Top-Rated Seller badge not showing and question about top-rated plus benefits

[gascollectibles]

At my last evaluation around 3 days ago, I qualified as a Top-Rated seller. I am not seeing my badge appear on my listings, even when I sign out of eBay and look at them from a buyer's perspective. I sell sports trading cards mainly. I have a few misc. items, but I don't expect to see the badge for those items. I'm wondering if and when my top-rated seller badge will appear?

I'm also curious about top-rated plus benefits. It looks as though the two requirements for these benefits are: 1) 1 day or less handling time and 2) offering free 30+ day returns. There is, however, a clause with the free 30+ days returns that says this is not a requirement with my main selling category of sports trading cards.

There are a few of my items that are still at 2 days handling time, because bids have already been placed on these items and I can't revise them. The rest of my items are listed with 1 day handling time. Given the before-mentioned clause regarding returns, I do not offer returns on the cards. I feel my descriptions and pictures let buyers know exactly what they're buying and most of the value of my items is in their condition and it is not difficult to drastically change the condition of a trading card. Returns open the door for cards to easily come back in worse condition than they left in.

That said, the only top-rated plus badges I see on other sellers' sports trading cards are all on items with free returns. I can't find a single seller of trading cards that has a top-rated plus badge who doesn't offer free returns. This contradicts what I'm interpreting in eBay's information on top-rated plus benefits. Clearly, I'm misinterpreting something along the way. Hoping someone can offer some clarity for me. Thanks!

[firesteel_surplus · Accepted solution]

Right from the TRS page:

As a Top Rated Seller, you can qualify for these exclusive Top Rated Plus benefits if you offer same or 1-business-day handling time and 30-day or longer free returns:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/seller-levels-performance-standards?id=4080&st=12&pos=1&qu...

But....

In some product categories, we'll extend the discount benefit (but not the seal) even if you don't offer 30-day free returns.

Of which...

Trading Cards (Sports Trading Cards, Non-Sports Trading Cards, and Collectible Card Games)

is listed

I'm reading this even though you don't offer the 30-day Free Returns, you still get the discount benefits just not the seal.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[gascollectibles]

Thank you! Have no idea why my brain skipped over "(but not the seal)" each of the 20+ times I read that. I guess I just needed someone else to point it out. Thanks again!

[firesteel_surplus]

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@gascollectibles wrote:

Thank you! Have no idea why my brain skipped over "(but not the seal)" each of the 20+ times I read that. I guess I just needed someone else to point it out. Thanks again!

---

You have no idea how many times I've had to have things pointed out to me in red crayons on here because my brain cannot comprehend black and white. LOL

Glad I could help.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[firesteel_surplus]

@gascollectibles 

But I would try to get your other sales over to 1-day handing times as soon as you can. Either through auction ends, reposting, updating....

Also...keep in mind, eBay's return policy in some instances will over rule your "No Return" policy anyway and you may be forced to deal with a return. If you get into a situation like that and refuse to refund and eBay does the refund "for" you...that is a very bad strike against you.

Just something to keep in mind not offering returns. In some ways you already do.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[pburn]

@gascollectibles 

There is no Top Rated Seller badge anymore. There's a statement on your feedback page indicating Top-Rated-Seller status, but no badge.

Top Rate Seller is a "seller" designation. A seller will qualify by meeting the standards you're already familiar with.

Top Rated Plus is "listing" designation. It includes a TR+ badge on qualifying listings. From this page:  Top Rated Seller Program 

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 with money back option.

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.

[firesteel_surplus]

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@pburn wrote:

@gascollectibles 

There is no Top Rated Seller badge anymore. There's a statement on your feedback page indicating Top-Rated-Seller status, but no badge.

• The Top Rated Plus seal, displayed prominently in search results and your listing description.
• A 10% discount on final value fees.

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No...but I think we're talking about the Top Rated Plus Seal....which does show up on our ads.

At least it does mine and quite a few other sellers that I have checked.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[pjcdn2005]

I could be wrong but I thought that the discount and seal (when applicable) didn't apply until the beginning of the month after you qualified.  That would meant that it would start Feb. 1 for you. 

[pburn]

@gascollectibles 

@pjcdn2005

@firesteel_surplus 

It appears the OP does not have any listings that qualify for TR+. S/he will never see a seal unless s/he offers 30+ day free returns. 

