How eBay Buyer Protection works. eBay sellers only

Many people do not buy online because they are afraid of being deceived. But for this, eBay and its payment system PayPal have a Buyer Protection Policy.

I noticed for myself that when purchasing hundreds of products, I had to use this protection program two or three times. Although even offline it happens to sort things out with sellers (defects, underweight, etc.). So, with the same percentage of 2-3%, I choose to shop online.

Closer to the body:

You paid for the goods, but after 45 days. This is exactly how much eBay and Paypal spend to receive the coveted parcel. If it is not there or the contents of the parcel differ from the product being purchased. That’s when you have to open Dispute/Case:

1) the goods did not arrive to you within 45 days (where are my money dude??)

2) either something came that was vaguely similar to that, or was completely different from the thing that was declared by the seller, either according to the characteristics, or according to external data (cracks, chips, etc., etc.), or in general The box turned out to be a brick (this also happens).

In such cases, I first write to the seller and try to come to an agreement; no one needs bad statistics. But if the seller doesn’t want it peacefully or the wasp is not adequate (there are all kinds), I open a dispute.

Dispute on eBay:

www.ebay.com, go to My eBay

To open a dispute, the buyer must log into the Resolution Center in his eBay account. And there, check the box for what reason he opens a dispute:

1) I bought it but didn’t receive it

2) I bought it, but it’s not right there

NEXT again

Where does the entry appear that Dispute/Case is open. And there is also a line for negotiations with the seller. You are given 20 days for approval. The main thing is not to miss the deadline for closing the dispute. And translate it into a claim/stamp. Because the dispute cannot be opened a second time! Now the eBay administration enters into the process of resolving the conflict and, after studying the situation, makes its decision.

(screen not attached! I'm afraid I'll open a dispute next step)

If a decision is made in your favor, you can receive a full refund of the money paid for the product or a partial refund or replacement of the unsatisfactory product. But only with a discount coupon for this amount. The costs of returning the goods to the seller are usually borne by the buyer, therefore in cases where sending the goods back when it is poor quality is impractical, most often the buyer is given a partial refund.

I don't need coupons, so I open everything

Dispute in Paypal:

Go to the website (www.paypal.com) and go to the Resolution Center

And select “Dispute a Transaction”

We put a tick on the item not received or received but not completely))

The payment history opens before us, from where we select Transaction ID

And again we are given the right to choose (they have democracy). We put a tick on the option we need:

1) item not received.

2) the item has been received, but it is significantly different from what was purchased

Click “Continue”

A window for selecting a product category opens:

"Hardware"/"Software"

Electronics

Jewelry

Antiques

Leisure goods

Other tangible goods

Virtual goods - electronic delivery

Other intangible goods

At the end of the procedure, a message will appear - “Everything is Successful and blah blah blah, do not miss the deadline for transferring the dispute to a claim/stamp, otherwise on such and such a date the dispute will be closed and your money will be lost”

In order not to miss the deadline in “My eBay: Purchase history”, a signature will appear under the slightly delayed item - “Don"t forget to leave feedback! If there was a problem, please go to theResolutionCenterby” and the number... This is the expiration date of leaving feedback, it coincides with a period for opening a dispute of 45 days from the date of payment for the lot.

Open a dispute on day 43-44 to avoid steaming/holey heads, etc.

Do not open too many disputes (as much as possible) try to negotiate without them. PayPal keeps an archive for each user, otherwise they will label you as “hysterical” and stop making positive decisions in your favor, or even ban you completely.

Let's try to estimate how much a particular product will cost us if we buy it in Russia, and how much if we buy it on eBay. We will be purchasing professional monitor headphones AKG K 271 MK II. First, let's see at what price you can find this product on Yandex.Market.

The average price of headphones is 7,591 rubles, and the minimum is 6,850 rubles. Delivery in Moscow costs 400 rubles, and if you live in another city, you can safely add 1 to 2 thousand rubles to the cost of the goods. In total, AKG K 271 MK II headphones purchased in Russia will cost at least 8 thousand rubles. Let's look for these products on eBay. When choosing a seller, you need to pay attention to the quantity positive feedback and the presence of the "Best Seller" label. Naturally, we look at the cost of delivery. We find a suitable option in the UK.

