I just met the requirements for PowerSeller and Top Rated Seller.
Welcome to the group ! At one time this was meaningful to me too, but then the following happened (in the last month or so).
1) Even though you may meet the quantity of sales and the $ amount requirement you won't receive a discount
on your final fees UNLESS you do one-day shipping and allow for a two-week return policy.
2) They said at one point that the top rated seller badge was going away (even if you met the $ and quantity amounts)
IF you DIDN'T give the one-day and the 2 week requirements.
So, you can do just as good a job of selling, but you don't get the discounts and you might even lose the badge...they are talking about calling the new one "top rated seller PLUS".
When you get right down to it, it is just eBay sticking it to the seller again in favor of the buyer. They know they are basically the "only" game in town (with the reach they have), so what do they care.
Now for the example I always give when someone mentions the discount on final fees. Sure if you sell 100 items a month you'll save some dough on the final fees, but how many sellers who are reading these threads do that? I know I don't. AND if I sell an item for $100 and the fees are say $10 (just for ease of calculating) then I am losing a $2 discount on that $10 fee. If I sold 10 items at that $100 figure I would lose 10 items * $2 each or a total lost discount of $20 on $1,000 worth of sales.
I can live with that rather than go through the hassle of even ONE returned item coming back after 14 days of someone using it !