eBay Money Back Guarantee policy

 

For all the details of how eBay Money Back Guarantee works – what’s covered, what’s excluded, and what buyers and sellers need to do – please read our full policy.

Coverage, eligibility requirements, and exclusions

eBay Money Back Guarantee applies when:

• The buyer doesn’t receive an item
• The item received by the buyer doesn’t match the listing, for example:
  • The seller sent the wrong item, or
  • The item arrives broken, damaged, or faulty
• The seller doesn’t fulfil their return policy as stated in the listing

As a buyer, for your transaction to be eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee:

• You must complete and pay for your purchase on eBay.com using an eligible payment method at checkout;
• You must meet the requirements specified in this policy, including taking action within the required time frames;
• The item may not be an excluded item or subject to any additional exclusions; and
• You may not seek resolution for the same issue by another resolution method

As a seller, for transactions where eBay Money Back Guarantee applies:

• You are responsible for delivering the item that was described in the listing, honoring your stated return policy, and providing a resolution when a buyer reports a problem with an order
• If the purchase was completed on eBay.com, you must meet the requirements specified in this policy, including taking action within the required time frames, even if the item was listed on a different eBay site

International purchases

When a seller offers an international shipping option (such as worldwide shipping), or doesn’t exclude international shipping in their shipping settings, it may result in the buyer completing checkout on an eBay site other than the site used to create the listing.

Buyers and sellers are subject to the eBay Money Back Guarantee or other buyer protection policy (if available) of the site where the buyer completed checkout, regardless of the eBay site used to list the item or the registration details of the buyer or seller.

For more information about buying and selling internationally, please see our policies on International selling and International trading.

When the buyer doesn’t receive an item

• Actions and timeframes
• Deciding the outcome
• Exclusions and special coverage

Sellers are required to deliver the item to the address in the Order details, unless the buyer selected a local pickup option.

If the item doesn’t arrive at the address provided by the buyer at checkout or isn’t made available for collection, the buyer is entitled to a full refund, including original shipping costs (if applicable).

Actions & time frames when the buyer doesn’t receive an item

Deciding the outcome when the buyer doesn’t receive an item

When a buyer reports that they didn’t receive an item and the transaction meets our eligibility requirements, we will look for:

• Evidence of successful delivery to the address provided by the buyer at checkout, or
• Proof that the buyer collected the item

If we determine that the item was not successfully delivered or collected:

• The buyer will receive a refund for the full cost of the item and original shipping, and
• The seller may be required to reimburse eBay for the amount of the refund

Evidence of successful delivery
We require all of the following to prove a successful on-time delivery:

• Tracking number from an integrated carrier which was uploaded to eBay and shows a shipping scan before the latest estimated delivery date;
• A delivery status of “delivered” or “attempted delivery” (or equivalent in the country to which the item was delivered);
• The date of delivery or attempted delivery;
• The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/county or zip code (or international equivalent) that matches the one found on the Order details page; and
• Signature confirmation, on orders with a total cost of $750 or more. Learn more about our signature confirmation requirements.

Proof that the buyer collected the item
For local pickup items, evidence that the buyer has received the item may include:

• A copy of the eBay order details, signed by the buyer at the time of collection
• The seller using the eBay app to scan the buyer’s QR code or manually enter the buyer’s 6-digit pickup code at the time of collection

Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn’t receive an item

When the item received by the buyer doesn’t match the listing

• Actions and timeframes
• Deciding the outcome
• Exclusions and special coverage

Sellers are required to deliver the item as it was described in the listing. If the buyer receives the wrong item, or the item arrives broken, damaged, or faulty (and was not clearly described as such), they are entitled to return it for a refund, even if the seller doesn’t offer returns.

Buyers and sellers may agree to another solution, such as a full or partial refund while the buyer keeps the item, or a replacement item instead of a refund.

Both buyers and sellers must meet all applicable return requirements. If an item is being returned, the seller is responsible for return shipping.

