COVID-19: Latest Update
At eBay, people are the heart of everything we do.
The Coronavirus outbreak continues to affect our communities and day to day life here in the UK.
At eBay, we want to do everything we can to make sure you receive the items you need, whilst protecting the health and safety of all parties involved in an eBay transaction.
Whilst policy continues to change, we know for now there may be some small adjustments in sending and receiving your eBay orders.
Here’s what that means for...
Deliveries & Sending Goods
Buyers, Sellers, returners... This one is for you.
Delivery drop off points (so newsagents, distribution facilities, convenience stores etc) are still open for sellers to send goods, and buyers to return parcels. When visiting any of these sites, please do ensure that you adhere to social distancing guidelines, wear a mask, and try to keep trips to an absolute minimum.
But what about delivery courier services?
We’re staying in regular touch with domestic carriers to keep up to date with any changes in their delivery times and will update the Seller Centre if we become aware of any network delays.
Some delivery services are experiencing delays as a result of pressure on their network. To ease the pressure, we’ve extended the delivery day estimates to account for the possible delays so that you won‘t be disappointed by expecting deliveries earlier than they are likely to arrive.
This means you can shop with confidence that you’ll get most of your items by the estimated delivery date. We’ll continue to closely monitor this situation and keep you up to date with any changes.
If your item is being delivered from outside the UK, please check the delivery estimates, as for now, these seem to be experiencing some delays.
Sellers:
Whether you are choosing to cease trading at the moment or are still open for business, we want you to know that we will support you and protect you, whatever your choice.
- Official guidance is that Post Offices and carrier drop off points remain open for you to use.
- Always follow social distancing guidelines when dropping off parcels for delivery. Your local outlets will have processes in place, so make sure you check what they are and take care to follow them. And please try and keep such visits to a minimum.
- If your item cannot be posted and is for collection only, please respect the social distancing rules for your local area as highlighted here by the government and agree these in advance with your buyer.
- Royal Mail also offers a range of collection options. From cost effective single collections to Monday-Friday time-assigned pick ups, or Saturday collections from your premises - you can arrange a time that suits you.
- If a buyer chooses Click and Collect from Argos stores within Sainsbury’s or Collect+, (at the time of writing this) these locations within England and Wales are still operating, so please deliver as normal.
We will keep the Seller Centre up to date with relevant information regarding deliveries & sending goods on eBay:
If you are a private seller you will find more information here: https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/
And if you are a business seller you’ll get more guidance here: https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/
Buyers:
As long as there are hardworking posties and couriers, eBay will remain open. The latest guidance is that there is a very low risk of Coronavirus transmission from parcels, so follow the below guidelines to keep your risk minimal:
- Use sensible precautions when receiving parcels – e.g. wash your hands after opening and dispose of packaging and be mindful of social distancing when receiving parcels.
- If you’re buying an item for collection, please keep the government regulations in mind.
- If your purchase is urgent, or if you are buying and collecting on behalf of a vulnerable person, arrange sensible social distancing rules with your seller and ensure you stick to them.
- Please keep collections restricted to your local area and abide by government rules of social distancing as highlighted here.
Click & Collect
All Argos standalone stores, Argos stores within Sainsbury’s and selected Sainsbury’s Collection Points across the UK are now available for delivery, along with over 3000 Collect+ locations.
Returns
If your item arrives damaged and doesn’t match the listing description, or is the wrong item, or doesn’t arrive, you’re covered under the eBay Money Back Guarantee and can return it for a refund. If you’ve changed your mind and want to send it back, you can ask the seller if they’ll accept a return.
For more information about our returns policy please visit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/returns-refunds/returning-item?id=4041
To return your item via Royal Mail it will need to be dropped off at the Post Office. This is currently permitted within the Government’s Covid-19 guidelines: “You can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services where necessary.”The Post Office also remains open for all communities.
Customer Service:
You may experience longer than usual waiting times for Customer Service at the moment. Our team is working hard and will get back to you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, if you’re a seller, we recommend that you check out Seller Help. If you’re a buyer, please search our help pages for the information you need.
Thank you for your patience.
Fair Pricing:
We love that eBay remains the best place to find the things we need from millions of sellers around the world.
Sadly, a tiny minority of sellers have attempted to exploit other users at this difficult time by listing essential items at unreasonably inflated prices.
We want to be really clear: we in no way support this.
We have stringent measures in place to prevent or quickly remove listings of essential items that we find unfairly priced above their retail value. Some of the products covered by these measures include antibacterial gel, protective masks, toilet roll, and baby formula.
Our teams are working around the clock to ensure our site remains a safe and fair place to buy and sell, and so far we have suspended hundreds of rogue accounts and blocked over 50 million listings.
We want to encourage you, our amazing eBay community, to report any listings of essential items that you suspect of ‘price gouging’ to us. We take these reports very seriously and we will take action as necessary.
To report an item, please click here.
eBay for Charity — how you can give back
COVID-19 has hit the charity sector hard, from closing stores and a shortage of volunteers to the cancellation of major fundraising events and initiatives, charities need your support more than ever.
We’re proud to say you can still support many of the causes closest to your heart by heading over to their eBay store. Simply visit our Charity Hub and type in the cause you wish to support. You can also look out for items that have a blue and yellow ribbon next to them on site, showing that they are being sold for charity.
If you’re looking for other ways to help charities at this time, we've got a few suggestions:
- As a buyer, you can choose to add a donation to your purchase at checkout to any charity registered with us.
- If you’re a seller, when listing your item, consider donating a percentage of the sale to a cause of your choice - from 10% to 100%. Tens of thousands of eBay sellers do this every year, making money and feeling good at the same time!
Give at Checkout:
We have nominated Crisis as our latest Give at Checkout partner.
Funds raised will support the Crisis Christmas 2020 appeal which aims to provide help for as many homeless people as possible during the harshest time of the year. Crisis offers everything from emotional and wellbeing support to nutritious meals, somewhere to stay, and help for the future.
Whenever you buy anything on eBay.co.uk, you will have the opportunity to donate to Crisis to help drive vital funds that make such a difference to people.