Locked
Discussions in this board are limited to the original poster and Community Mentors
below standard status
Hello I have been on EBAY at least 12 years and consistently have sold $100,000.00 and more every year. However, due to some complicated circumstances, I have fallen below standard - i have never been below standard in the past - never. This is due to a series of defects, specifically items that sold but i had to cancel. I do not know how to proceed, i wish to stay selling on eBay but my normal method of selling has been radically disrupted. In past years and before being below standard, i listed over 2,000 items and more recently in excess of 3,000 items - almost all were Buy It Now or Best Offer as I did not want to give the items away, as sometimes happens in a straight auction. This approach has served me well and I generated enough sales and $ to serve my needs - operating in this manner. Ebay did not bother me ever before the "below Standard status" was begun in September-October of 2025. I am now reduced to having 800 or so items listed, however the sales are very modest - at times less than $100 daily but it can easily be more. My concern is that selling one, two or three items daily will not be acceptable to eBay and I will be further punished or even suspended due to low dollar sales. I have considered ending all but 50 or so items, starting them at $5.00 and taking my losses - or continuing with 700 or 800 items, selling the few that I do get decent offers on, and waiting out the restriction period. Having almost everything as a Buy It Now or Best Offer worked for me with 3,000 items but it works much less successfully with just 25% of my former items listed. I am okay with selling a few things weekly and having low sales, even for the duration of the restriction period, but am not sure i wont be further punished by eBay for taking this approach. I do not know whether to continue with 700-800 items, take the reasonable offers and just sell maybe $1000-$2000 monthly [I have many more expensive items and the total can be higher] - or reduce my list to 100 items or less, start at $5.00, take whatever I get and at least show more items sold. Any advice on my path forward would be appreciated. I am 80 years old and the uncertainty of my newly acquired restricted status has me very upset.
wooden_flower
Mentor9 months ago@artz9
If you want to continue to sell on eBay, you need to get back above standard as quickly as possible. You have been below standard for a number of months, which is why eBay has started restricting your ability to sell. They will continue to limit your account, eventually taking away all ability to sell.
You have a store, so you are able to run sales. A buy one get one x% off can help you quickly increase the number of items sold. Adding an inexpensive item that you can sell many of is also a good way. Also consider combining the 2 methods.
You need to figure out how many items you need to sell to get your defect rate below 2%. Go to your dashboard and open the monthly breakdown. Your next evaluation at 1/20 will be for Jan 2025 through Dec 2025, so you cannot change that. Look forward to Feb 2025 through Jan 2026. You can see add up your sales and defects Feb - Dec, then calculate how many Jan 2026 sales you need to get below 2%.
If you are going to add low cost items, you need to do it quickly - you are probably going to be below standard at the 1/20 evaluation, so you should expect more restrictions which might include not being able to add new listings.
Good luck.