Winning an auction but not following through with the transaction deteriorates trust within our trading community. Bidders who win auctions but fail to complete the transaction face possible consequences for their actions.

Sellers requesting final value fee credits are required to provide a reason for the request. Upon receiving a credit request from a seller for non-payment by the bidder, eBay will automatically send an email warning to the user who has been accused of bidding and not paying. The user will receive two warnings before suspension. By the third time, this behaviour is believed to be chronic and the user will be suspended for 30 days. A fourth offence will result in indefinite suspension from eBay.

eBay understands that users sometimes have legitimate reasons for not being able to follow through in a transaction. Some reasons include hospitalisation, family emergencies, acts of nature, and computer-related problems. Warning messages include directions for appealing against complaints.

For more information about this policy, go to the Non-Paying Bidder Policy page.