***FAQ***FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS***FAQ*** in Community Help Boards in Community

Last Post Oct 18, 2009 8:42 PM by: redbud_farm

Replies: 39

FAQFREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONSFAQ

Jun 26, 2002 6:43 PM

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eBay Policies/User Agreement Board FAQ

This is a peer-to-peer discussion board. While it is okay to discuss proposals for policy changes on the board, the way to ensure eBay receives your ideas is to utilize the Suggestion Box. If you do not find the answer to your question here, feel free to login and post your own discussion. Please do not REFRESH (or RELOAD) your browser while viewing what you have written as this may cause duplicates of your discussion to be posted to the discussion board.

Here are the questions you will find answers to within this FAQ;

*** In Post #1: ***

Question #1:
A) The item I received was misrepresented / damaged / not what I ordered / etc. What can I do?
B) I never received my item. What can I do?
Question #2:
How can I contact eBay?
Question #3:
Is it against policy to charge for a payment method such as PayPal or eBay Payments (Billpoint)?
Question #4:
A) My winning bidder will not pay for the auction. What do I do?
B) Can I offer the item (or an additional item) to underbidders in my auction?

*** In Post #2: ***

Question #5:
How long do I have to wait to relist or offer my item to another bidder if I cannot contact the winning bidder?
Question #6:
The seller has not contacted me after at least 3 business days. What should I do? How long do I have to wait before I can bid on another item?
Question #7:
A) Why was my auction ended?
B) My auction has disappeared! What happened to it?

*** In Post #3: ***

Question #8:
A member is sending me SPAM. What can I do?
Question #9:
Does a seller have to sell if there is a winning bid?
Question #10:
The buyer/seller is suspended/unregistered/NARU. How is our transaction affected?

*** In Post #4: ***

Question #11:
An international bidder won my USA-only auction. What can I do?
Question #12:
A) Someone wants me to sell my item off of eBay. What should I do?
B) Someone wants me to end my auction early and sell at a higher price. What should I do?

*** In Post #5: ***

Question #13:
A) Can I reveal my reserve price in a Reserve Price Auction?
B) Can I ask a seller to reveal the reserve price in a Reserve Price Auction?
Question #14:
A seller cancelled the auction. Can they do that? What can I do about it?
Question #15:
A) Does eBay give out my email address to businesses/others?
B) What does eBay do with my personal information?
Question #16:
How do I close my account at eBay?

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Re: * FAQ * FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS * FAQ *

Jun 26, 2002 6:44 PM

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Question #1:
A) The item I received was misrepresented / damaged / not what I ordered / etc. What can I do?
B) I never received my item. What can I do?

Review eBay's recommendations.
Review this information for what can be done on, and off, of eBay.

Question #2:
How can I contact eBay?

Use the links from the Email eBay page.
Telephone support is only available to some Powersellers.

Question #3:
Is it against policy to charge for a payment method such as PayPal or eBay Payments (Billpoint)?

eBay's Listing Policy (see "Payment Surcharges") does not allow it and can be reported by contacting Rules & Safety (SafeHarbor).
PayPal's User Agreement (see "5. No Surcharges") does not allow it and can be reported by contacting their Customer Support department.
eBay Payments (Billpoint) Policy does not allow it and can be reported to their Customer Care department.

Question #4:
A) My winning bidder will not pay for the auction. What do I do?
B) Can I offer the item (or an additional item) to underbidders in my auction?

Review eBay's Non-Paying Buyer Policy.
You can offer the item or additional items to underbidders utilizing eBay's Personal Offer feature. It is not recommended to directly email underbidders with offers as you may be accused of violating eBay's Spam policy if you do not have permission from the other member to do so.
If the buyer will not honor the terms of the auction, the seller may report this to eBay utilizing the Non-Paying Buyer Alert and Final Value Fee Request.
eBay's Investigations page states the following: "Notes: Selling to the underbidder in a Non-Paying Buyer situation is still permitted. However, this transaction is not covered by services such as insurance or Feedback. Member contact information refers to name, email address or phone number." If Personal Offer is utilized, the transaction IS covered.

