BBE Seller Rating?
Greetings to all eBay Community members, I have been an eBay seller since 2012. Right now I am facing a problem for which I see no solution, because every communication with eBay Seller Support only leads to more uncertainty about the future of my store. In August, shipments from the EU to the USA were suspended due to the new customs tariffs. Shipping was restored only at the end of October. Foreseeing that this situation would cause problems, I contacted our store’s eBay account manager on 25.08.2025. The communication took place via WhatsApp to the number provided by the eBay account manager. Her reply on 26.08.2025 was: “Hello good day. eBay has sent a message regarding the US tariff update, and we advise you to speak with your shipping partner to confirm any changes in shipping costs, and to continue communicating with your buyer to keep them informed about this change. If you want to exclude your item to us you can remove your listing in us site and can list your item to other sites on eBay. eBay Account Manager Janine.” The only solution offered was to delete my listings on eBay.com — what kind of joke is this from eBay? When I asked if it is possible to temporarily disable shipping to the USA, I received no answer. There was no other explanation or guidance on how to proceed. As we all know, on eBay.com sellers cannot disable the USA as a shipping destination. Therefore, buyers in the USA were able to purchase items from EU sellers, even though shipping was physically impossible. I also could not find any option to place a banner or notice to warn USA buyers that delivery to the USA was suspended. For every USA buyer who purchased an item, I manually sent an explanation that the order must be cancelled because delivery was impossible. About 50% of buyers understood and some even repurchased the item later when shipping resumed. The other 50% marked these cancellations as defects. As a result, my BBE is currently 25.1%. I have no other violations or issues that would justify shutting down my store, but I fully understand that with this percentage my store will likely be closed within the next month. Already now, even though I have not received an official notification of store restriction or closure, eBay has clearly applied a hidden limitation on my account — after receiving the BBE warning, my store traffic dropped by 80%, and of course so did sales. One eBay representative told me that I “should not have selected ‘out of stock’,” which is completely untrue — I know that this option must not be used. I always selected “buyer asked to cancel order.” I repeatedly looked for information in eBay’s internal seller forums, and several sellers reported the same issue: there was absolutely no guidance available on how to properly handle this situation. This is what the Seller Protection Program states: “We remove defects and/or late shipments when things happen that are outside of your control, such as severe weather or carrier disruptions.” This information is published by eBay itself. And this situation was completely outside my control — shipping to the USA was entirely suspended and only resumed at the end of October. Here is the official information, publicly available to everyone. I wasn’t allowed to add the link here, so I attached a photo where the official postal information can be seen. Why eBay chooses to ignore this, or pretend not to know, I do not understand. Please find included the links with all the relevant references, including information from the Latvian Post website. I am highly knowledgeable in my field, my customers appreciate us, and we strive to be the best in our industry. But I am not an IT specialist or a lawyer, and I cannot be expected to know the correct legal or administrative procedures in such a situation. eBay should have provided clear guidance on how to act so that sellers could avoid exactly the problem I am now facing. I would like to hear the opinion or advice of other EU sellers, because all communication with eBay so far has led to no useful solution. All replies I receive sound something like: “It’s your fault.” Thank you for understanding, and I wish you all a successful day.Build confidence in your buyers by meeting your seller levels & performance standards
Do you know that the following factors impact your seller standards & performance: Transaction defect rate Cases closed without seller resolution Late shipments Tracking validation Making sure buyers receive great service from all our sellers is one of our top priorities. Our seller levels and performance standards help you track your performance and let buyers shop with confidence. Do you want to get a clear understanding on eBay seller standards and performance metrics? Then read out article by clicking the link below: https://community.ebay.in/t5/Selling-on-eBay/Understanding-eBay-Seller-Standards-And-Performance/ta-... You can also look for detailed information on our Seller Center here - https://sellglobal.ebay.in/seller-center/seller-performance-standards-why-it-matters/ Regards, eBay INCBT TeamCan defects, late shipments or feedback be appealed?
