Selling Metrics and Shipping
Stay on top of your after-sale requests, keep your delivery promise and upload tracking, and provide your shipping location zip code.
What you need to know
- Greater visibility into after-sale requests that aren't meeting buyers' expectations.
- Maintain the class of shipping service and time you promised in your listing and upload tracking.
- Include a shipping location zip code when you list.
Service metrics and competitive insights
As we announced in the 2018 Spring Seller Update, we will provide you with additional visibility into the status of your buyers' after-sale requests, which will help you identify any listings that aren't meeting buyer expectations.
Starting in July 2018, we will provide competitive insights with service metrics and peer benchmarks that will help you assess your performance. You can find the insights in a new section in Seller Hub called Service Metrics.
The metrics will show you:
- How often you receive return requests for "items not as described."
- How often you receive buyer requests for "items not received."
- Peer benchmarks—comparisons to sellers of similar items.
- Insights into why buyers are making after-sale requests, and tips to reduce requests.
These metrics can help you reduce after-sale buyer requests, which are time-consuming, costly to service, and often result in refunded sales.

Starting in September 2018, if you have very high occurrences of these poor buyer experiences, you will be notified via email and may be subject to extended estimated delivery times and additional fees.
To make sure you're meeting eBay's minimum selling requirements, read our selling best practices and check your seller dashboard regularly.
Service metrics and competitive insights FAQs
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Why is eBay making this change?
The new seller metrics and peer benchmarks provide competitive insights to help you identify listings that aren't meeting buyer expectations and manage your business better.
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Where can I find the new Service Metrics?
Starting in July 2018, Service Metrics can be found under the Performance tab in Seller Hub.
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How often will the service metrics and benchmarks be updated?
"Item not as described" and "item not received" metrics will be updated as buyers open cases. The metrics will help you to track your performance in each monthly standards assessment. Peer benchmark assessments will be updated once each month.
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What transactions does eBay use to calculate my service metrics?
We use your recent transaction volume to determine your service metrics.
- If you have 400 or more transactions during the previous three months on an eBay site, we will use transactions from that 3-month lookback period to calculate your service metrics.
- If you have fewer than 400 transactions during the previous three months, we will use transactions from your 12-month lookback period to calculate your service metrics.
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How will my service metrics be grouped and published?
We will group your service metrics for each of the eBay sites you list on. For example, we will group service metrics for items you list on ebay.com separately from service metrics for items you list on ebay.ca.
We will also publish service metrics specific to your different lines of business. "Item not as described" rates can vary by the type of products that are sold, so we will publish your rates for each of the main categories you sell in. "Item not received" rates can vary by shipping destination, so we will show your rates for the destinations you sell in, and break them out by domestic rates, and rates for shipments to emerging and mature international markets.
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Why am I being measured against a peer benchmark?
Peer benchmarks more accurately reflect average rates of requests in your lines of business on eBay. This assessment is made by comparing your transactions with the peer benchmark—transactions by sellers of similar products.
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How are my benchmarks determined?
To determine your "item not as described" peer benchmark, we group you with sellers that:
- List on the same eBay site and in the same category.
- Share the same assessment lookback period (3 or 12 months), as determined by transaction volume.
- Have a similar "average selling price."
- Sell items with similar item conditions—generally new or not-new conditions.
- Offer a similar return policy—usually returns accepted or returns not accepted policies.
- Sell items with similar buyer-facing delivery estimates.
To determine your "item not received" peer benchmark, we group you with sellers that:
- List on the same eBay site and to ship to the same destination.
- Share the same assessment lookback period, as determined by transaction volume.
- Have a similar average selling price.
- Sell items with similar buyer-facing delivery estimates.
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What are the consequences of having very high rates of "item not as described" or "item not received?"
For most sellers, these metrics may help reduce after-sale buyer requests, which are time-consuming, costly to service, and often result in refunded sales. Starting September 2018, for a small group of sellers who have very high rates of after-sale requests the following consequences may apply:
Item not as described
Item not received
An additional 4% fee in affected categories
Time added to buyer-facing delivery estimates for affected shipping destinations
You will only experience consequences if you have at least ten requests in the line of business and your "item not described" or "item not received" rate is greater than 1 percent.
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Why are only some return request reasons included in my "Item not as described" rate?
Your "item not as described" request rate will help identify items that do not meet buyer expectations after the sale. All sellers must accept and resolve these types of return requests from buyers when valid:
- "Doesn't work or defective"
- "Doesn't match description or photos"
- "Wrong item sent"
- "Missing parts or pieces"
- "Arrived damaged"
- "Doesn't seem authentic"
In instances where buyers ask to return items they simply no longer want or can’t use, the requests will not be included in your "item not as described" rate. Sellers decide when they list their items whether they want to accept these types of returns, and we encourage sellers to offer the best customer service they can to meet buyers' needs, including free returns.
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What if I cannot control my rate of requests caused due to weather events and natural disasters?
We automatically adjust your "item not received" and "item not as described" request rate, 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.
- Events that are covered by this protection will be posted in seller news announcements.
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Where can I view Service Metrics for international eBay sites?
You can also view Service Metrics for various international eBay sites in the Seller Hub Performance tab.
Shipping service promise
We've updated our selling practices policy to reflect the importance and requirement of maintaining your shipping service promise. Provide a great customer experience by using the class of shipping service you promised in your listing and uploading tracking information. If you use a slower shipping service than the one you offered, your items may be delivered later than your customer expects.
Shipping best practices
Buyers expect to receive their orders on time, especially when they pay additional fees for expedited shipping services. Before you create a listing, always determine the cost, tracking availability, and delivery speed of the shipping service option(s) you plan to offer. For example, you should know the differences between One Day, Expedited, Standard, and Economy shipping options and understand free default shipping and paid shipping options that you want to offer in your listings.
Shipping service promise FAQs
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Why is eBay making this change?
Late deliveries can increase buyer requests for items not received, which are time-consuming and costly to service. Fulfill your customer's expectations by delivering the service you committed to when you listed.
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How can I make sure that I am offering valid tracking information for my shipments?
Use eBay shipping labels to keep track of packages—tracking is automatically included with the service.
If you don't use eBay labels, upload tracking information manually:
- Go to the "Sold" section of eBay
- Select the item you want tracked
- Click the "Add Tracking Number" option and enter the tracking number
- Enter the carrier name and click "Save"
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What's the best practice for delivering on my shipping promise?
As a best practice, use the shipping service you selected when you listed, and upload tracking when the item sells.
Shipping location zip code
Starting July 31, 2018, you will be required to provide a valid zip code for your item's shipping location when you list. Valid zip codes help us provide your buyers with more accurate delivery estimates.
If the item you're selling is located in multiple locations, outside of US, or you use freight, you will not be required to provide zip codes in your listings.
Learn more about our item location policy.
Shipping location zip code FAQs
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Why is eBay making this change?
By including the zip code of your shipping location when you list, you enable eBay to provide more accurate delivery estimates to buyers. Guaranteed Delivery sellers also improve their listings visibility when a zip code is provided.
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Can I add a zip code to an existing listing without ending the listing?
Yes. You can add a zip code to an existing listing without ending the listing.