How to Become a Top-Rated Seller on eBay (US)

Here’s a quick overview of this post:

1. Reason for eBay sellers competition.
2. The eBay seller levels.
3. How to qualify as a ‘top-rated’ eBay seller?
4. Benefits of achieving top-rated seller status.
5. What is a top-rated seller plus?

1- Reason For eBay Sellers Competition

The competition on eBay today is getting fierce. The reason is that:

• The eBay market tends to be saturated due to its ease of shop.
• Moreover, thousands of people are selling the same products.

These facts compel the sellers to be more creative for the sake of uniqueness. Thus, all they need is a ‘top-rated seller’ badge. This badge helps them to be treated as trustworthy sellers having exceptional customer services.

Apart from the badge, there are eBay seller levels that also help the customer distinguish the selling services. So let’s see below what are the eBay seller levels and how they are different from one another.

2- The eBay Seller Levels

Primarily, there are three eBay seller levels that your business can be categorized into:

1. Top Rated
2. Above Standard
3. Below Standard

Note that:

• Each seller’s status is temporary.
• You need to continuously work to be promoted to a higher level or maintain your existing level.
• eBay evaluates each seller account every month on the 20th and assigns a different level as per the seller qualifies or disqualifies.

 

Your seller dashboard can help you find your seller level. Plus, you can find tips there as well to obtain the next level.

3- How To Qualify As A ‘Top-Rated’ eBay Seller

Following are the eight requirements to qualify as a Top-Rated Seller.

1. Active Account

• An active account is one of the easiest criteria to meet.
• An eBay seller account that is active for at least the last 90 consecutive days is needed to be considered as a top-rated seller.
• Your eBay account is active until you close it once it is created.
• However, eBay can close your account at any time if it finds any prohibited or illegal behavior.
• At least 100 transactions during the last 12 months are needed; to make you a Top-Rated Seller.
• Each transaction counted in this 100 are the ones with the US buyers.
• At least $1000 in sales during the last 12 months.
• Each sale must take place with a US buyer.
• Note that there is no restriction to sell to foreign buyers. But these foreign transactions will not coin the Top Rated Seller status for eBay's US platform.

1. Transactions

1. Sales

1. Comply with eBay's Selling Practices Policy

You must comply with the following eBay’s selling practice policies to be counted as a top-rated seller on eBay.

• Listing description
  • Provide as many product variants as you want. (e.g. brand, color, material, size, gender, etc).
  • Ensure that all information about the product is 100% accurate and well-descriptive.
• Costs
  • Clearly define the cost categories.
  • Buyers need to know which credits are for the product, delivery, and tax.
• Order fulfillment            
  • Clearly define the shipping days and slots and other necessities.
  • Make sure they are 100% accurate.
  • Do not make promises that you can't retain.
  • Provide quick and fruitful responses to any issues buyers may have.
• The transaction defect rate must be 0.5% or less to be eligible for Top-Rated Seller status.
• How transaction defect occurs
  • A transaction defect occurs when the seller cancels a buyer’s transaction.
• Why transaction cancellation occurs
  • Incorrect product-quantity listed. A buyer purchases an out-of-stock item.
  • The seller chooses to cancel a transaction aimlessly.
  • Seller’s inability to solve an issue and meet the buyer's satisfaction.
• Calculate Transaction Defect Rate
  • Percentage of total sales that have a transaction defect.
• Tips to avoid transaction defects
  • Efficient inventory management can help to avoid transaction cancellation.
  • Manual listings of product variants can be incorrect, leading to transaction defects. This issue can be resolved by an automation platform like Stock Konnect. Platforms like Stock Konnect allow you to get rid of stockout complaints.
  • Ensure that there is no unresolved customer issue. Failing to do so will only leave a negative impact on consumers but also let eBay involve in the case.
• The ‘Cases Closed Without Seller Resolution’ rate must be 0.3% or less to be eligible for Top-Rated Seller status.
• Calculate Cases Closed Without Seller Resolution’ Rate
  • The percentage of cases unresolved by the seller without having eBay involved.
• Keep ‘Late Shipment’ rate 3% or less to be eligible for Top-Rated Seller status.
• How Late Shipment defect occurs
  • A transaction is labeled as a ‘late shipment’ defect when either or both of the following two occurs:
    1. The seller fails to deliver the order within the promised span.
    2. The seller delivers the order after the promised delivery date.
  • Maintain a Carrier Validation Rate of at least 95% to help you be considered as a top-rated seller.
  • This means you must maintain a valid tracking for at least 95% of orders.
  • Ensure that all tracking information is accurate and available to the buyer.
  • There must be one recorded carrier scan within the handling time.
  • Assign dedicated personnel or use automation tools to ensure valid tracking for all orders.

1. Transaction Defect Rate

1. ‘Cases Closed Without Seller Resolution’ Rate

1. Late Shipment Rate

1. Carrier Validation Rate

4- Benefits of Achieving Top-Rated Seller Status

Being a Top-Rated Seller will help you in the following ways:

• Help you save money, build trust, boot sales, and increase revenue.
• Top-Rated Seller badge ensures a higher buyer trust and confidence.
• Eligibility to add a prominent eBay Premium Service badge on qualifying listings.
• Being introduced in the 'Best Match' search ranking help you improve listing visibility.
• Shipping discounts when using eBay labels.
• Additional stability from uncontrollable abusive buyers and events.
• Quarterly $30 credit for Promoted Listings.

What is Top-Rated Seller Plus?

Being a Top-Rated Seller, you are eligible to qualify for a Top-Rated Seller Plus seal. With the Top-Rated Seller Plus seal, you will achieve additional benefits especially when your listings offer the following services:

• Provide shipping in one day or the same day.
• A free-return period of 30 days or longer with a money-back option.

Note: The sellers who fall in the category of the real estate service providers, or locally picked-up goods providers are not eligible for Top-Rated Seller Plus status.

Benefits of Top-Rated Seller Plus

If you obtain this status, you can take advantage of the following benefits:

• A prominent display of the Top-Rated Seller Plus seal in search results and the listings description.
• A 10% discount on the final value fees with the following conditions:
  • This discount applies to the final item price only.
  • No shipping costs or any additional final value fees are applied to sales in categories where you’re rated as “very high” for “item not as described” returns.

To sum up

It’s seen that many sellers are satisfied with Top-Rated seller status and are not willing to go the extra mile to attain Top-Rated Seller Plus. Yet they still have to strive a constant struggle to maintain this level.

Your eBay status has significant consequences on your sales and revenue. In the end, it is all about how comfortable a customer feels to buying from you. This puts light on how you can save money on eBay fees.

Well, whatever your status is; top-rated seller or plus, you must keep trying to maintain the status. It’s of great worth from the consumer’s perspective as well. They always buy from a seller having a golden badge next to their listings. So this is why you must strive for a constant flow.

Anyways, if you’re a top-seller reading this, keep it up, mate! You’re the reason why eBay is trustworthy and why we like it to shop from!