Overview
eBay evaluates every seller on the 20th of each month based on recent sales, and assigns a seller level: Top Rated, Above Standard, or Below Standard. This purely reflects eBay's own scoring - 3Dsellers has no influence over this evaluation or the level assigned.
What eBay measures
Cases closed without seller resolution - a buyer reported an issue (item not received, return), eBay stepped in, and the seller was found responsible. Allowed: up to 2 cases, or 0.3% of transactions, whichever is higher.
Transaction defect rate - counts unexpected order cancellations by the seller, plus cases closed without seller resolution. Allowed: up to 2% of transactions, and only counts as Below Standard if it involves more than 4 different buyers.
Late shipment rate - doesn't cause Below Standard on its own, but a low rate is required for Top Rated status.
The evaluation window is the last 3 months if the seller has 400+ transactions in that period, or the last 12 months otherwise - eBay adjusts this to get a fair sample size.
Becoming Top Rated
Requires: cases closed without resolution no more than 2 (or 0.3%); defect rate under 0.5% (max 3 buyers involved); late shipment rate under 5 (or 3%); at least 95% of transactions with carrier-validated tracking uploaded on time; an account active 90+ days with at least 100 transactions and $1,000 in US sales over 12 months; and general compliance with the Selling Practices policy.
Top Rated Plus (same/next-day handling + 30-day+ free returns) adds a visible seal in search and a 10% final value fee discount.
If a seller is rated Below Standard
Immediately: lower Best Match placement, possibly lower selling limits, blocked from Promoted Listings, payout holds until tracking shows movement, unable to deduct from a return refund for damage
From the 1st of the following month: higher final value fees
If Below Standard persists: possible Store downgrade, selling restrictions, or restrictions on related/new accounts
Fairness & appeals
Only transactions where the buyer actually paid are counted; only one defect is counted per transaction
Defects tied to an abusive buyer, severe weather, or carrier disruptions are automatically removed or excluded
Cases closed without resolution can be appealed within 30 days of eBay's decision
Late shipments can be appealed with valid tracking proof
Appeals and defect-removal requests go through eBay's own Seller Help tool - 3Dsellers cannot file or influence these appeals
Is this an eBay restriction or a 3Dsellers issue?
eBay-side: anything about the seller's actual level, fee changes, Promoted Listings blocks, or payout holds tied to performance - these are calculated and enforced entirely by eBay based on real transaction outcomes.
3Dsellers-side: if tracking was uploaded through 3Dsellers but never reached eBay (causing a late shipment mark that shouldn't exist), or an order was auto-cancelled by a 3Dsellers automation in a way the seller didn't intend, contributing to a defect.
If a seller disputes their seller level or a specific defect/late shipment, the fix is always through eBay's Seller Dashboard and Seller Help - not a 3Dsellers setting. Our job is to confirm whether our sync/automation contributed the underlying data (like tracking or cancellation) accurately.