Dive Brief:

• eBay Inc. will begin using new rating criteria and make other changes to how sellers are rewarded or penalized according to how they meet customer expectations. The changes are to begin in August, but shoppers are being notified now and will see some changes immediately.

• Top sellers will be featured higher in search results, while sellers with poor or neutral ratings could face restrictions. Shipping charges and speeds, accuracy of product descriptions, and seller-buyer communications are among the ratings that will factor in the new system.

• eBay is also making returns easier.

Dive Insight:

eBay is one of the closest things to an online flea market we have — an almost pure form of capitalism, the balance of supply and demand. Theoretically, buyer and seller should be equals in that game. But sellers already feel pressure to get perfect five-star ratings, and with these moves, eBay is turning the vise a bit tighter. “Our world is changing at an incredible pace driven by technology and fast-rising consumer expectations,” says Michael Jones, vice president, eBay North America, neatly articulating the retail reality of the moment.