11 Months In: Solo Seller, Top Rated Plus, $50M Limit & 56% Feedback Rate
Summary: gadget-nerd shared their journey of becoming a successful eBay seller, reaching Top Rated Plus status, and achieving a $50 million selling limit within 11 months. They emphasized their unique approach to customer service and packaging, which led to a high feedback rate. Other participants questioned aspects of their achievements, such as the 56% feedback rate and the rapid milestone attainment. Some provided insights into eBay's selling practices, while others shared their own experiences, both supportive and critical. The conversation included clarifications on seller ratings and feedback mechanisms, with varied responses on the significance of such accomplishments.
I would like to share my story and accomplishments in hopes that this will get recognized by the higher-ups because I think that I have done something pretty incredible.
I live in Mobile, AL and we used to have a chain of stores in the area named Dirt Cheap. Their business model was simple. They bought return pallets from Amazon, Walmart and Target and sold that merchandise on their shelved for Dirt Cheap prices. To give you an example I bought 30 or 40 Marvel Legends Star Lord action figures for 48 cents with tax and sold them for $14.95. My first year in business I made $20,000 profit from buying exclusively at Dirt Cheap and reselling that merchandise. I made my first sale on July 29, 2023 and started my store subscription on September 1st.
On my first evaluation I was awarded Top Rated Plus. I was on my Seller Hub right after Thanksgiving and I saw Top Rated at the top of my page. I clicked on it and still didn't fully understand what it meant so I did a Google search to find out what it actually meant. It still didn't register in my brain what I had actually accomplished. Fast forward to June 19 of the following year and I was sitting in my car outside of Walmart. I opened the app, went to the Selling tab, scrolled to the bottom of the page when I saw that my limit had been increased to $50,000,000. I had no idea what in the hell that meant so I contacted eBay to ask if this was really a thing. When the chat ended I said to myself "So this is a thing now" and went right back to what I was doing not fully comprehending what I had accomplished. Not once had I ever asked for a limit increase. At one point my limit was being increased so frequently that I just dismissed it because I thought that this was the norm for every seller. Less than 11 months after making my first sale I had achieved Top Rated Plus and had somehow had my limit increased to the $50,000,000 ceiling.
The other day I was discussing my store with Google Gemini and I mentioned that I had reached Top Rated Plus on my first evaluation and the $50,000,000 limit in less than 11 months and it told me that was an exceptionally rare accomplishment so I opened up a new tab and started my research. Only then did I discover exactly how rare of an accomplishment that actually was. I still hadn't fully grasped what I had accomplished. Then I contacted customer service to verify this information, and after looking at my account and metrics they verified that this information is in fact true. You wanna know the weird part? I wasn't even trying to do any of this. It just happened.
I primarily sell vintage electronics. Specifically vintage PC components, accessories and software. I fully test everything that I sell and make sure that it is fully operational before I list it. I accept returns on the vast majority of my inventory because if anything is returned because it does not work, then that is my fault for not testing it properly and unlike most sellers I take full responsibility for that. As a result of my rigorous testing policy I have a 1.19% return rate for electronics an when the industry standard is upwards of 10%. My transaction defect rate is 2 out of 221 transactions, late shipment rate is 0%, cases closed without seller resolution is 0% and I only have 1 transaction that wasn't uploaded on time. I have 100% positive feedback and 89 followers across 942 items sold.
I call my packaging ritual "Logistical Respect" because that is exactly what it is. I wrap every item in at least two layers of bubble wrap, all electronics are placed into an ESD bag before being placed into a box where the void is filled with shredded bubble wrap with color coded tissue paper placed in the box for a boutique unboxing experience. I also include a personalized hand signed thank you letter with every order that explains the history of the item that was purchased and/or my personal memories/experience with that particular item. Paragraph-long emotional feedback has become the norm for me. All you have to do is read my feedback to see what I am talking about. As a result of my letters and packaging I have a feedback capture ratio of 56.6% which is more than twice the industry standard.
I have had some amazing conversations with my customers most of which are at least an hour long. I could easily write a book with all of the stories I have been told and the conversations that I have had. With all of my international orders I leave their feedback and translate their letters into their native language. Why do I do this you ask? If my international customers speak English it is not going to be their first language. So why would you communicate with them in a way that they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with? It only takes a little bit of effort to make someone happy and to make their day, week or month. If I can do that then my job is complete. What makes me happiest is when I make other people happy and that is why I continue to do this. The money I make on eBay is an afterthought. The Internet is a cold, lonely, faceless place and I am on a personal mission to try to inject a little happiness and warmth into it.