Since exchange rates change very often, in order to find out the exact cost of the goods with delivery, you need to continue checking out the goods by clicking on the button Buy now. Payment for goods on eBay is made through the PayPal payment system. Since I have, I will pay for the goods with Yandex.Money.

The cost of purchase with delivery is 6,306 rubles, which is significantly less than the cost of the goods purchased in Russia. Please note that payment is covered (insured) by eBay Buyer Protection.

As a buyer, I participate in the buyer protection program. In Russia, by and large, buyer rights exist largely on paper.

So, the headphones were ordered on April 6, 2013. The notification for the parcel arrived on May 17, 2013, i.e. The product was delivered within 45 days. The product was delivered safe and sound.

Headphones AKG K 271 MK II

If you don’t want to wait more than 40 days for your parcel, you can try to order headphones in Russian online stores, but it’s not a fact that they will be delivered earlier.

is famous for its protection of buyers from unscrupulous sellers. Is this really true? Or just a marketing ploy? Tells Oleg.

Somehow, in my spare time, I decided to see what “mirrorless” cameras are. Well, in order not to bother with rather expensive native lenses, buy some old manual optics for testing. The benefit of this goodness is eBay complete and in very good condition.
I bought a carcass -> Fujifilm X - Pro 1 and some optics for it (fortunately almost any one can be installed via adapters)

Everything was fine, but... One day I bought a lot with a Leica Elmarit 180/2.8 lens from a fairly reputable seller from Italy (with a rating of about 1000 and 100% positive reviews).
The product is described as 100% working, etc. etc. I paid my hard-earned €274 + shipping. I am waiting. I waited...
Upon inspection of the product, I discovered mechanical damage that could not have been caused during transportation. It is visible only when the lens is extended, and there is a bunch of “mold and fungus” on almost every internal lens

I immediately wrote to the seller about my indignation and opened a case. Attached a photo of the lens.
The seller began to “freeze”, saying that I was sending an almost new lens, but what you are showing me is bullshit. After corresponding with the seller for 2-3 days and not finding a desire on his part to resolve the problem peacefully, i.e. to return the amount paid to me (of course, after I sent him the lens), I did the following. I posted a few more pictures with the same angle as it was on the website in the sale announcement. (a big problem could also arise due to the fact that I did not find the serial number on the lens! This is on Leika!).
I packed the lens and sent it back to Italy with tracking and notification of receipt.
By adding a photo of the parcel and receipt with tracking information to the case.
It should also be noted that things are eBay open for 30 days, if during this time you were unable to reach an agreement, then you need to transfer the case to the support service or it will automatically close. After this, claims will no longer be accepted.

As you can see from the picture, returns and exchanges are not allowed. And this seller had 100% positive feedback, which dropped a little after my review. But let's get back to our sheep...
The day before the end of the case, I handed it over to support.
And then it began...
1. The seller informed me that it was not his lens that I returned (I still have not received notification of delivery)
2. That he paid for receiving €65 and I must compensate him for these costs and about €180 since the lens is not his

Here I left a negative review about the product

3. And I found out that decent people don’t act like that and that I have to reimburse another €65 for receiving the parcel

Well, a few more messages of this type. I simply did not answer them. I was waiting for a response from eBay support (the response is provided within 48 hours and is not subject to appeal)
And so

As you can see, eBay's buyer protection service really works.
The same cannot be said about the service of our Hammer, with which I also dealt. They are simply “frostbitten” - contact the police. And their defense bullshit.
There, the maximum compensation is 5,000 rubles, and then only if about 10 conditions are met, which probably do not apply to more than 90-99% of the goods sold.

Special thanks to Oleg.

Are you thinking about shopping on the international trading platform eBay, but are you afraid of running into a scammer? Worried that the parcel is coming too long for you? A lot of time has passed after payment, but the goods have not arrived to you, and the seller (what a bastard!) does not respond to letters - in short, it seems that things are going wrong? Many people are familiar with similar situations and the fears associated with them. Let's figure out how eBay itself protects you, the buyer, and what can be done about the issues described above if they do arise.

