eBay Feedback Examples: 100+ Templates for UK Buyers & Sellers (2026)

A working library of 100+ eBay feedback templates you can copy and paste, organised by what you actually want to say, not by seller tier. Plus the 2026 rules for leaving, revising, replying to, and removing feedback on eBay UK.

A speech bubble with gold stars and a yellow reply bubble, with the tagline 100+ ready templates

Quick answer

Good eBay feedback is short, specific and true: say what actually went well, such as quick dispatch, careful packing, an accurate listing or helpful messages. For a seller: “Fast dispatch, well packed and exactly as described. Thanks!” For a buyer: “Great buyer, quick payment and friendly messages. Welcome back any time.” Comments can be up to 500 characters. Buyers can rate positive, neutral or negative; sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers.

Jump to examples for a seller, a buyer, neutral, negative or replies, or to how to leave feedback.

Below are 175 copy-and-paste comments and replies for UK buyers and sellers, organised by what you want to say. Every rule was checked against eBay UK’s help pages on 17 October 2026. Change the details so each one matches what really happened.

Quick picker: feedback for your situation

Pick who it’s for and what happened, then copy a comment. Writing your own? Use the fill-in-the-blank formulas.

1. Who is the feedback for?

2. What happened?

  • Spot on. Fast dispatch, item as described. Cheers.
  • Exactly as listed, well packed, quick delivery.
  • Brilliant seller, would buy from again.
  • Cheers, arrived next day, all good.
  • Top seller, no issues, recommended.
  • Item perfect, postage quick, thank you.

Showing 6 of 15 for “Short and simple”. See the full set

TL;DR, eBay feedback rules at a glance

eBay feedback rules, 6 numbers to know: comments up to 500 characters (up from 80 in 2021, replies too); buyers have 60 days from delivery or the estimated delivery date to rate a seller; sellers have 90 days from when the sale completed to rate a buyer; a revision request can only be sent while feedback is under 30 days old; the buyer has 10 days to accept or decline it; the positive percentage covers 12 months of orders and leaves neutrals out.
The six numbers behind eBay UK feedback, checked 17 October 2026.
eBay UK feedback rules (checked 17 October 2026)
RuleBuyer → sellerSeller → buyer
RatingsPositive, neutral or negative, plus optional star ratings for item description, communication, postage time and postage costsPositive only (or nothing)
Time limit60 days from delivery or the estimated delivery date, whichever comes first (90 days from purchase if there's no estimated date)90 days from when the transaction completed
Comment lengthUp to 500 charactersUp to 500 characters
Changing it laterOnly if the seller sends a revision request (feedback under 30 days old); otherwise one follow-up commentCan't be changed; one follow-up comment
Where to leave itPurchase history (eBay also emails a reminder after each purchase)Seller Hub or My eBay: Selling, then Orders
  • 500 characters, not 80. eBay raised the limit in 2021, and plenty of guides still quote 80.
  • Feedback doesn’t set your seller level, and Top Rated status has no feedback threshold. See what feedback does affect.
  • Sellers get 5 revision requests a year (more with high volume), and can ask eBay to remove policy-breaking feedback within 90 days.

What makes feedback land well

Vague versus specific eBay feedback. Vague: A+++++ great seller!!! says nothing real and can read like a bot. Specific: Fast dispatch, item perfectly packaged. says what actually happened. Four habits: specific beats superlative, mention what really happened, mild British understatement, one or two sentences.
Specific beats superlative: tell the next buyer what actually happened.

Real details (packing, dispatch speed, messages) read as genuine; generic praise reads as obligatory. “Spot on” lands better with UK buyers than “AMAZING EXPERIENCE A+++++”, and the 500 characters are best saved for neutral or negative feedback, where facts matter.

Whichever template you pick, edit it to fit: eBay’s feedback policy says feedback should always reflect your actual experience.

