Seller News April 2010

New PowerSeller eligibility requirements

The new PowerSeller eligibility requirements will include:

1. A lower transaction and gross merchandise volume;
2. An average score on detailed seller ratings (DSR) of 4.6 or higher in all four areas; and
3. A low number of ratings of only 1 or 2 stars on the detailed seller rating score (low star ratings).

Reduced sales requirements

By reducing the sales requirements of the PowerSeller programme, many sellers who provide consistently high service but who were unable to join, because they did not meet it, will now be able to access the PowerSeller discounts and its benefits. They may also qualify for the eBay Top-rated seller status and its associated benefits. Membership to the PowerSeller programme is free.

Raised minimum performance standard

In April, all PowerSellers including new participants will be required to meet the raised minimum performance standard for selling on eBay. In addition, the Selling Practices policy (introduced in October 2009 for eBay Top-rated sellers only) will extend to all sellers. Learn more about the raised minimum performance standard

Sellers who meet the new eligibility requirements in April will be notified in their Seller Dashboard and by email that they can join the PowerSeller programme in May. PowerSellers who don’t meet the new criteria will be notified 30 days in advance. If they still don’t meet the criteria by the end of that period, they will lose their PowerSeller status and associated benefits.

Visit your Seller Dashboard to find out more about your current performance.

Learn more about the PowerSeller eligibility requirements

The new eligibility requirements for the PowerSeller programme

Criteria	Current	April 2010
Minimum transactions	Minimum of 100 items sold per month for three consecutive months	Minimum 100 UK & IE transactions per 12 months
Sales volume (GMV)	Minimum sales volume of £750 across a minimum average of four monthly listings.*	Minimum UK & IE sales volume of £2000 per 12 months*
Average detailed ratings score (must meet in all four areas)	4.0 or greater	4.6 or greater
Max. number of low star ratings of 1 and 2 stars (must meet only one criteria)	No minimum performance standard for PowerSellers	Minimum performance standard Item as described Max: 1% or 3 Communication Max: 2% or 3 Dispatch time Max: 2% or 3 P&P charges Max: 2% or 3
Other requirements
Business seller	Must be registered as business seller on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie
Feedback	100 feedback, 98% or more positive (from global transactions)
Membership	Active member for 90 days
Account	Account is in good financial standing
Policy breaches	Have no policy breaches in the preceding 90 days.	Have no policy breaches in the preceding 90 days and, in respect of the Feedback Manipulation, Shill Bidding and Counterfeits policies, have no policy breaches in the preceding 180 days. Must comply with the Selling Practices policy.

*Euro equivalent for sellers based in The Republic of Ireland.

Benefits and discounts for PowerSellers

PowerSellers are recognised for consistently delivering excellent service and are rewarded with discounts and other benefits. From April, PowerSellers will receive either an Above Standard or an eBay Top-rated Seller status.

eBay Top-rated sellers can access a higher level of discounts and benefits, including a higher ranking on search results pages and prominent display of the eBay Top-rated seller badge in search results and on item pages.

* Only items sold to buyers in the UK and Ireland are considered for the low star ratings criteria.

Learn more about all benefits of the PowerSeller programme

Take action

When	Action
Now	DSR scores are updated daily. Visit your Seller Dashboard regularly to keep track of your performance.
Now	Identify any areas at risk and create an action plan to improve your detailed ratings.

1. How will I know if I am eligible for the PowerSeller programme?
2. Why are the PowerSeller volume thresholds being reduced?
3. Why is the mimum performance standard being raised?
4. What will happen to PowerSellers who don’t meet the new minimum performance standard?
5. How do I find out if I’m an eBay Top-rated seller?
6. What is the policy for using the eBay Top-rated seller badge?
7. What are the minimum performance standards on other eBay sites?
8. How are low star ratings calculated?

1. How will I know if I am eligible for the PowerSeller programme?

An assessment will be made based on your sales data and seller performance up to and including April. If you qualify, you can expect to receive an email towards the end of May inviting you to participate in the PowerSeller programme. You should also check the Seller Dashboard regularly to keep track of your performance.

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2. Why are the PowerSeller volume thresholds being reduced?

They are being reduced to make the PowerSeller programme accessible to more sellers who provide excellent service to buyers but do not have a high volume of transactions.

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3. Why is the minimum performance standard being raised?

The online expectations of buyers are constantly increasing. The performance standards are being revised in order to raise the overall standard of service on the eBay site in line with the expectations of the market.

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4. What will happen to PowerSellers who don’t meet the new minimum performance standard?

All PowerSellers should regularly check their Seller Dashboards to ensure they are meeting the new qualification criteria before the April changes take effect.

Sellers who do not qualify for the programme in April should continue to work on improving their performance and check their Seller Dashboard regularly to keep track of their progress. Sellers are evaluated each month and may rejoin the programme when they meet the qualification criteria.

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5. How do I find out if I’m an eBay Top-rated seller?

If you qualify for the eBay Top-rated seller status you will be notified in your Seller Dashboard and by email. Visit your Seller Dashboard to find out more about your current performance.

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6. What is the policy for using the eBay Top-rated seller badge?

If you're an eBay Top-rated seller, a prominent eBay Top-rated seller badge will automatically appear in your listings. Review the Selling Practices policy on the use of the eBay Top-rated seller badge. Generally, sellers are not allowed to use the eBay Top-rated seller badge or similar artwork and expressions in listing descriptions and other buyer-facing pages as this would decrease its value and make it less effective. Phrases like "top rated seller," "top seller," "trusted seller," or other similar terms may not be used. Use of the eBay Top-rated seller badge is restricted by the PowerSeller terms and conditions.

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7. What are the minimum performance standards on other eBay sites?

Minimum performance standards also exist for other eBay markets. Sellers dispatching to US, Germany, Austria and Switzerland must meet the minimum performance standards for those countries. Likewise, international sellers selling to the UK and Ireland must meet the minimum performance standards of these sites.

Learn more about the minimum performance standard for eBay.com

Learn more about the minimum performance standard for eBay.de (similar to eBay.at and eBay.ch)

8. How are low star ratings calculated?

Sellers will be able to see a daily updated snapshot of their low ratings of 1 or 2 stars by each detailed rating area on their Seller Dashboard. Review your Seller Dashboard

Detailed ratings are calculated across four areas: Item Description, Communication, Dispatch time and Postage & packaging charges. There are allowable maximum rates of low ratings of 1 and 2 stars for each area for all eBay sellers.

The calculation is as follows:

Number of 1 or 2 star ratings received, divided by total number of transactions

The total number of transactions includes all transactions, not just transactions where detailed ratings have been received. Only transactions made with buyers in UK and Ireland are considered for low star ratings.