Many sellers are still not educated on the eBay Defect System. This system is based on percentages. If a seller receives too many defects as a percentage of total ratings, the account will be moved into "below standard" status. Keep in mind that defects are not the same as feedback comments from buyers. Defects occur in the following situations:
Seller canceled transactions due to loss, damage, or any other reason (does not include buyer canceled transactions)
Opened cases for items not as described
Return requests for items not as described
Low detailed seller ratings for shipping time
Requests for items not received
If a seller drops into below standard status, this is serious business. The account can be closed and the seller is prohibited from selling on eBay. There are ways to recover from below standard rating, and it takes commitment and aggressive action on the seller's part.
First, study your defects and determine if any can be removed. Call eBay and discuss. Many defects can be removed based on looking at buyer communications and other circumstances.
1. List the maximum number of items allowed. Let eBay see you are serious about getting back into good standing and you are actually doing the work.
2. Take low offers if necessary to get sales. It's a numbers game. You have to get sales to pull yourself out of the hole. eBay search rewards active stores - Cassini likes stores with sales and gives them a boost in search.
3. Think about the overall health of your account rather than how much money you are making right now. Without an ebay account you will make zero dollars in the future. Understand the concept of delayed gratification - rewards will come later.
4. Offer free shipping on as many items as makes sense. The buyer cannot rate a seller on shipping if free shipping is offered. This takes one of the ratings off the table completely.
5.Refrain from communications with buyers unless they ask a question, because if you don't have communications with buyers, they cannot rate the seller in that area, and that is also an automatic 5 stars.
6. Be patient, it will take time. Have patience and keep working on it. Have faith in the process and keep going. Lots of people have recovered from this.
7. Most importantly, learn the system. Check your Seller Dashboard daily (all sellers should be doing this already) and immediately address any defects that occur. Call eBay and appeal the situation. Sometimes it takes multiple calls to reach a customer service rep who is aggressive enough to resolve the situation.
Bottom line - sellers are responsible for the health of their accounts. Monitor your dashboard closely and often. Don't wait until it is too late and your account has been suspended.
Related Articles:
Need Some Help Increasing Sales in Your eBay Store?
eBay Consignment Done Right
21 Year Old eBay Seller Pays Cash for Car- Hard Work Pays Off!
I've heard that they hold your paypal proceeds for up to 30 days if you are below standard. Is this true? If so, that is really bad.
ReplyDeleteI've called ebay to get defects removed and they have removed some that were totally unfair. It pays to be professional and nice when you call.
Thanks for the tips!