eBay Buyer Protection: What's Actually Covered

The Money Back Guarantee

The guarantee covers two core failures: the item never arrived, or it does not match the listing description. It applies regardless of whether the individual seller accepts returns, which is the part buyers most often miss.

You start by contacting the seller through eBay. If it is not resolved within the stated timeframe, you escalate to eBay and they decide. Keeping the whole conversation on-platform is what makes this work.

Per-listing return terms sit on top

Change-of-mind returns are set by the seller: some accept 30 or 60 days, others accept none. That is stated on the listing before you buy, so read it — especially on used items where you cannot inspect condition first.

This is a genuine downside compared with a single uniform retail policy. It is also why seller feedback history is worth the two minutes it takes to check.

The Authenticity Guarantee

For eligible categories above a price threshold — sneakers, watches, handbags, trading cards, fine jewellery, some streetwear — the seller ships to an authentication partner first. Specialists inspect the item, then forward it to you with a verification tag attached.

If it fails inspection it never reaches you and the sale is refunded. For collectibles and high-value second-hand goods, this is the strongest authenticity check available on any of the five marketplaces we track.

Buying used with confidence

Read the condition description rather than the condition label, and ask for extra photographs before bidding — established sellers answer quickly. Check whether postage is tracked. Pay through eBay so the guarantee applies, and never move a transaction off the platform, however friendly the request.