There are rules that all eBay users, both buyers and sellers, need to know and follow. These rules are created to protect you and to keep eBay a safe place to buy, sell, and participate in the community.

Rules about general member conduct

eBay members cannot:

• Interfere with the eBay site

• Use profanity on the site

• Continue to use eBay if a member’s account is suspended

• Make offers to buy or sell outside of eBay

• Post want ads, except in the Want It Now section of eBay

In addition to rules that apply to all eBay members, eBay also has rules specifically about Feedback, buying and selling.

Rules about identity

Member identity is a building block of the eBay Community. eBay treats member identity with great respect. eBay expects Community members to treat member identity with the same level of respect.

eBay members:

• Must be at least 18 years old

• Cannot misrepresent their identities

• Must always provide valid and complete contact information and must always have a valid email address

• Must follow eBay's rules about displaying their contact information in a listing. Business sellers on eBay.co.uk are required by the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 to display their contact details.

• Cannot publish the contact information of other members in an online public area

• Must choose their User ID according to eBay's policy

Rules about communicating with other eBay members

eBay members:

• Cannot misuse the eBay email forwarding system, send unsolicited email (spam) or email threats to other members

• Must follow eBay’s rules for eBay Groups, eBay Discussion Boards, and Community Content (which includes reviews, guides and blog entries)

Rules about eBay’s responsibilities

• eBay’s Privacy Policy specifies how your personal information is used

• eBay’s Outage Policy allows sellers compensation if the site experiences an extended outage

• eBay Employees are bound by all eBay policies and need to identify themselves as eBay employees when they bid, list an item or submit content to the site

Other questions you may have

Can I retract or cancel my bid?

How do I close my eBay account?