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Digital Items: FAQs |
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General FAQs What is a digital item? There are already digital items on the site, so how will this new feature be different? Seller Specific FAQs What is eBay's policy for selling digitally delivered goods and items? What type of digital items can I sell? How do I list a digital item? How has the listing process changed for digital items? I don't see an option to list a digital item, what do I do? What are the seller requirements for listing a digital item? Why are sellers required to list with PayPal only? Why am I being asked for file type and system requirements? Which digital item delivery option should I use? How will my buyer get the item? What protections does eBay offer sellers of digital items? How will eBay verify the legal right of sellers to list specific digital items? What actions will eBay take against infringing sellers? Buyer Specific FAQ's How can I find and identify digital items? How do I pay for a digital item? How will I receive my digital item? Can I buy multiple digital items at once? What buyer protections does eBay offer for digitally item purchases? How do I protect myself from viruses when purchasing digital goods?
A digital item is a computer file or special information that you can access online or have delivered electronically. Examples of digital items are an MP3 file of an original song that can be downloaded onto your computer, or an original dessert recipe that can be emailed. There are already digital items on the site, so how will this new feature be different? Prior to this new feature, eBay did not distinguish digital items from the rest of the listed items (most of which are physically shipped) on the site. eBay will now give sellers the opportunity to identify digital items during the listing process and to provide digital-specific information during the listing process for a substantially better selling and buying experience on eBay. With the enhancements to the site for digital items, buyers will be able to see the system requirements for digital items called out specifically on Item Information pages of digitally delivered goods, and will not see unnecessary information, such as shipping costs. In addition, changes are being made to help buyers find digital items more easily. Since eBay will now be able to identify digital items, buyers will be able to filter search results to display only digital items in select categories. Finally, eBay will disclose digital delivery information provided by the seller to the buyer only after they have completed payment for their digital purchase. This will allow the buyer instant access to delivery information upon payment.
The policy for the US is as follows. Digital items are restricted on eBay. In order to list digital items, the seller must comply with the following requirements:
What type of digital items can I sell? Provided that the item complies with the above policy, all types of digital items can be sold, from songs to recipes to images to written documents. To sell a digital item, the seller must be the owner of the underlying intellectual property or authorized to distribute it by the intellectual property owner. Examples of items that sellers are not permitted to list on eBay:
How do I list a digital item? Listing a digital item on eBay is similar to listing other types of items:
In addition to the details you provide, eBay will include a standard message at the top of the item description to inform buyers that you are selling a digital item. How has the listing process changed for digital items? When sellers identify a listing as a digital item, they will no longer be asked to specify unnecessary information, such as shipping costs. Instead, eBay will request that the seller provide information specific to digital items, such as system requirements and your delivery instructions. Sellers of digital goods will also have to confirm that they are the legal rights owner or licensed to distribute the digital item they are selling in the listing process. Sellers must comply with additional listing requirements, such as using Immediate Payment with PayPal or eBay's Checkout Redirect and having a Verified PayPal account. I don't see an option to list a digital item, what do I do? If you do not see a "Digital Item" section when you list your digital item, consider the following possibilities:
To sell a digital item using eBay’s digital item format, you must:
Immediate access to delivery information is important to buyers purchasing digital items, and sellers of digital items often have trouble with unpaid items. For these reasons, listings using the digital item format is required to offer only PayPal’s Immediate Payment option so that payment can be required and delivery information can be exposed at the point of sale. Why am I being asked for file type and system requirements? Sellers are asked to provide file type and system requirements for digital items to ensure that buyers understand what will be required to use a digital item before making a purchase. By providing more information up front, sellers will avoid buyer confusion (with Immediate Pay you don't have unpaid items.) When filling out file type and system requirements, specify the following information about your digital item, if applicable:
"Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) file; buyer will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher and 5MB of available hard-disk space." Be as specific as possible so that buyers know exactly what they need to access and use the item successfully. This information will appear in your listing so that buyers can make an informed purchase decision. Which digital item delivery option should I use? 1. Providing a Web address If you have a Web address (such as a URL or FTP address) where you host your digital files for sale, eBay can provide your buyers direct access to the files they purchase. Select "Provide Web address for download" from the pull-down menu.
"Go to the Web page I've provided and click the 'Download' link. In the download window, click the 'Save' button and select the folder on your computer that you want to save the file to. The download will then begin." 2. Providing an alternate delivery method If your item will be delivered to a buyer by another method (like email), select "Provide alternate delivery method" from the pull-down menu. In the "Delivery instructions" field, tell buyers how they will obtain or receive the item. For example, are you going to email the item? If so, does the buyer need to provide an email address? Be as clear and complete as possible. Here's an example of instructions: "Thank you for your payment. Please send the email address to which you would like the file sent, along with your eBay User ID, to myemail@mydomain.com. I will send you the file via email." Note: Delivery information will be displayed to a buyer only after their payment for the item has been confirmed. How will my buyer get the item? When a buyer completes a PayPal payment for your digital item, they will receive the Web address or delivery instructions that you specified. This information is displayed on the payment confirmation page, so buyers will not see this information until after payment is complete. What protections does eBay offer sellers of digital items? Buyers will receive instructions for obtaining a digital item immediately upon payment. Similar to other items that are not shipped and tracked, digital items are not covered by the PayPal Seller Protection Policy. How will eBay verify the legal right of sellers to list specific digital items? As with physical goods, it is the seller's responsibility to ensure that they have the legal right to sell any digital item they list on eBay. Sellers will also be required to confirm their right to sell a digital item in a separate legal agreement just for digital items. What actions will eBay take against sellers who list digital items they are not authorized to sell? Violations of this digital download goods listing policy may result in a range of actions, including:
Like other items, you can find digital items by browsing eBay's categories or searching on keywords.
Before you commit to buy the item, read the listing carefully to determine whether the item is right for you. For example, check the "File type and requirements" section to make sure that the item is compatible with your computer system and software. How do I pay for a digital item? Once you decide to buy a digital item, you'll be required to pay the seller only by using PayPal, which enables you to send payments quickly and securely online using a credit card or bank account. How will I receive my digital item? After you complete your payment, you'll immediately receive the seller's instructions for obtaining or receiving the item. For example, the seller might provide a Web address (URL) where you can go to download the file. Or, the seller might ask you to provide an email address and send the item to you in an email. Can I buy multiple digital items at once? Yes.Combined payments for multiple items is possible for digital items, but all the items selected must be digital. Combining digital and non-digital items for a single checkout process is not supported at this time. What buyer protections does eBay offer for digitally item purchases? Buyers will receive instructions for obtaining a digital item are provided immediately upon payment. Like other non-physical items, digital items are not covered by the eBay Standard Protection Program or the PayPal Buyer Protection Program. How do I protect myself from viruses when purchasing digital goods? eBay strongly recommends that buyers update their virus scanning software regularly, especially prior to purchasing digital items. |
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