What do we have? Well, firstly, rumors about eBay support service, capable of resolving almost all controversial issues. In addition, they write about a certain Buyer Protection Guarantee, which allows you to return money in case of non-receipt of the goods, but how to use it and what is it anyway? And yes: why does eBay suddenly decide to return the money that you sent to the seller for the product?

There are even trickier questions. Perhaps you wrote a letter to support about your problem, but in response you received only standard unsubscribes and links to eBay Buyer Guidelines, recommended for reading. Meanwhile, as time goes by, you become more and more nervous... Well, let's talk about it.

If we are talking about buyer safety, then most of the recommendations in this regard are set out in the chapter of the Rules “When it is better to be careful”. Detailed analysis of this chapter - what to look for when choosing a seller and product; what is the safe waiting period for delivery, etc., we will discuss in one of the following articles. But let’s look at the “Buyer Protection Program” right now and in great detail.

Firstly, eBay Buyer Guidelines strictly regulate all stages and steps of searching, paying and purchasing. But most importantly, they talk about the steps that need to be taken after completing the purchase. You say: " Well, who reads them, these Rules?". They read it, and many of them. Moreover: the eBay auction imposes on you and me the responsibility to know and strictly follow the Rules. Okay, I see, we are already starting to get upset and sigh. Wait.

Compliance with the basic Rules can reduce your risks as a buyer to almost zero. Even if you face financial losses, you will receive compensation either from PayPal or from eBay itself. But, unfortunately, many stubbornly refuse to listen to the Rules and, as a result, find themselves in unpleasant situations.

Let's look at one of the last bastions of protection against financial loss and take a closer look at what eBay's Buyer Protection Program is.

Typically, compensation for financial costs from eBay is resorted to only as a last resort. Most often, the problem that has arisen can be solved by a short correspondence with the seller (sender).

eBay staff will do their best to ensure that the situation is resolved without conflict and will provide you with background information, sends requests independently and even under certain circumstances can provide you with direct contacts of the seller - give you a real address and telephone number.

At the same time, you must understand: eBay, acting as an arbiter between the two parties to the transaction, will not take sides based on personal likes or dislikes. Moreover, they are also not your personal VIP support, lawyer or personal representative, as much as some would like them to be.

An interesting point is that if your personal account "My eBay" is switched to Russian-language display of menus and options, then when you contact support, you will receive equally Russian-language answers. If your interface is in English and you make purchases in the ebay.com domain zone, your request will be sent to support located in the United States. The same rule applies to other regional sites: by contacting support on ebay.co.uk or, say, ebay.de, you will contact specialists from the UK and Germany, respectively. It follows important point: not all support specialists will be ready to translate your Russian-language messages into their language, and therefore you may not receive a response. To minimize this risk, write in the language of the regional platform for which you are applying for support.

A priori, it is assumed that you know all the Rules perfectly well, but you have, say, a controversial issue with the seller; information or clarification required; you need to adjust your next steps or clarify the sequence of actions in the event of failure to fulfill obligations by the opposing party. Difficult? Not really! Just don’t overestimate your support and don’t assume that a focus group will immediately gather around you. Independence based on knowledge of the Rules - first of all!

The Buyer Protection Program, depending on the regional affiliation of eBay sites (approx. Great Britain, Germany, Russia) has some internal differences. For example, in terms of response time to a request for a refund, form of payment, etc. This is justified by the fact that all sites have their own personal funds, in their own currencies, and also have internal requirements for sellers.

However, most of these nuances are practically invisible to us, since the Protection Program is transparent, virtually uniform, and in most cases guarantees that you will receive the ordered product or your money will be returned to you. But - only provided that the specific case complies with the terms of the Program! As a general rule, you can open a claim under the eBay Money Back Guarantee in the following cases:

• item not received;
• The product does not match the description in the ad.

Only if, after all your efforts, the issue cannot be resolved, eBay specialists come to the rescue. They check your information to see if the item was actually not delivered or has the inaccuracies you claim. If the data is confirmed, eBay may forcefully remove your funds from the seller's account or refund you the funds spent.