Actions & time frames for “not as described” returns

Deciding the outcome when the item doesn’t match the listing

When a buyer reports that an item doesn’t match the listing and the transaction meets our eligibility requirements, we will look for all of the following:

• Evidence that the buyer and seller have each met their return requirements
• Whether the seller breached eBay policies when listing the item
• Whether the item can be shipped back to the seller
• Proof of return delivery, if the item was being returned

If we determine that the seller did not meet their return requirements:

• The buyer will receive a refund for the full cost of the item and original shipping, and
• The seller will be required to reimburse eBay for the amount of the refund, and
• The buyer may not be required to return the item

If we determine that the buyer did not meet their return requirements:

• The buyer may not receive a full refund for the item and/or shipping costs, or
• In the case of a replacement where the returned item was not delivered back to the seller, the buyer may be charged for the additional item

Exclusions and special coverage when the item doesn’t match the listing

The item was collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer	Not covered
The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup	Not covered
The item was sent to another address after original delivery	Covered: The item was forwarded as part of an eBay program such as: Global Shipping Program eBay international standard delivery eBay Authenticity Guarantee Not covered: The buyer used third-party freight forwarding or mail redirection
The item was inspected under Authenticity Guarantee and is ‘final sale’	Covered: The item was damaged during shipping Not covered: The buyer requested a return for any other reason
Trading Cards	Covered: If the seller doesn’t offer returns, the buyer must request a return no later than 3 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery date If the seller offers returns, the buyer must request a return within the seller’s stated return window
The buyer returned the item used or damaged	Covered: The use was necessary to determine the quality or functioning of the item, or the damage was the result of that use Otherwise, some sellers may deduct the loss in value from the amount refunded to the buyer. See our Condition of returned items policy
There are strong indicators that the item is counterfeit	Covered: The buyer must request a return but may not be required to ship the item back to the seller
The item is hazardous to ship
The seller had misrepresented the item’s location
The item no longer has value For example: A perishable item that has expired A ticket for a cancelled event A live animal that has expired
The item arrived after the latest estimated delivery date	Covered   The return is treated as if the item didn’t match the listing.
Event tickets	Covered   The latest date for the buyer to request a return is 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery date or 7 calendar days after the event date, whichever is later.

eBay Authenticity Guarantee

Items that display the Authenticity Guarantee badge in the listing are first shipped to an authenticator who inspects the item prior to delivery to the buyer. This inspection ensures that the item purchased matches the listing description and verifies the item’s authenticity.

Authenticity Guarantee purchases are covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee when all other eligibility requirements are met, and when:

• The item is not received, or
• The item arrives damaged, or
• The seller doesn’t fulfil their return policy as stated in the listing

For Authenticity Guarantee purchases, eBay Money Back Guarantee does not cover returns on the basis that an item is not as described, when the item is considered final sale.

eBay Authenticity Guarantee items are considered ‘final sale’ when:

• The seller doesn’t offer returns or the return is outside the seller’s stated return window, and
• If the item is listed in a Watches or Women’s Bags & Handbags category, the item condition is “New with tags” or “New without tags”. Watches and handbags listed with the condition “New with defects” are not considered final sale. Learn more about item condition.

If an authenticated item is eligible to be returned, the buyer may be asked to ship the item back to the authentication facility for inspection to ensure that the item is being returned in the same condition.

Learn more about Authenticity Guarantee.

When the seller doesn’t fulfil their return policy

• Actions and timeframes
• Deciding the outcome

If the listing states that the seller offers returns, the buyer may return the item for any reason, including if they change their mind about the item (“remorse” returns).

When a buyer requests a return within the seller’s return policy, the seller must allow them to return the item for a full refund. The seller may exclude original shipping costs from the refund.

When the seller doesn’t offer returns, or a remorse return request falls outside the seller’s return window, the seller may exercise their discretion to accept or deny the return. If the seller chooses to accept the return, this will then be treated as if they had offered returns in the listing.

Both buyers and sellers must meet all applicable return requirements. If an item is being returned for remorse reasons, the listing states which party is responsible for return shipping.

Actions & time frames for “remorse” returns

Deciding the outcome when a seller doesn’t fulfil their return policy

When eBay steps in on a “remorse” return request and the transaction meets our eligibility requirements, we will look for all of the following:

• Evidence that the buyer and seller have each met their return requirements
• Proof of return delivery, if the item was being returned

If we determine that the seller did not fulfil their return policy or did not meet their other return requirements, we will treat the case as if the item did not match the listing.

If we determine that the buyer did not meet their return requirements:

• The buyer may not receive a full refund for the item and/or for original or return shipping costs, or
• In the case of an exchange where the returned item was not delivered to the seller, the buyer may be charged for the additional item

Return requirements and return shipping

Buyers and sellers may have a return case decided against them if they do not meet the requirements listed below and/or take action within the time frames specified in this policy.

