Your reputation is one of the most important assets for your business. On eBay a seller's reputation is largely defined by their feedback score. Besides reassuring your buyers that they are dealing with a reliable and trustworthy seller, your positive feedback can actually help you become more competitive on eBay.

Feedback will continue to gain importance on eBay, especially with the selling eligibility criteria on eBay Express, a new specialty site launching later this spring. In order to sell on eBay Express, sellers must maintain a 98% positive feedback rating, among other criteria.

This month I'd like to share the Seven Key Ways to Bolster Your Feedback Score, which our Trust and Safety team has developed. Taking some of these actions can help improve and streamline communication between you and your buyers, build trust, and enhance your reputation. The result sn increased positive feedback for you.

Whether you have an impeccable 100% positive feedback, or are looking to improve your feedback profile, consider these useful tips:

1. Make sure that your item description is accurate and complete. Remember that your buyer's decision to purchase your items mostly depends on the information you provide, so include all the information that could help them make the decision. Be upfront about mentioning any flaws or imperfections in your item—you may not get the same price as a brand new item, but in the long run, it will pay off by enhancing your reputation. Honesty wins trust.
   
   
2. Communicate regularly and in a friendly way with the buyer until they receive the item. As soon as you've received payment from your buyer, let them know by sending them a friendly message through My Messages. Likewise, inform them when you have shipped your item. Knowing that you're “on the ball” goes a long way to help your buyer think of you as a professional seller. And if you're daunted by the thought of sending multiple emails manually to your many buyers, think about automating your email communication. Use tools like Selling Manager Pro to automate emails such as bid confirmation, winning bidder congratulations, and shipment notifications.
   
   
3. Ship promptly and provide tracking. The sooner your buyer receives the item, the more satisfied they are likely to be and the more inclined they are likely to be to leave you positive feedback. USPS Delivery Confirmation ™ is only $0.50 – $0.60 at the Post Office and a mere $0.14 when you submit it online.
   
   
4. Make it easy for your buyers to pay. Accepting PayPal payments from your buyers eliminates problems such as lost checks, puts money in your account quickly, and reduces the time it takes for the buyer to receive the item.
   
   
5. State shipping and handling costs and estimated delivery times clearly in the listing. Inflated shipping turns off buyers. Make sure that your buyers don't get the impression that your shipping charges are unreasonably high. It may be a good thing to break down your shipping and handling charges to help your buyers understand the cost.
   
   
6. Use the Mutual Feedback Withdrawal process to resolve feedback disputes. If you receive a negative Feedback rating, don't be disheartened. Try and work it out with your buyer. You may be able to have your negative feedback rating removed through eBay's Mutual Feedback Withdrawal process. When feedback is withdrawn, the negative or neutral rating associated with that feedback comment will no longer show or count in your feedback score. (However, the feedback comment itself will remain.)
   
   
7. Use eBay's Dispute Console to resolve your disputes. If the buyer files an Item Not Received dispute, always use the Dispute Console (located in My eBay) to respond. Similarly, use the Dispute Console to file Unpaid Items if one of your buyers doesn't pay. If the buyer fails to respond to the Unpaid Items process, eBay will withdraw any feedback rating associated with that transaction left by that buyer.