Facebook Marketplace has become a popular platform for buying and selling items locally. As a marketplace facilitated through Facebook, it allows users to post items for sale, communicate with potential buyers, and leave ratings and reviews after transactions are completed.
Reviews and ratings are an important part of any marketplace that connects buyers and sellers. They help future buyers determine how trustworthy and reliable a seller is. However, sometimes ratings may not reflect the actual experience accurately.
If you feel you have received an unfair negative rating as a seller on Facebook Marketplace, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to dispute or remove it. Here is what you need to know about seller ratings and disputes on Facebook Marketplace:
Do seller ratings matter on Facebook Marketplace?
Yes, seller ratings definitely matter on Facebook Marketplace. Ratings give buyers insight into a seller’s trustworthiness, communication skills, fulfillment of the transaction, and more. High average ratings typically indicate a reputable seller that buyers can trust.
Low or negative ratings may deter buyers from purchasing from a seller, since it signals potential issues with the transaction. Having no ratings as a new seller can also make it harder to make that first sale.
So seller ratings play an influential role in whether buyers will be interested in purchasing from you. Maintaining high positive ratings is important for successfully selling items on Facebook Marketplace as a seller.
Can sellers see their own ratings on Facebook Marketplace?
Yes, as a seller you can view your own average seller rating and the individual ratings you have received from buyers. Here is how to find your seller rating:
- Open the Facebook app on your mobile device or navigate to Facebook in a desktop browser.
- Go to the Marketplace section.
- Tap on your profile icon in the top left and select “Your Shop.”
- This will bring up your seller profile. At the top, it will show your average seller rating out of 5 stars.
- Scroll down and you can view each individual rating you’ve received and what the buyer commented.
Monitoring your overall rating and recent feedback from buyers is a good practice to ensure you maintain high satisfaction.
How long do ratings stay on your Facebook Marketplace seller profile?
Ratings on Facebook Marketplace do not expire or get removed automatically. Once a buyer leaves a seller rating, it will stay visible on your seller profile indefinitely.
That’s why even a single negative rating can impact your selling reputation for a long time. The only way for a rating to be removed is if it is disputed and moderators determine it violates Facebook’s Commerce Policies.
Can sellers leave ratings for buyers on Facebook Marketplace?
No, currently Facebook Marketplace only allows buyers to leave ratings for sellers after a transaction. Sellers cannot rate buyers or leave reviews of their experience.
Facebook likely designed their rating system this way to protect buyer privacy and prevent retaliation. The goal is to give buyers useful information about seller reliability through unbiased ratings.
As a seller, you simply have to fulfill transactions professionally and courteously, even with difficult buyers, to earn positive ratings.
What types of seller ratings can you receive on Facebook Marketplace?
Buyers on Facebook Marketplace can leave an overall 1 to 5 star rating for sellers. They can also leave comments describing their experience.
The specific rating criteria includes:
- Item as described – Did the item match its description and photos in the listing?
- Communication – How responsive and helpful was the seller with messaging?
- Fulfillment – How fast was the shipping or meetup for pickup arranged?
- Customer service – Was the seller friendly, respectful and easy to work with?
Buyers are instructed to consider each of these factors when leaving a rating. This gives sellers actionable feedback on where they excel or could improve.
Can you edit or delete your own listing ratings as a seller?
No, sellers cannot directly edit or remove the ratings left on their Facebook Marketplace listings. Only the buyers who left the original rating are able to edit or delete their rating.
As a seller, your only option is to report a rating to Facebook for review if you feel it violates policies or was left in error. The decision of whether to remove the rating will be up to Facebook’s moderators.
What should you do if you receive an unfair negative rating as a seller?
Receiving an unfair negative rating can be frustrating as a seller. Here are some recommended steps if you believe a rating does not accurately reflect the transaction:
- Begin by politely messaging the buyer to explain your perspective and see if they will consider editing their rating after re-evaluating the experience.
- Clearly but kindly explain reasons why you feel the negative rating is unfair or inaccurate.
- If the buyer won’t reconsider, gather any evidence you have like messaging transcripts that counter the negative rating.
- Report the rating to Facebook for review through the Help Center and submit your supporting evidence.
- Select the option “The review violates Facebook’s Commerce Policies” when reporting.
- Be patient as it can take time for Facebook to investigate rating disputes. The rating will remain visible while pending review.
- If your dispute is rejected, continue providing great service to earn positive ratings to offset the negative one.
Negatively engaging with the buyer is not recommended, as this will only make the situation worse. Stay professional and let Facebook mediate rating disputes.
What reasons can a Facebook Marketplace rating be removed?
Facebook outlines its Commerce Policies that all buyer and seller ratings must abide by. Someexamples of violations that could result in rating removal include:
- Offensive, abusive or inappropriate content
- Comments unrelated to actual transaction experience
- Ratings from accounts determined to be fake or fraudulent
- Ratings containing private or confidential information
- Ratings extorting money or demanding unspecified actions
- Multiple ratings from one account to manipulate average
Essentially any rating that violates Facebook’s guidelines against harassment, manipulation, privacy breaches or other policy violations is subject to removal after review.