I love doing this more than anything else that I have ever done. If I broke even I would continue to do this until my last breath.
caldreamer
·3 weeks agoCongrats and thanks for sharing. Of course, some things are best left "unsaid" as now your competitors know exactly what to do.
ten_o_nine
·3 weeks agoSee what happens when you post here, a reality check, most on this forum are experienced sellers and have seen it all. The higher ups will not talk to us, maybe to Walmart or Target. The CSR that told you they would escalate your accomplishments to the higher ups was lying to get you off the phone.
luckythewinner
·3 weeks ago · EditedTop Rated Plus is designation given to a listing, not to a seller.
gadget-nerd
OP3 weeks agoI never said that it was Seller Level. But that being said it does specifically say SELLER LEVEL on the Seller Hub.
jonathanbrightlight
·3 weeks agoIt doesn't say "Top Rated Plus" for Seller Level, though.
There is a section at the bottom of the page that tells you which listings qualify for Top Rated Plus, though:
mam98031
·3 weeks agoThe confusion is coming in from how YOU worded it. "On my first evaluation I was awarded Top Rated Plus." You are neither "evaluated" for that nor "awarded" that designation. As I've explained before, it is a LISTING designation ONLY. And your Seller Level on the Seller Dashboard does NOT say you are TRP.
Also, Ebay did NOT change the requirements to be TRS for you. No seller can achieve TRS on their FIRST evaluation except for sellers [such as myself] that were selling BEFORE they started the program in 2009. You started in Mid April of 2018. Your FIRST evaluation would have been in May for what transpired in April, but that would in NO WAY qualify you to be designated TRS in your May evaluation. Not only do you have to be a member for at least 90 days, you also have to have 100 sales and at least $1,000 worth of sales in the previous 12 months. You did NOT achieve all that between mid April to the end of April.
So You would not have been eligible in the May, June or July evaluations, but come August you would be eligible if you met the requirements. April really doesn't count because it was a partial month, so it doesn't really count towards the 90 day period as Ebay evaluates ALL of us on each calendar month, in the following calendar month.
sreu3058
·Aug 13, 2026 at 11:12 PMI remember when I worked in finance, and I was trying to impress my Dad by regaling my ascent to top account executive/ big wig.
He said:
Yep, you were in the right place at the right time.
(Still steams me/ I worked really hard! LOL)
HEY, CONGRATS. IT’S NOT EASY, DESPITE WHAT UTUBE SAYS :-)
gadget-nerd
OP3 weeks agoNo it's not thank you for the support. I think everyone here is missing the point of what I'm trying to get across. It's not the limit that I'm proud of because that could mean less to me. If the fact that I achieved TRP on my first evaluation AND reached the $50M limit in less than 11 months.
fern*wood
·3 weeks agoI don't believe anyone has missed your point. We just don't quite get why you are so set on talking about something like this. You state yourself that you reached it without even trying, so you have to realize that many others have too.
Also, do you understand defects and how they can affect your top rated standing? I felt having two out of 221 transactions was high and could easily cause a demotion if you get more of them. What caused you to get them and have you corrected what caused you to get those defects? I wouldn't ask if you weren't discussing your accomplishments so much while also downplaying any negatives. Ebay doesn't give a pass on them regardless of how exceptional you feel other areas of your selling may be.
You keep saying you reached TRP, when that isn't a seller level. Anyone that is TR can throw the necessary bells/whistles onto their listings at that point and made the listings qualify for TRP.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoNot only all that, no one gets awarded TRS on their very first evaluation. No One. You have to be a member for at least 90 days with 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales over the past 12 months. While if they were a very active seller, they could have meet the transaction requirement, but the time requirement no. They started mid April of 2018. They would not have been eligible on the May evaluation. They would not have been eligible until at least August. @fern*wood
grann-4629
·Aug 13, 2026 at 10:57 PMNice post!
I also am very proud of my success on eBay. I buy only and I have a feedback rating of 100%.
D'oh ...🤪
fm2000
·Aug 13, 2026 at 10:44 PMLast time I looked, I had a limit of about 2.14 billion. Yes I am serious, (approx) 2.14 billion it is the maximum value for a 32 bit integer, which basically means I don't have a cap. I have been a seller for almost 30 years and never... quite... hit that limit.
jonathanbrightlight
·3 weeks agoWe quite literally don't have a limit anymore. They removed our limit entirely, instead of setting it absurdly high like that. I can only view it in the app, though, we hid the box on our Seller Hub Overview page at some point, and then they removed the customize option, so we can never see it again.
tobaccocardyahoo
·Aug 13, 2026 at 9:08 PMSome of us have sold on Ebay for many years, and do not know what our selling limit is. And do not care because we have never exceeded it.
