Abusive buying activity
When eBay determines that a buyer has violated the abusive buyer policy, it will remove any associated negative or neutral feedback and defects, including any open cases in service metrics. For abusive buyers, eBay may also limit their ability to request returns on the marketplace. In serious cases or repeated abusive behavior, eBay may suspend the buyer's account.
You can assist eBay by reporting the buyer and clearly describing what they are doing. This will help eBay investigate potential policy violations and take actions to protect you.
Sellers who are not Below Standard are eligible for this protection for listings that offer free returns.
If you accepted a buyer's return request but the item is returned in a different condition than it was originally sent:
- You can deduct up to 50% from the refund to recover the lost value of the item
- eBay will automatically remove any related negative or neutral feedback
- If the buyer had requested the return because the item didn't match the listing, eBay won't count the return in your "Item not as described" rate in service metrics
Make sure you report the buyer and send the refund within 2 business days after receiving the item back. You can do this from the return request. If eBay steps in to help with the return at any stage, you'll no longer be able to deduct an amount from the buyer's refund.
If eBay's asked to step in after you've issued the refund, it won't be counted as a case closed without seller resolution. eBay will keep the return open for up to 10 days while it works with the buyer to resolve their concerns, and you won't need to do anything else.
Abusive buyer policy
eBay abusive buyer policy lays out unacceptable buying behavior.
Buyers may not misuse feedback, returns, buyer protection programs, or payment dispute processes. eBay full policy below outlines eBay's expectations for buyer behavior.
Abusive buyer policy overview
This policy outlines eBay’s expectations for buyer behavior. When buyers don't meet these standards, sellers can report abusive behavior.
Engaging in activity as described in this policy may result in a range of actions, including the loss of eBay Money Back Guarantee coverage, issuing warnings to buyers, blocking buyers from requesting returns or refunds on eBay, blocking buyers from opening claims, and account suspension.
When eBay reviews a report of a member violating our policies, we look at the circumstances, including the members' history. eBay makes decisions based on the evidence in the individual situation, as well as by evaluating patterns of behavior that create a negative value in the marketplace. If eBay isn't sure about something, eBay may not take any action. Also, because eBay respects it’s members' privacy, eBay can't discuss the results of any investigations.
Behaviors eBay doesn't allow
Demanding something not offered in the original listing
❌ Not allowed
- Requesting a shipping service not offered by the seller
- Requesting the seller ship to an address other than what you included in checkout
- Requesting to use a payment method not offered during checkout
- Requesting the seller hold your item so you can pay later
- Requesting a partial refund without returning the item
- Request additional items or services not included in the original listing or asking for a discount
- Finding an item on eBay and taking the sale off eBay
✔️ Allowed
- Select one of the shipping services offered by the seller when you checkout
- Updating your address in your eBay account before you checkout
- Pay for your item through a payment option offered at checkout
- Pay for your item within two days
- Returning an item in accordance with the seller's returns policy
- Purchase items according to the terms included in the original listing
- Finding an item on eBay and completing the sale on eBay
Making false claims
❌ Not allowed
- Claiming an item was not received when there is proof of delivery to the address on the Order details page
- Falsely claiming an item was not as described
✔️ Allowed
- Claiming an item was not received when it has not been delivered by the latest estimated delivery date
- Claiming an item was not as described when the item you received did not match the description in the original listing
Misusing returns
❌ Not allowed
- Returning an item other than the original item received
- Using or damaging an item and then returning it
- Returning an item with the reason that it was not as described when it was described accurately
✔️ Allowed
- Returning the original item that was received in its original condition
- Returning an item with the reason that it was not as described when it was described inaccurately
Misusing eBay messaging or bidding
❌ Not allowed
- Sending messages to force or intimidate the other member into something outside of the original agreement
- Bidding on and winning an auction, but failing to pay for the item
✔️ Allowed
- You can only retract a bid under exceptional circumstances
- Using messages to ask questions to clarify listing descriptions or terms
Abusing eBay's buyer protection programs or your payment service provider's dispute processes
❌ Not allowed
- Opening duplicate requests using other buyer protection programs
- Harassing sellers about an item not received before the latest estimated delivery date has passed
- Opening an eBay Money Back Guarantee request or other buyer protection case:
- When you have already received a refund from the seller
- When you haven't paid for an item
- As retaliation against a seller following a previous dispute
- Initiating a payment dispute when you have already received a refund for the item from the seller, or a reimbursement for the transaction from your payment service provider
- Filing duplicate or excessive payment disputes
✔️ Allowed
- Opening an eBay Money Back Guarantee case, or opening a case with another buyer protection program after the item you received didn't match the description in the listing
- Opening an eBay Money Back Guarantee case, or opening a case with another buyer protection program when you didn't receive the item and you haven't been able to resolve the issue with the seller
Not paying for items
Buyers must pay for items within 4 calendar days or the seller can cancel the order.
