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Seller News September 2010

Overview
Reminder: Buyer protection cases to be added to seller performance standards
This is a reminder that eBay and PayPal buyer protection cases will be added as a new requirement to the seller performance standards. Access to this information was made available on the Seller Dashboard in May 2010, and will help sellers to respond to cases quickly and proactively. Originally due to start on 20 September, this has been delayed to 20 October 2010.

Visit your Seller Dashboard now

What cases are included or excluded?

Included Excluded
  • Cases opened as a result of item not received or significantly not as described (“opened cases”)
  • Cases that were not resolved by the seller, and either eBay or PayPal have issued a refund under the buyer protection policy (“seller unresolved cases”)
  • Cases opened to return an item
  • Cases opened to cancel a transaction
  • Cases where the buyer abused or misused the eBay or PayPal buyer protection process

All seller performance standards including the rate of opened and seller unresolved cases are shown in the Seller Dashboard, and aren’t visible to buyers.

Visit your Seller Dashboard now

Evaluation period

The evaluation period is displayed on the Seller Dashboard and sellers should regularly visit to keep track of their performance.

Cases are evaluated in the same period as low detailed seller ratings:

  • Sellers with more than 400 transactions during the previous 3 calendar months will be evaluated over 3 months.
  • Sellers with less than 400 transactions during the previous 3 calendar months will be evaluated over 12 months.

Visit your Seller Dashboard to see your performance

Protecting sellers against buyer abuse

“Buyer abuse” refers to situations where the buyer misuses the system, for example by inappropriately or filing an excessive number of cases, attempting to commit fraud or using the system against competitors.

eBay and PayPal will screen for these situations and exclude them from the count of opened cases to help ensure that a seller’s performance is reflected accurately.

In addition, several checks will be undertaken before a case is considered “opened”. These include:

  • Eligibility of the transaction for eBay Buyer Protection or PayPal Buyer Protection
  • Status of payment
  • Whether a full refund via PayPal has been completed
  • Whether the buyer attempted to contact the seller
  • Whether a case has already been filed for the same transaction
  • Whether a credit card chargeback has been filed through PayPal
  • For item not received cases, whether enough time has passed since payment was completed

Find out more about what else eBay is doing to protect sellers from buyer abuse (Seller News June 2010).

Take action

By when Take action
20 October 2010 Reminder: Buyer protection cases counted for seller performance standard
Now Review buyer protection cases displayed on your Seller Dashboard, and create an action plan for any areas that require attention
Now Review tips on how to improve your detailed seller ratings
Now Review our Seller Checklist

 

Frequently asked questions
  1. What should I do if I am not meeting the new requirements?
  2. I am an international seller and sell items to buyers in the UK. Will this requirement affect me?
  3. What is considered buyer abuse?
  4. Could my count of opened cases ever include cases opened by buyers who didn’t contact me first to resolve the issue?

1. What should I do if I am not meeting the new requirements?

Look for ways to minimise the occurrence of cases filed by following best practices. This includes proactive communication and managing customer expectations. If a case is filed, it's important that issues are resolved in a timely and professional manner according to eBay Buyer Protection and PayPal Buyer Protection guidelines for responding to cases filed.

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2. I am an international seller and sell items to buyers in the UK. Will this requirement affect me?

All international sellers selling to buyers in the UK and Ireland must meet the minimum performance standards of these sites. This includes meeting the requirement on buyer protection cases.

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3. What is considered buyer abuse?

“Buyer abuse” refers to situations where the buyer misuses the system, for example by inappropriately or filing an excessive number of cases, attempting to commit fraud or using the system against competitors.

If sellers are concerned there’s been a violation of policy, they should report it directly, so that investigations may begin and appropriate action taken.

Report members who are abusing or misusing the Feedback system

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4. Could my count of opened cases ever include cases opened by buyers who didn’t contact me first to resolve the issue?

Buyers are always asked whether they've contacted the seller and are directed to do so if their answer is no. Most buyers will contact the seller at this point and won’t open a case. However, eBay is not always able to verify communication that takes place outside of eBay's onsite email systems and there may be cases from buyers included in your count who did not contact you first.

For this reason, sellers are encouraged to keep member-to-member communication on the site, so that there is a clear record of the history of the transaction when the buyer opens a case. In addition, it will enable Customer Support to assist buyers and sellers in resolving cases quickly.

Find out more about new developments in member-to-member emails

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