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Sellers' Frequently Asked Questions about the eBay Buyer Protection Policy
What are the differences between eBay Buyer Protection and PayPal Buyer Protection? Here are the principal differences between the two programs:
For "item not received" claims sellers are protected from losing a claim if they provide evidence of proof of delivery to eBay. Proof of delivery is tracking information from a shipping company that clearly displays:
Can I appeal an eBay Buyer Protection decision? If a case is closed in the buyer's favor, a seller may appeal the decision by providing the appropriate documentation via the eBay resolution center. If the decision is reversed, the seller will be refunded the reimbursement amount back to the original reimbursement method. Will I be charged if eBay closes a claim on my behalf? If the buyer's claim is closed in your favor, you don't have to refund eBay or the buyer. What happens to eBay selling fees for disputed transactions? The final value fees paid to eBay as part of the original transaction will be refunded if you respond to a buyer's claim by providing the buyer with a full refund including the cost of the item and original shipping (and accepting a return in the case of "item not as described"). eBay fees will also be returned in counterfeit claims where a buyer and seller have not come to resolution. What happens if the buyer's claim is closed in the buyer's favor? If we resolve a dispute in the buyer's favor, and refund the buyer for the claim, the seller will be required to reimburse us for the refund. (Please refer to the eBay Buyer Protection Policy section on reimbursements from sellers for more information.) Sellers with a large number of claims relative to their total sales may be at risk of violating eBay's Seller Practices policy. If the buyer alleged that the item you sold was not authentic and that claim was resolved in the buyer's favor, eBay may impose sanctions on you, up to and including suspension of your account. See "What happens if a buyer believes an item is counterfeit?" in the eBay Buyer Protection Policy for more details. How much time do buyers have to wait before filing a claim? Buyers can contact eBay customer support at any time with issues or questions. However, we may ask buyers to wait until a reasonable amount of time after payment has cleared before pursuing a claim. In most cases, we will look at the total of:
In the event of a national emergency or extreme weather conditions, we may at our discretion ask buyers to wait longer. Buyers can file item not as described claims upon receiving the item, but are encouraged to first contact the seller to resolve the issue. Is there a time limit for a buyer to place a claim? Generally, buyers will have 45 days from payment to file a claim—the same as with the current PayPal dispute resolution system. Exceptions may be made based on factors such as member account information, listing information, item location, and shipping method. What if the item is still in transit when the buyer claims the item was not received? If tracking shows that the item was sent within the seller's handling time window, but has not yet arrived, we may ask the buyer to wait. We also may extend the amount of time buyers should wait depending on circumstances-for example, if the item was sent using a slower shipping service, or was sent internationally. What if the item is stuck in customs because the buyer won't pay the import fees? Cross-border trade disputes will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis using all available transaction information. Cross-border sellers can also facilitate reviews of their cases by specifying in their item description that cross-border buyers are responsible for any customs duties, taxes, etc. imposed by the buyer's home country. What if eBay refunds my buyer, I repay eBay for the refund, and then I get a chargeback from the buyer? Sellers found at fault for an eBay Buyer Protection claim, who provide reimbursement to a buyer then lose a chargeback, may appeal the eBay Buyer Protection decision by providing evidence of the lost chargeback through the eBay resolution center. If the decision is reversed, the seller will be refunded the reimbursement amount back to the original reimbursement method. Buyers who open a chargeback after receiving a refund are abusing eBay Buyer Protection and maybe subject to consequences outlined in our "Abusing eBay" policy. Carrier transit time estimates can be wrong. Why are you using them? We rely on carriers' own transit time estimates as the best indication of how long the item will take for delivery. In most cases we add a cushion of at least three days after the expected handling plus shipping time to adjust for this. We may lengthen this period based on the type of shipping used by the seller and the location of the buyer. We recognize that transit times in cross-border transactions may be considerably longer. The buyer has conflicting addresses between eBay and PayPal. Which one do I use? If there is a conflict between addresses listed on the PayPal "transaction details" page and the eBay "view order details" page, we'll consider sellers to have met their shipping obligations under eBay Buyer Protection if they choose either address. The buyer returned a brick instead of the item. What do I do? If the buyer returns a different item, or the same item but in worse condition, the seller should appeal to eBay immediately. We will review the case, and if we find in the seller's favor we will repay the seller any funds we have reversed from their account and record the incident on the buyer's record. If a pattern emerges, we will take action against the buyer for fraud. We also track the number of times a seller claims this happens, to monitor for potential abuse. When does an item "not as described" claim become a "forced return" for sellers? We respect sellers' return policies, and buyer remorse is not an acceptable justification for an item not as described case. However, if it appears based on information from the buyer and information in the item listing that the item is not as described, then the buyer must return it to the seller to qualify for a refund. The primary exception to this is that buyers who obtain a manufacturer's or law enforcement certification that the item is in fact not authentic will not be required to return the item to the seller. Instead, we may require proof of destruction of the item from the buyer. (Please refer to the eBay Buyer Protection Policy section on counterfeits for more information.) I object to this resolution case. What are the consequences for not repaying eBay for the amount of the transaction? You are required to pay eBay bills promptly. Failure to pay may result in consequences including loss of selling fees for disputed transactions, loss of PowerSeller status and associated fee discounts, selling restriction, account suspension, and referral to a collection agency. What should I do to make sure my buyers are satisfied?
Buyers are welcome to contact eBay for any reason. However, eBay will not permit claims when the buyer has not paid you. Will the buyer be able to leave negative Feedback on a transaction if I successfully appeal a dispute? There is no product linkage between eBay's resolution process and the Feedback system. As is the case today, buyers will be free to leave Feedback regardless of dispute resolution outcomes and all the current reasons for Feedback removal will still apply. |
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