The question may arise: where does eBay get the money for such refunds? An attraction of unprecedented generosity? No and no again. Let's not get into all the sources of funding and income of eBay, let's just say that after most completed transactions, a monetary commission is charged from each seller, in English called fee (“fee”). It is from this commission that the personal auction fund is formed, from where the money for compensation subsequently goes.

The eBay Money Back Guarantee is free and automatically applies to all items listed for sale that are covered by the Program. Now that we already know how the guarantee fund is formed, a reasonable question arises: what types of cases are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee? Popular wisdom says: “It is better to see once than to hear a hundred times.” Let's take a closer look:

Notice the text surrounded by a red frame. As you can see, in this lot the Protection Program provides a Money Back Guarantee. But only if a number of conditions are met. In particular, the Guarantee does not apply to cases where the buyer changes his mind about purchasing, or has any other personal circumstances, other than non-receipt of the goods or the goods not matching the description. To remove all questions and doubts, let's look at the cases in which you will get your money back.

Firstly, the ad must contain the specified inscription. By the way, it is present in the vast majority of listings on eBay.

Secondly, a “warranty case” is the circumstances when:

• the buyer reports that he has not received the goods;
• the buyer reports that the goods received do not correspond to the description in the ad;
• the buyer opens a request (dispute) to return the goods in accordance with the terms of the Money Back Guarantee;

Important condition: the goods must be paid for in a single payment! A partial “gray” payment scheme is not allowed, when the buyer sends part of the money to a PayPal account or card, and the other part through eBay. The purchase must have been made on ebay.com through the standard checkout process using an eBay account using one of the following payment methods: PayPal, bank card or QIWI Wallet.

If the listing was for an online auction hosted by a seller and the buyer made a purchase on eBay.com and paid by any method, the purchase will also be eligible for the Program. But, again, provided that the buyer provides a copy of the invoice received from the seller and confirms the payment.

Non-warranty cases include, for example, the following:

• if the goods were purchased through the Sotheby's auction of the same name (one of the oldest auction houses in the world);
• if the buyer changes his mind;
• if the goods were damaged during delivery when the buyer personally agreed to arrange for collection or freight, or the goods were sent to another address after the original delivery.

The warranty does not apply to vehicles and a number of auto parts, properties, companies or websites for sale. This list continues with classified ads, services and specific categories of industrial equipment (see the terms of the eBay Industrial Equipment Fraud Protection Program).

And finally, there is no guarantee for goods purchased on half.com and the eBay wholesale site (there is one).

Please note: no refunds will be given if successfully received items have been tampered with, repaired and/or altered or rejected for local repairs. Also not covered by warranty are cases where the received product differs slightly or insignificantly from the sales description. You will most likely be offered a system for returning and exchanging goods (at your expense).

Payment for purchases made using one of the methods that eBay does not approve of: cash by letter, Western Union, MoneyGram is also non-refundable.

What should I do if the goods have not been received?

If the latest estimated delivery date has passed and the item has not been received, open a request in the Dispute Resolution Center. This can be done within 30 days after the latest estimated delivery date. Specify the reason for opening the request: “I have not yet received my item,” and then, automatically moving to the next page, select from the list of your purchases the item for which the request is being opened.

Please note: if within 3 working days the seller was unable to solve the problem, you can ask eBay specialists to intervene. From the Open Request page in the Resolution Center, select "Contact eBay for Help."

After reviewing your request within 48 hours (be patient and tactful!), the support team will make a decision. If it is determined that the item was not delivered to you, you will receive a refund for the cost of the item plus the shipping you paid (if you were charged for that as well). Funds will be credited to your PayPal account within a few days.

What should I do if the product does not match the description?

If you receive a product that does not match the description, open a request to return the product in the Conflict Resolution Center. Specify the reason for opening the request: “I received an item that does not match the seller’s description,” and then select the desired item from the shopping list on the next screen.

On the next page, select the reason for the return: “Item does not match the description in the ad” and follow further instructions.

Please note that some sellers require that the item not as described be sent back before refunding the cost of the item and original shipping. Return shipping is carried out by the buyer at his own expense. To avoid misunderstandings and further problems, eBay has established the following Rule for returning goods.

