eBay encourage good selling practices
eBay has put certain performance standards in place for sellers. It helps the marketplace to consistently deliver outstanding customer service to buyers and meet their expectations. Find out how eBay evaluates your performance and get a number of benefits and advantages for outstanding customer service.
eBay provides multiple performance metrics from two different types of monthly evaluation, both based on recent sales:
Seller standards evaluation
eBay's measuring individual performance on factors within a seller's control — such as sending items on time — to determine their seller level.
Service metrics evaluation
eBay's looking at sellers' performance in the context of a “peer group” — sellers with a similar profile — to identify those who have significantly higher rates of buyers reporting problems with their orders.
Seller dashboards show details of your performance on each of the metrics eBay uses, and help you see where you can improve.
Seller levels and performance standards
All buyers should have a great experience on eBay, so it evaluates sellers regularly to make sure they are providing the levels of customer service that eBay expects. On ebay.com, all sellers are assigned an individual seller performance level of either Below Standard, Above Standard or Top Rated based on the monthly evaluation of their recent sales.
Seller standards policy explains how the evaluation works, the requirements for each seller level, and the limitations that may be placed on your account if you fall below eBay's minimum standards.
Your Seller dashboard shows:
- Your current seller level
- A detailed breakdown of your performance on the factors which determine your seller level: cases closed without seller resolution, transaction defect rate and late shipment rate — to help you figure out where you can improve
- What your seller level would be if you are evaluated today
Service metrics and peer benchmarking
It's important that buyers get their orders as expected, so eBay reviews performance regularly to make sure sellers with a similar profile are providing similar levels of service. eBay looks at recent sales, and how many of those buyers reported a problem with their order, regardless of whether the issue was resolved or not.
Service metrics policy explains how the monthly evaluation and peer benchmarking works, and the limitations that may be placed on your account if eBay determines that your performance is significantly worse than other sellers with similar sales activity.
In your Service metrics dashboard, you'll find
- Your service metrics
- In-depth information about your selling performance, including 'Item not received' rate and 'Item not as described' rate — to help you figure out where you can improve
- A detailed analysis of how you're doing compared to your peers
Seller performance and feedback policy
eBay knows that a seller’s reputation on eBay is an important factor in helping build a successful business. For this reason, it always wants your seller performance ratings and feedback to properly reflect the service you provide to your buyers, and will adjust these in situations where it finds that you were not at fault.
See full policy guidelines for more details on when eBay adjusts ratings or removes feedback.
Selling internationally
eBay connects buyers and sellers from around the world. As part of making sure buyers have a consistently good experience on eBay, seller performance evaluations apply to sellers on all eBay sites.
No matter where you're shipping items to, you should always try to provide your buyers the best possible service. eBay use the same two types of performance evaluation across eBay sites, both based on recent sales:
- A seller standards evaluation is applied to all eBay sellers worldwide, with transactions assessed based on the country the item is sent to and counted into one of four eBay’s regional programs. So your seller level can vary depending on the region you're selling: this means that you could be a Top Rated seller in one region, but only Above Standard in another
- A service metrics evaluation is available on most eBay sites, with transactions benchmarked against sellers listing on the same site with a similar profile
Feel at home in international marketplaces by studying how eBay's four regional seller performance programs work.
Overview of seller performance policies on international eBay sites
Top Rated seller
How to monitor and improve your seller performance
Reviewing your performance dashboards regularly and taking steps to ensure buyers receive their orders as expected can have benefits across your business.
Learn about keeping track of your seller standards and service metrics ratings, and how you can reduce the number of your transactions where buyers report problems with their orders.
