What does an eBay Powerseller look like?

The anatomy of an eBay Powerseller has changed in 2008.  Today’s Powerseller is almost unrecognizable from years’ past because eBay has dramatically increased the standards for receiving and maintaining Powerseller status.
 
According to the eBay website: To qualify for the PowerSeller program, sellers must consistently sell a significant volume of items, maintain a 98% positive Feedback rating and provide a high level of service to their buyers.

PowerSeller program eligibility is reviewed every month. Sellers not meeting the requirements above may lose their PowerSeller status. Depending on the Powerseller level and the specific requirement(s) not being met will determine whether a Powerseller will receive a warning and be given time to meet the requirements or whether PowerSeller status will be removed immediately.

If you are currently an eBay seller, you can get the most detailed information about what is needed to qualify for the Powerseller program and where you stand in relation to the qualifications by logging into your account and checking out your new eBay Seller Dashboard.

The first section will show you the Powerseller sales requirements (note that you can use the dropdown menu to check the requirements for each of the various Powerseller levels). 

PowerSellers are distinguished in 5 tiers or levels based on average monthly sales. Benefits and services vary for each tier. eBay calculates eligibility for each tier monthly and automatically notifies qualified members through email.  Powerseller sellers must sell at least $1,000 a month (or 100 items a month) for 3 consecutive months or annually a minimum of $12,000 or 1,200 items.  The annual requirements help sellers whose items are seasonal.  Additionally, all sellers must sell at least 2 items a month. 

Next in your Seller Dashboard you will see the DSR requirements for Powersellers:

Starting in July 2008, the PowerSeller Program will calculate eligibility based on the DSRs for the previous 12 months. In order to become a PowerSeller or remain in the PowerSeller program, sellers will need to maintain a rating of 4.5 or higher in all four Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) of item as described, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges.

For sales in the Motors Vehicles categories, the DSR the requirement applies to item description and communication ratings only.  Sellers on Half.com are exempted from the DSR requirement since Half.com does not use the DSR rating system. 

And finally you will notice the other requirements you must meet:

Powersellers must have a feedback score of at least 100 and a feedback percentage of at least 98% or better.  The 98% or better positive Feedback rating for PowerSeller program eligibility is calculated the same way as the site Feedback rating visible on the Seller Information and Member Profile pages. The Feedback percentage is calculated:

• Based on the last 12 months
• Including repeat Feedback from members that have left Feedback for transactions that ended in different weeks
• By taking the total number of positive Feedbacks and dividing them by the total number of Feedbacks (including positive, negative and neutral).

You must be a member in good financial standing (having paid your eBay invoices) and been a seller for at least 90 days.

To comply, you must also not violate the Shill Bidding policy. Additionally, violations of any eBay policies may result in the loss of PowerSeller status.  The following limits apply:     

eBay is serious about raising the Powerseller standards.  No longer is it enough just to sell $1,000 a month to be part of the Powerseller club.  Being an eBay Powerseller actually means something in 2008 since membership into the club has real privileges for the first time.  Some of the benefits include Customer Support, PowerSeller Fee Discounts, Increased visiblity in Best Match searches, Unpaid Item Protection, and Expanded Seller Protection for PowerSellers.