Fill-in-the-blank formulas

  • Positive: [what went well], [a second detail]. [Thanks / Would buy again]. “Quick dispatch, well packed. Would buy again.”
  • Neutral: [what was fine], but [what wasn’t]. [What the seller did about it]. “Item fine, but took 10 days to arrive. Seller replied quickly when I asked.”
  • Negative: [what went wrong]. [What you tried]. [The outcome]. “Item arrived cracked. Messaged twice with photos, no reply. Refunded through eBay.”

Positive feedback for a seller (buyer → seller), 80 examples

For buyers rating the seller they bought from. Start with the short ones, or jump to fast delivery, well packaged, item as described, helpful communication, problem sorted or light-hearted.

Four example positive feedback comments for a seller. Fast delivery: Ordered Monday, here Tuesday. Fast dispatch and exactly as described. Thanks! Well packaged: Really well packaged, arrived without a scratch. Thank you. Item as described: Accurate description with flaws mentioned up front. No surprises, great seller. Problem sorted: Small fault on arrival, sorted with a replacement within days. Excellent seller.
Four of the 80 seller examples below, one per situation.

Short and direct (1 line), 15 examples

  • Spot on. Fast dispatch, item as described. Cheers.
  • Exactly as listed, well packed, quick delivery.
  • Brilliant seller, would buy from again.
  • Cheers, arrived next day, all good.
  • Top seller, no issues, recommended.
  • Item perfect, postage quick, thank you.
  • Smooth transaction, item as described.
  • Lovely packaging, fast delivery, very pleased.
  • Absolutely fine, no complaints at all.
  • Did what it said on the tin. Cheers.
  • Quick dispatch, item exactly as listed.
  • Pleased with the item, well packaged.
  • Great communication, sorted quickly.
  • Item arrived promptly and as described.
  • All sorted, no fuss. Thanks.

Fast delivery, 5 examples

  • Ordered Monday, here Tuesday. Fast dispatch and exactly as described. Thanks!
  • Super quick delivery and the item is in perfect condition. Would buy again.
  • Posted the same day I paid and arrived the next morning. Great seller.
  • Faster than expected, well packed and just as pictured. Highly recommended.
  • Speedy dispatch with tracking, item exactly as listed. Thank you.

Well packaged, 5 examples

  • Really well packaged, arrived without a scratch. Thank you.
  • Fragile item double-boxed and bubble-wrapped. Arrived perfect. Great seller.
  • Packed with real care, everything arrived safe and sound. Recommended.
  • Sturdy box, plenty of padding and quick postage. Couldn't ask for more.
  • Neat packaging and a kind thank-you note. Item exactly as described.

Item as described, 5 examples

  • Item exactly as described and pictured. Honest seller, highly recommended.
  • Condition even better than the listing said. Very happy, thank you.
  • Accurate description with flaws mentioned up front. No surprises, great seller.
  • Genuine, as described and works perfectly. Would happily buy again.
  • Great seller, highly recommended. Item matched the photos exactly.

Helpful communication, 5 examples

  • Answered my questions quickly and clearly before I bought. Great seller.
  • Kept me updated from payment to delivery. Excellent communication.
  • Friendly, helpful messages and fast dispatch. A pleasure to buy from.
  • Measured the item for me before I bought. Really helpful seller, thank you.
  • Told me about a short delay straight away. Honest and easy to deal with.

Problem sorted quickly, 5 examples

Worth leaving when a seller put something right: it shows the next buyer how they handle problems.

  • Parcel went missing and the seller refunded me straight away. Brilliant service.
  • Small fault on arrival, sorted with a replacement within days. Excellent seller.
  • Wrong size sent by mistake, put right quickly and politely. Would buy again.
  • Return accepted with no fuss and the refund was quick. Trustworthy seller.
  • Went out of their way to fix a postage mix-up. Great customer service.

