Buyers are not allowed to threaten sellers with negative feedback, neutral feedback or low detailed seller ratings in order to obtain goods or services not included in the original listing.
Sellers may not require buyers to leave specific feedback or detailed seller ratings. Sellers also may not demand that buyers withdraw existing feedback or detailed seller ratings. These prohibitions apply to all Feedback activity, whether prior to, during, or after delivery of goods or services described in the original listing.
Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:
Limits placed on account privileges
Loss of PowerSeller status
Examples of
Feedback Extortion
A buyer purchases a vehicle, and along with their payment sends an email stating, "If you don’t include high performance tires and rims at no additional charge I will leave you negative feedback.”
A buyer purchases a toy which subsequently breaks. The buyer emails the seller, “If you do not send another item free of charge, I will leave negative feedback.”
A seller receives payment from a buyer and then tells the buyer, “Leave me positive feedback or I will not mail your item.”
Examples That Aren't Feedback Extortion
A buyer pays for an item and waits several weeks for it to arrive. The buyer then emails the seller, “The item is already late, if it is not here by tomorrow I will leave you negative feedback.”
A buyer receives an item and decides the item is significantly not as it was described in the original listing. The buyer threatens to leave negative feedback unless the seller allows them to return it for a refund.
If you have experienced feedback extortion, contact us. Please include the full header of any email you send as evidence. This helps us determine the email origin.
If you cannot find the email header, visit SpamCop, a site containing information on how to obtain headers for many email programs.
Why does eBay have this policy?
Feedback is the foundation of trust on eBay. Using eBay feedback in an attempt to extort goods or services from another member undermines the integrity of the feedback system.
Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