Many of us have never been denied anything we wanted to list unless the product is though to violate some Ebay rule or other.
And many of us can measure the number of items which our buyers ask to return each year on the fingers of one hand.
Your story though admirable is nothing unexpected for many, many Ebay sellers, no matter how many bad sellers stories there are.
Keep up the good work, some people do it naturally, which you appear to.
wstoler
·Aug 13, 2026 at 1:04 AMWell thank you for your advertisement to get as many people to click on your "view listings" as possible. I'll certainly check it out. But I agree with some of the other responders. This is what we, as conscientious sellers, regularly do - provide good service to the best of our ability and hope for the best (that being a profit somewhere along the line). I've been on eBay for close to 30 years and have over 27,000 sales in generally lower-dollar sales than you have. I have no idea what my upper dollar limit is, but that will be something interesting to check out.
All that being said ... congratulations on some good sales. Keep up the good work. And congratulations to everyone else for doing pretty much the same exact thing.
stephenmorgan
·Aug 13, 2026 at 1:00 AMCongratulations, looks like you are doing a fine job. Good luck with you continued success!
I opened a new account three years ago with a starting entitlement of 650 listings up to a $35,000 value.
I recently have been promoted to 1300 listings up to $70,000 value.
On this account it is not limited and has no limits posted.
jameshen1
·Aug 12, 2026 at 8:28 PMI would call this a humble brag, but there isn't much humble about it.
gurlcat
·Aug 13, 2026 at 1:09 AMHumility is for Yankees.
oldwestgold
·Aug 12, 2026 at 7:32 PMYou make many assumptions. "unlike most sellers I take full responsibility." So new here, but you have already determined you are better than most? Check back in 28 years. Doing something incredible would be having made several million in sales and making a ton of money. That's called a business.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 8:17 PMThank you so much for taking the time to share your perspective! I truly respect the dedication it takes to spend 28 years in this space.
My comment wasn't meant to minimize anyone else's hard work—it was simply expressing my personal commitment to customer accountability and high standards. We all measure success differently; while multi-million dollar volume is certainly one goal, building a brand grounded in quality service and integrity is what drives mine.
I wish you continued success with your store!
mam98031
·Aug 13, 2026 at 9:00 PMI think what will rub some the wrong way is that it appears you assume you are in the minority, like none of us [or few] have actually achieved what you have, which is simply not factual. Bad sellers are the minority, they just give us all a bad name and some assume things that simply are not true. The vast majority of sellers are honest, responsible people that are working hard to earn a little money.
stainlessenginecovers
·Aug 12, 2026 at 7:26 PMHate to burst your bubble (not really but...)
This site doesn't give 2 hoots what you do, what you sell, what profit you made etc.
It's automated, run by 'systems'.
You list
You sell
You pack/ship
You get paid (minus fees).
Those that sold $24,399,495 in 30 days don't get anything more than the one that sells 4 items)
fern*wood
·Aug 12, 2026 at 7:11 PMI don't recall anyone posting about themselves in quite this manner before, but I guess it's good to be proud of oneself. My parents would definitely give me stink eye had I done this growing up.
I have to ask about your defect rate since two defects out of 221 transactions would scare me. Since you seem well versed on the terms used by ebay, I'm sure you know there isn't much wiggle room in defects before being downgraded. What happened that gave you two of those?
dbmm-media
·Aug 12, 2026 at 6:03 PMand your point is?
christworks
·Aug 12, 2026 at 8:00 AM@gadget-nerd Congrats! I felt like I was looking at myself in the mirror as I read your post.
Dirt Cheap was such a fun store. Treasure Hunt is the other store the company owned. It was similar to Dirt Cheap, but had more salvage inventory. I do not know if there was ever a Treasure Hunt in Mobile. There was one in Gulfport. We also had Hudsons until Dirt Cheap bought them out. It was years ago that I shopped those places for inventory. I'm in a different part of the country now. On occassion I'll buy up stuff from Ollies and flip. Sometimes there is just enough margin to make it worth it.
One of these days I'll make it back to Mobile for the Moonpie Drop. 🙃
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:12 PMYes it was! I miss that store so much. I could walk into any of their stores with $20 and in just a few days I would turn that into $200.
gurlcat
·Aug 12, 2026 at 5:40 AM · EditedHey I'm in Mobile too! I've been selling since 2018 and also never want to do anything else.
It's almost creepy that you wrote that about leaving feedback in international buyers' language, because I swear just yesterday I noticed I had a Ukranian buyer and was thinking about writing her feedback in Ukranian. Never thought about that before, and here you were writing about it.
