eBay’s top priority is to offer a fair marketplace for buyers and sellers. Sellers will be pleased to know that it has now updated its Feedback Removal Policy, which took effect on July 31, 2013. This means that it’s now even easier spread the word about your great eBay business and build your reputation!
Improvements in tracking uploaded to eBay and communication between members means that, in many cases, eBay can remove unjustified low ratings, negative and neutral feedback from your account. So, let’s have a look at the situations in which you can have your poor feedback deleted.
New Feedback Removal Policy: automatic safeguards
As a seller, you’ll welcome the following advantages of the new Feedback Removal Policy and its automatic safeguards:
· The update means that eBay can now automatically remove unfair feedback and low ratings, as well as awarding 5-star ratings.
· Sellers have encountered issues with poor feedback when buyers’ accounts were suspended and some buyers have form for consistently leaving unjustified negative feedback. In these cases this can now be removed automatically by eBay.
· Sometimes sellers find themselves in situations where events beyond their control can affect their deliveries. Many have had negative feedback from buyers because of postal strikes, extreme weather conditions or even natural disasters. The new update means that poor feedback can be removed in these circumstances.
· If eBay receives information showing that you have followed its best practices such as offering free shipping to buyers or same day dispatch, you could be automatically awarded a 5-star detailed seller rating.
Request feedback removal
Thanks to the new Feedback Removal Policy, sellers can message eBay Customer Support and request that low ratings and negative feedback comments are removed. eBay will delete feedback comments under the following conditions:
· If a buyer leaves comments which are irrelevant to the transaction, or they post obscenities it will be taken down. Inappropriate content relating to issues such as religion, race and politics can also be removed.
Comments, DSRs and feedback ratings are removable in the following circumstances:
· Sometimes buyers can leave feedback which is unrelated to your performance, or inconsistent with your product information entered in the specific fields on the listing form. An example of this could be a buyer leaving negative feedback because they have received a used item – even though you have clearly listed it as “Used”!
· Sometimes buyers have made a mistake and given negative feedback for the wrong item or to the wrong seller. This can also be removed easily, thanks to the extended Feedback Removal Policy.
· eBay can determine whether removing feedback is the appropriate course of action. It aims to be fair to the seller and buyer at all times. In cases where PayPal puts a buyer’s account on hold, or there is an issue with eBay’s system, you won’t have to worry about poor feedback and ratings!
Sellers: take action!
· So, we advise that you read eBay’s new Feedback Removal Policy and make yourself familiar with all the details. That way you’ll know when eBay can automatically remove feedback and when you can contact them to request that it’s taken down.
· If you see feedback and you think it’s eligible for removal, you should message contact eBay Customer Support and ask them to remove it.
Always remember to stick to best practices
We think that awarding sellers automatic 5-star ratings is a great idea! We already know that offering the very best customer service is the key to a successful eBay business; there are no short cuts here. So, you should always follow eBay’s best practices if you want to get those automatic 5-star ratings, and be eligible to have negative feedback removed.
· If a buyer leaves poor feedback, try and resolve it with them yourself before contacting eBay. Misunderstandings can arise for all kinds of reasons and they can often be solved by simply talking it through with the buyer. If you successfully manage to resolve your differences, you can send the buyer a request to revise feedback. In many cases they’ll be happy to oblige.
· Make sure that you list your items correctly. Use the designated fields to specify all the relevant information. You’ll need to enter details on combined postage, returns policy, accepted payment methods, tax and sales. You should check your listing for any contradictory information.
· Your descriptions should be clear and accurate.
· If at all possible, offer a free shipping option.
· Offer same day or one day shipping wherever possible.
· Ship the item and send the buyer tracking information within one business day.
· If you follow all of eBay’s best practices, you can get the Fast 'N Free logo for your listings. This also offers sellers more protection against negative feedback due to shipping time. Additionally, you can be awarded an automatic 5-star rating providing you send tracking details and the item is delivered within the specified time period.
· In the event of a Buyer Protection case, you should respond immediately. Prevention is always better than cure! So, resolving any issues with the buyer is the most effective way of ensuring good feedback.
FAQs: What sellers need to know
As a seller, you might have some questions about eBay’s expanded Feedback Removal Policy. So, we’ve done our best here to answer any questions you may have.
Why has eBay expanded its Feedback Removal Policy?
eBay has built its reputation on providing a secure and fair marketplace. So, this means continually reviewing and updating its policies for buyers and sellers. There are cases where negative feedback is unfair and unjustified, and we all know that reputation is everything for sellers.
eBay wants to ensure that you don’t suffer the consequences of poor ratings and comments when you have followed best practices and provided outstanding customer service. So, we strongly recommend that you read the Feedback Removal Policy. This will help you determine when you may be eligible to request negative feedback to be taken down and when eBay will automatically remove it.
How can I benefit from the expended Feedback Removal Policy?
Well, first and foremost you should continue to follow eBay’s best practices and keep on providing excellent customer service! Make sure that all your listings have the correct information in the relevant fields for the item specifics. You should also list your returns and shipping policies.