Standard length (1-2 lines), 20 examples

  • Quick dispatch, item exactly as described and well packed. Cheers.
  • Brilliant seller. Item arrived next day, perfectly packaged. Recommended.
  • Lovely communication when I had a question, item turned up as listed.
  • Spot on transaction, dispatched same day, arrived in 48 hrs. Thanks.
  • Item exactly as photos. Well packed, no issues. Would buy again.
  • Very pleased, quick to dispatch, item arrived in great condition.
  • Top seller, well-packed parcel, fast delivery. Would recommend.
  • Exactly what I ordered. Good packaging, fast dispatch, thanks.
  • Helpful when I asked about postage, item arrived quicker than expected.
  • Solid eBay transaction. Item as described, dispatched same day.
  • Friendly seller, item perfectly packed, no damage in transit.
  • Quick to respond to my message, item exactly as listed. Cheers.
  • Arrived on time, well packaged, exactly as advertised. Thanks.
  • Lovely seller, communicated dispatch and item arrived next day.
  • No surprises, item as described, posted quickly, well packed.
  • Smooth from order to delivery. Item perfect, would use again.
  • Cheers, quick dispatch, well packed, item exactly as expected.
  • Item just as listed, posted quickly. Honest seller, recommended.
  • Pleasure to deal with, quick dispatch and item in lovely condition.
  • Couldn't be happier. Item as described, fast post, good price.

Detailed (one fuller sentence), 15 examples

  • Item arrived next day, packaging genuinely thoughtful, exactly as listed.
  • Replied to my question in 20 minutes, dispatched same day, item perfect.
  • Lovely small business feel, handwritten thank you note, item as photos.
  • Honest description, well packed in bubble wrap and box. Recommended.
  • Tracked 24, arrived on time, item exactly as listed. No issues at all.
  • Sent me a photo confirming dispatch, small touch, much appreciated.
  • Item described accurately including the small mark in the photo. Honest.
  • Quick to refund partial postage when I bought multiple items. Generous.
  • Smooth communication, fast dispatch, item in great condition. Cheers.
  • Replied to my Best Offer fairly, dispatched next day, item as expected.
  • Sold me three items, combined postage without me asking. Top seller.
  • Arrived earlier than expected, well packaged, exactly as described.
  • Helpful answering my pre-purchase question. Item perfect on arrival.
  • First-class postage, item arrived next day, packaged really carefully.
  • Reasonable price, honest description, fast delivery. Highly recommended.

Light-hearted (still useful), 5 examples

Humour works when it still says what went well: speed, packing or accuracy.

  • Arrived so fast I think it overtook the postman. Brilliant seller!
  • Packed well enough to survive the apocalypse. Item perfect, thank you.
  • My new favourite seller. Don't tell the others. Great item, quick post.
  • Exactly as described, which online is basically a miracle. Thanks!
  • Quicker than my local shop and better packaging too. Would buy again.

Positive feedback for a buyer (seller → buyer), 50 examples

Who can leave which eBay feedback rating. Buyer to seller: positive, neutral and negative all allowed, plus optional ratings for description, communication, postage time and cost. Seller to buyer: positive only; neutral and negative not allowed. If a buyer broke the rules, report them to eBay instead.
Buyers choose from three ratings; sellers can only leave a positive.

Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers, or none. eBay removes a positive rating that carries a negative comment, so keep these genuinely positive. If a buyer has broken eBay’s rules, report the buyer to eBay instead.

eBay’s tip: leave feedback as soon as the buyer has paid, because they’re then more likely to leave prompt feedback for you.

Jump to: great buyer, quick payment, repeat customer, first-time buyer, good communication, patient with a problem, collected in person, smooth return or light-hearted.

Great buyer, best all-round picks, 5 examples

  • Great buyer, quick payment and no fuss. Thank you!
  • Great buyer. Smooth transaction from start to finish. Highly recommended.
  • Fantastic buyer, a pleasure to deal with. Welcome back any time.
  • Excellent eBayer, quick to pay and friendly. Thanks for your order.
  • Top buyer, easy sale and great communication. Recommended to all sellers.

