Policy overview
When an item receives a bid on eBay, that bid is a legally binding contract between the seller and the bidder. Buyers should be able to be confident that the item they bid on will not change or become unavailable during the auction process. Therefore, as a seller you are not allowed to list items if you do not intend to honour the listing agreement, if you cannot deliver to the winner/buyer, or if you intend to change the item during the auction process (adding to auctions is permitted - changing the actual item for sale is not allowed).
Also, some types of items cannot be sold through the auction format on our site nor result in a legally binding contract to buy and sell the item. Please see below for more information on the limited scenarios where this is true.
Make sure your listing follows our guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and your buying and selling privileges could be restricted.
What are the guidelines?
Allowed |
Stating that you will end the listing early to sell to the highest bidder
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Not allowed |
Stating you have the right to cancel the listing at any time, for any reason. Stating that your listed item is also for sale simultaneously off eBay (eg. local market) Indicating that the item was in stock at the time of listing but it may be out of stock at the time of purchase Suggesting that the item listed may not necessarily be the one that the winning bidder receives after winning the auction
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Some types of items cannot be sold through the auction format on our site. Therefore, we have a separate policy for these types of items where placing a bid doesn’t constitute a legally binding contract. In the limited scenarios below, the listing cannot result in a binding contract to buy and sell the item, but is merely a means of introducing interested potential sellers to interested potential buyers.
In addition, we recommend that when you list any of the types of items outlined below you seek legal counsel and the aid of an appropriate licensed professional. The purchase and sale of these types of items is complicated, and subject to a wide variety of laws, including those of the local jurisdiction and the country in which the item is located.
Allowed |
List the following types of items in the appropriate "non-binding bid" category, and may only be listed to solicit indications of interest for the item:
Real Estate (eg. homes, real property, time shares) Businesses (eg. stock sale of businesses)
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Not allowed |
Listing Real Estate or Businesses outside of their "non-binding bid" categories
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Why does eBay have this policy? It's our job to make your buying and selling experience on eBay easy and fun. When an item changes or becomes unavailable during the auction process it affects trust in the eBay marketplace. Be sure to follow our guidelines when you create your listings.
Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