You are required to use courier (within your country) or postal view delivery, including insurance and a registered tracking number. And for goods worth over $750, express courier delivery with written confirmation of delivery to the recipient. If the value of the item is less, you will need to obtain the seller's prior consent to pay for an expensive but reliable form of return shipping.

If during the process of returning an item you and the seller have a disagreement that you cannot resolve on your own, you can again ask eBay to intervene. On the Open Request page in the Resolution Center, click "Ask eBay for Help."

Your request will be reviewed within 48 hours and a decision will be made based on the result. If the decision is positive (for you, of course), the cost of the product and delivery will be returned to you. Funds will be credited to your PayPal account within a few days.

If you've read this far, you're ready to exclaim: " That's it! Keep me seven! Now I’ll go and open disputes!" - take your time. Here's the thing.

The buyer protection program, of course, guarantees you a refund in case of real problems with the product, but if your purchase has a dispute, you risk losing it (protection). Moreover, both the protection of eBay and the protection of the PayPal payment system!

The exact number of open disputes and funds received from them after which eBay can impose sanctions against you varies. But the general practice is this: if you exceed certain limits, the consequences can be disastrous, and in some cases irreversible.

If you paid by credit card (or directly to the Merchant using PayPal), you are responsible for resolving issues in accordance with the PayPal Security Program. In case of refusal, you will have only one thing left to do: contact your card issuing bank and request cancellation of this transaction. Decisions on these issues are even more labor-intensive, with no guarantee of success.

Separately, it is worth noting the issue of cost and type of delivery, surcharges for its types and other surcharges proposed or requested by the seller. Remember: if the description of the product and delivery specifies a specific type of delivery and its cost, then the Protection Guarantee extends to this amount as well.

In other words, if at the time of payment you chose, say, expedited express delivery, and the seller sent you the order by pigeon mail, then based on the results of receiving the goods (or, God forbid, the shipment is missing), you can safely open a dispute for not matching the description. Just keep in mind: the name and type of delivery should not be stated verbally in personal correspondence with the seller, but clearly displayed in the invoice you receive for payment.

If the invoice does not mention the cost of delivery, even before payment, ask the seller to display the cost of shipping in the invoice and resend it to you. The same applies to the case when the ad does not indicate the type of delivery you want, but in correspondence with the seller you receive his consent to send the parcel in the way you want: let him be sure to include the delivery cost in the invoice issued to you.

eBay's rules specifically prohibit sellers from asking for additional payment for shipping, "shaking and drying" after paying for an item. If your seller, having received money from you, begins to demand “additions”, blackmailing you with non-delivery, you have the legal right to refuse this transaction. At the same time, you can always refer me to the eBay Rules and even complain about the seller to the Support Service. Yes, you won’t receive the goods, but you won’t be offended either – and quite legally.

Compensation for moral damage

Unfortunately, she doesn’t exist and never will. If you are bursting with the desire to punish a fraudulent seller, it is better to drink soothing green tea. And under no circumstances try to threaten the seller in correspondence! Even if your anger is well-founded, the seller may complain about you, accusing you of threats and extortion, and this is fraught with unpleasant consequences, including blocking you for life account eBay. Therefore, be careful what words you use in correspondence and do not go beyond the bounds of politeness.

Problems with counterfeits

They fight against them, fakes, on eBay with varying degrees of success, but, alas, it is not always possible to “defeat” the fakes put up for sale. However, if you receive an obvious fake instead of the original declared in the ad, you can first contact the Support Service. Be prepared for the fact that in response you will be asked for a letter with confirmation issued by experts that your product is not authentic.

This may be an examination report or, for example, a notarized certificate of authenticity from the manufacturer or his legal representative. This document can be sent to eBay by regular mail, faxed, or sent electronically. The manager will communicate with you and your seller during the ongoing investigation. The result will always be controversial, and instead of the expected compensation, you may be required to send the goods back to the sender at your own expense.

Russian law prohibits the shipment of counterfeit goods and obliges you to destroy them. There is no need to engage in amateur activities, but in a conversation with the Support Service you will have to emphasize this. In addition, keep in mind: no one will compensate you for paying for the examination, but the legal field may shift towards an administrative or even criminal case.