Quick payment, smooth sale, 10 examples

  • Prompt payment, smooth transaction. Thank you, recommended buyer.
  • Fast payment, no issues. Pleasure to deal with, thanks.
  • Quick payment, straightforward sale. Welcome back any time.
  • Paid quickly, easy transaction. Thanks for your custom.
  • Smooth from start to finish. Thank you and welcome again.
  • Lovely buyer, paid immediately. Would happily sell to again.
  • Fast payment, no fuss. Recommended buyer, thank you.
  • Quick and easy transaction. Thanks for your purchase.
  • Paid promptly, pleasure to do business with. Cheers.
  • Smooth payment, friendly buyer. Welcome back.

Fast payment / repeat customer, 8 examples

  • Lightning-fast payment as always, thanks for being a repeat customer.
  • Repeat buyer, instant payment. Always a pleasure to deal with.
  • Paid within minutes. Brilliant buyer, recommended without hesitation.
  • Repeat customer, fast payment, easy communication. Thanks again.
  • Always a smooth sale with this buyer, instant payment, no issues.
  • Welcome back, fast payment as ever, pleasure to sell to.
  • Instant payment, smooth transaction. Genuinely lovely buyer.
  • Repeat buyer, fast payment and easy to communicate with.

First-time buyer or new account, 7 examples

  • Welcome to eBay, paid quickly, easy transaction. Thanks for your custom.
  • First eBay purchase from us, fast payment, smooth sale. Welcome.
  • New buyer, no issues at all. Quick payment, pleasure to deal with.
  • Fast payment from a new buyer. Smooth transaction, thank you.
  • First purchase, paid immediately, no fuss. Welcome to eBay.
  • Easy sale to a new buyer. Quick payment, thanks for your order.
  • Welcome to the community, fast payment, friendly communication.

Good communication, 5 examples

  • Friendly messages and quick payment. A pleasure to sell to, thank you.
  • Asked clear questions before buying and paid straight away. Great buyer.
  • Polite, clear messages throughout. Lovely buyer, welcome back any time.
  • Let me know it arrived safely and said thanks. Great communication.
  • Easy to talk to and quick to reply. Thank you for your purchase.

Patient with a delay or problem, 5 examples

  • Really patient while the parcel was held up in transit. Thank you, great buyer.
  • Understanding about a short dispatch delay. Much appreciated, lovely buyer.
  • Let me put things right when the wrong size went out. Fair, friendly buyer.
  • Patient and polite while we sorted a tracking problem. Thanks so much.
  • Gave me the chance to fix an issue first. Superb buyer, thank you.

Collected in person, 4 examples

  • Collected on time as arranged. Friendly buyer, thank you.
  • Turned up exactly when agreed. Easy collection, great buyer.
  • Quick, friendly collection. Thanks for buying and welcome back.
  • Collected promptly and a pleasure to deal with. Recommended buyer.

Smooth return, 3 examples

  • Returned the item promptly and in its original condition. Thank you.
  • Smooth, polite return. Appreciated the clear communication.
  • Item sent back well packed and on time. Fair buyer, thank you.

Light-hearted, 3 examples

  • Paid faster than I could find the bubble wrap. Great buyer!
  • Ten out of ten buyer. Would sell to again in a heartbeat.
  • Quick payment, lovely messages. Can we clone you? Thank you!

Neutral feedback, 12 diplomatic examples

What each eBay feedback rating does to a seller's numbers. Positive: +1 to the feedback score, counted in the positive percentage, comment public. Neutral: 0 to the score, not counted in the positive percentage, comment still public. Negative: minus 1 to the score, counted in the positive percentage, comment public.
A neutral scores 0 and sits outside the percentage, but everyone can still read it.

Neutral is for a sale that wasn’t bad enough for a negative but had a genuine issue. It doesn’t move the seller’s numbers, but other buyers read it, so keep it factual and mention anything the seller did to put things right.

  • Item as described but took 10 days to arrive, slower than expected.
  • Item arrived but packaging was minimal, lucky nothing got damaged.
  • Product fine but slow communication when I asked about dispatch.
  • Item okay but smaller than the photos suggested. Description was vague.
  • Arrived eventually but was sent second class instead of advertised first.
  • Item works but had a small mark not mentioned in the description.
  • Took a while to dispatch, eventually arrived in good condition though.
  • Item as listed but envelope was open at one end. Contents fine, though.
  • Got the item but seller didn't reply to my pre-purchase question.
  • Product fine but seller forgot to include the bundled accessory.
  • Arrived but took two attempts as first delivery was sent to wrong address.
  • Item okay but the colour was a bit different from the listing photos.

