Standard Purchase Protection Programme

Formerly the eBay Buyer Protection Programme.

Please note:
You can only file an eBay Standard Purchase Protection claim if you have already sent an Online Fraud Complaint to your seller.

Please consider the following time frames:

• You may file an Online Fraud Complaint at the earliest 10 days after you have paid for an item.
• You may file an eBay Standard Purchase Protection Claim at the earliest 30 days after the listing has ended and within 90 days after the listing has ended.
• If you file an Online Fraud Complaint 30 days after the listing has ended, you have to wait up to 5 calendar days to file a Standard Purchase Protection claim This time period should enable the seller to react on your Online Fraud Complaint Email.

Under the Standard Purchase Protection Programme, most items bought on eBay are covered for up to £120 (minus £15 to cover processing costs). Please note: the maximum reimbursement for any claim is £105. For example:

1. If the item price is £300, you are eligible to receive £105;
2. If the item price is £100, you are eligible to receive £85;
3. If the item price is £16, you are eligible to receive £1.

While the vast majority of eBay transactions are trouble-free, rest assured that when problems occur, our Standard Purchase Protection Programme can help. Here are some examples of typical trading problems:

1. Paying for an item and never receiving it; or
2. Receiving an item that is less than what is described, such as winning a solid gold necklace but receiving a copper one instead.

If you feel you need to make use of the Standard Purchase Protection Programme, here are the steps to take:

1. First, try to communicate with your seller directly. Many problems are just simple misunderstandings. Request your seller's contact information and get in touch with them.
2. Buyers and sellers can also use SquareTrade, an independent, neutral third party to help resolve disputes that may arise.
3. Review the Eligibility Checklist and Claim Process to understand how you qualify for the Standard Purchase Protection Programme.
4. If your problem has not been solved after Steps 1 and 2, should file an online fraud complaint.

Please note that from the 12th Feb 2004, we are changing the deadline to file a complaint from 120 days after the date that the listing ended to 90 days. Buyer Protection claims will need to be filed within 120 days for listings with end dates prior to 11th Feb 2004. For auctions with end dates on or after 12th Feb 2004, Buyer Protection claims will need to be filed within 90 days from the listing end date.

Note: eBay does not provide insurance through its Standard Purchase Protection Programme but allows buyers to receive payments if certain guidelines are met.

Check out the Standard Purchase Protection Programme FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) if you'd like more information.