The eBay Community is guided by the values of open communication and honesty, and the vast majority of buyers and sellers at eBay are reliable. To promote a safe trading environment, eBay provides built-in safeguards to help protect you each time you buy and sell. For example, eBay provides:
eBay's Feedback System
Feedback is the foundation of trust on eBay. To help you decide whether you want to trade with another member, you can instantly check the reputation of that member before bidding or accepting a member’s bid. You can check a member's profile by clicking the number next to the User ID or by using the view Feedback request form.
After you file a dispute through the online Dispute Console, we encourage you to leave Feedback for the transaction. Please be honest, fair, and factual. This will help make other members aware of your experience and help keep eBay a safe place to buy and sell.
Support if you have transaction problems
In the event that you encounter any transaction problems, eBay has processes and programs that can help.
You can use eBay’s Dispute Console to report and track disputes and to use dispute resolution services to negotiate a solution with your buyer or seller.
Managing problems with sellers
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In many cases, communicating with your seller can resolve your concern. If you know the seller’s User ID, you can find their contact information.
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If you have paid for an item, but didn’t receive it, or if you paid for and received an item, but it was significantly different from the item description, you should communicate directly with your seller to find a solution. To help you reach a resolution, we provide the item not received or signifanctly not as described process where buyers and sellers can communicate with each other through the Dispute Console, an online communication tool in My eBay.
Note: You can only open a dispute on the specific eBay country site where you purchased the item.
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When you pay with PayPal on eBay, eligible transactions will receive coverage up to $200 at no additional cost. However, the majority of transactions may be covered up to $2000. See eligibility.
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If you paid for an item with a credit card (not PayPal), you can contact your credit card company to get information about its protection services.
Note: Eligibility for buyer protection services is determined by the payment method that you use and the eBay country site where the item was purchased. You can review how your purchase is protected on the item page.
Managing problems with buyers
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You can report an unpaid item or cases of unwelcome bidding or buying.
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You can block bidders based on their User IDs.
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You can select buyer requirements for your listings based on criteria including country of registration, their buying history on eBay, and whether they have a PayPal account.
Support for protecting your account security
Your account security is important to ensuring a positive experience on eBay. eBay provides help on how you can protect your account, including steps you can take if you suspect that someone has tampered with your account.
eBay will never ask you to provide sensitive information through email. One of the biggest threats to the security of members’ eBay accounts is fraudulent email and Web sites, called spoof email and spoof Web sites. Both are used to obtain personal and account information. To help protect its members against this threat, eBay adopted a comprehensive strategy. These efforts include the development of technology solutions such as the eBay Toolbar with Account Guard, Community vigilance, and member education about how to recognize and report spoof email and spoof eBay Web sites.
eBay digitally signs every email that we send to you. Email providers use this signature to authenticate legitimate emails coming from eBay and reduce the amount of spoof emails that reach your inbox.
Protecting your privacy
eBay’s Privacy Policy is designed to protect your personal information from other eBay members and from third parties.
eBay uses procedural and technical safeguards, including firewalls, encryption, and Secure Socket Layers to help protect your personal information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access and disclosure. eBay has security techniques to help safeguard such data from unauthorized access by users inside and outside the company. In addition, although eBay uses cookies, Web beacons, and third parties to provide you with the best possible services, eBay also works to protect your privacy and keep your information secure.
To help protect the privacy of all eBay members, members can request contact information for eBay members only if they are involved in current or recent transactions.
Rules and policies for eBay members
To promote a safe trading environment for all members, eBay has rules and policies that are enforced.
eBay’s policies are intended to:
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Support government laws and regulations
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Minimize risks to both buyers and sellers
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Provide equal opportunity to all buyers and sellers
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Protect intellectual property rights
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Provide an enjoyable buying experience
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Support the values of the eBay Community
Violation of eBay policies can result in a range of actions, including:
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Listing cancellation
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Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
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Limits on account privileges
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Loss of PowerSeller status
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Account suspension
All members are responsible for reviewing and understanding eBay’s policies and all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the User Agreement.
eBay rules and policies include:
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Rules for all eBay members – These rules apply to buyers, sellers, participants on the community boards and even eBay employees.
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Rules for buying – Buyer rules assist buyers in doing the right thing in a transaction, including "Always pay for your purchases", and other important rules for buyers. Learning about these rules will make your eBay experience a safe and enjoyable one.
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Rules for selling – These rules contain important listing policies and other rules that apply to selling, including policies involving prohibited and restricted Items.
Learn more about safety on eBay
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Visit eBay’s Security & Resolution Center.
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Take the tutorial about Spoof (Fake) Email.
