---
title: "How to ask for reviews on Etsy, eBay, Vinted and Depop"
url: https://reviewnudge.app/guides/ask-for-reviews-on-etsy-ebay-vinted/
published: 2026-10-01
updated: 2026-10-01
author: "Jack Stovell"
author_profile: https://i.hilyt.it/jack
publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited"
summary: "Ask every buyer once, through the platform's own messages, for an honest review inside its window: 100 days on Etsy, 4 days on Vinted. Never offer anything for a review."
language: en-GB
---

# How to ask for reviews on Etsy, eBay, Vinted and Depop

> Ask every buyer once, through the platform's own messages, for an honest review inside its window: 100 days on Etsy, 4 days on Vinted. Never offer anything for a review.

Ask every buyer the same way, once, through the platform's own messages, for an honest review, and do it inside the window that platform gives you. That's it. The rest is knowing how long each window is and what each platform bans, because they don't match, and that's where people trip up.

Four platforms, four sets of rules. Here they are one by one.

## The rule that works on every platform

Same ask, every buyer. Once. In the platform's own messages. Honest review, nothing offered in return.

That last bit matters more than it sounds. Don't offer a discount, a freebie, a refund, anything. Even on Depop, where the policy allows a labelled incentive, our advice is don't. In the UK, the CMA lists concealed incentivised reviews, where the fact a review was given in exchange for money or other benefits is hidden, as banned content. There's more on that in [fake reviews and UK law](/guides/fake-reviews-uk-law/).

And don't pick and choose who you ask. Asking only the buyers you think will be pleased is a way of nudging your rating, and it defeats the point. For the longer version of how to word an honest ask, [how to ask for an honest review](/guides/ask-for-an-honest-review/) covers it. Worth a look too: [can you ask for a 5 star review](/guides/can-you-ask-for-a-5-star-review/), which deals with the wording problem head on.

On to the platforms.

## Etsy

Etsy buyers leave reviews from Purchases (or the Reviews tab). They give an overall rating of 1 to 5 stars and a written description, plus optional ratings for Item Quality, Delivery and Seller Customer Service, and an optional photo or video. A shop's rating is the average of reviews received in the past 12 months, so it moves.

The window: after the date the order should arrive, the buyer has 100 days. For digital items the window starts on download instead. Buyers can edit as many times as they like inside those 100 days, but once you've responded to a review, they can't edit it any more. Worth knowing before you rush to reply.

Two things block a review altogether. No review while a case is open on the order, and cancelled orders can't be reviewed.

What Etsy bans is fairly specific. Its Extortion policy gives a seller offering a buyer additional goods, services or compensation in exchange for a positive review as an example of extortion. So is a buyer leaving a negative review to force extra items or a refund. Etsy also says it may not be able to consider communication or transactions off Etsy, so use Etsy Messages.

Shilling is the other one: a friend or family member buying and leaving a biased positive review, compensating someone with free or reduced items, samples or cash to buy and leave one, or extra accounts posing as buyers. Etsy's Seller Policy says reviews and responses may not include shilling, falsely inflate a shop's review score or undermine the integrity of the reviews system.

Got an unfavourable review? Etsy says you can reach out to the buyer or leave a response. Messages can't be used to harass, and contacting someone after they've explicitly asked you not to is prohibited. So one message, and if they say stop, stop.

## eBay

eBay works differently, and the first difference is that sellers leave feedback too. eBay recommends sellers leave feedback for buyers as soon as they've paid, since buyers are then more likely to leave prompt feedback in return. Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers, up to 90 days after the transaction completes.

On the buyer side, eBay emails a reminder after a purchase. Buyers choose positive, neutral or negative, can add a comment, rate aspects of the transaction (arriving on time, description accuracy, postage costs, communication) and add up to 5 pictures.

Now the bans. eBay's Feedback manipulation policy doesn't allow offering discounts, free items or any other compensation, benefit or incentive in exchange for positive feedback. It also bans offering to buy, sell, trade or give away feedback, and using multiple accounts or working with others to exchange feedback. And it bans referencing eBay feedback in a listing title or description. So no "leave me 5 stars" in your listings. Keep review talk out of them entirely.

Extortion is covered in the Feedback policy. eBay removes feedback used to extort another member; its example is a buyer saying they'll leave negative feedback unless the seller adds an upgraded memory card and a case at no extra charge.

If you get negative or neutral feedback, eBay recommends replying, and it says negative or neutral feedback doesn't impact seller performance. If you think feedback breaks the policy, you can contact eBay through Seller Help within 90 days of the transaction to request removal. And if you've resolved the issue, you can ask the buyer to revise: the feedback must be under 30 days old, you get 5 revision requests per calendar year (plus 5 for every 1,000 ratings received in the year), and the buyer has 10 days to revise or decline.

