eBay Money Back Guarantee

You're covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee for just about every purchase on eBay.co.uk when you pay with PayPal. As with every programme like this, there are some rules:

• eBay Money Back Guarantee protects you in case you do not receive your item or if the item is not as described in the listing. If this happens, you need to tell your seller within 30 days from your actual or latest estimated delivery date.
• The programme is designed to protect purchases that are usually sent by post – over 99% of listings on eBay are. It doesn’t include vehicles, real estate, businesses for sale, digital goods or services.
• To use the eBay Resolution Centre you need to have a PayPal account. If you have paid as a PayPal Guest you cannot use this process, but you are of course still covered by PayPal Protection.

You can find all details on the eBay Money Back Guarantee policy page.

The amount of time that it takes for an item to arrive often depends on the postage method that you selected when you bought the item. You can review the estimated delivery time on the Order Details page.

To find this page, look up the item you ordered in your Purchase history in My eBay and click on More actions and then View order details.

If the estimated delivery time has already passed, you should contact the seller. To do so, go back to your Purchase history in My eBay and click Contact Seller next to the item you ordered. When you contact your seller in this way, we open a case so we can track your seller's response and help when needed.

See also:

• What does a "case" mean – are there any consequences for the seller?
• I contacted the seller. What happens now?

If you received an item that's wrong, damaged or otherwise not as described, you should contact the seller so he or she can quickly help you with the issue. To do so go to your Purchase history in My eBay, click Contact Seller next to the item you ordered and select Item I received is not as described. When you contact your seller this way we open a case so we can track your seller's response and help when needed.

See also:

• What does a "case" mean – are there any consequences for the seller?
• I contacted the seller. What happens now?
• What determines if an item is "not as described"?

While the eBay Money Back Guarantee does not cover returns for items that are as described, most business sellers still offer returns policies and allow items to be returned for a refund or replacement if you change your mind soon after the purchase. Consumers who purchase items from business sellers over the internet generally have the right to return the item (Learn more about your rights.) To contact the seller for this reason, go to your Purchase history in My eBay, click Contact Seller next to the item you ordered and select Learn more about returns.

If you received an item much later than promised and now cannot use it any more (e.g. concert tickets arrived after the concert), we consider this as 'not as described'. In this case, you should contact the seller via My eBay selecting item not as described, so we can track the resolution and help if needed.

See also:

• I received an item that doesn't match the listing description, what should I do?
• I contacted the seller. What happens now?

Once you've contacted the seller they should quickly get back to you and offer a resolution, or ask for further information if that's necessary. You always have the opportunity to upload pictures to share with the seller and view pictures that the seller has uploaded by going into the case details page in the Resolution Center.

If your item didn't arrive, they can provide an update on the delivery of the item, check with the courier (or provide tracking information) and send a replacement or refund if it got lost.

If you received an item that wasn't as described, the seller will often ask you to return it and then send a refund or a replacement.

If a part was missing or it requires a repair, the seller may offer to send the missing part or offer a partial refund.

See also:

• The seller resolved my issue – what should I do now?
• The seller didn't resolve my issue – how do I ask eBay to step in?

If you received an item that did not match the listing description, many sellers will ask you to return it before they send a refund or a replacement. We recommend that you always make sure you use a tracked service (such as "Royal Mail Signed For"). The tracking number proves to the seller and eBay that you sent the item to the correct return address so we can make sure you'll receive your refund or replacement.

If you've opened a case and don't hear from the seller or reach a resolution with them after 8 days, you can refer the case to eBay so Customer Support can review the case.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Resolution Centre.
2. Find your case at the bottom of the page.
3. From the Take action drop-down menu, select Have Customer Support review this case.

See also:

• What happens if I ask eBay to review my case?

If you refer a case to eBay, Customer Support will review all the information and get back to you within 48 hours.

If you haven't received an item, we usually refund your money immediately via PayPal.

If you've received an item that wasn't as described, we'll usually help you return it to the seller and then refund you.

In the few cases where we don't issue full refunds, it's normally because an item eventually arrived, or that you decided to keep an item that wasn't as described instead of returning it.

We (or the seller) will send your refund to the PayPal account you used to purchase the item. Learn more about the refund process.

If you haven't received an item or returned an item that wasn't as described, you will be refunded the purchase price and original postage.

An item is not as described if it is materially different from what the seller described in the listing for that item. This includes for example

• You received a different item or different version.
• The condition of the item is wrong. For example, the listing said "new" and the item has clearly been used.
• The item is missing parts or components (e.g. camera kit was supposed to include a tripod, but you didn't receive it).
• The item was defective during first use (e.g., HDTV did not turn on).
• The item is a counterfeit.
• The item is missing major parts or features, and this was not disclosed in the listing.
• The item was damaged during postage.

If the item was accurately described but you no longer want it, this is not covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee. However, most business sellers still offer returns policies and allow items to be returned for a refund or replacement if you change your mind soon after the purchase (See "I received the correct item, but I changed my mind and don't want it any more – what should I do?")

Opening a case when you've already received a refund, claiming you didn't receive an item which you did or opening a case as retaliation against a seller, or making false claims is considered abuse of the eBay Money Back Guarantee. We take fraud very seriously and investigate any cases that we believe to be opened with fraudulent intent. Buyers abusing this system are subject to action on their accounts as described in the User Agreement.