4 min article

False reports of policy violations

We take any report of a violation of our policies seriously. False reports slow down our investigations into real issues, and so make it harder for us to protect our members.

Any report needs to represent a genuine belief that someone has violated an eBay policy. If someone is intentionally making false reports of policy violations, we may take actions against their account, such as restricting their activity on eBay. For more details, please see our full policy guidelines below.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Will you take action against a buyer who wrongly accused me of adding hidden shipping charges after he bought from me?

If the buyer feels aggrieved and reports it to us, we’ll look into it. At that point, if there’s no proof you added extra charges after he bought the item, then there’s nothing for you to worry about. 

We don’t disclose the outcomes of cases but if we feel the buyer’s claim is false and malicious, we’ll take action.

Read our full policy

False Reporting

eBay does not permit members to abuse the reporting process. Reports of policy violations to eBay must be truthful and submitted with the intent of addressing a known or suspected violation of eBay policy. 

Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.

 

Some examples

  • A member submits false reports of feedback extortion for every negative and neutral feedback rating received.
  • A seller abuses the final value fee credit process by filing a report on a transaction where the buyer paid for the item.

Why does eBay have this policy?

False reports of policy violations delay the review processes of genuine reports, which is detrimental to the eBay community.

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