@firesteel_surplus 

The seal shows up on your listings because the listings meet the criteria for TR+. The OP's listing do not meet that same criteria, so his/her listings will not show a TR+ seal unless s/he changes his return policy (and maybe his/her handling policy--I didn't look for that).

Both you and the OP are Top Rated Sellers, and there is no seal for that. Your listings qualify as TR+ listings, so you see a TR+ seal on every listing that qualifies. The OP's listings do not qualify as TR+, so there will be no seal displayed.

@gascollectibles 

You have to offer one-day handling and 30+ day returns for your listings to qualify for TR+. No TR+, no seal. Period.

[firesteel_surplus]

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@pburn wrote:

@gascollectibles 

@pjcdn2005

@firesteel_surplus 

It appears the OP does not have any listings that qualify for TR+. S/he will never see a seal unless s/he offers 30+ day free returns. 

@firesteel_surplus 

The seal shows up on your listings because the listings meet the criteria for TR+. The OP's listing do not meet that same criteria, so his/her listings will not show a TR+ seal unless s/he changes his return policy (and maybe his/her handling policy--I didn't look for that).

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Yah. Read my Accepted Solution reply 🙂

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[pburn]

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@firesteel_surplus wrote:

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@pburn wrote:

@gascollectibles 

@pjcdn2005

@firesteel_surplus 

It appears the OP does not have any listings that qualify for TR+. S/he will never see a seal unless s/he offers 30+ day free returns. 

@firesteel_surplus 

The seal shows up on your listings because the listings meet the criteria for TR+. The OP's listing do not meet that same criteria, so his/her listings will not show a TR+ seal unless s/he changes his return policy (and maybe his/her handling policy--I didn't look for that).

---

Yah. Read my Accepted Solution reply 🙂

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

---

@firesteel_surplus 

Quoting your Message #7 to me:

"No...but I think we're talking about the Top Rated Plus Seal....which does show up on our ads.

At least it does mine and quite a few other sellers that I have checked.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus"

You say "no," but I posted the correct information, just like you did.

You also say the Top Rated Plus seal "does show up in our ads." 

Of course it does, because your listings qualify for the TR+ designation and seal. THE OP'S DO NOT. HIs/her listings don't have a seal because they don't qualify, not because of the category in which his/her items are listed. S/he doesn't get a uniform if s/he's not a member of the team.

Congratulations on your Accepted Solution #3.

P.S. It's "yeah," not "yah."

[firesteel_surplus]

@pburn 

No...I start many a sentences with a negative when I mean a positive.

So Yah...we are on the same page.

And "Yah" is perfectly fine slang for "Yeah" for us Midwest Northerners. I think it goes back to maybe the Germans or Norwegians.
I'm not too certain if I don't have one or the other in me...

Confusing?

Thanks on the Accepted Solutions. I got all 3 in the last week or so. Haven't received one in 5 years. Get 3 in one week. Go figure.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[laguna-mama]

I am a Top Rated Seller, but I keep getting messages saying that I need to update my items to 30 Day return, 1 Day shipping etc.  After I've done this twice (just to double check and make sure--belt and suspenders!), I'm STILL getting the same email.

And when I asked why I no longer had a Top Rated badge on my items, the eBay bots just kept sending me the same thing--30 Days return, etc.  Obviously no one actually looked at my account.

Instead of saying, We've changed the policy and only Top Rated Seller PLUS badges will be visible in listings which, while discouraging, would have explained a few things, I spent several days looking to correct issues on my end--issues which didn't exist.

It's definitely different on the seller side of eBay from the buyer side!

[nobody*s_perfect]

I checked 3 of your listings; one said no returns, and the other 2 offered 30-day returns but said "Buyer pays for return shipping."  The TR-Plus badge requires 30-day free returns (i.e., seller pays for return shipping).

The original Top Rated Seller badge was retired ten years ago when TR-Plus was introduced.

[laguna-mama]

I've gone over every one of my listings manually when I had just less than 250 and changed them each to returns, buyer pays and yet they still appear with no returns.  It's crazy, and I don't understand it.

I clearly missed the part where it says seller must pay for returns.  Can you you please share the reference? And thanks for your help.  Much appreciated!