Re: * FAQ * FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS * FAQ *

Jun 26, 2002 6:45 PM

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Question #5:
How long do I wait before I relist or offer my item to another bidder if I cannot contact the winning bidder?

eBay recommends waiting at least 3 BUSINESS days.
Try emailing the member utilizing a different internet service provider. Your ISP or the other member's ISP may be blocking the emails (by spam filter, full email box, etc).
You can use eBay's Email Forwarding System by using the Contact an eBay Member form, or the Ask Seller A Question link, to contact another member. But, if their email is being blocked by your ISP (by a spam filter, your email box is full, etc.) then using this method will not help you to communicate by email.
eBay recommends using a member's contact information if you cannot contact them using email.

Question #6:
The seller has not contacted me after at least 3 BUSINESS days. What should I do? How long do I have to wait before I can bid on another item?

Review eBay's recommendations.
Review the auction for guidance on how to contact the seller or make payment. Look to see if the auction has Checkout intructions. If there is a icon next the userid of the seller, click on it for more possible contact information.
You do not have to wait for the seller to contact you. If you have already emailed the seller, try emailing them utilizing a different internet service provider. Your ISP or the other member's ISP may be blocking the emails (by spam filter, full email box, etc).
You can use eBay's Email Forwarding System by using the Contact an eBay Member form, or the Ask Seller A Question link, to contact another member. But, if their email is being blocked by your ISP (by a spam filter, your email box is full, etc.) then using this method will not help you to communicate by email.
eBay offers no guidance on when a bidder is no longer obligated to a seller they cannot contact. If no contact can be reached by email or phone within a reasonable period (I recommend 7 - 10 days from the end of the auction), then informing eBay of the potential Non-Selling Seller would be appropriate.
Non-Selling Sellers may be reported to Rules & Safety (SafeHarbor) using a web form. When using the form, select Member Problems-->Selling Offenses-->I won the auction and the seller won't sell me the item, then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.

Question #7:
A) Why was my auction ended?
B) My auction has disappeared! What happened to it?

If eBay ended your auction, you will be receiving an email with the reason.
For details, or to follow up with eBay, use the online web form to contact Customer Support. When using the form, select Rules and Safety --> Listing Polices --> Why did eBay end my auction?, then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.

Re: * FAQ * FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS * FAQ *

Jun 26, 2002 6:45 PM

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Question #8:
A member is sending me SPAM. What can I do?

Be sure that what you received is NOT from eBay's Personal Offer service, as this is NOT considered spam by eBay. If you do not wish to receive a "Personal Offer" from members, you can opt out of receiving them.
Review sections 5.0 and 6.0 of eBay's Privacy policy.
Review eBay's Spam policy.
Use eBay's online web form to report spam. When using the form, select Member Problems --> Spam and Miscellaneous Offenses --> A user is sending unsolicited emails (Spam), then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.
Visit anti-spam sites like Spam Cop for more information.

Question #9:
Does a seller have to sell if there is a winning bid?

If the auction is a Reserve Price Auction and the reserve is not met, the seller is not obligated to sell.
If the bidder is not meeting the terms of sale, as outlined in the auction, the seller is not obligated to sell. Refer to section 5.2 of the User Agreement.
If the buyer will not honor the terms of the auction, the seller may report this to eBay utilizing the Non-Paying Buyer Alert and Final Value Fee Request.
A seller that does not sell their item is considered a Non-Selling Seller if they are in violation of section 5.2 of the User Agreement.
Non-Selling Sellers may be reported to Rules and Safety (SafeHarbor) using an online web form. When using the form, select Member Problems --> Selling Offenses --> I won the auction and the seller won't sell me the item, then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.

Question #10:
The buyer/seller is suspended/unregistered/NARU. How is our transaction affected?

eBay states, "Because only registered eBay members can participate on eBay, you are not obligated to buy or sell from this person."
At the time the auction ended, both you and the other member were in good standing. Therefore, eBay's Fraud and Insurance programs are available to you.
Because the other member is not registered, if you file a Non-Paying Buyer Alert, you do not have to wait 10 days before filing a Final Value Fee Request.
Once a member is unregistered, neither you nor they can leave feedback for the auction. If the member is again registered within approximately 90 days from the end of your auction, both of you will be able to leave feedback for each other. If you receive a negative feedback from the member once they are again registered, the feedback may be removed.