Buyers who have excessive unpaid items or canceled orders may have limits imposed on their account, or lose their buying privileges.
Additional information
Acceptable buying practices include adherence to the following policies.
- Communications: Your communications with sellers via email, My eBay Messages or Community discussion boards should comply with our member-to-member contact policy.
- Customs declarations: Asking a seller to falsely declare an item as a gift on a customs form is considered to be encouraging illegal activity.
- Contact information: All eBay members must keep their account details up to date. We take action when we know that a member has false or missing contact information.
- Using multiple accounts: Registering new accounts or using other existing accounts to avoid buying restrictions or limits or other policy consequences is not allowed. See our Multiple accounts policy for more information.
Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.
Events outside seller control
eBay automatically adjust your late shipment rate when:
- The carrier scan shows you shipped within your handling time, even if it arrives late, or
- The carrier scan shows the item arrived by the latest estimated delivery date, even if you shipped it late
If there is no tracking or the carrier didn't scan the shipment, it won't count as a late shipment if the buyer doesn't indicate the shipment was late.
You can also request removal of neutral or negative feedback where the buyer references a delivery issue but tracking shows us that you met your delivery or handling time expectations.
eBay International Shipping
When you use eBay International Shipping, you're responsible for sending the item your buyer purchased safely to the US shipping hub. If an item is damaged at the hub, or if the buyer reports that an item was lost or damaged during international shipping, we'll work with the buyer to resolve the issue.
You're protected from:
- eBay Money Back Guarantee cases and payment disputes if:
- A buyer reports an item hasn't arrived, or
- A buyer reports an item was damaged during shipping
- Negative and neutral feedback and/or defects when:
- A buyer reports loss or damage and we determine you are not responsible
- The feedback comment or defect relates to a problem with shipping, and tracking shows that you shipped the package to the US shipping hub on time
See our article about eBay International Shipping
International carrier issues
eBay adjusts your late shipment rate and removes negative or neutral feedback when you ship internationally and the shipment receives a domestic carrier scan within your handling time.
Payment disputes
If a buyer files a payment dispute and the transaction is eligible for protection under our Payment dispute seller protections, we'll cover the amount of the dispute, waive the dispute fee, and remove negative and neutral feedback related to the transaction.
Seller performance standards
Fair performance evaluation
eBay monthly seller performance evaluations are intended to look at your performance as fairly and accurately as possible. For example:
- eBay adjusts the evaluation period according to how much you sell to make sure we're getting a fair sample
- eBay takes into account how many different buyers are involved when determining whether any transaction issues will affect your account standing
- You won't be subject to consequences for service metrics when your rate is under 1% in a specific category or if you have had fewer than 10 “item not as described” or “item not received” requests from unique buyers
- If you are Top Rated, this will be shown in your feedback profile. Otherwise, other eBay members can't see your seller level
For full details of how performance is evaluated, please read the Seller standards policy and Service metrics policy.
eBay Money Back Guarantee requests
If eBay closes an eBay Money Back Guarantee case or appeal after having determined that you've met your obligations to the buyer, it will remove any related negative or neutral feedback and defects.
If you ship an item within your stated handling time, and you upload tracking before the estimated delivery date from one of eBay's integrated shipping carriers that shows evidence of successful delivery, you won't be responsible for refunding the buyer.
eBay Guaranteed Fit
When a buyer opens a return for a vehicle part or accessory covered by eBay Guaranteed Fit and selects the reason "Doesn't fit my vehicle", eBay’ll cover the cost of an eBay return label. If the item doesn't qualify for an eBay return label, you'll be responsible for providing a way for the buyer to return the item.
Top Rated Sellers
Top Rated Sellers sellers are eligible for these protections when all the following criteria are met:
- Your seller performance level is Top Rated Seller at the time of the protection
- You reside in the US (including US territories) or Canada
- You don't have a "Very High" rating in any of your service metrics
- The item was listed on eBay.com
- The listing offered 30-day or longer returns
When you report the buyer and eBay determines the buyer made a false claim:
- eBay may subsidize the return shipping label cost up to $6.00 per return. It can take up to 60 days for this amount to be credited to your account
- eBay’ll automatically remove any related negative or neutral feedback
- The return won't be counted in your "Not as described" rate in service metrics
Ensure you have completed the return and issued a refund to the buyer.
