Feedback frequently asked questions (2024)

1. When should I leave Feedback?
2. What should I consider before rating a seller's performance?
3. Why are buyers who receive unpaid item strikes allowed to leave Feedback?
4. Why are sellers allowed to leave only positive Feedback for buyers?
5. What should I do if I have a problem with a buyer?
   
6. How do I protect myself from buyers who don't follow eBay policies, and what is eBay doing to protect me?
   
7. Now that Mutual Feedback Withdrawal no longer exists, is it still possible for buyers to change or withdraw their Feedback?
   
8. I received unfair Feedback. Will you remove it?

1. When should I leave Feedback?
   Buyers and sellers should leave Feedback within 60 days after the listing ends.
   • Sellers are encouraged to leave Feedback as soon as payment is received (or has cleared). That will start the Feedback process off on a good note.
   
   
   • Buyers should wait to leave Feedback for sellers until after they receive the item. If the item doesn't arrive, the buyer should double-check the shipping time in the item description and contact the seller if the package is clearly late. If the seller sent a tracking number, the buyer should check with the carrier to see when the item should arrive. It's important to take these steps before leaving Feedback.
2. What should I consider before rating a seller's performance?
   In general, here's what you should be thinking about when leaving Feedback for a seller:
   • Did you get what you were expecting, based on the item description?
   
   
   • Was the item packaged appropriately (to prevent damage during shipping)?
   
   
   • Did the seller ship the item within the timeframe indicated in the listing? (Remember that international shipments may be subject to additional delays.)
   
   
   • Were the shipping and handling costs reasonable?
   
   
   • If you communicated with the seller, were your questions or concerns addressed? Did the seller respond within a reasonable amount of time?
   
   
3. Why are buyers who receive unpaid item strikes allowed to leave Feedback?
   Because we don't know when a buyer has actually paid, buyers are allowed to continue using eBay as they normally would, and that includes leaving Feedback. However, eBay will remove any neutral or negative Feedback left by the buyer in any of these cases:
   • The buyer doesn't respond to the unpaid item process.
   
   
   • The response indicates that the buyer isn't following eBay guidelines (for example, the buyer ended up purchasing the item somewhere else).
   
   
   • The buyer ends up getting suspended for the unpaid item or a different policy violation.
   
   
4. Why are sellers allowed to leave only positive Feedback for buyers?
   Sellers used to be able to leave negative Feedback for buyers. Unfortunately, we found that when buyers had bad experiences with sellers, they were often reluctant to leave neutral or negative Feedback out of fear that the seller would retaliate by leaving negative Feedback for them. And when buyers did receive unfair negative Feedback, they usually decreased their shopping on eBay. Overall, it became clear that the fear of retaliatory negative Feedback made it more difficult for good sellers to distinguish themselves from not-so-good sellers, and made the Feedback system as a whole less reliable.
5. What should I do if I have a problem with a buyer?
   If you experience a problem with a buyer please report it to us using the seller reporting hub and we'll follow up.
6. How do I protect myself from buyers who don't follow eBay policies, and what is eBay doing to protect me?
   Specifying what types of buyers are allowed to purchase from you can be effective protection, so we encourage sellers to add buyer requirements to their listings. If you use Buy It Now, you can also require buyers to pay immediately using PayPal.

   eBay is proactively educating buyers and taking action in cases of Feedback abuse. We also provide enhanced Feedback protection for unpaid items.

   See what else eBay is doing to protect sellers.

7. How that Mutual Feedback Withdrawal no longer exists, is it still possible for buyers to change or withdraw their Feedback?
   Yes. Buyers can revise Feedback they've left for sellers in the case of a mistake. Unlike Mutual Feedback Withdrawal, buyers will be able to change the actual comment itself, not just withdraw the rating.
8. I received unfair Feedback. Will you remove it?
   eBay will remove Feedback ratings and comments in certain limited situations. Please see the Feedback Withdrawal and Removal page to review the guidelines for Feedback removal. If the Feedback you were left meets the guidelines, please report it to us.

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All about Feedback
Frequently asked questions
Feedback policies
Detailed seller rating tips for sellers
Protecting the seller's reputation
Take a tutorial on Feedback

Leave Feedback
View a Feedback Profile
Reply to Feedback received
Follow up to Feedback left
Request Feedback revision
Make Feedback public or private