How to Get a Negative eBay Review Removed

Maintaining a high feedback score on eBay isn’t just about having good customer service; it’s about understanding the rules of the platform. While a negative review can feel like a setback, eBay’s Feedback Policy provides sellers with a couple ways to get it removed.

The mistake most sellers make is trying to show that the buyer is lying when they submit their feedback removal request. In reality, the support agent that reviews the claim isn't looking for the honesty of the buyers claim: they are looking for a clear violation of their terms of service. This guide outlines the most common removal triggers and the exact language you should use to file a successful appeal.

To get a review removed, you must match the buyer’s comment directly to a section of eBay's Feedback Removal policy. eBay almost never removes feedback because a buyer is "wrong" or "unreasonable." They remove it because the content of the review is prohibited. When you file a request, your goal is to make the agent’s job as easy as possible by citing the specific rule that was broken.

Focus your efforts on these primary categories as outlined in the official eBay Feedback Policy:

• Third-Party References (most common): eBay policy states that feedback must be about an eBay transaction. If a buyer mentions Amazon, Walmart, or another retailer, the comment is often considered "irrelevant" and eligible for deletion. This is the section of eBay's feedback polciy that would be cited when creating a feedback removal request for the example above.
• Personal Attacks: Professionalism is required. If the feedback contains insults or attacks on your character (rather than the item or shipping), it violates the "Abusive Behavior" policy.
• Shipping Issues Outside Seller Control: If your tracking shows the item was accepted and delivered within your stated handling time, but the buyer complains about carrier delays or customs fees, eBay will typically protect your rating.
• Conflicting Information: If a buyer leaves a "Positive" rating but writes a negative comment (or vice versa), the feedback is considered misleading and can be discarded.

Don't use the general "Contact Us" support chat. Instead, navigate directly to eBay Seller Help to submit a formal feedback dispute.

When writing your explanation, stay factual. Use a formulaic approach:

1. Quote the specific offending phrase.
2. Name the policy it violates (e.g., "Irrelevant Content" or "Abusive Behavior").
3. Request the removal based on those facts.
4. Keep it short and sweet, make the customer service agent's job easy.

The key to a high feedback score is a calculated approach to negative reviews. If a removal request is denied, you still have professional options: you can write a calm, factual public response for future buyers to see, or send a formal Revision Request to the buyer and see if they are willing to take the review down.

By handling feedback professionally you can maintain a cleaner profile and keep your focus where it belongs: on scaling your business.