Is it even worth it to try and fight to get Top Rated back?

[skeletonstore]

Well August came and went and I fell 6 sales short of 100 which means I am not selling enough and or do not have enough items listed to sell more.  In 19 days i'll be above standard.  What does that mean these days?  No more discount?  Reduced search standing?  My page views are already pathetic and took a nosedive mid August.  I have had to run ads at +2% over suggested to get what little sales I can generate.  1000 clicks only 7 sold over the past month.  What's the use in offering free shipping when it's not free?  Why offer return?  why take offers?  If you are forced to advertise and pay a higher rate then surely you need to charge more, no?  How could my sales get any worse than only 7 in one month?  0?  Like it would matter.  Waiting until mid October to get top rated back seems like too long a wait.  I'm trying to sell Halloween props and now thanks to Ebay no longer catering to unique sellers it will appear there's something wrong with my account to consumers when i've done nothing wrong.  

[Anonymous]

You get enhanced search visibility and :

Additional Seller Protections for Top Rated Sellers

We protect all sellers from abusive buying behavior and from events outside their control. Your track record matters on eBay, and we’ll support you when you deliver on your service promise and provide a good buying experience.

Top Rated Sellers who reside in the US and list on eBay.com receive additional protections benefits when they offer 30-day-or-longer returns.

Return shipping label credit for false “item not as described” claims

If a buyer falsely claims an item was “not as described,” we’ll protect you on eligible transactions. We’ll reimburse your return shipping label cost up to $6 per return. You’ll receive the return shipping label credit on your monthly invoice and we’ll automatically remove any negative and neutral feedback, defects, and open cases in service metrics.

Up to 50% refund deduction for decreased value on used or damaged returns

When you issue a refund for an item that was returned after it was used or damaged by a buyer, and you have a track record of delivering on your service promise, we’ll give you the ability to protect yourself by deducting up to 50% of the refund to recover the decreased value of the item. If there are any issues with buyers that may negatively impact you, we’ll take care of them by removing any negative and neutral feedback, defects, and open cases in service metrics.

[mobileceller]

I think you will be fine, just do not go below standard. And I do not think you will have any issues selling those Halloween props, that stuff looks wicked!!

[Anonymous]

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@mobileceller wrote:

I think you will be fine, just do not go below standard. And I do not think you will have any issues selling those Halloween props, that stuff looks wicked!!

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I think OP sells Halloween stuff year round and agreed, has some pretty cool stuff!

[historyteacher40]

I have posted the same thing.  I am paying a 6% additional fee for all sold items as punishment for 100% positive feedback, 499 out of 500 items shipped on time, 100% sellers disputes resolved, and a 2.5% cancellation rate!  I am below standards and eBay has taken out more than $2,000 in extra punishment fees from my sale the last three months.

I have since moved all of my bigger ticket items to auction houses, and also local auction services, and years ago, starting selling thousands of bus and truck parts on Amazon due to unfair (and totally immoral) policies and punishments.  I will only use ebay for low valued items from now on.  eBay ultimately is the big loser, as they lose a lot of income, bad PR (I share my experiences on social media,) and in so many other ways. 

[mobileceller]

The Number of INAD cases opened against you, the seller, will cause defects regardless of the case being resolved.

[heckofagame]

So, you have a 2.5% cancelllation. Is that what put you below standard? And how is that eBay's fault?

[mtgraves7984]

I lost my TRS in June for the same reason... short the 100 required sales. The sky hasn't fallen. Hang in there...

[whiteyswrecking]

NO it is not after years of being top rated , I'm also loosing it due to their stupid rules ( SHIPPED NO CARRIER SCAN ) WHAT A LOAD OF **bleep**, some thing we can not control !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. They are trying to remove the top rated status so they can get more money , investors are not happy and watching the HOLE get bigger!!!  

[lepke1979]

In regards to shipping discounts for Priority. Pirate Bay is pretty close to what it is with eBay TRS. Fake numbers, but say eBay has a 10% discount. It's maybe 9% with Pirate Bay. They also offer cubic shipping for Parcel Select and Priority which is nice.

I'm surprised they didn't offer an extension though. I thought I recall some saying they gave some sellers an extra month or something to try to keep it.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Every month , ebay evaluates you.  See if you can put some new items cheaper and hopefully, you will get enough sales to put you back up to TOP RATED.   I pay to advertise just a few of my listings and I pay 2%.  Goodluck .

[sextons-sweet-deals]

everyone needs to stop worrying about the TRS! 

As sellers, you should give clean photos and solid description details, correct? You do your research and base your selling price or a best offer correct? 

If the O.P. sells mainly Halloween, that is a very seasonal item that many buyers don't start shopping for until now.  The O.P. stats will blow up in the next two months, but then gets punished until next season. That is not right!

If you pay a store fee, so no matter what you sell, eBay is still making money. I care more about feedback. A buyer can review and should understand they can trust you as a seller. 

What eBay does or not does understand is not everything sells in the first listing. I have rare / limited items that took 4 years to sell. It's all about timing, who is looking, what is the current trend / demand, and our economy!

The TRS is a mental game and is not really fair because it pressures sellers. Sellers should not feel they have to be glued to their eBay account 24/7!

Get outside! Go to the gym, sporting events, concerts, travel, and especially, see your family & friends.