What level of categories will be used in the metric

[tealt]

Looking at example the Service Metric page, a top level category (Clothing, Shoes, & Accessories) is used to evaluate a seller's returns.

Question:  Will the return evaluation category always be a top level?

As a tiny volume seller of antiques, vintage collectibles, and used, I sell across several top level categories.

Question:  If I sell 5 items in a year in the Antiques category with 1 return, my rate will be 20%--high.  Will that black mark affect my fees and visibility in all other top level categories I sell in, or only in Antiques?

[rr15-26]

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@tealt wrote:

Looking at example the Service Metric page, a top level category (Clothing, Shoes, & Accessories) is used to evaluate a seller's returns.

Question:  Will the return evaluation category always be a top level?

As a tiny volume seller of antiques, vintage collectibles, and used, I sell across several top level categories.

Question:  If I sell 5 items in a year in the Antiques category with 1 return, my rate will be 20%--high.  Will that black mark affect my fees and visibility in all other top level categories I sell in, or only in Antiques?

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@tealt

Thank you for your questions.

Answer 1 # 

The Category that the item is listed in will be used for returns evaluation.

To determine your “item not as described” peer benchmark, we group you with sellers that:
● List on the same eBay site and in the same category.
● Share the same assessment lookback period (3 or 12 months), as determined by transaction volume.
● Have a similar “average selling price.”
● Sell items with similar item conditions—generally new or not-new conditions.
● Offer a similar return policy—usually returns accepted or returns not accepted policies.
● Sell items with similar buyer-facing delivery estimates.

On Question #2

We look into a certain minimum number of transactions to review your not as describe request rate in the benchmark. For example, if you sell 5 transactions in the lookback period and have received 1 not as described requests out of the 5, your rate is 20%. However, this will not be placed in a peer benchmark and you would not be subject to additional fees or delivery estimate extensions.

[penguins_dont_fly]

@rr15-26

Respectfully, you did not answer @tealt 's question.

Will the metric always be based on a Top-Level Category such as Antiques and Collectibles, Pottery & Glass, etc?

Or will it be based on sub-Categories?

And ... will a (relatively) high return rate in Antiques (in which I sell maybe 3 or 4 things a year) affect my Pottery & Glass listings (95% of my sales)

[rr15-26]

@penguins_dont_fly

Thank you for pointing out.

To clarify, it is the top-level category and yes, we will take sub-categories into consideration.

Although, your peer profile will be based on average selling price and item condition, which will be influenced by Pottery & Glass (as most of your items belong in that category).

[tealt]

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@rr15-26 wrote:

To clarify, it is the top-level category and yes, we will take sub-categories into consideration.

Although, your peer profile will be based on average selling price and item condition, which will be influenced by Pottery & Glass (as most of your items belong in that category).

With all due respect, this is a short and vague answer to a rather complex issue.   Not all seller accounts fit neatly into only one top level category or sub-category, or sell the same type of items year round or even from month to month.

Questions:  Will each seller account have only one Service Metric profile, based on the seller's category which has the majority or plurality of sales?  Or could one seller account have multiple profiles if the account's sales are equally distributed over several top level categories?

Questions:  What if the majority/plurality category changes from month to month?  Will the Service Metric also change to reflect this change?

"...it [Service Metric] is the top-level category and yes, we will take sub-categories into consideration."

Questions:  How will Sub-categories be take into consideration?   Will those sub-categories be noted in a Service Metric display?

Question:  From your answer above, am I correct in assuming that my fees and visibility for my entire account will be determined by the Service Metric for the category that has, at least, the plurality of my sales.

[the_fancy_fox]

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@rr15-26 wrote:

@penguins_dont_fly

Thank you for pointing out.

To clarify, it is the top-level category and yes, we will take sub-categories into consideration.

Although, your peer profile will be based on average selling price and item condition, which will be influenced by Pottery & Glass (as most of your items belong in that category).

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I think what is being asked is totally dissimilar items.  Should a seller fail in say glass, will any listings  in Dolls (where they have never had a return)  also be hit with the 4% increase?

[ymeagainlord]

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@rr15-26 wrote:

@penguins_dont_fly

Thank you for pointing out.

To clarify, it is the top-level category and yes, we will take sub-categories into consideration.

Although, your peer profile will be based on average selling price and item condition, which will be influenced by Pottery & Glass (as most of your items belong in that category).

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Perhaps you're unaware the the P&G cat does NOT include a condition field?