You can shop for most things on eBay without needing an eBay account, but you’ll miss out on the benefits of being a member.
Buying
- Top buying articles for you
- Buying as a guest2 min article
- Get help if you bought as a guest3 min article
If you want to return an item, or if there's a problem with your order, the first step is to let the seller know. If you're not able to resolve things with the seller, you can ask us to help.
- Get help with an item that hasn't arrived4 min article
If the estimated delivery date for your order has passed and your item hasn't arrived, you can let the seller know by reporting that you didn't receive it.
Buying items
- Buying as a guest2 min article
You can shop for most things on eBay without needing an eBay account, but you’ll miss out on the benefits of being a member.
- How buyers can cancel an order2 min article
If you want to cancel an order, you'll need to contact the seller and ask if they can cancel it for you. The seller can either accept or decline your cancellation request.
- Your shopping cart3 min article
You can save fixed-price items you'd like to buy by adding them to your shopping cart while you continue shopping. When you're ready, you can check out and pay for multiple items in one go.
- Making a Best Offer3 min article
Best Offer lets you offer the seller a price you’re willing to pay for the item. The seller can accept, reject, or counter your offer by suggesting another price.
- Counteroffers1 min article
If you made a Best Offer on a listing, the seller may come back to you with a counteroffer suggesting another price.
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How bidding works
- Retracting a bid2 min article
If you've made a mistake when bidding on an item, you can retract your bid in certain circumstances.
- Automatic bidding2 min article
Automatic bidding is the easiest way to bid on an eBay auction. Simply enter the highest price you’re willing to pay for an item, and we'll do the rest.
- Tips for winning auctions3 min article
eBay auctions often have multiple competing bidders. You can maximize your chances of winning by having a good bidding strategy.
- Bid snipingWaiting until the last few seconds of an auction to make a winning bid is known as bid sniping. This tactic is used to try to prevent other bidders from having a chance to place a higher bid before the auction ends.2 min article
- Responding to Second Chance Offers2 min article
If you didn't win an auction, the seller might give you another opportunity to buy the item you wanted by sending you a Second Chance Offer.
- How reserve prices work1 min article
A reserve price is the minimum amount the seller is willing to sell an item for. If the reserve price isn't met, the item won't be sold.
Resolving buying problems
- Get help with an item that hasn't arrived4 min article
If the estimated delivery date for your order has passed and your item hasn't arrived, you can let the seller know by reporting that you didn't receive it.
- Return an item for a refund4 min article
If you've changed your mind about an item you bought or there's something wrong with it, you can request a return.
- Ask eBay to step in and help for buyers1 min article
If you requested a return or reported an issue with your purchase and the seller hasn't responded, or if you're not able to resolve things with them, you can ask us to help.
- Check the status of your request2 min article
If you've requested a return or reported that you didn't receive your order, you can check the status at any time.
- Appeal the outcome of a case as a buyer2 min article
If you don't agree with our resolution when we've stepped in to help resolve an issue, you can appeal by providing new information within 30 calendar days of the case closing.
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Payments
- Paying for items2 min article
When you see an item for sale on eBay, the listing will include the payment methods you can use to buy it. If you have any problems paying for your items, we can help troubleshoot the issue.
- Contacting PayPal1 min article
If you're having problems paying with PayPal, or need help with your PayPal account, contact PayPal Customer Support directly.
- Paying with PayPal2 min article
If you have a PayPal account, you can use it to pay for your items on eBay. You can also link your PayPal and eBay accounts so you don’t need to enter your details each time you pay at checkout.
- Paying for items with a credit or debit card3 min article
eBay offers payment by credit and debit cards for most listings. You’ll see accepted payment methods at checkout.
- Checkout2 min article
At checkout you can pay for your item, choose where you’d like it to be delivered, and review your order details before you pay.
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Shipping and tracking items
- Tracking your item1 min article
You can follow your package online all the way to your shipping address when the seller uploads tracking information.
- Expected delivery dates for buyers2 min article
Expected delivery dates let you know when you can expect an eBay item to arrive.
- Shipping rates for buyers1 min article
You can find out how much shipping costs in the shipping section of every eBay listing. We always show the shipping cost separately from the item cost so you can see exactly how much you’ll pay for delivery before you go to checkout.
- Saving through combined shipping2 min article
Most sellers on eBay are happy to ship everything to you in the same package if you’re buying multiple items from them. You might also get a shipping discount because the seller saves money by combining items.
- Changing your shipping details after a purchase3 min article
If you’ve already completed your purchase but need to make a change to your address or shipping details, contact the seller as soon as possible to let them know.
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Finding items and managing purchases
- Your purchase history1 min article
You’ll find all your orders from the past 7 years in your purchase history. It's also the place to go if you need to return an item, pay for your purchases, or view your order details.
- Advanced search1 min article
If you’ve used our range of filters on your search and still can’t find what you’re looking for, try advanced search.
- Your eBay order number3 min article
You’ll receive an order number every time you make a purchase on eBay.
- Finding a listing3 min article
You can find listings you've browsed lately in your recently viewed items. However, if the listing isn't there, the item may have been purchased, or we needed to remove the listing.
- Saved searches1 min article
Save valuable shopping time by creating saved searches for the items you regularly search eBay for.
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All about feedback
- Viewing and changing feedback left for sellers3 min article
You can find all of the feedback you've left for sellers in your Feedback profile. Once you’ve left feedback, you won’t be able to edit or delete it, unless you ask the seller to send you a feedback revision request. Alternatively, you can add extra comments or information to your original feedback by leaving a follow-up comment.
- Handling feedback disputes with sellers2 min article
When you leave feedback, you’re letting others know about your buying experience with a seller. If the seller doesn’t believe the feedback was fair, they may dispute it.
- Seller ratings2 min article
You can find the best and most reputable sellers on eBay by looking at their seller rating, feedback score, and the number of items they've sold.
Working with sellers
- Contacting a seller1 min article
How you contact a seller on eBay depends on whether you've already bought an item from them or not.
- Report an issue with a seller2 min article
We created policies to make sure eBay is a safe place to buy and sell. If you have a problem with a seller because they’re not following our policies, let us know and we’ll look into it.
- Avoiding seller fraud2 min article
Keeping our members safe is a top priority for us, so we have zero tolerance for fraud on eBay. If you spot something suspicious, let us know.
- Seller ratings2 min article
You can find the best and most reputable sellers on eBay by looking at their seller rating, feedback score, and the number of items they've sold.