Seller protections
New seller protections against abusive buyers and easier reporting of policy violations.
What you need to know
- New measures to identify and take action against abusive buyers and protect you
Seller protection overview
New abusive buyer protections and reporting feature update
We’re implementing stronger measures against buyers who don’t follow eBay’s abusive buyer policy. We’re introducing new measures to proactively find abusive buyers, prevent them from filing return requests, and in some cases suspend them. When we find that a buyer violated the policy, we will remove any feedback and defects, including opened cases in service metrics.
We’ve also made it easier for you to report buyers who violate eBay policies. Now when you report a buyer, you can more clearly describe what the buyer is doing to help us investigate potential policy violations and take actions to protect you.
Reduced search visibility for sellers who use a retailer to ship directly to buyers
Sellers who use retailers or marketplaces to ship directly to buyers are in violation of our drop shipping policy and will be lowered in search results, giving sellers who own their own inventory or drop ship from wholesalers greater search visibility.
We protect you in other ways, too
Additional protections include:
- Removal of negative feedback and defects when you’ve done your part (e.g., tracking shows on-time delivery) or when things happen that are beyond your control, such as weather or carrier delays.
- Partial refunds in the returns flow for items returned opened or used when you offer free returns.
Learn more about the many ways we protect you on eBay.
Your track record matters
This summer, we will announce new seller protections that will be based on your track record and how we will protect you when you provide great service to buyers.
Seller protection FAQs
How do you determine if a buyer is violating eBay policy?
To determine if a buyer is violating eBay policy, we evaluate the severity, frequency, and intent of their actions. If the buyer does not appear to be acting in good faith, we’ll remove their feedback and defects, stop them from opening return requests, and in serious cases suspend them.
When should I report a buyer?
Please report buyers if they do the following:
- Buyer demanded something that was not offered in your listing
- Buyer made a false claim
- Buyer misused returns
- Buyer repeatedly makes and then retracts bids
When I report a buyer, will you notify me about any actions taken against an abusive buyer?
We’ll let you know when the actions we take affect you, such as removing their feedback. Because of privacy constraints, we can’t always tell you about actions we take on a buyer’s account.
How can I block a buyer?
You have control over who can bid on and buy your items. If you’ve had an issue with a buyer and would prefer that they can’t purchase or bid on your items, you can add them to your blocked buyers list. Blocked buyers cannot buy from you until you remove them from your list. Learn more about blocking a buyer.
What will happen when I block a buyer?
Buyers will not be notified when you block them but they will be prevented from making future purchases from you. You will still need to resolve any open issues with the buyer.
Will you remove false “item not as described” requests from the service metrics rating now?
Yes, we will remove negative or neutral feedback, defects, and impacts to your service metrics resulting from transactions involving an abusive buyer.
What drop shipping activity is permitted and not permitted by eBay?
Drop shipping, where you fulfill orders directly from a wholesale supplier, is allowed on eBay. However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed.