eBay prohibits email offers to buy or sell listed items outside the eBay web site. Offers of this nature circumvent eBay's fee structure and are a potential fraud risk for both buyers and sellers.

Some examples of outside such offers include:

• Using information obtained through eBay to offer to buy or sell a listed item outside of eBay.

• Cancelling a listing to sell to a buyer who became aware of the item through eBay.

• Ending a listing early to sell the item at a higher price to the winning bidder.

• Offering to sell an item to a bidder in a Reserve Not Met listing.

• Offering to sell duplicate or additional merchandise to underbidders.

It is acceptable for sellers to end a listing early to sell an item at the current bid price to the high bidder. Bidders are permitted to contact sellers with requests to end a listing early; however, sellers are under no obligation to do so.

Although offer to buy or sell outside the eBay online marketplace are not permitted, sellers may be able to sell items to underbidders by sending a Second Chance Offer.

Potential risk of transactions outside the eBay online marketplace

Even though offers to buy or sell outside eBay are not always made with the intent to defraud, there is a significant level of risk involved. Please be aware that items purchased as a result of a transaction outside the eBay online marketplace are not eligible for eBay services, including:

• Feedback

• Requests for contact information

• Coverage under buyer protection services

Some members have reported receiving offers to buy outside the eBay online marketplace from sellers who insist that payment be sent using third-party instant money transfer services. These services are designed to allow individuals to send money to trusted parties such as family and friends.

The use of Instant Money Transfers as a method of receiving payment, via companies such as Western Union or MoneyGram, is not allowed on eBay.co.uk. We have banned the use of Instant Money Transfers as a payment method on the eBay.co.uk site to protect members, because in the past some sellers have exploited Instant Money Transfers in order to defraud buyers.

Requests to send instant cash to an unknown third-party present a significant fraud risk, especially when the seller is offering to sell outside the eBay online marketplace. If you have received an offer of this nature, please report it to us immediately.

Buyers who request that items be sold outside eBay who wish to pay for the items with a credit card are also cause for concern, especially when the buyer requests that items be posted internationally. These types of offers may indicate that the buyer is attempting to purchase an item using stolen funds. If you suspect that this is the case, you can report the member making the offer from the Receiving Payments page.

Reporting outside- eBay offers

If you would like to report a member who is attempting to sell an item outside eBay through text in the item description, please refer to the Sales Outside eBay page.

To report any other outside eBay offers, contact eBay with the item number that the offer refers to, the User ID or email address of the member you are reporting, and a copy of the email with the full headers attached. Information on how to send email headers can be found on the Sending Headers page.

Contact eBay to report an offer from a seller to buy outside the eBay online marketplace.

Contact eBay to report an offer from a buyer to sell outside the eBay online marketplace.

If you have received an unsolicited email offer to purchase an item that is not related to a specific item number, see eBay's Spam policy page for information on how to report the offer.

Transactions outside eBay

Transactions outside eBay are not eligible for eBay services, including Feedback, the Item Not Receivedor Significantly Not as Described Process, and the Unpaid Item Process. If you knowingly or unknowingly transacted outside eBay and believe you were defrauded, please review the Transactions Outside eBay page to learn more about the steps you can take.

Breaches of this policy can result in a range of actions, including:

• Listing cancellation

• Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

• Limits on account privileges

• Loss of PowerSeller status

• Account suspension

Related Help topics

• Unsolicited Commercial Email (Spam): Overview

• Sending Payments: Benefits and Risks

• Receiving Payments