We know that a seller’s reputation on eBay is an important factor in helping build a successful business. For this reason, we always want your seller performance ratings and feedback to properly reflect the service you provide to your buyers and will adjust these in situations where we find that you were not at fault. Let’s first understand: what’s a defect? A defect is a part of a transaction that eBay considers to have created a bad shopping experience for buyers. A transaction can get a defect in two ways. When a seller cancels a transaction for out of stock; If a seller is unable to resolve a problem through the Resolution Center and eBay steps in, and the seller is found responsible. A seller’s transaction defect rate is the percentage of their total transactions that had either defect. Note that these defects often measure how satisfied your buyers were with a transaction. We don’t count more than one defect per transaction. How does eBay measure my seller performance? We measure seller performance using data from your seller account on your defect rate, late shipment rate and cases closed without you resolving them. What kinds of defects can be removed and how? We automatically remove defects in certain situations, including where we find the buyer was at fault, if the problem was caused by an eBay site issue, or if there was an issue outside of your control like shipping service delays, or items being delayed because of an extreme weather event. You can read the guidelines here. If you've had a defect removed for any of the reasons mentioned above, please note it can take up to two days for your ratings to be adjusted. Appeal a defect If the defect you received can’t be removed automatically, you can appeal it if any of the following circumstances apply: The buyer opened the request by mistake; Tracking was uploaded and shows that the acceptance scan is within your handling time; Tracking was uploaded and shows that the item was delivered to the buyer’s address within the stated estimated delivery date. If the order’s total cost (total of item(s) cost, shipping and tax) is $750 or more, signature confirmation is required; An item sent through our Global Shipping Program or WINIT arrived on time to the processing center but was delayed in international shipping, or the buyer never received it; The transaction was canceled by eBay or the Global Shipping Program; You have proof that a returned item was delivered to the wrong address. Things to keep in mind: Automatic adjustments happen daily, but please allow up to 72 hours for them to show in your seller standards dashboard or your feedback profile; Appeals aren't considered if tracking shows the item is still in transit, if there is an open eBay Money Back Guarantee request, or a refund hasn't been issued for a returned item; You may qualify for automatic 5-star detailed seller ratings and other protections outlined in the Seller Protection Policy. Regards, eBay INCBT TeamUnderstanding eBay Seller Standards And Performance
To sell on eBay as a seller you have to maintain certain levels of customer service and meet eBay’s Seller Standard metrics. eBay’s Seller Standards are designed to monitor the buying experience that you give shoppers. By measuring your dispatch times, customer service and any issues with your transactions, eBay determines which one of three Standard Levels you meet: eBay Top-rated Seller Above Standard Below Standard We evaluate your selling on the 20th day of each month based on your sales history and the quality of service you provide to your buyers. High volume sellers (400 or more transactions in 3 months) have a 3-month lookback Low volume sellers (399 or fewer transactions in 3 months) have a 12-month lookback Do you know the factors impacting your seller standards & performance: Transaction defect rate Cases closed without seller resolution Late shipments Tracking validation Seller Standard criteria: Seller Standard Top Rated Above Standard Below Standard Transaction defect rate 0.50% 2% Above 2% Closed Cases without seller resolution 0.30% 0.30% Above 0.30% Late shipment Rate 3% 7% Above 7% Tracking uploaded on time and validated 5% NA NA Here’s what you should take care of: Respond to the cases within 24 hours and try to give speedy resolution. Make sure that case been resolved by you, so the buyer does not need to escalate it to eBay. Make sure the tracking upload and scan is happening in time. In case of cancellation of items, take buyers consent and make sure out of stock inventory does not lead to cancellation. For detailed information on Seller levels and Performance Standards click here. Regards, eBay INCBT TeamUnderstanding eBay Seller Standards And Performance
To sell on eBay as a seller you have to maintain certain levels of customer service and meet eBay’s Seller Standard metrics. eBay’s Seller Standards are designed to monitor the buying experience that you give shoppers. By measuring your dispatch times, customer service and any issues with your transactions, eBay determines which one of three Standard Levels you meet: eBay Top-rated Seller Above Standard Below Standard We evaluate your selling on the 20th day of each month based on your sales history and the quality of service you provide to your buyers. High volume sellers (400 or more transactions in 3 months) have a 3-month lookback Low volume sellers (399 or fewer transactions in 3 months) have a 12-month lookback Do you know the factors impacting your seller standards & performance: Transaction defect rate Cases closed without seller resolution Late shipments Tracking validation Seller Standard criteria: Seller Standard Top Rated Above Standard Below Standard Transaction defect rate 0.50% 2% Above 2% Closed Cases without seller resolution 0.30% 0.30% Above 0.30% Late shipment Rate 3% 7% Above 7% Tracking uploaded on time and validated 5% NA NA Here’s what you should take care of: Respond to the cases within 24 hours and try to give speedy resolution. Make sure that case been resolved by you, so the buyer does not need to escalate it to eBay. Make sure the tracking upload and scan is happening in time. In case of cancellation of items, take buyers consent and make sure out of stock inventory does not lead to cancellation. For detailed information on Seller levels and Performance Standards click here. Regards, eBay INCBT Team
