Protect yourself as a seller

The vast majority of transactions on eBay go off without a hitch. However, when you're selling on our site, we recommend you keep some key points in mind to help your experience be the best it possibly can:

• Represent the items you are selling fairly and accurately.
• Respond promptly to buyer questions.
• Review your buyer's feedback.
• Clearly state your return policy on your listing.
• Clearly state your return policy on your listing.
• Ship with a tracking number and insurance. This procedure can help resolve disputes in cases where a buyer claims to have never received an item or received a broken item.
• Maintain records of postage receipts as proof the item was posted.
• Only ship items to the verified billing address on the buyer's credit card account (if applicable).
• Verify payment before shipping items (including holding checks until they clear).
• Keep copies of any proof of your item's authenticity.
• Use extra caution with:
  • International payments
  • Revised shipping information
  • Unknown or new buyers
  • Unusual bidding activity
  • Orders posted "rush" or "overnight"
• Try to establish contact with the buyer immediately after auction ends.
• Establish a timeframe with buyer, making it clear how long you will wait for payment, and what type of payment you will accept.
• Make sure to state rules in auction regarding what types of bidders you will accept (For example, "no bidders with negative feedback," or "new bidders with 0 feedback must contact the seller.")

Related Help topics:

• Knowing Your Buyer: Overview
• Request a Buyer's Contact Information