If you have any problems with a purchase, eBay recommends that you contact your seller first.

To contact a seller during a listing, click the "Ask seller a question" link on the item page.

To contact a seller after a listing ends, go to the ended listing page, and click the "Contact Seller" link. If you're the winning bidder or if you used Buy It Now, you can also contact your seller from My eBay.

However, if you're not able to resolve your issue by contacting your seller the following tips may help you.

• Payment methods

• Postage & Packaging

• Price

Payment methods

Sellers specify in the listing which payment methods they will accept. If you place a bid on an item or use Buy It Now, you are obliged to pay for the item using one of the payment methods specified in the listing. If you're unable to pay by the methods included in the listing, you might want to consider bidding on or purchasing a different item.

If the seller offers more than one payment option, you can select which payment method you want to use when you purchase the item by clicking the Pay Now button. Only the payment methods accepted by the seller will be available.

Some payment options offer more protection than others do, so be sure to select a payment method that makes you feel comfortable. Learn more about the Accepted Payments policy and the different types of payment methods.

If you have questions about a payment method, you can contact the seller before you bid on or buy the item.

Postage & Packaging

Postage & packaging costs are part of the total cost of purchasing the item. To avoid possible problems or misunderstandings, you should consider the P&P costs and postage services before you bid on or buy an item.

Sellers may charge reasonable P&P fees to cover the costs for postage, packaging, and handling the items that they sell. However, charging excessive fees for postage breaches the eBay Excessive Postage & Packaging Charges policy.

Review the item description carefully to make sure you understand what the shipping costs are. If you have any questions about postage, please contact the seller before you bid on or buy the item.

If you don't receive the item or if the item is significantly different from how it was described in the listing, you may be eligible for eBay's buyer protection programmes.

Price

When you win an auction-style listing or purchase a fixed price item, you agree to purchase the item at the winning bid or Buy It Now price.

If you have questions about the total cost of your item after you've purchased an item, you can request the total from the seller. To do so, click the "Request total from seller" link on the Review Your Item page when you use the Pay Now button to purchase your item on eBay.