Negative feedback, 15 honest examples

Before you leave negative eBay feedback: 1 message the seller first, as eBay recommends; 2 use a return or a Money Back Guarantee claim, which is what gets your money back, not feedback; 3 then leave factual feedback covering what happened, what you tried and the outcome. Leave out names, addresses, phone numbers, links, swearing, threats and personal attacks, or eBay removes it and the seller keeps a clean record.
Feedback won't get your money back: try the seller, then a return or claim.

A negative becomes a permanent part of the seller’s record, so save it for sellers who didn’t put things right or wouldn’t engage. It won’t get your money back; a return or an eBay Money Back Guarantee claim will.

Keep it factual: what happened and what you tried, not what you think of the seller. Anything on the “leave out” list above gets the feedback removed.

  • Item never arrived. Seller stopped responding after I asked for tracking.
  • Item significantly different from the listing photos. No reply to messages.
  • Took 3 weeks to dispatch with no communication. Eventually had to claim.
  • Item arrived damaged. Seller refused refund or replacement.
  • Wrong item sent. Seller blamed me and refused to sort it out.
  • Item didn't work as described. Seller insisted it was as-listed. It wasn't.
  • Seller cancelled after 5 days saying out of stock, then relisted it higher.
  • Sent counterfeit item, eBay refunded but seller still wouldn't engage.
  • Item never dispatched. Seller went silent and I had to claim through eBay.
  • Listing said new, item arrived clearly used. No resolution offered.
  • Item arrived broken with no packaging at all. Seller blamed Royal Mail.
  • Charged for tracked postage, sent untracked. Took 2 weeks to arrive.
  • Item missing major part shown in photos. Seller wouldn't reply at all.
  • Wrong size sent and seller refused to exchange or refund. Disappointed.
  • Description was misleading, item not as listed. No reply from seller.

How to leave feedback on eBay UK

How to leave feedback on eBay UK. As a buyer: 1 My eBay, Purchase history; 2 find the order and select Leave feedback; 3 positive, neutral or negative, plus optional ratings; 4 comment up to 500 characters and add up to 5 photos. As a seller: 1 Seller Hub or My eBay, Selling, Orders; 2 pick one or more orders and select Leave feedback; 3 positive is the only option, then your comment. No Leave feedback option? Usually the time limit passed, the order is already rated, the account is under 5 days old, or you checked out as a guest.
Buyers start in Purchase history; sellers start in Selling, then Orders.

Route 1, as a buyer, from your purchase history

  1. Open Purchase history in My eBay. eBay also emails a reminder after each purchase.
  2. Find the order and choose Leave feedback (it only shows on orders you haven’t rated).
  3. Choose positive, neutral or negative. You can also rate on-time arrival, description accuracy, postage costs and communication, and star-rate the item if it’s eligible.
  4. Write up to 500 characters, add up to 5 photos if they help, and submit.

Route 2, as a seller, from Seller Hub or My eBay

  1. Go to Selling, then Orders. New to Seller Hub? Our Seller Hub guide shows where Orders sits.
  2. Choose one or several orders, then Leave feedback.
  3. Select Positive (the only option), add your comment and select Leave feedback.

Route 3, several orders at once

Sellers can select several orders in step 2, or switch on automatic feedback so it’s left once buyers pay.

Bought several items from one seller? eBay’s advice is to rate each sale. Sales in the same week (Monday to Sunday, Pacific Time) count once: the seller’s positives raise your score by 1 point in total, and their percentage leaves out your repeat feedback for that week.

In the eBay app

Same routes: buyers start from purchase history, sellers from orders. The 500-character limit applies in the app too; if you don’t see it, update the app.

Can't see the option to leave feedback?

Per eBay’s help pages: the time limit has passed, you’ve already rated that order, your account is under 5 days old, or you checked out as a guest.