If a dispute arises with a buyer and they won’t revise their feedback, you can still get it taken down if you meet eBay’s criteria for eligibility. You can learn more about this by reading the Feedback Removal Policy. eBay will determine whether feedback is inappropriate and act accordingly. Feedback will also be removed automatically in some cases.
How does this affect the seller?
It means that you have more recourse when you believe that a buyer has left unfair feedback. If you’ve offered an excellent service, then eBay will have evidence to show that you have followed its best practices and it will back you up.
What’s different about the new expended Feedback Removal Policy?
We suggest carefully reading the new expanded Feedback Removal Policy to see what changes have been made. Nevertheless, here are some examples:
· In cases where you have correctly entered all item specifics in the designated fields and your listing doesn’t contain any contradictory information, you will be protected against feedback that is irrelevant to your listing. For example; some buyers have been known to leave negative feedback because sellers have sent them a used item, but they had listed it as “Used”. eBay will delete the negative feedback under these kinds of circumstances.
· If the buyer makes a mistake and leaves neutral or negative feedback for the wrong item or seller, it can be deleted by eBay.
· If there’s a publicly confirmed issue with the eBay system, or PayPal holds a payment which delays delivery, it could result in negative feedback. In such a case, the feedback can now be removed.
A buyer has slated me and I think it’s unfair…
If you have this problem, first check the Feedback Removal Policy guidelines. If you think you’re eligible to have the feedback deleted, contact eBay Customer Support.
Do I need to contact the buyer first?
You don’t have to, but it’s best practice to do so. eBay recommends that you should try to resolve an issue with your buyer before you contact eBay Customer Support. Disputes between buyers and sellers are often due to miscommunication or misunderstandings. It’s usually possible for people to resolve the problem between themselves. Remember, you can ask the buyer to use the Request Feedback Revision page once you’ve reached an amicable agreement.
Do I have to request that the buyer revises the feedback before I contact eBay?
It’s not a requirement, but you can often resolve issues without involving eBay. If the buyer agrees to resolve their feedback, this is the best solution all round. You could even end up with a happy customer who’ll buy from you again!
Is there a limit on the number of times I can request feedback revision from a buyer?
Yes. For every 1,000 of feedback you receive within a period of 12 months, you can submit 5 Feedback Revision requests. If you are a high-volume seller who receives over 1,000 feedback submissions per year, you will be able to request more. You are limited to one Feedback Revision request per transaction.
Does the number of Feedback Revision requests I send affect my eligibility to have negative feedback removed by eBay?
Since you can only send a limited number of Feedback Revision requests, your eligibility isn’t affected. You can request feedback revision from buyers and still have negative feedback deleted by eBay’s Customer Support.
How many times can I contact eBay Customer Support to ask for negative feedback to be deleted?
There’s no limit on the number of times you can contact them. You can talk to them any time you believe that feedback has been posted unfairly or inappropriately. If you have a legitimate case they will be happy to help you.
How do I know whether I’m eligible to have feedback removed?
First of all, check eBay’s Feedback Removal Policy. If you’ve read that and you’re still not sure, contacting eBay’s Customer Support is the next step.
How do I go about contacting eBay Customer Support if I want feedback to be removed?
· There is a Customer Support link at the top of every eBay page.
· Simply click on the “Contact Us” link and you will see the “Selling” tab.
· Select “Selling” and you should then be able to see the option for "Leaving and receiving feedback".
· Then you need to click “Call us”.
How quickly can eBay delete feedback?
In the case of automated feedback removal, this happens immediately. In some cases you may need to contact eBay Customer Support to get feedback deleted, but they will only take it down if you meet the criteria for eligibility. If you do, feedback removal can usually be completed by the Customer Support representative during the phone call.
Will I receive a notification when the feedback is removed?
You won’t usually get a notification, but you will be able to see that the negative feedback has vanished from your profile! Your positive percentage and feedback rating will automatically get updated to reflect this. You’ll also be able to view the changes from your seller dashboard.
What if I think feedback is unfair but eBay won’t remove it?
Well, if you request Feedback Removal and you don’t meet the criteria for eligibility, you still have the option to reply to the feedback. Naturally, your reply should be professional and courteous! Outline your side of the issue and potential buyers will be able to read your comment and judge for themselves.
How does the automated eBay 5-star award work?
You’ll be automatically awarded a 5-star rating in the following cases:
Shipping
· You offer a free shipping option and the buyer selects it.
· You specify a handling time of within one business day, and you send tracking information to the buyer within one business day once their payment has cleared. This applies to items that will be delivered within four days after receiving payment.
· Any Fast 'N Free listings are protected against poor ratings for shipping times. The rating will be converted automatically to a 5-star rating providing that you have uploaded tracking details, and the estimated delivery time is adhered to.
Communication
· You have specified a handling time of within one business day or less and you must also upload tracking within one business day.
· There are no communications initiated by the buyer and no issues with pending PayPal Purchase Protection or eBay Buyer Protection.
· Neither you nor the buyer has requested contact information.
So, hopefully we’ve covered everything and have answered your questions about eBay’s new Feedback Removal Policy. Nevertheless, if you are ever in any doubt, read the Feedback Removal Policy. If you read it and you still have questions you can also contact eBay Customer Support for further advice.
