Hi Andrew,

Don’t know whatever you can help me or not but I have a problem with Detailed Seller Ratings for my eBay account.

They’re much lower than I would like to see them – average just above 4.6 mark, which I know isn’t great!

This causes me problems in search (I have never seen my items on the first page of search results) as I work in a very competitive video games market.

Any tips on how to improve my DSR?

Thank You,
Sabrina, UK

Hi Sabrina,

Thanks for your question.

I can only agree – average of 4.6 isn’t a great achievement and I’m sure you can do a better job!

There’s a very informative help guide about this on eBay’s help section:

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/feedback/detailed-seller-ratings.html

Most important things you have to remember:

Item as described: Describe your items accurately!

* Write descriptions that include the relevant details about your items;

* Be accurate and mention all defects. Write as if there were no pictures, so you leave no doubt in buyers’ minds about what they’re getting;

* Don’t describe reconditioned or refurbished items as ‘new’. When buyers see the word ‘new’, they expect new, not ‘like new’;

* Use pictures and show your items from multiple angles;

* If you’re listing a used item, include a picture of the actual item, not a generic or stock photo;

* Fill out item specifics as much as possible and include important details like size, weight, colour and quantity;

* Format your description so buyers can read it easily. Use bullets, bold headings and simple paragraphs;

Communication: Let your customers know you’re there for them!

* In your listings, spell out your policies and how buyers can reach you. Tell your buyers how quickly they can expect a response and follow through on the expectations you’ve set;

* Create automatic communications to let buyers know you’re there for them. For example, in Selling Manager Pro and other selling tools, you can create an automatic message, such as ‘Thank you for the order and the quick payment. Your item was posted today.’;

* Respond to emails and phone calls quickly;

* Include answers to frequently asked questions in your listings to head off routine inquiries;

* Stay calm and keep an open mind in all your communications with buyers. When treated with courtesy and consideration, even the most disgruntled buyer can become a loyal customer;

Postage time: Dispatch as quickly as possible!

* Dispatch items as soon as possible after you receive payment

* Specify your postage policies in the postage section of your listing. Let buyers know when you’ve sent the item after receiving payment

* Be specific about the postal services you offer, including delivery time for each service

* Offer a postal service that provides tracking numbers

* Use PayPal to pay for postage and print labels from your computer. Your buyer will automatically receive an email with the date you dispatched the item and the tracking number

* Even though it’s not required, we recommend that you purchase postal insurance or use a postal service that offers loss and damage protection. You can add the cost of the insurance to the handling fee or item price

P&P charges: List with reasonable postage charges!

* Specify details such as service and cost in the postage details section of your listing

* Offer discounts for sending multiple items in one order. Your customers will see other items you have for sale, be happy to save on postage and most likely leave you a great rating

* Offer free postage. You might attract new buyers, and your listings can receive more visibility in search

* Provide details about any handling or packaging costs in the item description

* If you provide free postage, buyers will see a note when they are rating your postage & packaging charges that a 5-star rating is appropriate

* No detailed seller rating can be given for local pick up items

Hope this helps!

Thanks,
Andrew

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