How to respond to feedback (public reply)

Illustrative example of replying to eBay feedback. Neutral feedback from the buyer: Item arrived but packaging was minimal, lucky nothing got damaged. Seller reply underneath: Sorry the packaging let us down, we've upgraded it since. Please message us. You get 1 reply per comment, up to 500 characters, and it is final: no edits, no retracting. Reply to negatives and neutrals almost always, to positives rarely.
Your reply sits right under the buyer's comment, and you only get one.

Sellers can publicly reply to any feedback they receive, and eBay recommends replying to negatives and neutrals. You get one reply per comment, up to 500 characters, shown directly below the buyer’s comment.

To reply: open your Feedback profile, find the comment and select Reply on the right. The search bar below the All received feedback tab finds feedback from the last 12 months by buyer username, item number or item title.

You can’t edit or retract a reply, so draft it first. Future buyers read it as closely as the complaint: calm and professional wins them back, while a defensive reply hurts more than the feedback did.

Replies to positive feedback, 5 examples

  • Thanks so much for the kind words, pleasure to sell to you.
  • Really appreciate the feedback. Welcome back any time.
  • Cheers for the review, glad the item arrived safely.
  • Thank you, glad it landed well. Welcome back to the shop.
  • Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Much appreciated.

Replies to neutral feedback, 5 examples

  • Sorry to hear, please message me, happy to make it right.
  • Apologies for the delay, usually quicker. Please get in touch.
  • Sorry the packaging let us down, we've upgraded it since. Please message us.
  • Apologies for the experience, please contact us and we'll resolve.
  • Sorry to hear, please message me directly and I'll sort it.

Replies to negative feedback, 8 examples

The goal is a reader who thinks “the seller handled that professionally”, not winning the argument.

  • Sorry this happened, full refund offered. Open to resolving directly.
  • Apologies for the issue. Refund sent within 24 hrs of being notified.
  • We've messaged the buyer to resolve. Sorry the experience fell short.
  • Genuinely sorry, refund processed, lesson learned on packaging.
  • Reached out to resolve. Always willing to make things right, please message us.
  • Apologies. Full refund issued, replacement offered. Happy to discuss.
  • Sorry to hear. Refunded same day buyer raised the issue.
  • We always aim to fix things first, please message us directly.

How to revise feedback you’ve left

How an eBay feedback revision request works. Only the seller can start one. 1 Seller fixes the problem first and checks the buyer is happy to revise. 2 Seller sends a revision request, only while the feedback is under 30 days old. 3 Buyer gets an email and has 10 days to answer. Accepts: the new rating and comment replace the old one. Declines: feedback stays and the reason can be private. No answer: the request expires and the feedback stays. Sellers get 5 requests a year, plus 5 per 1,000 ratings received.
Nobody edits feedback directly: the seller asks, the buyer decides within 10 days.

If you’re the buyer who left it

  • No direct edits. You can’t edit or delete feedback without a revision request from the seller, and a positive can never become neutral or negative. If the seller has fixed the problem, ask them to send one.
  • 10 days to answer: select Accept request in eBay’s email to change your rating and comment (the original comment is no longer visible), or Decline request with a reason you can keep private.
  • Or add a follow-up comment. Go to Feedback left for others, select Follow up next to the item number, write it and select Leave Follow-up Comment. One per item; your rating doesn’t change.

If you’re the seller asking for a revision

  1. Fix the problem first and check in eBay messages that the buyer is happy to revise. Requests sent before that usually get declined.
  2. Within 30 days of the feedback, send it from eBay’s Request a feedback revision page. eBay emails the buyer.

You get 5 requests per calendar year, plus 5 more for every 1,000 feedback ratings received that year. For most small UK sellers that’s 5, so use them deliberately. Our guide to changing or removing eBay feedback covers every route, including your options after 30 days.

