Bargain Time

Paying safely and getting your money back

How you pay decides what help you get if an item never arrives or isn't what the listing said. The short version: pay through eBay checkout, and never anywhere else.

Checked against the sources below on .

Pay through eBay checkout

On eBay UK you pay at checkout. In most categories eBay accepts credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Pay by Bank and PayPal. American Express isn't accepted. Whichever of these you choose, you're still paying through eBay.

eBay doesn't allow cheques, money orders or bank wire transfers for most purchases. The exceptions are a few kinds of purchase such as vehicles, business equipment and property.

Payment requests to refuse

If any part of the payment happens outside eBay, the Money Back Guarantee doesn't cover the purchase. That includes bank transfers, cash and money orders.

  • "Pay me directly and I'll knock some off." eBay doesn't allow offers to buy or sell outside eBay, and says you should report them. A lower price is no use if the item never comes.
  • A bank transfer to the seller. Once the money has gone, it's very hard to get back.
  • PayPal "Friends and Family". That option is for sending money to people you know. Using it for a purchase gives up the payment protection PayPal might otherwise offer.
  • Emails or texts asking you to pay or "confirm" an order. Check your orders by going to eBay yourself, in the app or by typing the address, rather than through a link you were sent.

eBay's Money Back Guarantee

If you paid through eBay checkout, the Money Back Guarantee covers you when an item doesn't arrive, arrives faulty or damaged, or doesn't match the listing. It applies even if the listing says the seller doesn't accept returns. When an item that isn't as described goes back, the seller pays the return postage.

The time limits

  • Item hasn't arrived: report it within 30 days of the estimated delivery date.
  • Faulty, damaged or not as described: start a return within 30 days of delivery, or within the seller's own returns window if that's longer.
  • Seller not responding: the seller has 3 business days to reply. After that, if they haven't sorted it out, you can ask eBay to step in.
  • Don't let it go quiet: eBay closes a request after 21 business days with no activity, and it can't be reopened.

What it doesn't cover

  • Anything paid for, even partly, outside eBay.
  • Vehicles, boats, property, services, classified ads, travel tickets and vouchers.
  • Items you arranged your own courier for, or that someone else collected for you.
  • Import charges you didn't pay at checkout, and losses from your bank's exchange rate. See buying from abroad.

The Buyer Protection fee on private sellers

When you buy from a private seller based in the UK, eBay charges you a Buyer Protection fee. It's already included in the price you see, including auction bids and offers. Items from business sellers, and from private sellers outside the UK, don't carry the fee. eBay's help page sets out how it's worked out:

  • a flat £0.10 per item, plus
  • 7% of the item price up to £20, plus
  • 4% of any part of the price from £20 to £300, plus
  • 2% of any part of the price from £300 to £4,000.

Nothing is added on any part of the price above £4,000, and the fee doesn't apply to vehicles, classified ads or property. If you get a full refund, the fee is refunded too; a partial refund gets a matching share of it back.

If eBay can't help: your card or PayPal

Start with eBay's own process, because it's usually quickest. If that fails, your payment provider may be able to help.

Chargeback

If you paid by debit card, ask your bank for a chargeback. You can also ask for one on a credit card when Section 75 doesn't apply. Ask soon after the problem starts, and keep your eBay messages and order details as evidence.

Section 75

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act lets you claim your money back from your credit card provider when you paid more than £100 and no more than £30,000 for a single item. But Citizens Advice says it usually doesn't apply when you buy through a marketplace like eBay, or pay with a wallet like PayPal, because you haven't paid the seller directly. You can still ask your card provider. If it says no, ask for a chargeback instead.

PayPal disputes

If you paid with PayPal, Citizens Advice says you have 180 days from when you paid to open a dispute on PayPal's website.

If your card provider turns down a claim and you think that's wrong, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Citizens Advice can help you work out which route applies.

Common questions

Can I pay an eBay seller by bank transfer?

Not for most purchases. eBay doesn't allow bank transfers for most items, and anything paid wholly or partly outside eBay checkout isn't covered by the Money Back Guarantee. A seller asking for a bank transfer is a warning sign.

Does Section 75 cover eBay purchases?

Usually not. Citizens Advice says Section 75 normally doesn't apply when you buy through a marketplace like eBay or pay through a wallet like PayPal. You can still ask your card provider, and if it says no, ask for a chargeback instead.

What is the eBay Buyer Protection fee?

It is a fee eBay charges buyers on items from UK private sellers. It is already included in the price you see. Items from business sellers have no Buyer Protection fee.

How long do I have to open a PayPal dispute?

Citizens Advice says you have 180 days from when you paid to open a dispute on the PayPal website.

Sources

Rules and fees change. If anything here differs from these pages, the pages are right.

BargainTime is an independent search site and not part of eBay. This is general guidance, not legal advice. For help with a particular problem, contact Citizens Advice.