From collectibles to cars, buy and sell all kinds of items on eBay
Site Map
Advanced Search
BuySellMy eBayCommunityHelp
  Home > Help Topics > Rules and Policies > Rules about Feedback > Feedback Extortion
Help
Search the Help pages  (Does not search for items or products)
Tips
Feedback Extortion

Buyers are not allowed to threaten sellers with negative Feedback, neutral Feedback or low Detailed Seller Ratings in order to obtain goods or services not included in the original listing. 

Sellers may not require buyers to leave specific Feedback or Detailed Seller Ratings.  Sellers also may not demand that buyers withdraw existing Feedback or Detailed Seller Ratings.  These prohibitions apply to all Feedback activity, whether prior to, during, or after delivery of goods or services described in the original listing.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

  • Listing cancellation

  • Limits on account privileges

  • Account suspension

  • Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

  • Loss of PowerSeller status

  • Feedback rating and/or comment removal

Some Examples

Examples of Feedback extortion

  • A buyer purchases a vehicle, and along with their payment sends an email stating, "If you don’t include high performance tires and rims at no additional charge I will leave you negative Feedback.”

  • A seller receives payment from a buyer and then tells the buyer, “Leave me positive Feedback or I will not ship your item.” 

Examples that aren’t Feedback extortion

  • A buyer pays for an item and waits several weeks for it to arrive.  The buyer then emails the seller, “The item is already late, if it is not here by tomorrow I will leave you negative Feedback.”

  •  A buyer receives an item and decides the item is significantly not as it was described in the original listing.  The buyer threatens to leave negative Feedback unless the seller allows them to return it for a refund. 

Additional Information

If you have experienced feedback extortion, contact us. Please include the full header of any email you send as evidence. This helps us determine the email origin.

If you cannot find the email header, visit SpamCop, a site containing information on how to obtain headers for many email programs.

Why does eBay have this policy?

Feedback is the foundation of trust on eBay. Using eBay feedback in an attempt to extort goods or services from another member undermines the integrity of the feedback system.


About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2008 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