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Seller protection policy

How you're protected

. eBay protects you from many events outside your control and is here for you when things don't go as planned.

This policy outlines the protections eBay gives you if:

  • An item arrives late that you shipped on time

  • There are carrier disruptions, bugs, or severe weather

  • A returned item has been opened, used, or damaged

  • A buyer retracts their bid or doesn't pay

  • A buyer changes their order or requests something extra

  • A buyer has an unusual rate of complaints or returns

  • Your Seller Performance Standards are impacted

  • You have eBay Money Back Guarantee requests

More information:

An item arrives late that you shipped on time

We automatically adjust your late shipment rate, and remove feedback when:

  • The shipment receives a carrier scan within your handling time, even if it arrives late.

  • The shipment receives a delivery scan by the estimated delivery, even if you shipped it late.

  • If the shipment doesn't receive any carrier scan and there's no tracking info available, but the buyer doesn't indicate the shipment was late, it will not count as a late shipment.

There are carrier disruptions, bugs, or severe weather

We automatically adjust your late shipment rate, remove cancelled transaction defects, and remove feedback when:

  • The shipment receives a carrier scan within your handling time, even if it arrives late due to carrier disruption, eBay site bugs, natural disaster, or severe weather.

  • If the shipment receives a delivery scan within the estimated delivery date range, even if you shipped it late.

  • Events listed on the announcement board are covered by this protection.

A returned item has been opened, used, or damaged

When you offer free returns and accept the return:

  • You will have access to use the partial refund tool for items that come back used, damaged, or missing parts.

  • Starting June 1, 2018, if the buyer leaves negative or neutral feedback for any reason or escalates an eBay Money Back Guarantee claim, we will automatically remove the feedback and protect you from impacts to your standards.

  • If the buyer escalates, eBay will resolve the issue directly with the buyer, and you don't need to worry.

A buyer retracts their bid or doesn't pay

  • If you cancel a transaction when a buyer retracts their bid, we will remove cancelled transaction defects and remove feedback.

  • If the buyer doesn't pay and you file and close an Unpaid Item request, we will remove feedback and cancelled transaction defects, and you will be refunded the final value fee.

  • To prevent unpaid items, you can require immediate payment from buyers.

A buyer changes their order or requests something extra

  • You never have to agree to any changes to the terms in your listing, or to additional items. If the buyer demands a change to what you originally offered or something extra, you can either cancel the order, or ship under the original terms, knowing we will remove feedback and defects when we can see the buyer's demands or request for changes in eBay Messages.

A buyer has an unusual rate of complaints or returns

  • We have developed ways to detect if a buyer is abusing the return process and have the ability to prevent them from starting a return.

  • We employ several measures to identify when a buyer leaves a lot of negative or neutral feedback, or opens a lot of claims or returns. In these situations, we may take action to prevent a buyer from starting a return or a claim and we will remove feedback and defects.

  • If we take action on a buyer for violating the Buying Practices policy, we will remove feedback and any defects from that buyer.

Your Seller Performance Standards are impacted

Fair performance evaluation

To measure your overall performance accurately, we look at your performance as a whole. We also consider a buyer's pattern for opening cases, and protect you when necessary.

Transaction defect rate

  • The transaction defect rate won't count in your seller performance status until you have transactions with defects from at least 4 different buyers within your evaluation period.

  • Buyers don't see your defect rate.

eBay Top Rated Seller grace period

If you are a Top Rated Seller and fall below the sales and tracking requirements for Top Rated Seller status, you may qualify for the Top Rated Seller grace period. During the Top Rated Seller grace period, you retain your Top Rated Seller status and benefits, and you have 2 evaluation cycles to get your transaction count, sales amount, and/or tracking requirements back to minimum program requirements.

You're eligible for the grace period if you fall below Top Rated Seller standards due to any of the following:

  • You have fewer than 100 transactions with US buyers over the most recent 12-month period.

  • You have less than $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the most recent 12-month period

  • You've uploaded shipment tracking within your promised handling time for less than 95% (but not less than 90%) of transactions with US buyers in the last 3 months.

You're only eligible for the Top Rated Seller grace period when:

  • You otherwise have a Top Rated Seller performance rating; and

  • You've been a Top Rated Seller for the last 3 (or more) consecutive months immediately preceding evaluation

If you don't meet sales and tracking requirements and performance standards after the grace period ends, you will lose your Top Rated Seller status and benefits.

Learn more about becoming a Top Rated Seller.

You ship within your handling time to an international buyer

Customs and international carrier issues

We adjust your late shipment rate and remove feedback if you ship internationally, and the shipment receives a domestic carrier scan within your handling time if:

  • The shipment is stuck or delayed in customs

  • The shipment is lost or receives no tracking scans by the international carrier

You have eBay Money Back Guarantee requests

If a buyer reports that an item hasn't been received

If you ship your item within your stated handling time and provide tracking information to the buyer before you or the buyer asks us to step in and help with a request, you're protected.

Tracking information needs to include:

  1. A delivery status of "delivered"

  2. The date of delivery

  3. The recipient's address

  4. Signature confirmation, if an item has a total cost of $750 or more

If a buyer reports that an item isn't as described

If the buyer starts a return request because an item isn't as described in the listing, then asks us to step in and help, you are protected if you offer free returns. You may also be protected if you provide clear documentation that the item was described accurately and consistently in the listing. This documentation can include photos of the item that you upload to eBay during the return process.

Examples:

  1. A buyer requests to return an item for a refund because an item isn't new or has minor scratches, but the listing clearly and consistently describes the item as used.

  2. A buyer opens a return request because they didn't want the item, but the item is accurately described in the listing.

Appeals

Buyers and sellers have an opportunity within 30 days from the day a case is closed to appeal our decision by providing appropriate documentation in My eBay.

Other resolution methods

Buyers can't use more than one resolution method to get a refund. After selecting a resolution method, a buyer is required to use that process for the duration of the resolution effort.

  • If a buyer files a chargeback, any requests opened with the eBay Money Back Guarantee for the same transaction are immediately closed.

  • If a buyer files a PayPal Purchase Protection case, the buyer can't open an eBay Money Back Guarantee request for the same transaction.

If you lose a chargeback after you reimburse eBay or the buyer, you can appeal the decision by providing evidence of the lost chargeback.

Keep in mind

Remember that even if the buyer doesn't ask us to step in and help with an item that wasn't received, the request may still count as a transaction defect if you cancelled the transaction because you were out of stock. Learn more about our seller performance standards.

Learn more about the eBay Money Back Guarantee.

Learn more about the Seller Performance and Feedback policy.

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