Remember: you must promptly respond to emails from the Support Service and provide all requested information. If you do not respond to a potential request within 72 hours, eBay may initiate a closed investigation and subsequently deny you a refund. Argument: " I went on vacation and there was no internet there" in this case it will almost certainly be declared insolvent.

Happy shopping!

eBay Money Back Guarantee means you"re protected if the item you ordered didn"t arrive, is faulty or damaged, or doesn"t match the listing. You"ll get your money back. For all the details of how the eBay Money Back Guarantee works, please see our full policy guidelines below.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does eBay Money Back Guarantee apply?

You"re covered under eBay Money Back Guarantee when:

• You don't receive an item
• You receive an item that doesn't match the listing
• You receive an item that"s broken or faulty

Our sellers normally work with buyers to quickly resolve any issues, but if you can"t agree on a solution, you can ask us to step in and help. In most cases, you"ll be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee.

What happens if the seller doesn't respond or won't give me a refund?

Under eBay Money Back Guarantee, the seller has 3 business days to resolve your issue. If you can"t come to an agreement, you can ask us to step in and help. We"ll review the details of your case and make a decision within 48 hours.

If I refund a buyer, will I get a credit for my final value fee?

In most cases, if you issue a full refund to the buyer before we"re asked to step in, we"ll credit your final value fee. Insertion fees and other eBay fees aren't refunded, though. You can find more information in our policy below.

Read our full policy

About eBay Money Back Guarantee

Most eBay sales go smoothly, but if there"s a problem with a purchase, the eBay Money Back Guarantee ensures that buyers receive the item they ordered or get their money back.

Buyers can use the eBay Money Back Guarantee when:

• They don't receive an item
• They receive an item that doesn't match the listing

Most sellers work with buyers to quickly resolve issues, but if a solution isn't reached, we can help.

What's covered

Most transactions on the site are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.

Purchases are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee when all of the following are true:

Not covered

Sellers are subject to this policy even if the transaction was completed on another eBay site.

International coverage

When a seller lists an item for sale with an international shipping option (such as worldwide shipping), it may result in the item being sold to a buyer on an eBay site other than the seller's original listing site. A buyer is covered by the applicable eBay Money Back Guarantee or similar buyer protection policy of the eBay site where checkout occurred.

For more information on international selling see our International trading policy.

When a buyer doesn't receive an item

If a buyer doesn't receive an item, the buyer needs to submit a request to report that the item hasn't arrived. The seller should address the buyer's concern and provide tracking information, updates on the delivery of the item, or a refund.

If the buyer isn't happy with the seller's response or doesn't receive a response, the buyer can ask eBay to step in and help.

If asked to step in and help, we review the information provided by the buyer and seller for evidence of a successful on-time delivery to the buyer"s address or proof of collection by the buyer.

Information required to prove a successful on-time delivery is all of the following:

• Tracking number uploaded to the site by the seller before the estimated delivery date;
• A delivery status of "delivered" (or equivalent in the country to which the item was delivered);
• The date of delivery;
• The recipient"s address, showing at least the city/county or zip code (or international equivalent); and
• Signature confirmation, if an item has a total cost of $750 or more.

If we determine that the item wasn"t successfully delivered or collected, a of the full cost of the item and original shipping is sent to the original payment method or to the buyer"s PayPal account. The seller is required to reimburse eBay for the amount of the refund. Learn more about reimbursement.

Buyer obligations

Generally, the buyer is responsible for accepting the item when it arrives. If the buyer refuses delivery, their claim is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee.

• The buyer can provide, via written proof from the carrier, that they refused the package because it arrived empty or was damaged in shipping
• The buyer accepted and opened the package only to determine that it was an empty box
• The item arrived COD because it didn"t have enough postage on it

The buyer is responsible for paying any customs and duty fees for international shipping.

• The seller overstated the value of the item, which caused customs fees to be higher

When a buyer wants to return an item or the item doesn't match the listing

If a buyer wants to return an item within a seller"s return window or they received an item that doesn"t match the listing, the buyer needs to submit a request to return the item. The seller should address the buyer's concern and offer a solution, such as accepting a return, or offering a replacement or refund. In some cases, we may automatically accept a return request on the seller's behalf. If dissatisfied with the seller's solution, the buyer can ask eBay to step in and help.

