eBay Explained

eBay's Safety Centre was developed to provide you with all the help you need to trade safely on eBay. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the available advice and resources and most importantly, use your common sense.

Feedback is your reputation on eBay. Each time you buy and sell successfully your trading partner will leave you positive, neutral or negative feedback with a comment on how you conducted yourself during the transaction.

Whether you're placing a bid or you've successfully sold an item, reviewing your trading partner's feedback about previous conduct on eBay can give you a good idea of what to expect in the transaction.

If you are unsure about the item you are about to bid on or buy ask the seller a question. A good seller will always welcome enquiries. You can also email previous buyers about their experience with that seller.

To ask a question simply click on the Ask seller a question link in the seller information box on all item pages. The seller will then be sent an email with your question and will respond directly.

If the seller has an About Me page or an eBay Shop, you have even more ways to learn about your seller before you buy. Three tabs at the top of a Shop's front page can give you insight into the Shop's owner, their reputation, and their policies. Again, simply click on the eBay Shop icon in the Seller information box.

PayPal: using an electronic payment provider, such as PayPal, offers you extra security. PayPal is free for buyers and your financial details are never shared with anyone else, payment is instant and on qualifying items where PayPal is offered, you are covered up to £500.00 should you be defrauded. PayPal's Seller Protection programme also protects sellers from fraudulent chargebacks (Seller Protection is not currently available to sellers in Ireland). Learn more.

Credit Card: Most card issuers provide 100% consumer protection in instances of online fraud or misrepresentation. Contact your credit card company for more information. Learn more.

Escrow: Consider using an Escrow service where your money is held by a trusted 3rd party giving you time to inspect the item. For a small fee, an escrow service holds the buyer's payment and forwards it to the seller after the buyer receives and approves the item. Learn more.

The vast majority of buyers and sellers on eBay are honest and reliable. Millions of transactions take place every day on eBay without any problem, which makes it one of the safest places to trade online. However, should things go wrong, we are here to help.

Contact the buyer/seller
The vast majority of disputes on eBay are the result of misunderstandings or lack of communication. If there are problems with your transaction, contact the seller with a patient and friendly email or telephone call. This usually resolves most disputes. Learn more.

Use a Dispute Resolution Service
If you need further help, you can enlist a third party Dispute Resolution service like Square Trade to help you and the seller sort out the transaction. SquareTrade has an excellent reputation of resolving disputes quickly and fairly. Learn more.

Purchase Protection Programmes
If you still are not able to resolve the issue, you may be covered by eBay's Standard Purchase Protection Programme which allows buyers a reimbursement of up to £105.00 should fraud occur. Learn more.

Also, if you paid for your item through PayPal, you could be covered by PayPal's Buyer Protection Programme. This programme covers you for up to £500.00 on qualified items, if fraud happens. Learn more.

Contact eBay
Although rare, if misuse is suspected, eBay users are encouraged to report it to our dedicated Trust and Safety Team. Learn more.