Marketplace Rules, Policies, and Seller Code of Conduct
Domain 1: Marketplace Rules, Policies, and Seller Code of Conduct
This domain tests whether you can locate the rule that governs a situation, apply the stricter of overlapping rules, and predict how enforcement escalates. Questions often present a seller who wants to do something commercially attractive but procedurally wrong.
How the rule layers fit
Marketplace rules sit in layers: the seller agreement at the top, then program policies, then category-specific and product-specific requirements, then help-page guidance. When two rules conflict, the more specific rule controls the immediate case, but the stricter standard usually governs conduct. The Seller Code of Conduct adds behavioral duties: accurate information, fair pricing, no manipulation of search or reviews, no multiple accounts to evade limits, and prompt communication.
Enforcement
Enforcement is usually progressive but not guaranteed: warning, listing suppression, listing removal, selling-privilege suspension, funds withholding, and permanent account block. Policy violations can be triggered by a pattern, not just a single event. A suspension notice normally states the policy and asks for a plan of action: root cause, immediate corrective action, preventive controls, and evidence.
Worked example
A seller lists a printer at $49 but meant $149. Ten orders arrive. The seller messages buyers to cancel and reorder at the correct price. This is a violation. The seller may not use buyer-initiated cancellation to fix a seller pricing error, because it manipulates order metrics and shifts cost to buyers. Correct handling: honor the orders, then correct the listing; if the error is severe, contact support before cancelling and document it.
Traps
Assuming a help page overrides the agreement; treating a warning as non-enforceable; using a second account to continue selling after suspension; and confusing a policy removal with a performance metric.