If asked to step in and help, we review the item listing, photos of the item, and any other information about the item that the buyer and seller provide. If we can"t determine that the item matches the listing, if the seller has already offered a return, or the seller"s stated return window and policy applies, we may ask the buyer to return the item to the seller.

After confirming that the item was returned to the seller, a of the cost of the item (less any loss in value, if applicable) and original shipping is sent to the original payment method or the buyer"s PayPal account. If the buyer arranged shipping or picked up the item, we may not refund the amount of original shipping or pickup cost. The seller is required to reimburse eBay for the amount of the refund.

When an item is returned to the seller

If a buyer is returning an item within the seller"s return window, the seller"s return policy will indicate who pays for the return shipping label. The cost of return shipping for an item that is not as described is the seller"s responsibility and, in cases where an eBay-generated return shipping label is used for the return, the return shipping label cost is placed on the seller"s invoice . You can find further details about reimbursements in our User Agreement.

When a return postage label is made available to the buyer and/or and the buyer chooses to purchase a separate label, the buyer won't be refunded by eBay for the cost of the label.

Tracking is required to confirm the item has been returned to the seller. Signature confirmation is required for items returned with a total cost of $750 or more. If a seller chooses to offer the buyer an untracked return label and eBay is asked to step in and help, the buyer will not be required to provide proof of delivery or signature confirmation.

Buyer obligations

• The buyer must return the item in the same condition in which it was received
• Buyers are liable for any loss in value of the item if this loss in value is attributed to a handling which is not necessary for the purpose of checking the quality, characteristics and functioning of the item. The seller may deduct the amount of loss from the amount reimbursed to buyer

Seller obligations

• The seller is required to accept the return at the same location specified in the listing or at an address that does not result in a materially different return cost for the buyer
• The seller pays for any customs and duty fees on the returned item
• The seller is required to refund a buyer upon the receipt of a returned item. Learn more about returns timelines

When an item isn't returned to the seller

In some instances, we may not require that an item be returned to the seller. In these situations, we refund the buyer and may seek reimbursement from the seller, for example if:

• The seller chooses not to accept a return request or provide a return shipping label
• The item location was misrepresented
• It"s hazardous to ship back the item
• The item no longer has a value (for instance, a ticket for a canceled event)

Alternatively, with the buyer"s consent, we may give a partial refund to cover differences between how the item was described in the listing and the actual item the buyer received. When given a partial refund, the buyer isn"t asked to return the item to the seller. We may require the seller to reimburse eBay for the partial refund.

Counterfeit items

If a buyer reports that an item is counterfeit, and there are strong indicators that the item is counterfeit, we may not require the buyer to return the item to the seller. The buyer agrees to cooperate with us to ensure proper disposal of the item. In such instances, we refund the buyer for the full cost of the item and original shipping, and the seller reimburses us for the refund. The buyer may not sell the item on eBay or elsewhere.

Appeals

Buyers and sellers have an opportunity within 30 days from when we make a decision about a transaction issue to appeal the decision by providing appropriate documentation. eBay reserves the right to seek reimbursement from the seller if a buyer successfully appeals. Learn more about reimbursement.

Reimbursments

If a transaction dispute arises between a buyer and seller and eBay resolves such dispute in favor of the buyer, the seller authorizes eBay to reverse the funds to reimburse the buyer, and if such funds are unavailable or insufficient, the seller agrees to reimburse eBay for any amount eBay refunds to the buyer.

For PayPal payments, the seller agrees to authorize eBay to collect reimbursement from their PayPal account. The seller can opt-out of PayPal reimbursement by contacting PayPal.

If reimbursement is unsuccessful, the seller agrees to allow eBay to charge their reimbursement or automatic payment method on file for amounts refunded to the buyer. eBay may place the amount refunded to the buyer on their invoice subject to their automatic payment method. The seller will remain obligated to pay eBay for all unpaid amounts and eBay reserves the right to seek reimbursement through other means. You can find further details about reimbursements in our User Agreement.

Seller fees

If a seller issues a buyer a full refund before eBay is asked to step in and help, we credit the seller"s final value fee. Insertion fees and other eBay fees aren't refunded.