We wanted to let you know about further changes to how listings are displayed in search results. We’re doing this to reward sellers who offer great customer service, by making it easier for buyers to see listings from those sellers at the top of their search results.

Last December, we began demoting the listings of sellers who had a Detailed Seller Rating of 3.9 or below for postage & packaging costs. From early March, we’re going to look at all four DSR categories: item as described, communication, delivery time, as well as postage & packaging charges.

The listings of sellers with a DSR of 4.3 or below on any of the four rating categories will appear lower in search results. Based on current figures, this will affect around 3% of all sellers.

We’ll calculate ratings on a rolling 30-day basis, so that the most recent and relevant transactions are the ones that will influence visibility in search results. This also means that should you be a seller whose listings are affected, you’ll be more able to improve your scores quickly by offering good customer service.

If you’re a seller and your current DSRs are close to the 4.3 threshold, look at how to improve your customer service levels to raise the ratings that buyers leave you. Since the DSRs will be based on ratings from the previous 30 days, you should be able to improve your scores in short order.

Here are some tips to help you improve your service and scores.

Good service from sellers means more buyers coming back to eBay more often, so we’ll provide the best benefits on the site to sellers who work hard to provide the best service.

Regards,

The eBay Team