How Does eBay Moneyback Guarantee Work?

With millions of transactions and millions of customers worldwide, eBay is one of the largest e-commerce platforms.

It is inevitable that customers will find faulty or damaged products. Some buyers may change their minds and want a refund anyway.

Here is your guide on how you can use the eBay moneyback guarantee to get a refund from the seller.

eBay – Introduction

eBay is an American auction site where consumers can buy and sell different types of items. It is an established e-commerce website having millions of users.

The company operates in 190 markets around the world and offers a wide range of new and used products as well as auctions and unique items.

eBay allows business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer sales. As of the first quarter of 2022, eBay recorded a gross merchandise volume of $ 19.4 billion.

The company reported it has 142 million active users as of Q1 in 2022.

These are staggering stats by any means. However, a large volume of sales also means there are returns and refund claims regularly from customers.

What is eBay Moneyback Guarantee for Buyers?

Generally speaking, eBay offers a comprehensive return and moneyback guarantee for its customers.

In general, buyers can claim a refund if the item didn’t reach, reached but faulty or damaged, or if the item received didn’t match the listing description.

The sellers have different choices when offering a moneyback guarantee on eBay:

• No refund and no moneyback guarantee
• 30-day free returns (no shipping charges paid by customers)
• 30-day return with buyer-paid shipping
• 60-day free and buyer-paid policies

When the sellers offer a no-refund policy, the buyer gets protection under the eBay moneyback guarantee.

The e-commerce giant has its shipping, return, and refund policy that all buyers and sellers must comply with.

So, in practice, the sellers must offer a refund policy to attract more buyers as a no-refund would mean a competitive loss for them anyway on eBay.

Coverage, Eligibility, and Exclusions

Here is a quick summary of eBay’s moneyback guarantee for buyers and sellers.

For buyers, the policy applies under the following conditions.

• The buyer did not receive an item.
• The item received does not match the listed details.
  • The item received was damaged, broken, or faulty.
  • The seller sent the wrong item.
• The seller does not fulfill the refund policy.

The buyers must fulfill the following conditions to be eligible:

• You must pay by using the allowed methods on eBay.
• You must file a refund application within the allowed time.
• The requested item should not be an excluded item from the policy.

Here are a few conditions for sellers:

• You must follow the eBay moneyback and refund policies when the buyer makes a purchase on this platform.
• You must communicate with the buyer within the allotted timeframe.

The eligible payment methods for buyers include:

• Credit card and debit card
• PayPal and PayPal credit
• Apple Pay and Google Pay

Excluded payment methods include:

• Cash, bank transfers, wire transfers, and money orders.

The excluded items from the policy are:

• Real Estate, Vehicles, boats, and aircrafts
• Businesses for Sale
• Websites, Digital content, Intangible goods, non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
• Classified Ads, Services, Travel tickets. or vouchers
• Industrial equipment and heavy machinery

When the Buyer Does Not Receive an Item?

When the buyer does not receive an item, it can be reported to the seller and if the seller does not take an action, it can be reported to eBay customer support services.

Once the delivery date is passed, the buyer can immediately report it to the seller. The report should not be delayed by more than 30 days.

The eBay support team will investigate the event by asking the proof of delivery from the seller. This includes asking for a courier receipt, tracking number, and proof of accepting the delivery at the given address.

This section excludes the following conditions:

• Items collected by a third party
• Customers arranging their own shipping methods
• Invalid or incorrect delivery address
• The buyer refused to receive the delivery
• The buyer opted for in-store delivery but didn’t receive it within time

The customer will receive the full refund for the purchased item plus the shipping costs and the seller would reimburse these funds to eBay.

When the Buyer Returns an Item for a Refund?

In other cases, the customers may not receive items as described on the listings by the sellers. The sellers must fulfill their obligations and adhere to the listing and refund policies of eBay.

The buyer can return an item due to one of the several reasons mentioned above. If the seller does not oblige the refund, the buyer can contact eBay support.

The eBay support will investigate the event with a similar approach discussed above.

Some events covered under this segment include:

• The item was forwarded to another address after originally being dispatched to one address.
• The item was damaged during shipping.
• The buyer returned a damaged or broken item and has proof of delivery.
• The purchased item:
  • Was a Counterfeit
  • Hazardous to ship
  • Lost value
• The item arrived later than the estimated delivery time

After evaluating the case, the support would decide the outcome. The buyer will receive a full refund plus the shipping costs if the seller is guilty.

eBay Authenticity Guarantee

Some items listed on the eBay store come with the authenticity badge. These items are often listed under the auctions, unique items, collectibles, and so on.

These types of items are first dispatched to the authenticity center for inspection. The purpose of this inspection is to ensure that items match their listing claims.

Some items traded through the authenticity guarantee program are considered a “final sale”.

For example, items listed under watches or handbags and if these items are in condition with or without tags are considered final sale items.

When the Seller Does Not Fulfill the Return Policy:

The eBay support will assess the case if the seller does not fulfill the return in two cases.

If the seller has a refund and returns policy, the buyer can return an item for any reason. This may include items received that are not the same as listed, faulty or damaged, and even the remorse returns from the buyers.

The seller can exclude the shipping costs for the original and return shipping from the customer though.

If the seller does not have a refund and return policy, the buyer must have a valid reason to win the refund.

The support team will assess the case to see whether both parties meet the terms and conditions of the eBay moneyback guarantee and the return policy.

How to Apply for the Refund on eBay?

Here are a few simple steps to apply for a refund on eBay.

1. Log in to your eBay account with the login credentials.
2. Click on the “my eBay” button on the right corner of the page.
3. Select the “my purchases” or purchase history section.
4. Choose the “return an item” if you received the item but want to return it for a valid reason.
5. If you didn’t receive the item, find the “I didn’t receive my item” under the more options tab.
6. Select the “I want a refund” option before sending the application.
7. The seller will receive a message immediately and will have three working days to reply to your request.
8. If you do not receive a satisfactory answer, you can contact eBay customer support under the moneyback guarantee policy.

Reference for Research Work:

• eBay Money Back Guarantee policy

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