From collectibles to cars, buy and sell all kinds of items on eBay
aAdvanced Search
Home > Help > Frequently asked questions
Help Hub
 eBay Help
 Help Topics
 A-Z Index
 eBay Acronyms
 eBay Glossary
 Contact Us
 Related Links
 Learning Center
 eBay University
 Security Center
 About Customer Support
 Community Answer
 Center

Search Help

Trust and Safety Initiatives - Frequently Asked Questions 

 


Administrative note: Starting May 24th, 2007, sellers registered on eBay Australia, eBay Germany, and eBay UK who do not meet the requirements to list cross-border, will no longer be exempt from additional verification and will be asked to become PayPal Verified (eBay Germany sellers can be either PayPal Verified or PostIdent verified). This page was updated on May 24th, 2007 to reflect this change.

 

What are the requirements for sellers to list items cross-border?
Sellers must meet eBay's highest level of verification in order to list an item in a market that is different than the site in which they are registered.  Sellers who live in a market where we don't currently have an eBay site will have to meet eBay's highest level of verification to list on any eBay site.

For most of the world, the verification requirement is to be PayPal Verified.  In Germany and Switzerland, the verification requirement is PostIdent, and in Austria, it is ID Verify.

Sellers will be exempted from the verification requirement in two instances:

  • Cross-border sellers with an established track record will be exempted if they met the following requirements by December 1, 2006:
    • Had at least 25 total feedback
    • Had 98% positive feedback
    • Listed and sold at least one item on another site in the last 90 days.
  • Sellers listing on other sites within certain corridors or trading zones will be exempted.  Please note that these corridors may change in the future:  

Seller Registered On

Will be Exempted when Selling On

Australia

No sites (see note at the top of this page)

Austria

Germany , Switzerland

Belgium

France , Netherlands

Canada

eBay.com (US)

China

No sites

France

Belgium

Germany

Austria, Switzerland  (see note at the top of this page)

Hong Kong

No sites

India

No sites

Ireland

No sites

Italy

No sites

Malaysia

No sites

Netherlands

Belgium , Germany

Philippines

No sites

Poland

No sites

Singapore

No sites

Spain

No sites

Sweden

No sites

Switzerland

Austria , Germany

United Kingdom

No sites (see note at the top of this page)

eBay.com (US)

No sites

Why are you setting more stringent requirements for sellers to list on sites other than their site of registration?
We are requiring eBay's highest level of verification to improve the safety of cross-border trade and better protect our buyers. The ability to buy from and sell to members in other markets is an important part of the eBay marketplace. Many eBay sites have different registration requirements, however, especially in smaller markets. People trying to commit fraud may take advantage of these different registration requirements in smaller markets in order to sell on eBay.com and other larger sites. 

Can I still offer to ship outside my country if I'm not PayPal Verified?
The new verification requirements are only required for sellers to list an item on a site that is different than the one in which they are registered. Sellers who do not meet the new verification requirements, or who choose not to be become PayPal Verified, may still list on the site where they are registered and offer to ship to buyers worldwide.

What is the Safe Payment Requirement for New Sellers and what does eBay consider to be a safe payment method?
eBay will require new sellers offering items in most categories to buyers in the U.S. and Canada to provide at least one safe payment method. Safe payment methods include PayPal or a Merchant Credit Card. These safe payment methods must be included as an available payment method on their listings. New sellers may also include any of the other accepted payment methods on their listings. (See the Accepted Payments Policy  for more details on accepted payments.)

eBay strongly encourages sellers to offer payments through PayPal – PayPal is not only convenient to use, but it also offers buyers and sellers industry-leading protection against fraud, chargebacks, and theft of financial data. Merchants with their own Merchant Credit Card processing account, and those who use a third-party credit card processor, may offer their buyers the option of paying directly with a credit card online (including through third party checkout) or by phone in addition to or instead of PayPal.

Who is affected by the Safe Payment Requirement for New Sellers and when will this requirement go into effect?
All members registered on or after January 17, 2007 who wish to list items will be affected by this requirement. Certain categories where these payment methods often are not practical, such as Motor Vehicles and Mature Audiences, will be exempted.

What are the restrictions currently in place that will help reduce counterfeiting activity on eBay?
The sale of counterfeits on eBay is illegal, violates our business ethics, and results in negative buying experiences. 

Restrictions will be placed on some items that seem to be most favored by counterfeiters. Restrictions may include:

  • PayPal verification to list in volume
  • A minimum number of days as a confirmed registered eBay member to list in volume
  • 1 or 3-day durations may be removed as available options for these items
  • Cross-border trade restrictions
  • Delays in these listings appearing in search
  • The number of listings per seller may be limited. 

Why did eBay implement new anti-counterfeit restrictions?
eBay is committed to reduce fraud and negative buying experiences on the site. Counterfeits are illegal. It is a criminal act to manufacture them, and it is a criminal act to knowingly sell them. Every time a buyer on eBay purchases a counterfeit item, the whole eBay marketplace pays a price. Trust is the fuel that powers trade on our site. Counterfeits erode the trust that is so essential – and this hurts all of us. While we have always taken serious steps to reduce the offering of counterfeit items, we determined that implementing even stricter measures could result in even more benefits for our community.

What changes will eBay be making to the Feedback system?
eBay is introducing a number of changes to the Feedback system. First, in addition to leaving an overall positive, neutral or negative Feedback, buyers will now be able to leave Detailed Seller Ratings for the seller on four aspects of a transaction. Second, the item title and item price for each Feedback will be visible on the Feedback Profile page for 90 days, so buyers can more easily determine the item price and type of item associated with a particular Feedback. Finally, later this year, we are going to archive all but the last 24 months of feedback history. Total scores will remain, but a member's percentage of positive feedback will be based on just their last 2 years of activity. All comments older than this will be archived. 

What are Detailed Seller Ratings?
Detailed Seller Ratings provide more details about the member's performance as a seller. You can find them at the top of each member's Feedback Profile.

When buyers leave an overall Feedback rating (positive, neutral, or negative) for a seller, they also have the option to leave detailed seller ratings in four areas: accuracy of item description, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges. The rating system is based on a one- to five-star scale, with five stars being the highest rating, and one star being the lowest. 

The average of each of the Detailed Seller Ratings will be displayed on the seller's Feedback Profile page. These Detailed Seller Ratings allow buyers to provide additional information about the transaction, and provide a more complete picture of the member's performance as a seller.

Detailed Seller Ratings add to the current Feedback system, and do not impact the overall Feedback Score.

What are the benefits of Detailed Seller Ratings to Buyers and Sellers?
Detailed Seller Ratings benefit buyers by allowing them to more accurately rate sellers on a particular transaction. They also provide buyers with additional information about a seller prior to making purchasing decisions.

Detailed Seller Ratings provide sellers the opportunity to differentiate from other sellers, thus attracting more business based on those factors that our buyers rated most important.

Why will eBay be archiving Feedback older than 24 months?
The primary purpose of the eBay Feedback system is to provide a credible predictor of future behavior in order to convey trust and encourage trade. As Feedback becomes older it becomes less predictive than more recently earned Feedback. Basing metrics, such as positive Feedback percentage, on more recent history will improve the predictive value of the system. 





About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | Resolution Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2009 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
eBay official time