You can also use the Report buyer option within the return request.
Eligibility for protections
Most transactions on eBay are covered by seller protections. However, the following types of items and listings are not covered:
- Items that violate any of eBay prohibited and restricted items policies
Items that are excluded from eBay Money Back Guarantee. Some examples include vehicles (see eBay Vehicle Protection), real estate, Websites & Business for Sale, Classified Ads, services, digital content, intangible goods, and some Business Equipment categories (see eBay Business Equipment Purchase Protection)
Loss of protections
- Operate with a false identity
- Fail to follow through with your service promises (such as not honoring your return policy)
- Have a history of serious policy violations, such as selling counterfeits, using prohibited forms of drop shipping, or taking sales off eBay
- Abuse or fraudulently use the seller protections – for example, you have a history of:
- Reporting buyers for false “Item not as described” requests when you had not described the item correctly
- Unfairly deducting too much from the buyer's refund when an item is returned in a different condition. In these cases, the deduction should only be used to recoup the actual lost value of the item
- Misusing or manipulating the eBay Guaranteed Fit program
See the eBay Seller protections abuse policy for more information
How to set buyer requirements or block a buyer
To manage who can buy from you, you can use our buyer requirements features.
To increase your chances of making a sale, you'll usually want as many potential buyers as possible. However, eBay understands that there may be certain types of buyer you don't want to do business with, or certain regions or countries where you don't want to send items.
You can choose to:
- Exclude shipping locations so that buyers can't check out with a shipping address you don't want to ship to.
- Set buyer requirements to block buyers from bidding on or agreeing to buy your items, based on certain criteria.
- Allow buyer exemptions for individual buyers who are being blocked by your requirements.
How to set up your buyer requirements
You can set requirements to prevent buyers from bidding or buying on your items if they:
- Have a delivery address that's in one of your excluded shipping locations
- Have a history of canceled orders because they didn't pay
- Are currently winning, or have bought, a specified number of your items in the last 10 days
Here's how to set up your buyer requirements:
- Go to Buyer Management.
- Decide which requirements you’d like to apply to your listings, and enter any details requested.
- To have settings apply to all active and future listings, select Update block settings for active listings. Otherwise your settings will apply only to future listings.
- By default, blocked buyers are still able to contact you about your listings. If you don’t want buyers blocked by your requirements to contact you, select Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me in Buyer rules (they may still be able to get in touch with you through an “Item Not Received” case or a Return if it’s about an existing transaction.)
- Then select Save changes.
How to view your Buyer Requirements Activity Log
Your Buyer Requirements Activity Log includes buyers who were blocked, dates when they were blocked, and requirements that caused them to be blocked.
View your Buyer requirements activity log
If you see an asterisk in place of a username in the Buyer requirements activity log, it is because we aren’t able to share the information due to our User Privacy Notice and User Agreement.
How to allow buyer exemptions
To exempt particular buyers from your requirements, you can add the username to your Buyer requirements exemption list.
How to block a buyers
Here's how to add a member to your blocked buyer list:
- Go to the Block bidders or buyers from your listings page.
- Enter the buyer's username in the text box (you can add up to 5,000 usernames.)
- Select Submit.
You can restore a past blocked bidder/buyer list by selecting Restore list.
How to unblock a buyers
You can remove a buyer from your list any time. Here's how:
- Go to the Block bidders or buyers from your listings page.
- Delete the username of the member from the text box.
- Select Submit.
Frequently asked questions
How am I protected from abusive buyers?
If eBay finds a buyer's behavior is abusive, it will take action on the buyer and remove negative and neutral feedback and defects, including opened cases in service metrics.
What if something happens that is outside of my control?
eBay will protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control, such as weather or carrier delays, or when the item arrives late but tracking shows you shipped on time.
How do I report abusive behavior?
You can report a buyer to us by selecting the button below:
What should I do if I think a buyer is making an unreasonable demand?
You're not required to agree to any extras or changes from the terms of your listing. If a buyer is making demands that are not a part of your original listing, you will be protected from negative feedback and defects when you either deliver the item purchased by the buyer according to the original terms of your listing, or cancel the transaction.
To help eBay identify buyers who are engaging in unacceptable buying behaviors, please report the abusive behavior.
eBay encourages you to communicate politely and professionally with the buyer.
What is a payment dispute?
A payment dispute occurs when a buyer initiates a chargeback for a purchase transaction with their credit card issuer or payment service provider.
For more information, see Handling payment disputes.