When eBay will remove negative feedback

Will eBay remove that feedback? Ask via Seller Help within 90 days; if it qualifies, eBay removes it within 24 hours. Usually removed: threats, hate or swearing; personal info or links; a rating that contradicts the comment; a buyer threatening a negative to get extras; a buyer who asked to cancel or didn't pay; delays that tracking shows weren't the seller's fault; neutral or negative feedback from a member eBay suspends. Won't be removed: harsh but honest opinions, and a fair negative you didn't fix. Your tools: a revision request once it's fixed, or a calm public reply.
eBay removes policy-breaking feedback, not honest opinions.

eBay removes feedback that breaks its feedback policy, automatically or after a review you request through Seller Help within 90 days of the transaction. If it qualifies, eBay emails you and removes it within 24 hours. Beyond the cases in the chart:

  • Irrelevant content: political, religious or social opinions, or a comment clearly meant for a different item or seller.
  • More buyer-side problems: an order cancelled over an address problem, a complaint about something your listing disclosed or a change the buyer asked for after paying, or a buyer actioned under eBay’s abusive buyer policy.
  • Other delays outside your control: a natural disaster or unexpected event delayed the carrier, or customs or tax charges.
  • Returns you could refuse: a change-of-mind return on a listing that didn’t offer returns, or a complaint about paying for an eBay return label after a change of mind.
  • eBay site and programme issues: a bid the buyer couldn’t retract, a technical fault eBay can identify, a Money Back Guarantee case closed with you having met your obligations, or a Simple Delivery parcel damaged or hit by a problem caused by eBay’s label.

What stays: honest opinions, even harsh ones. eBay says it “isn’t in a position to contradict buyers’ opinions or judgment of items”, and buyers don’t expect to see 100% positive feedback.

Why eBay feedback matters in 2026

What eBay feedback does and doesn't affect. Buyer trust: yes, your positive percentage shows under your username on listings. Seller performance level: no, it is set by defects, cases and late deliveries. Top Rated Seller status: no, there is no feedback threshold. Below Standard fee surcharge: no, it is triggered by defects and cases, not feedback. Best Match search ranking: not stated, eBay doesn't say whether feedback counts.
Feedback shapes buyer trust; your seller level and fees run on other metrics.
  • Buyer trust: your percentage shows beneath your username on every listing. eBay tells buyers that 99.5% means 99.5% of buyers who left feedback had a positive experience.
  • Seller level: not affected. eBay’s policy says negative or neutral feedback doesn’t impact seller performance. Top Rated, Above Standard or Below Standard comes from your transaction defect rate, cases closed without seller resolution and late delivery rate.
  • Top Rated Seller: no feedback threshold. eBay also requires an account active for at least 90 days, at least 100 transactions and £1,000 in sales with UK and Irish buyers in the last 12 months, business-seller registration and compliance with its selling practices policy. The reward is 10% off the variable final value fee on Premium Service listings (not the per-order fee).
  • Search: Best Match weighs “your track record as a seller” with relevance, popularity, price, listing quality and your returns and handling terms. eBay doesn’t say whether feedback is part of that; its tips focus on on-time tracked delivery, accurate descriptions and avoiding cancelled sales.
  • Fees: a business seller rated Below Standard pays an extra 6 percentage points of final value fee on the next month’s sales (7 after four or more consecutive months). That test uses defects and unresolved cases, not feedback, though the same problems tend to earn negatives.

The practical takeaway

On a small account one negative moves your percentage a lot for 12 months, so fix problems before they become feedback. When a negative lands, reply: eBay’s policy says a thoughtful response shows you care about your buyer’s experience.

How eBay calculates your feedback score and percentage

Two numbers sit next to your username, worked out differently:

  • Feedback score (the number in brackets): +1 per positive, 0 per neutral, −1 per negative. Several positives from one member for sales in the same week (Monday to Sunday, Pacific Time) add 1 point in total.
  • Positive feedback percentage: positives ÷ (positives + negatives) for orders in the past 12 months. It includes eBay’s automated feedback and excludes repeat feedback from the same buyer for orders in the same eBay calendar week. Neutrals aren’t in the sum at all.
How eBay works out your positive feedback percentage for orders from the last 12 months: positives divided by (positives plus negatives); neutrals aren't in the sum. Worked example: 199 positives, 1 negative and 3 neutrals gives 199 divided by (199 plus 1) = 99.5%. The 3 neutrals don't move it.
Worked example: 199 positives, 1 negative and 3 neutrals = 99.5%.

