eBay rules for sellers: the eBay sourcing policy, VeRO, selling limits and account health.
To remove negative feedback on eBay, either ask eBay to remove it because it breaks eBay's feedback rules, using the request in Seller Help, or resolve the buyer's problem and send a feedback revision request. If neither applies, reply publicly and calmly. Never offer money or extras in exchange for a change.
To increase eBay selling limits, check your current limit in Seller Hub under Overview and Monthly limits, then request an increase there once you have a record of good performance. Limits cap how much you can list and sell each month, even when you still have free listings, and category limits can apply when you are new to a category.
The eBay VeRO programme lets intellectual property rights owners report listings they say infringe their rights. eBay can remove the listing, warn, restrict or suspend the seller. If only the way an item is listed infringes, you may be able to edit it; you can also appeal, or contact the rights owner to ask for a retraction.
Your eBay transaction defect rate is the share of your orders in the evaluation window that had a defect, such as a sale you cancelled for lack of stock or a case closed without your resolution. On eBay UK, Above Standard allows up to 2% and Top Rated no more than 0.5%.
eBay seller performance standards rate every UK seller once a month as Top Rated, Above Standard or Below Standard. The rating comes from your transaction defect rate, cases closed without seller resolution and, for Top Rated, late deliveries, measured over 3 or 12 months depending on how much you sell.
eBay prohibited and restricted items are two different lists. Prohibited items cannot be sold on eBay at all; restricted items can be sold only under conditions eBay sets, such as age checks, approved sellers or specific listing rules. Check every new product against eBay's policy pages before listing, because breaking them can mean removed listings and account restrictions.
An eBay payment on hold means eBay has received the buyer's money but is not yet paying it out to you. Common reasons are a new or infrequent selling account, waiting for delivery to be confirmed, an open return or case, money owed to eBay, or an account issue. Valid tracking and prompt dispatch usually release holds sooner.
The eBay Money Back Guarantee lets buyers who paid through eBay checkout get their money back when an item does not arrive or does not match the listing. For sellers, the key rules are the deadlines: buyers have 30 calendar days to report, and you have 3 business days to respond before the buyer can ask eBay to step in.
The eBay late delivery rate is the share of your orders that reached the buyer after the latest estimated delivery date. With tracking, a parcel only counts as late if there was also no carrier scan within your dispatch time. Top Rated sellers in the UK can have no more than 5 late deliveries or 3%.
eBay's counterfeit policy is simple: counterfeit and replica items are not allowed, because an infringing item cannot be sold on eBay. Listings can also be removed for using a brand's name, logo or photos in a misleading way, even when the item is genuine. Know your source, keep invoices and describe unbranded items honestly.
A case closed without seller resolution is an eBay Money Back Guarantee request that the buyer escalated and eBay closed in the buyer's favour because you did not resolve it. On eBay UK you can have up to 2 such cases or 0.3% of transactions, whichever is higher, and each one is also a transaction defect.
If your eBay account is suspended, read eBay's notice for the reason, fix what it names, and appeal through the route given in the notice or in Seller Help. A good appeal is short and factual: what happened, what you have changed and the evidence. Never open a new account to get around a suspension.