## Vinted

Vinted's window is short. Members leave star ratings and feedback for each other after an order is completed, only for members they've traded with, within 4 days of the order being completed, via Leave feedback in the conversation screen. So the ask has to happen quickly.

Vinted says there's no monetary compensation for leaving feedback, and its Terms say all reviews must be fair and genuine and in line with its Feedback Policy.

The automatic feedback bit catches people out. If neither side leaves feedback, Vinted adds it. If the buyer doesn't leave feedback within 4 days, the seller gets positive auto feedback. If the item isn't shipped on time, the seller gets automatic negative feedback. A manual cancellation gives whoever cancelled automatic negative feedback.

For feedback you've received, you can ask the other member to edit or remove it, or Reply to it respectfully. Vinted only edits or removes automatic feedback, or feedback that breaks its Community Standards or the law.

## Depop

Depop is the most relaxed about asking. You're free to request feedback from another user on their transaction with you. What you must not do is ask for feedback that doesn't reflect their genuine experience. So the ask is fine; steering it isn't.

Feedback is a star rating out of 5 plus a comment. It can't be edited once submitted, and you can't delete feedback others left for you. So there's no tidying up afterwards.

Here's the odd one. Depop's policy allows incentivised feedback (a refund, discount or other benefit) only if the reviewer starts the comment with "Commissioned Feedback". Allowed, yes. Our advice is still don't. Etsy and eBay both ban offering anything for a positive review, so it's a habit worth not forming, and an ordinary honest review tells the next buyer more about you.

## A message you can adapt

Neutral wording, no incentive, no pressure, and it works on any of the four. Send it through the platform's own messages, inside the window, not by email or social media. The [review request builder](/tools/review-request-generator/) can produce variations if you want a different tone.

*Fictional example.*

> Hi, thanks again for your order. It should have reached you by now. If you've got a minute, an honest review of how it went would be really helpful, good or bad. No pressure at all, and if anything isn't right, just message me here and I'll do my best to sort it. Thanks, Sam

Short, once, and nothing offered. Send it, then leave it alone.

## Questions people ask

### How long does a buyer have to leave a review on Etsy?

Etsy says a buyer can leave a review after the date the order should arrive, and then has 100 days. For digital items the window starts when the buyer downloads the file. Buyers can edit their review any number of times in that period, unless the seller has responded to it, and reviews can't be left while a case is open.

### Can I leave negative feedback for a buyer on eBay?

No. eBay says sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers, up to 90 days after the transaction completes. If you think a buyer has broken eBay's policies, eBay asks you to report the buyer instead. eBay also recommends leaving buyer feedback as soon as they've paid, as they're then more likely to leave prompt feedback for you.

### What happens if a Vinted buyer doesn't leave feedback?

Vinted adds automatic feedback when neither member leaves any. If the buyer doesn't leave feedback within 4 days of the order completing, the seller gets positive automatic feedback. If the item isn't shipped on time, the seller gets automatic negative feedback, and a manual cancellation gives automatic negative feedback to whoever cancelled.

### Is Commissioned Feedback on Depop the same as a normal review?

Depop allows a seller to offer a refund, discount or other benefit for feedback, as long as the buyer starts the comment with "Commissioned Feedback" and it still reflects their genuine experience. It's labelled so other buyers know it was incentivised. Our advice is to skip it and ask for ordinary honest feedback instead.

## Sources

- [Etsy Help: How to Leave a Review on Etsy](https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115013197687)
- [Etsy: Seller Policy](https://www.etsy.com/legal/sellers/)
- [Etsy: Extortion policy](https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/extortion/239966959186)
- [Etsy: Shilling policy](https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/shilling/243317364583)
- [eBay Help: Leaving feedback for buyers](https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/leaving-feedback-buyers/leaving-feedback-buyers?id=4078)
- [eBay Help: Leaving feedback for sellers](https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/leaving-feedback-sellers/leaving-feedback-sellers?id=4007)
- [eBay Help: Feedback manipulation policy](https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-manipulation-policy?id=4231)
- [eBay Help: Feedback policy](https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-policies?id=4208)
- [eBay Help: Viewing and responding to feedback from buyers](https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/leaving-feedback-buyers/viewing-responding-feedback-buyers?id=4102)
- [Vinted Help Centre: Feedback & star ratings](https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/14-feedback-star-ratings)
- [Vinted: Terms and Conditions](https://www.vinted.co.uk/terms_and_conditions)
- [Depop Help Centre: Feedback on Depop](https://depophelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360040511873-Feedback-on-Depop)
- [CMA: Short guide for businesses publishing consumer reviews](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fake-reviews/short-guide-for-businesses-publishing-consumer-reviews-and-complying-with-consumer-protection-law)