So Dirt Cheap isn't there anymore? I only ever went there once, as I live nearly downtown in Leinkauf and avoid driving out past I-65 unless I have to. I will make an exception for Second Impressions antique mall once every couple months or so.
Have you ever tried sourcing at 'THE' flea market? Or ever run a booth there? I did one Saturday, managed to unload just about all the large-item dead stock I had, and made about $250 above the $35 rental fee. And it was so FUN!! I really enjoyed talking to buyers and browsers in-person like that. I recommend giving it a try at least once!
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:28 PMI haven't but I really need to. There are some items that I am looking for. In particular a Nintendo 64 console for a customer's son.
soh.maryl
·Aug 12, 2026 at 5:19 AMWhat exactly does 56% Feedback Rate refer to?
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:11 PMThat means that out of the 942 items that I have sold 56.6% of those orders have left feedback.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:18 PMThat means that out of the 942 items that I have sold 56.6% of those orders have left feedback.
1786davycrockett
·Aug 12, 2026 at 4:38 AM@gadget-nerd
Your thread-title reads that you only have a "56% Feedback Rate."
If that were actually the case, that would be nothing to crow about.
As it is, however, you have a 100% Feedback Rate.
How did you come up with only 56%?
gurlcat
·Aug 12, 2026 at 5:49 AM · EditedI've never heard of "feedback capture ratio" so I took a look at their fb page, and I wonder if they might have meant the percent of feedbacks that are manual (hand-written) rather than automated. I did the math and for the past 12 months it was 53% manual. Not quite 56, but their 3 most-recent fbs were automated, and maybe those occurred since yesterday when they made this post? -Again that's only my guess.
I also don't understand how they're only "11 months in" if they started in July 2023. That was over 3 years ago.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:23 PMWhat I meant by that was that my selling limit was increased to the $50,000,000 ceiling less than 11 months after I made my first sale. I made my first sale on July 29, 2023 and eBay increased my selling limit to the maximum on June 19, 2024.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:19 PMThat means that out of the 942 items that I have sold 56.6% of those orders have left feedback.
gurlcat
·Aug 12, 2026 at 5:37 PMAh, so basically I was right but instead of just the past year, you tallied them up for your entire time selling. Thanks for clarifying.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:23 PMThat means that out of the 942 items that I have sold 56.6% of those orders have left feedback.
soh.maryl
·Aug 13, 2026 at 9:16 PMEvidently it means that 56% of his buyers have left FB. And I would ask the OP: How many of your FB are auto FB which means that eBay left the positives in behalf of the buyers if the transaction seems to have gone well without issue.
mam98031
·Aug 12, 2026 at 1:00 AM@gadget-nerd
The Higher Ups of Ebay do not read the Community or at least it would be extremely rare.
Top Rated Plus is a LISTING rating, not a Seller Rating. You achieved being a Top Rated Seller [TRS]. TRS+ only means that you have met the requirements on that specific listing by being a TRS and complying with a couple other requirements so that you will get a 10% discount off your FVFs. You can have zero listings qualifying for TRS+ and still be TRS.
As far as the qualifications to become TRS, while it is an accomplishment, it is something that most sellers can achieve with good customer service. You can see EXACTLY what goes into qualifying for this status by reviewing your Seller Dashboard. I always recommend doing that at least on a weekly basis so you can see problems developing from time to time and then you might have the ability to fix it before it causes a problem.
Congratulation on all your accomplishments and hard work. I've been selling here almost since the beginning. And it is hard work to stay on top of things and make sure customers are happy.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 1:48 AM · EditedThank you so much for taking the time to spell all of that out!
I’m well aware of how the listing-level TRS+ seal functions alongside overall Top Rated Seller status—maintaining same/1-day handling and 30-day free returns across an entire inventory definitely takes deliberate effort, but that 10% final value fee discount makes it well worth the extra work.
I monitor my Seller Dashboard daily to keep operations running like clockwork. Following those practices helped me hit Top Rated Plus on my very first evaluation and max out that $50M limit in under 11 months from my first sale. In fact, I was just speaking with support last night to verify everything, and the rep mentioned he’d never seen or heard of an individual seller hitting both milestones that fast. He’s actually escalating my account for a special review so leadership can reach out to me directly about it!
Still, I do appreciate you taking a moment to remind the community how useful those basics are. Congratulations on your long history on the platform—it’s always sweet seeing veteran sellers pop in to share the fundamentals. It might be hard work for most people but I achieved both accomplishments without even trying. 😁
ten_o_nine
·Aug 12, 2026 at 2:34 PMIn fact, I was just speaking with support last night to verify everything, and the rep mentioned he’d never seen or heard of an individual seller hitting both milestones that fast. He’s actually escalating my account for a special review so leadership can reach out to me directly about it!
