number page being enhanced? When you enter a shipping tracking number on the Add/Edit Tracking Number page, eBay will recognize the number and auto-populate the shipping carrier name for you. If eBay does not recognize your shipping tracking number, you'll have the option to write in the shipping carrier you are using. I don't use USPS or UPS. Can I use shipping tracking and delivery confirmation with other carriers? Yes, you can enter shipping tracking and delivery confirmation numbers from more shipping carriers than ever before. Beginning in July, eBay will support several additional US and international shipping carriers. If your carrier is not recognized in the Add/Edit Tracking Number page, you can add the name of the shipping service you use. After I enter my tracking information, where can I find shipping tracking numbers or delivery confirmation? You will find tracking information on the following pages:
Will I be required to provide shipping tracking numbers or delivery confirmation information? No, however, we recommend you upload tracking or delivery confirmation numbers to eBay whenever they are available. Sellers who provide either shipping tracking numbers or delivery confirmation are likely to see an increase in shipping-related DSR scores and a reduction in the number of buyer contacts asking "Where's my stuff?" What if the shipping service I use does not offer shipping tracking numbers or delivery confirmation? If shipping tracking or delivery confirmation is not available with the shipping service you use, we recommend you mark the item as shipped in My eBay. Your buyer will see a "shipped" icon in his or her My eBay and will be notified in the Order Update email that their item is marked as "shipped." What is the difference between a shipping tracking number and a delivery confirmation number? USPS offers delivery confirmation numbers with many of their services. A package shipped with a delivery confirmation number provides verification of delivery. Other services offer shipping tracking numbers. A package shipped with a shipping tracking number is generally scanned at each checkpoint providing way-point status through to delivery. Faster ways to edit listings How are you changing my ability to edit live items? Starting between September 22 and October 1, 2009, you will be able to revise almost all fields on your multi-quantity Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings after these types of listings have had a sale. In the past, you could only change a few fields on such listings. You'll be able to do this on listings individually (through the Revise Your Item flow) or in bulk (through the eBay Bulk Edit tool in My eBay, Turbo Lister, Blackthorne and third-party listing tools). What's changing in the bulk editing tool? We are introducing "find and replace" functionality for item description to the eBay Bulk Edit tool in My eBay which will allow you to revise your item descriptions in bulk. You will also be able to apply sales tax (and VAT, where applicable) to listings in bulk. Will the editing restrictions be lifted from all listing formats? No. Restrictions will only be lifted from Fixed Price and Store Inventory Format listings. Other formats will continue to have the same restrictions as today. Does the duration of my listing matter when it comes to my ability to edit live Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings? No, there are virtually no differences in your editing abilities no matter what the duration of your Fixed Price listing - seven days, 30 days or Good 'Til Cancelled. However, listing format still plays an important role; you will not be able to edit Auction-style listings the same way you will be able to edit Fixed Price listings. Which fields will I be able to revise on multi-quantity Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings after a sale? You will be able to edit almost all fields. The exceptions include Title, Categories, Format and Duration. What about Fixed Price listings with outstanding Best Offers? You will be limited to revising only a few listing fields until you answer all outstanding Best Offers on the listing. Once all offers are answered (accepted, rejected, expired or retracted), you will be able to change most of the fields. Will eBay preserve the listing information as it was before any revisions I make? Yes, eBay will preserve the listing information for each transaction. Sellers and successful buyers will be able to see the listing information as it appeared at the time of purchase. As the seller, you will be responsible for fulfilling each order as it was described in the listing at the time of purchase. In other words, the changes you make to your listing aren't retroactive - they only apply to purchases made after the changes. Can I use any listing tool to take advantage of this new functionality? You can use the Revise Your Item form, eBay's Bulk Edit tool in My eBay, Turbo Lister or any third-party application that chooses to adopt these changes. How do I edit live listings with eBay's Bulk Edit tool? To edit live listings using the Bulk Edit tool, simply follow these steps:
Update GTC listings with return policy & handling time by September When will my Good 'Til Cancelled listings be required to include handling time and my return policy? You have until mid-September to update your Good 'Til Cancelled listings with your handling time and return policy. However, we encourage sellers to start updating these fields as soon as possible on their Good 'Til Cancelled listings. You already need to specify these fields on new listings and relists for most other listing formats. Are bulk editing tools available to update my Good 'Til Cancelled listings? Yes, the bulk editing tools are available now. You can edit these fields using the Bulk Edit tool in My eBay, Turbo Lister and third party tools. Do I have to accept returns? We encourage you to accept returns, as this helps increase buyer satisfaction. However, you are not required to accept returns. You may specify "No Returns Accepted" as your return policy. What elements of my return policy do I need to specify? If you choose to accept returns, you'll need to specify the time period in which the item may be returned, how you'll give the refund, and who will pay the return shipping cost. Why do you require handling time and return policy? We want to help narrow the gap between buyers' expectations and their experiences by providing this information up front. Buyers want to know when they can expect to receive their items and if they can return them. We'll calculate an estimated delivery date (a range of time) using your specified handling time and shipping service. Do all categories require handling time? No, not all categories require handling time. Real Estate, Specialty Services, and all Motors listings (including both Vehicles and Parts and Accessories) do not require handling time. Do all listing formats require handling time? No. The following formats don't require handling time:
If your item is available for local pickup only, you don't need to specify a handling time. If your item is available for local pickup and is also shippable, you need to specify a handling time for the other shipping method(s). How will delivery estimates be calculated? We calculate estimated delivery time based on your specified handling time and the estimated times provided to us by the shipping service. Delivery estimates are calculated as a range of days, not a specific date. How do you calculate delivery estimates for cross-border transactions? For cross-border transactions, we display the seller's handling time (e.g., "This seller ships within two business days."), but we do not show an estimated shipping time because of potential delays in Customs. Store sellers—you can put all your listings on vacation What's changing with vacation holds? With the launch of the Good 'Til Cancelled (GTC) duration on Fixed Price listings last year, many Stores sellers now have GTC Fixed Priced listings. Today, you can put your Store Inventory format listings on vacation; this change will allow you to put your Fixed Price listings on vacation as well. Who can put Fixed Price Listings on vacation? You can only use the vacation functionality for Fixed Price listings if you are a Stores seller. How do I put my Fixed Price Listings on vacation? You can put your Fixed Price listings on vacation in the same way that you put your Store Inventory listings on vacation. You will be required to put both your Store Inventory and Fixed Price listings on vacation at the same time. (You cannot put one format on vacation without the other.) In order to do this, you'll need to:
You can do three things to tell your buyers that you are on vacation:
No. This functionality is only available to Stores sellers. |
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