When you sell on eBay, you are safeguarded by eBay Seller Protection policies, transaction monitoring, and data systems that help to keep eBay a secure and vibrant community.
You can sell with confidence because eBay’s dedicated seller protection team works around the clock to enforce policies and prevent problems from occurring.
Backed by large-scale, automated detection systems monitoring millions of transactions daily, eBay’s team uses world-class technology to prevent problems before they start so that you can focus on your business.
This article will help you understand the eBay seller protection system and how it works.
How does eBay seller protection work in different situations?
eBay protects you from numerous uncontrollable situations and is there 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
#1 There is an item that arrives late that you shipped on time. So what can eBay seller protection system do?
eBay will automatically adjust your late shipment rate, and remove poor feedback when:
- The shipment receives a carrier scan within your handling time, even if it arrives late.
- Even if you send it late, the shipment receives a delivery scan by the estimated delivery date.
- If the shipment does not obtain a carrier scan and no tracking information is available, but the buyer does not indicate that the item was late, it will not be considered a late shipment.
#2 There are carrier disruptions, bugs, or severe weather. eBay seller protection system can help vendors in this situation, or not?
eBay will automatically adjust your late shipment rate, remove canceled 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 disasters, or severe weather.
- Even though you shipped it late, if the shipment obtains a delivery scan within the predicted arrival date range.
- Events listed on the announcement board are covered by this protection.
#3 What will eBay seller protection do when 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, eBay 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.
This is one of the situations that eBay seller protection will support
#4 In the situation that a buyer retracts their bid or doesn’t pay, will eBay seller protection system help eBay vendors?
- If you cancel a transaction when a buyer retracts their bid, eBay will remove canceled transaction defects and remove negative feedback.
- If the buyer doesn’t pay and you file and close an Unpaid Item request, eBay will remove feedback and cancel transaction defects, and you will be refunded the final value fee.
- To prevent unpaid items, you can require immediate payment from buyers.
#5 A buyer changes their order or requests something extra. How does the eBay seller protection resolve it?
You never have to agree to any changes to additional items or to the terms in your listing.
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.
We will remove feedback and defects when we can see the buyer’s demands or requests for changes in eBay Messages.
#6 When a customer has an unusual rate of complaints or returns, will eBay seller protection system protects eBay businessman in this case?
- eBay has developed ways to detect if a buyer is abusing the return process and have the ability to prevent them from starting a return.
- eBay employs 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, eBay may take action to prevent a buyer from starting a return or a claim and we will remove feedback and defects.
- If eBay takes action on a buyer for violating the Buying Practices policy, eBay will remove feedback and any defects from that buyer.
#7 If vendors’ Seller Performance Standards are impacted, can eBay seller protection system help?
a. Fair performance evaluation: eBay considers your whole performance to appropriately estimate your overall performance. eBay also takes into account a buyer’s pattern of opening cases and protects you when necessary.
b. Transaction defect rate:
- The transaction defect rate will not be considered in your seller performance status unless you have at least four transactions with flaws from different purchasers within your evaluation period.
- Buyers don’t see your defect rate.
c. 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 keep your Top Rated Seller status and advantages, and you have two review 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
- You’ve been a Top Rated Seller for the last 3 (or more) consecutive months immediately preceding evaluation.
If you do not meet the sales and tracking requirements, as well as the performance standards, after the grace period has expired, you will lose your Top Rated Seller status and benefits.
Learn more about becoming a Top Rated Seller by clicking here.
#8 The eBay seller protection will help you when you have eBay Money Back Guarantee requests.
a. If a buyer reports that an item hasn’t been received: You are protected if you send your item within the specified handling time and give tracking information to the buyer before you or the buyer requests eBay to step in and assist with a request.
Tracking information needs to include:
- A delivery status of “delivered”
- The date of delivery
- The recipient’s address
- Signature confirmation, if an item has a total cost of $750 or more
b. If a buyer reports that an item isn’t as described: If a customer files a return request because an item is not as described in the description, and then asks eBay to step in and assist, you are protected if you offer free returns.
You may also be protected if you offer detailed documentation demonstrating that the item was truthfully and consistently described in the listing. This documentation may include photographs of the item that you upload to eBay as part of the return procedure.
c. Appeals: Buyers and sellers have 30 days from the date the case is completed to appeal our decision by submitting the necessary documentation on My eBay.
d. Other resolution methods: Buyers are not permitted to use more than one resolution method to get a refund. A buyer is required to use the resolution method they chose 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 reimbursing eBay or the purchaser, you can appeal the decision by submitting documentation of the lost chargeback.
Conclusion
eBay Seller Protection policies will help sellers to resolve problems with their buyers. In this article, we introduced you to 8 common issues that eBay seller protection system will step in and assist eBay vendors.
Hopefully, after reading this post, you can sell in confidence on eBay and grow your business. We wish you luck!