Seller return requirements

• When a buyer requests a return for item not as described reasons, the seller must respond within the return request and offer a solution to the buyer’s issue
• When a buyer requests a return for remorse reasons, the seller must honor their return policy as specified in the listing
• When the seller is responsible for return shipping, the seller must provide a return shipping label or another return method that is acceptable to the buyer. eBay may provide the buyer with a return shipping label on the seller’s behalf and will charge the seller for the cost of the label
• The seller’s return address should be up to date in their Addresses in My eBay. If they haven’t specified a return address, the item will be returned to the seller’s registration address. If the seller’s return address is different to the item location specified in the listing, this should not result in an increased return cost for the buyer
• The seller must pay any applicable customs fees or duties on the returned item
• When refunding the buyer, the seller must issue the refund through the return request on eBay
• When shipping a replacement or exchange item, the seller must provide the new tracking details to the buyer within the return request

Buyer return requirements

• The buyer must return the item in the same condition in which it was received. If the item is returned used, damaged, or missing parts, some sellers may deduct the loss in value from the amount refunded to the buyer. For more information, see our Condition of returned items policy
• When the seller is responsible for return shipping, the buyer must use the shipping label provided, or other return method agreed with the seller. If the buyer chooses to purchase their own label, they assume responsibility for return shipping, including the cost
• When there are strong indicators that the buyer received a counterfeit item, the buyer must cooperate with us to ensure proper disposal of the item, and must not sell the item on eBay or elsewhere

Return shipping

Depending on the reason for the return, the seller or the buyer may be responsible for arranging and paying for a suitable return method.

Reason for return	Who is responsible for return shipping
Items that don’t match the listing	Seller
“Remorse” or “change of mind” returns	Per the seller’s return policy in the listing (“free returns” or “buyer pays”)

Proof of delivery for returned items
Returns should be sent with tracked shipping that can be independently validated.

We require all of the following to prove a successful return delivery:

• A delivery status of “delivered” or “attempted delivery” (or equivalent in the country to which the item was delivered);
• The date of delivery or attempted delivery;
• The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/county or zip code (or international equivalent) that matches the seller’s specified return address; and
• Signature confirmation, on items with a total cost of $750 or more. Learn more about our signature confirmation requirements

If the party responsible for return shipping does not use a tracked service that meets these requirements, a case may be decided against them if the returned item doesn’t arrive.

Refunds and billing for return shipping costs
If the buyer is responsible for return shipping, the return shipping cost won’t be included in the refund.

If the seller is responsible for return shipping:

• Return shipping costs will be charged to the seller separately if:
  • The seller authorized the buyer to use an eBay return label, or
  • eBay provided a return label to the buyer on the seller’s behalf
• If the seller sends funds to the buyer to pay for return shipping, the seller will not be refunded the amount by eBay even if the buyer chooses to not return the item.

Estimated and actual delivery dates

Under eBay Money Back Guarantee, time frames to report an issue or request a return may be based on:

• The estimated delivery date (the latest date in the estimated delivery range that was provided to the buyer at checkout), or
• The actual delivery date (the date that tracking confirms the item was delivered, or the date that an item was collected)

The table below sets out which of these applies when determining the latest date to report an issue or request a return.

When tracking shows the item was delivered/collected before the estimated delivery date	Actual delivery/collection date
When tracking shows the item was delivered/collected after the estimated delivery date	Estimated delivery date
When no tracking information is available	Estimated delivery date

Buyers can find estimated delivery information in their Purchase history. Sellers can find the estimated delivery information that was provided to the buyer at the top of their Order details page.

Appeals and extensions

Appeals

When eBay decides the outcome of a transaction issue, the buyer or seller may submit an appeal within 30 calendar days of eBay’s decision. As part of reviewing an appeal, we may ask the buyer or seller to provide additional documentation.

eBay reserves the right to seek reimbursement from the seller for amounts refunded to the buyer, if a buyer successfully appeals.

Extensions

In some limited situations, we may extend the time frames specified above for buyers and/or sellers to take action and meet eBay Money Back Guarantee requirements.

• In individual cases, extensions may be offered to take into consideration factors such as the buyer’s location, the shipping service used, whether tracking is available to show the status of a shipment, a seller’s extended return window, or other circumstances such as fraud
• Extensions may be offered to buyers and sellers in particular locations to take into consideration delays due to circumstances such as natural disaster, national emergency, labor strike or governmental act. In most instances, we will notify buyers and sellers with an announcement on eBay.com

Refunds, payment holds and reimbursements

Refunds to buyers

For most purchases, buyers are refunded to their original payment method.

