For the past 15 years my own profile has floated in & out of Top Rated Seller status, based on annual sales & I have received similar notifications > don't stress. Let your friend read the eBay announcement "Seller protections are being expanded" dated 12 June 2021 in regards to the importance of maintaining either Above Standard or Top Rated status.....
If you're delivering on your service promises and creating good buying experiences, you'll have access to additional seller protections.
To be eligible, you need to be meeting eBay's seller performance standards:
Protections when a buyer falsely claims an item was not as described
When you report the buyer:
- If we determine the buyer made a false claim, we'll give you up to AU $9.00 back to help cover the return postage costs you paid. Any subsidies will be credited to your account monthly.
- We'll automatically remove negative and neutral Feedback, defects, and open cases in service metrics.
You must first ensure that you have completed the return and issued a refund to the buyer. You can also report the buyer from the return request.
Protections when an item is returned after it was used or damaged by the buyer
If you accepted a buyer's return request within 3 business days but the item is returned in a different condition than it was originally sent:
- You can deduct up to 50% from the refund to recover the lost value of the item. For guidance around partial refunds, see the Refund deduction guidelines table
- We'll take care of any issues associated with the item being returned by working directly with the buyer, and by removing any negative and neutral Feedback and open cases in service metrics.
Ensure you issue the partial refund within 3 business days after receiving the returned item. You can do this from the return request.
- Note: If you don't refund the buyer and return tracking shows the item was delivered, eBay may automatically issue a full refund on your behalf.
