eBay Live FAQs

What is eBay Live?

eBay Live is a highly interactive livestream shopping experience. This real-time platform allows eBay buyers to shop curated livestream events, hosted by their favorite influencers, brands, and sellers. Visit the eBay Live Hub for more information.

Do I need an eBay account to participate on eBay Live?

Yes, you’ll need to be signed into the eBay app before you can interact with an eBay Live event. Currently, only users registered in the UK can participate.

Download the eBay app and then create or sign into your eBay account to get started.

Where can I find and join eBay Live events?

Check out the eBay Live Hub for a schedule of upcoming eBay Live events. You can set an in-app reminder or scan an event’s QR code to access an eBay Live event. You can also follow your favorite sellers to be notified when they go live.

For reminders about upcoming eBay Live events, enable push notifications from eBay in your account settings in the eBay App by following the step by step directions below:

Open the eBay App and make sure you are logged into your eBay account. Once logged in, navigate to  My eBay > Settings > Notifications > Recommendations and Rewards and turn on General Promotions.

To receive important updates about live events you've registered for or items purchased prior to a stream, go to My eBay > Settings > Notifications > Shopping Updates and enable eBay Live.

Will my eBay Live activity be public?

Yes, your username and eBay Live activity will be viewable to all live stream attendees. eBay may record live streams and may also use the videos for promotional, archival, or other purposes in accordance with the User Privacy Notice. Additionally, it’s possible that the live stream could be recorded or used by other users.

We welcome users to express themselves but please be respectful to the hosts and mindful of the community. Content that is harmful, hostile, hate or racist speech, threatening, abusive, attacking, baiting, name-calling, profane, vulgar, defamatory, harassing, misleading, attempts to circumvent eBay policy or content that is otherwise objectionable will not be tolerated. Learn more about our Community Guidelines and eBay rules and policies.

Why was my content removed or blocked?

If content is determined to be illegal, harmful, non-compliant or otherwise to violate eBay policy, it is blocked or removed. 

We will swiftly take down content where we are alerted to or become aware of the presence of any content on the eBay site which we believe to be in breach of our policies (including illegal content prohibited by our policies). Content may be taken down automatically if our algorithm flags the content as being illegal; where content is flagged for review by an eBay investigator we will prioritise review of content that is likely to be of most harm to users.

Refer to Section 5 (Illegal Content) of the User Agreement for further information. 

In addition, sellers have access to content moderation features when hosting an eBay Live event. This enables sellers to, for example, block or remove chats of users, or mute a user in live chat so the chat is not visible by others.

How can I report content on eBay Live? 

You can report content on eBay Live by using the Report Content functionality within a live stream. To report content, select the three vertical dots in the top right corner or click the question mark icon in the bottom right corner of the eBay Live Hub page. 

How can I appeal for removed or blocked content?

If your content has been removed by eBay and you believe this was done in error, please contact reportaconcern@ebay.com to submit an appeal by providing the following information:

• Your eBay User ID; 
• eBay Live event where your content was removed (i.e., Event name);
• What content has been removed; and
• The reason for the appeal (including any supporting documentation).

Which listing formats are available for purchase on eBay Live?

Sellers can choose to list their items as fixed-price listings (Buy It Now) or as auction listings. 

How do auctions work on eBay Live? What are extended auctions (also known as “popcorn auctions” or “soft-close auctions”)?

Sellers on eBay Live can list items as auctions, which allow buyers to place bids until the auction ends. There are two types of auctions:

1. Standard Auctions: These run for a fixed duration. Once the auction timer reaches zero, the highest bidder at that moment wins the item. 
2. Extended Auctions: If enabled by the seller, extended auctions add extra time when and if bidding activity occurs near the scheduled end time. If a bid is placed within the last 5 seconds, the timer resets to 10 seconds. This continues until no more bids are placed in the final 5 seconds, ensuring all interested buyers have a fair chance to bid.

During the live auction, the highest bid and bidder’s username will be displayed just above the comments section. The winning bidder will receive an in-app notification and a message in their eBay inbox.

What are the eBay Live auction bid increments?

How do I place a bid during an eBay Live event?

eBay Live participants can bid on the items showcased in the event with a simple one-touch action.

Remember, a bid is a binding contract. When you bid on an item in an auction, you're committing to buy it if you win. Learn more about Bidding rules and policies.

How do I know if I won an eBay Live Auction?

The winning bidder will receive an in-app notification and a message in their eBay inbox. Payment must be completed through the normal checkout process in accordance with eBay policy. Learn more.

Returns

If you've changed your mind about an item you bought or there's something wrong with it, you can request a return. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013, which gives you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Find out more about your rights as a buyer.

You acknowledge and agree that, in certain cases, your right to return as detailed above no longer applies if you change your mind about a purchase. This applies to:  

• Listings for Rip n Ship style box or pack breaks (or similar),  where the sealed product, once opened, may lose their sealed value. "Rip n Ship" style box or pack breaks are where the buyer purchases a box or pack listed, and after the buyer has paid, the seller opens the box or pack on behalf of the buyer before shipping the entirety of the contents.  

This does not and is not intended to, alter or affect your other statutory rights as a buyer. You may still be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee if you receive an item that is different from what was described in the listing.

How can I sell on eBay Live?

eBay Live is currently in beta with select sellers. Please fill out an eBay Live Seller Interest Form if you’d like to host an eBay Live event, and we’ll notify you as soon as you’re eligible to start selling live.

What selling formats are supported on eBay Live?

eBay Live offers Live Auctions with the option for it to be in extended auction format  and Buy It Now listings. 

Why can’t I bid during a live event? 

If you see an error message or the bid button is greyed out when you try to bid during a live event, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

• Account restrictions: Your account may have buying or seller restrictions that make you ineligible to bid in live auctions.
• Missing address: You may not have a valid address on file.
  • To add a new address:
    • Select Add a new address.
    • Enter your new address.
    • If you'd like to make this address your primary delivery address, select Save as primary address.
    • Select Add.

What are some recommended practices to avoid bidding restrictions?

• Only bid on or buy items you plan to pay for
• Pay for items as soon as possible
• Improve your feedback profile by leaving feedback for sellers
• Establish a buying history by purchasing items that require immediate payment

For any questions related to bidding restrictions, buyers should contact eBay customer support for assistance.

Learn more about buying restrictions and seller-controlled restrictions here.

How can I request a copy of my personal data collected through eBay Live or eBay more generally? 

You can request a copy of the data we hold about you in connection with eBay Live at any time by contacting us at reportaconcern@ebay.com.

For all other data we hold about you, you can request a copy of the data at any time through your eBay account. Once you submit your request you'll be able to download the report within a few days.

You can also submit a request for your personal data from your eBay account. Learn more.

How can I request the deletion of my personal data collected through eBay Live?

You can request the deletion of the personal data eBay collected in connection with your use of eBay Live. eBay will delete all such data, except for data that we are legally obligated or permitted to retain for limited purposes.

Can I delete all personal data eBay holds about me?

If you wish to delete all the personal data eBay holds about you, including but not limited to the data collected through eBay Live, you will need to request the closure of your eBay account. Please note that closing your account means you will no longer be able to sell on the site or access My eBay. Additionally, you will lose your feedback, purchase history, and sales history. 

How do I submit a data deletion request? 

Submit a request and learn more here.

For additional assistance with user data deletion requests or Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR), please contact us at reportaconcern@ebay.com.