If eBay is unable to send the refund to the buyer’s original payment method, we will refund the buyer via PayPal:

• If the buyer doesn’t have a PayPal account, they will need to create a PayPal account with their eBay registered email address to claim their refund
• If a buyer doesn’t want to receive their refund into a PayPal account, we ask them to contact Customer Service to discuss refund options

If we’re unable to send refunds to the buyer’s original payment method or PayPal account, we may provide refunds by coupon or vouchers redeemable for purchases on eBay.

eBay does not cover losses a buyer may sustain that are attributable to fluctuations in currency exchange rates applied to the refund by the buyer’s bank, credit card issuer, or payment service provider. If you are a buyer, please check the currency conversion policy imposed by your credit card issuer, bank, or payment service provider for information about conversion rates applied to refunds denominated in foreign currency.

Seller payment holds

If a buyer reports that they didn’t receive an item or requests a return, or eBay steps in on a transaction issue, a seller’s funds may be held by eBay as outlined in the User Agreement and Payments Terms of Use, or held by PayPal as outlined in the PayPal User Agreement.

Seller reimbursements to eBay

As described in this policy, eBay may determine that the seller is responsible for providing a refund to the buyer. When eBay issues a refund to the buyer on the seller’s behalf, eBay will seek to recover this amount from the seller in accordance with the User Agreement and Payments Terms of Use.

If the payment was processed by eBay:

• We will deduct the refund amount from the seller funds that have not yet been disbursed, or
• If the seller funds are not sufficient to cover the refund, we will charge the refund amount to the seller’s payout bank account, or other payment methods on file

If the payment was processed via PayPal, we will:

• Instruct PayPal to reverse the original transaction, or
• Instruct PayPal to deduct the refund amount from the seller’s PayPal balance, or
• Place the refund amount on the seller’s monthly eBay invoice, which will be charged to the seller’s automated payment method on file

The seller can opt out of PayPal reimbursement by contacting PayPal.

If reimbursement is unsuccessful, we reserve the right to seek reimbursement through other means.

Loss of coverage

Even if a transaction is eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee, buyers can lose protection if they open duplicate claims using other resolution methods, or engage in fraudulent or abusive buying behavior.

Duplicate claims

Buyers can’t use more than one resolution method to get a refund. After selecting a resolution process (eBay Money Back Guarantee, PayPal Buyer Protection or requesting a chargeback from their payment provider) a buyer is required to use only that process to resolve the transaction issue.

• If a buyer files a PayPal Buyer Protection dispute, they won’t be able to report that an item hasn’t arrived or open a return request on eBay for the same transaction. If there is already an open case on eBay, it will be closed immediately
• If a buyer files a chargeback with their payment provider, any cases opened through eBay Money Back Guarantee for the same transaction are immediately closed
• If a seller loses a chargeback after the buyer has been refunded through eBay Money Back Guarantee, they can appeal eBay’s decision by providing evidence of the lost chargeback

Fraudulent or abusive buyer behavior

Buyers will not be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee if they make fraudulent claims or engage in activity as described in the Abusive buyer policy. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Colluding with a seller to wrongly declare an item’s value for customs
• Filing a chargeback after receiving a refund
• Claiming an item was not received when there is proof of delivery to the address provided on the Order details page
• Falsely claiming an item was not as described
• Opening duplicate cases using other buyer protection programs
• Returning an item other than the original item received
• Using or damaging an item and then returning it

In addition to the consequences described in the User Agreement, we reserve the right to indefinitely suspend an individual’s coverage under eBay Money Back Guarantee and impose any other sanctions we may deem necessary including issuing warnings, blocking a buyer’s ability to request returns or refunds on eBay and account suspension.

Other terms and related policies

• We may provide buyers and sellers with access to each other’s contact information in accordance with our User Privacy Notice
• eBay Money Back Guarantee is not a product warranty
• For items shipped through the Global Shipping Program, the program’s terms and conditions for buyers describe how members are protected by eBay Money Back Guarantee
• In certain situations, eBay may open a case on behalf of a user and decide the outcome immediately. For example, if a seller is suspended for fraudulent activity, we may automatically open a case and issue a refund to the buyer
• We reserve the right to fix any processing errors we discover by debiting or crediting the payment method used for the incorrect refund or reimbursement
• Buyers and sellers permit us to make final decisions about all cases, including appeals

Helpful links

• Seller protections
• Condition of returned items policy
• Signature confirmation requirements
• Fee credits
• Payment holds on your sold items
• Handling disputes as a managed payments seller
• Abusive buyer policy