One negative matters far more on a small account:

Positive feedback percentage with just 1 negative in 12 months: 49 positives gives 98.0% (2.0 points lost); 99 positives gives 99.0% (1.0 point lost); 199 positives gives 99.5% (0.5 points lost); 499 positives gives 99.8% (0.2 points lost); 999 positives gives 99.9% (0.1 points lost).
Effect of one negative at different volumes (illustrative arithmetic).

Auto-feedback and automation

Three things called automatic feedback on eBay. 1 Auto-feedback for your buyers, which sellers set up: left once the buyer pays, or once they pay and leave you a positive; eBay picks at random from your stored comments. 2 eBay automated feedback for sellers, which eBay adds: a positive if the buyer leaves none within 7 days of on-time delivery; it counts in the percentage and the buyer can replace it within 60 days. 3 Feedback reminders and incentives: a polite reminder after delivery with nothing offered is fine; discounts, freebies or refunds for a positive are banned.
Three different things share the name: here's which is which.

Automatic feedback for your buyers (sellers)

Set it up once and eBay leaves positive feedback for your buyers. It’s in the All listings and orders section of the Selling preferences page:

  1. Select Edit next to Automate feedback.
  2. Choose After the buyer has paid, or After the buyer has paid and left you positive feedback.
  3. Select Edit stored comments to change the defaults or add your own, then Save. eBay picks from them at random, so store your favourite buyer templates.
  4. Select Save to finish.

You’ll still rate manually where the buyer didn’t pay or, with the second option, didn’t leave you a positive. Buyer feedback can’t be changed later, so the second option suits sellers who’d rather wait until an order is finished.

eBay automated feedback (left by eBay for sellers)

eBay adds a positive for the seller when the buyer leaves none within 7 days of delivery, tracking shows on-time arrival and there’s no sign of a problem. It disappears if an issue shows up, such as damage or an open return, and the buyer can replace it with their own feedback within 60 days of delivery.

Feedback reminders and incentives

eBay’s feedback manipulation policy bans “offering discounts, free items or any other form of compensation, benefit or incentive in exchange for positive feedback”. So no “leave a positive and I’ll refund 50p”, and no refund that depends on positive feedback.

eBay’s own tip is to leave feedback for your buyer promptly. Using a reminder tool? Our rule of thumb: one polite message after delivery, with nothing offered in return. Our eBay message templates include a policy-safe feedback reminder, plus replies for dispatch, delays and returns.

FAQ: eBay feedback questions

How many characters can eBay feedback be?

Up to 500 characters. eBay raised it from 80 in March 2021, for feedback and replies on desktop, mobile web and the app. One or two specific sentences still read best.

Can a seller leave negative feedback for a buyer?

No. Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers, or none, and should report a rule-breaking buyer to eBay instead. A positive rating with a negative comment gets removed.

Does neutral feedback hurt a seller?

Not their numbers: a neutral scores 0, isn’t in the positive percentage and doesn’t affect seller performance. The comment is still public, though.

Does negative feedback ever drop off?

From your percentage, yes: it only counts orders from the past 12 months. The comment itself stays on your record unless the buyer revises it or eBay removes it under its feedback policy.

Is eBay feedback the same as a review?

Mostly: eBay calls reviews of sellers and buyers feedback. Buyers can also star-rate eligible items, and that rating and comment can appear on the item’s Product Review page as well as the seller’s feedback profile.

Is there an eBay feedback generator?

Use the quick picker at the top of this page to choose a situation and copy a ready-made comment. For sellers, eBay’s automatic feedback setting is the closest built-in option: it leaves positives using stored comments you can edit.

Sources

eBay revises its feedback rules from time to time. Everything above was checked against the live eBay UK pages on 17 October 2026.

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