How long does it take Facebook to review rating disputes?
Facebook does not provide an estimated timeframe for responding to reported ratings. In general, expect it to take at least 1-2 weeks for an initial response based on other users’ experiences.
The review process involves thoroughly investigating the transaction details, messaging records and validity of accounts. More complex disputes likely take longer to resolve.
Continue to provide good seller service in the meantime, and try to be patient. Facebook should eventually respond with an email notifying you of their decision.
What happens if Facebook agrees a rating violates policies and removes it?
If Facebook’s review finds that a rating does violate their Commerce Policies, they will remove the rating from your seller profile. This eliminates any negative impact on your average rating.
The buyer will also receive a notification that their rating was removed for violating Facebook’s terms. They may be prevented from leaving future ratings if they continue violating policies.
As the impacted seller, you will receive an email confirmation that action was taken on the rating. Your improved average should be reflected on your seller profile within 1-2 days.
Can a seller be penalized if Facebook finds their dispute invalid?
No, Facebook will not directly penalize sellers who report ratings in good faith but have their dispute rejected. Your seller account remains in good standing.
However, you also won’t be able to appeal their decision or have the rating removed. At that point, your only recourse is continuing to improve service and earn more positive ratings.
Repeated frivolous disputes that waste Facebook’s time may result in warnings or restrictions. So ensure your claims are truthful and supported by evidence before disputing.
What happens if a buyer continues leaving unfair negative ratings?
If a buyer seems to be intentionally leaving negative ratings to harm sellers, you should report this activity to Facebook. Especially if the same buyer leaves multiple unfair ratings.
Facebook may investigate if the buyer is linked to any policy violations like rating manipulation, harassment, or coordinated sabotage campaigns. Their account could face penalties or suspension.
Make sure to provide documentation showing a pattern of unfair behavior in your report. This will help Facebook take appropriate action against abusive buyers.
Can you contact Facebook for help with a dispute?
Facebook does not have direct phone or chat support. All inquiries about seller rating disputes must be handled through their Help Center.
You can find the links and forms to report specific transactions and ratings under the “Report a Problem” section of the Facebook Marketplace Help Center.
Fill out the appropriate dispute forms in detail and submit any evidence that supports your claim. This is the only way to have Facebook review unfair ratings.
Avoid contacting Facebook on social media or through other means, as this will not expedite resolution of your rating dispute.
Are there any alternatives if Facebook won’t remove an unfair rating?
If Facebook rejects your rating dispute, there are few good alternatives besides continuing to provide excellent service as a seller and earning more positive reviews over time.
Posting publicly about the dispute or harassing the buyer will only make the situation worse. And Facebook’s decision will stand in most cases once they make a final determination.
Two additional options that may help mitigate a negative rating’s impact include:
- Offering buyers who leave positive reviews a small discount on future purchases as an incentive.
- Replying professionally to negative ratings explaining your side of the story.
But beyond that, try focusing energy on the 98% of buyers who are likely perfectly satisfied with their transactions.
Can you create a new seller profile if your current rating is very low?
Facebook prohibits creating multiple accounts or profiles for the same business. So you cannot simply abandon a seller profile with low ratings and create a brand new one.
Issues like having your account hacked or claiming you operate under different business names will also not convince Facebook to let you have a clean slate with ratings.
The only way to genuinely improve a low seller rating is to keep completing transactions with excellence and professionalism. Over time and in sufficient volume, new positive ratings will diminish the poor ones.
Good practices for seller rating management:
Here are some best practices sellers should follow to maintain great ratings on Facebook Marketplace:
- Describe items accurately and provide sufficient photos in listings.
- Only commit to what you know you can deliver timeline-wise.
- Communicate shipping updates and respond to inquiries timely.
- Package items very carefully to avoid damage.
- Be honest about any flaws and offer fair resolutions.
- Thank buyers for their business and encourage them to rate the transaction.
- Learn from negative experiences to improve selling practices.
Pro tips for improving low Facebook Marketplace seller ratings:
If your seller rating is suffering, here are some expert tips on improving it:
- First address any legit issues highlighted in negative ratings.
- Reply professionally explaining your side if old ratings can’t be changed.
- Offer promotions like discounts to incentivize positive new ratings.
- List highly in-demand items likely to sell quickly and easily.
- Provide exceptional service exceeding expectations to wow buyers.
- Cultivate repeat customers since they are more likely to rate you well.
- Limit quantity of transactions until your rating increases to reduce risk.
Conclusion
Maintaining a high seller rating is crucial for success on Facebook Marketplace. While unfair negative ratings occasionally happen, legitimate issues highlighted should be addressed. Always stay professional when interacting with buyers to prevent escalation.
Disputing ratings you feel strongly are inaccurate or violate Facebook’s policies is an option. But focus most energy providing 5-star service so new positive ratings outnumber any negatives.
With some time and dedication to the marketplace experience, sellers can overcome the inevitable unfair rating and cultivate an outstanding reputation.