Stick to the original agreement

After putting his extensive collection of Elvis stamps up for sale on eBay, a seller named Matt decided he really wanted to keep his stamps after all, despite having winning bidders. As a result, he received 5 negative and 2 neutral feedback.

His overall feedback had previously been 185 with 98.5% positive. However, over the past 30 days, he received feedback from 58 buyers, 51 of which were positive, 2 were neutral, and 5 were negative. As a result, his negative and neutral feedback over the past 30 days caused his overall feedback rating to drop to 88% ((5 negatives + 2 neutral) / (5 negatives + 2 neutral + 51 positives)).

This raised Matt's buyer dissatisfaction rate above 10% — well above the allowable amount — and put Matt in violation of the Seller Non-Performance policy. Matt should expect that action will be taken on his account (possibly including a complete restriction on selling privileges) and that he will receive a communication fully explaining to him the details of that action.

Timeliness and good communication are key

PowerSeller Molly runs a small business on eBay. Recently, her only employee left, moving to another city. It took Molly several weeks to find a suitable replacement. In the meantime, she had difficulty sending her products in a timely manner and didn't communicate the issues she was having to her buyers. While the buyers eventually received their products, many left negative and neutral feedback.

Molly had been selling since 1997 and her total feedback was 7,781 with 99% positive. Over the past 30 days, her sales were US$24,000. However, also over the past 30 days, she'd received feedback from 775 buyers, 735 of which were positive, 25 were neutral, and 15 were negative. As a result, over the past 30 days, her overall feedback percentage fell to 94.8% ((15 negatives + 25 neutral) / (15 negatives + 25 neutral +735 positives)). Because Molly's buyer dissatisfaction rate exceeds 5%, Molly is in violation of the Seller Non-Performance policy. Molly should expect that action will be taken on her account (possibly including a limitation of selling privileges for a period of time) and that she will receive a communication fully explaining the details of that action.

Accurate descriptions help set buyer expectations

Elizabeth is a casual seller on eBay. Last month, one of her old friends gave her a pair of pants, a sweater and a blouse to sell. While Elizabeth took pictures to add to her listing, she failed to point out in her description that there were small moth holes in the clothes. While, upon learning of her buyer's dissatisfaction, she did offer a full refund for the items, she still received negative feedback from 2 buyers and neutral feedback from another.

Elizabeth has been selling since 2005. Her total feedback score was previously 250 with 98% positive. However, over the past 30 days, she received 41 total feedback, including 2 negative and 1 neutral. As a result, over the past 30 days, her overall feedback percentage declined to 93.7% ((2 negatives + 1 neutral) / (2 negatives + 1 neutral + 38 positives)).

Because Elizabeth's buyer dissatisfaction rate exceeds 5%, she is in violation of the Seller Non-Performance policy. Elizabeth should expect that action will be taken on her account (possibly including a limitation of selling privileges for a period of time) and that she will receive a communication fully explaining the details of that action.

What sellers should do immediately to improve buyer satisfaction if they are in violation of the Seller Non-Performance policy:

• Complete all open transactions.

• Review Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) for insights on what is causing buyer dissatisfaction.

• Settle any open issues with buyers. You can access disputes from the Dispute Console in My eBay.

• File Unpaid Item claims for transactions that received no payment.

If you require assistance with the Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described process or other issues, here are some resources to provide more information:

• View emails sent from eBay in My Messages

• See all open disputes in the Dispute Console

• Learn more about the Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described process

For more detailed information on why restrictions are issued and what sellers can do to improve buyer satisfaction, please read the Frequently Asked Questions.

What buyers can do if they feel a seller has violated the Seller Non-Performance policy

If a seller has refused to complete a sale, and payment has not been sent or payment has been refunded, report the seller. Make sure to include a copy of the email documenting the seller's refusal to complete the sale with the full message text and complete email headers when making your report.

If a buyer has paid for an item and has been unable to receive the item or a refund, or believes the item was significantly misrepresented, they should refer to the eBay Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described process. Buyers will also find instructions that will allow them to contact eBay to report the seller on this page.

Note: Eligibility for buyer protection services is determined by the payment method that you use and the eBay country site where the item was purchased. You can review how your purchase is protected on the item page.

You can only open a dispute through the specific eBay country site where you purchased the item. If you try to open a dispute on an eBay country site other than the site where you purchased the item, you will be asked to continue your dispute on the appropriate eBay site.

After receiving a report, eBay will consider the circumstances of the alleged offense. If a complaint cannot be proven with certainty, it is possible that no action will be taken. Due to privacy issues, eBay will be unable to discuss the result of the investigation.

If a seller is no longer able to complete the transaction because the item is no longer available for trade, the seller may consider contacting the buyer, explaining the situation, and attempting to reach an amicable resolution. While eBay encourages the buyer to be open to a reasonable resolution proposed by the seller, the buyer is not obligated to agree to any such proposal.

In a transaction on the eBay platform, both the seller and the buyer are expected to honor their commitments. eBay has this policy to ensure that eBay’s sellers understand their obligations and to protect eBay’s buyers.