eBay Blocks 15,000 Sellers from Listing

eBay instituted a new policy today regarding sellers whose Performance Standards are below minimum. Many sellers who have 4.8 out of 5 DSRs and occasionally see this message are being blocked from listing. Even though a buyer may leave you a positive feedback, he may ding your DSRs for any reason he chooses, even if unwarranted. If you were affected, and are blocked out and can't list, here is what is going on per an email from customerhelp@ebay.com:

Status:     Published
Published date: 08/06/2013
Updated:     08/06/2013

Increase impact of Below Standard ECGs

Details

•Each month we have an existing Below Standard cycle. We apply ECGs (consequences) to sellers who are BST.

•On 8/5 we have applied more severe actions (selling blocks and limits) to more sellers than we have in the past.This change to the standards consequences was a planned change, however this was inadvertently run a week earlier than planned.

1.We have move the worst 15k sellers to Seg D (Selling Block) Issue 181

(Yes, they have blocked 15,000 sellers from listing!!)

2.We have apply Seg C (75% limit) to all Segment B below standard sellers. This can be identified with Issue 361

General FAQ's

Why Do I have Selling Limits

•All sellers on eBay are required to meet minimum performance standards, which measures how well a seller is meeting buyer expectations. The goal is to ensure sellers are delivering both quality items and excellent customer service. Currently, you aren’t meeting the performance standards based on the rate of 1s and 2s you have received on your Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs).

•We’ve applied a selling limit to slow your selling activity, giving you an opportunity to identify and change the selling practices that may be failing to meet buyer expectations. Once you have shown improvement and are able to meet the Detailed Seller Ratings requirements, your limit will be removed.

When will the limits be removed?

•The limits placed on your account will not be removed, but will be raised significantly so as not to heavily impact your account once you are able to meet the minimum standards, and your seller level has changed to ‘Above Standard.’ You can track how well you are doing in your Seller Dashboard, within the Performance tab. You may also want to monitor how you are doing on a monthly basis by checking your 12-month trending data.

How long do I have to improve my DSRs before I get any further consequences? / How long do these consequences last?

•Sellers should immediately identify and adjust any selling practices that may not be meeting buyer expectations, which resulted in receiving low Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs). Sellers who do not work to meet performance standards each month after falling to ‘Below Standard’ should expect heightened consequences – including a limit or block on selling activity.

 How can I improve if you place a limit on me?
 
•Although selling limits slow down your selling activity, you are allowed to continue to sell. Our goal is to slow the pace of your sales to provide you an opportunity to adjust your selling practices and work towards immediate improvement. Let’s work together by determining what you can do so we can help you get out of this.

Do the selling limits include shipping fees?

•Yes, shipping is counted if it's part of the total amount when the item is considered sold and a transaction.

There are 2 ways to deal with eBay's policies - quit your eBay business and go sell somewhere else, or adapt and become a better seller. Check out these resources designed to help you grow your ecommerce business. If we are going to survive on eBay, we have to adapt to their rules and policies.