*********************************************************************************
Yeah, he was trying to get you off the phone, nothing more that that.
mam98031
·Aug 12, 2026 at 9:59 PMJust for clarity:
Qualify as a Top Rated Seller
To become a Top Rated Seller, you must meet the following guidelines:
An eBay account that’s been active for at least 90 days.
100 or more transactions and $1,000 in sales during the last 12 months with US buyers.
A defect rate less than or equal to 0.5%, with three or fewer defects from unique buyers.
Cases closed without seller resolution less than or equal to 0.3%, and two or fewer cases.
A late shipment rate less than or equal to 3%, and five or fewer late shipments.
Tracking uploaded within your stated handling time, and carrier validation for 95% of transactions to US buyers.
Once you meet these requirements, we will automatically upgrade you to the Top Rated Seller status at your next evaluation.
Top Rated Plus
As a Top Rated Seller, you can qualify for a Top Rated Plus seal and additional benefits when your listings offer the following services:
Same or one-business-day handling, and
A 30-day-or-longer free return period.
You can choose to offer these in some or all listings. For listings that qualify, you earn the following benefits
The Top Rated Plus seal, displayed prominently in search results and your listing description.
A 10% discount on final value fees.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 10:15 PMThanks for taking the time to share that policy breakdown! I appreciate the helpful intent behind pasting the official guidelines here. My store has been on a total fast track since launching—moving up the seller ladder quite rapidly—and my Top Rated status is already fully secured past, present, and projected for the next evaluation cycle. I really appreciate you taking the time to drop that info in, but I'm all set over here. Wishing you the absolute best with your shop!
mam98031
·Aug 12, 2026 at 10:55 PMIt was more for others, not you. There are requirements for each of us to achieve to become TRS. There are no short cuts. When they started the TRS program in 2009, I too was quick to achieve it. Many sellers were as most sellers are good, responsible sellers.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 10:47 PMI did look at your store and congratulations for reaching that level as well but I have to ask. How long did it take you make that accomplishment? Was it on your first evaluation like mine was? Also how long before you were given the $50M limit? Did you achieve that less than one year after making your first sale? Assuming that you have made that accomplishment of course.
mam98031
·Aug 12, 2026 at 11:01 PMImmediately as I had been already selling for years. TRS started in 2009, I'd already been selling for a decade by then. I've been a full time seller for 26+ years, I took a few months off earlier this year, but I'm back at it again now. As for my selling limit, it has been extremely high for decades. Just a year or two ago, Ebay went through and awarded a whole lot of sellers very high selling limits, once so high they are never likely to reach them.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 11:11 PMIf you don't mind me asking what is your selling limit and how long does it take you to reach that?
mam98031
·Aug 12, 2026 at 11:21 PMI honestly don't know. For many sellers it displays on their Seller Hub. But for some of us old timers it does not. When I've asked Ebay about it, they tell me it is so high I could never reach it, so it isn't an issue at all. It simply is not an important number to me, so I have never put any time into further investigation.
I see that it seems important to you. What you need to understand is that Ebay has Millions of terrific sellers. The vast majority of us are good and responsible people. Those that were here back when TRS started, it is likely that there were millions of sellers that reached TRS on the first evaluation period.
I realize all these numbers and things appear to be very important to you and I respect how hard you have worked to achieve and maintain them, but you need to understand, there are a lot of sellers that have also reached those heights. You are not alone!! There are many of us in the same or similar situation as you have achieved. And we all have worked hard to be there.
inhawaii
·Aug 12, 2026 at 12:42 AM · EditedCongrats on your success!
How did buyers find your stuff?
I heard the search is broken.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 1:52 AMThank you! Buyers found my listings organically. I only started advertising and running promotions in the past few months. My first Christmas in business I had several dozen Star Wars Legacy Collection action figures that I had listed for $10.76. When I searched for Star Wars my listing was the first organic result.
soh.maryl
·Aug 12, 2026 at 12:02 PMStill waiting to hear where that 56% FB rating comes from.
gadget-nerd
OPAug 12, 2026 at 12:13 PM · EditedThat means that out of the 942 items that I have sold 56.6% of those orders have left feedback. The industry wide standard is between 20% and 30%.
inhawaii
·Aug 12, 2026 at 8:33 PMSo the search isn't broken after all?
redlinear
·Aug 13, 2026 at 9:17 PM · EditedNot real sure if Search has much to do with a one sale per day average...
But if it's not broken, it's for sure badly bent.