Re: * FAQ * FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS * FAQ *

Jun 26, 2002 6:46 PM

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Question #11:
An international bidder won my USA-only auction. What can I do?

A winning bid cannot be cancelled. If you do not wish to sell, let the winning bidder know they bid on a USA-only auction and that you are not obligated to sell per section 5.2 of the User Agreement. Be careful about the wording of the note as each of you can leave feedback for the other.
You can offer the item (or additional items) to underbidders utilizing eBay's Personal Offer feature. It is not recommended to directly email underbidders with offers as you may be accused of violating eBay's Spam policy if you do not have permission from the other member to do so.
You can report the bidder to eBay as an Unwelcome Buyer by using an online web form by selecting Member Problems --> Bidding Offenses --> An international bidder has bid on a US only auction, then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.
You can get a refund on your end of auction fees by filing a Non-Paying Buyer Alert and Final Value Fee Request. If the buyer is apologetic, consider filing the reason as mutually agreed upon as that doesn't count against the bidder.
If not knowing how to ship internationally is the main reason you do not do so, then the next time you are at the post office, consider asking about the additional forms required to do so. You can calculate shipping to any country using the USPS International Rate calculator. PayPal and Billpoint offer tips on selling internationally.

Question #12:
A) Someone wants me to sell my item off of eBay. What should I do?
B) Someone wants me to end my auction early and sell at a higher price. What should I do?

So you cannot be accused by eBay of fee avoidance, when you know someone has utilized eBay to contact you and you wish to sell, then offer to list the item with an agreed upon Buy It Now price. You can also utilize a Pre-approved Bidder List to allow only the one buyer to bid.
If the person is an underbidder on your completed auction, and you have an additional item, utilize the Personal Offer feature to conduct a valid eBay transaction, without having to pay an insertion fee.
eBay considers it to be "sending spam" when a buyer solicits a seller to sell outside of eBay. This can be reported using an online web form by selecting Member Problems --> Spam and Miscellaneous Offenses --> A user is sending unsolicited emails (Spam), then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.

Re: * FAQ * FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS * FAQ *

Jun 26, 2002 6:47 PM

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Question #13:
A) Can I reveal my reserve price in a Reserve Price Auction?
B) Can I ask a seller to reveal the reserve price in a Reserve Price Auction?

The short answer to both questions is, YES! However, if a seller elects not to reveal the reserve price, that is their option.
The seller may include the reserve price within the item description when listing the item.
If no bids have been placed on the auction, the seller can revise the auction to add the reserve price to the item description.
Whether bids have been placed or not, the seller can add to the item description to include the reserve price in the auction.
The reserve price may be revealed in an email. As a seller, be sensitive to eBay's Spam policy when contacting other members.
It is considered a listing violation (see "Reserve Price listing violations") to state a reserve price in an auction that is NOT a Reserve Price Auction.

Question #14:
A seller cancelled the auction. Can they do that? What can I do about it?

eBay policy allows a seller to cancel any auction before the auction ends. If the auction has bids, or if the Reserve Price has been met, the seller must cancel all bids before ending the auction, or they are obligated to sell to the high bidder(s).
The reason for cancelling will be posted at the top of the auction page. Some sellers will also add information to the auction at the bottom of the listing to explain the reason.
If the seller appears to be abusing the system by regularly cancelling auctions (especially directly before they end), this can be reported to eBay using an online web form. When using the form, select Member Problems --> Selling Offenses --> A seller cancelled all bids and ended an auction early, then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Contact Support button.

Question #15:
A) Does eBay give out my email address to businesses/others?
B) What does eBay do with my personal information?

Review eBay's Privacy policy. The Table of Contents there contains links to the information.

Question #16:
How do I close my account at eBay?

Review eBay's information about the process.
Contact eBay's Customer Support department using an online webform by selecting Registration and Account Information --> Account Issues --> How do I cancel my account? then click on the Continue button. On the next page, click on the Customer Support button.