Buying

Top buying articles for you
Buying as a guest
You can shop for most things on eBay even if you haven't registered for an account, but you'll miss out on the benefits of being a member.

2 min article
Get help if you bought as a guest
If your item hasn't arrived, has turned up damaged or faulty, or if you just want to return it, let the seller know so they can help you out. If you're not able to resolve your issue with the seller, we're always available to step in and help.

3 min article
Get help with an item that hasn't arrived
If you didn't get your item, you're covered under the eBay Money Back Guarantee. We'll make sure you either receive the item you ordered, or get your money back.

3 min article

Buying Items

How buying works
2 min overview
Buying as a guest
You can shop for most things on eBay even if you haven't registered for an account, but you'll miss out on the benefits of being a member.

2 min article
Cancel an order
If it's been less than an hour since your purchase, and the seller hasn't sent the item yet, you can cancel your order yourself. Otherwise, you'll need to contact the seller and ask them to cancel it for you.

2 min article
Your shopping cart
The eBay shopping cart lets you save fixed-price items you want to buy while you continue shopping. When you're ready, you can check out and pay for multiple items in one go.

3 min article
Making a Best Offer
Best Offer lets you offer the seller a price you're willing to pay on Buy It Now items. The seller decides whether to accept, reject, or counter your offer.

3 min article
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Counteroffers
If you've made a Best Offer on a Buy It Now listing, the seller may come back to you with a counteroffer if they want to suggest another price.

1 min article
Using the eBay App
With the eBay mobile app it's easy to buy, sell, and browse while on the move. Available for both Android and iOS, it can also let you know when listings are ending or if you've been outbid.

1 min article

How Bidding Works

How bidding works
4 min overview
Retracting a bid
If you've made a mistake when bidding on an item, you can retract your bid in certain circumstances.

2 min article
Automatic bidding
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 do the rest.

2 min article
Tips for winning auctions
eBay auctions will often have multiple competing bidders, but you can maximise your chances of winning by having a well thought out bidding strategy.

3 min article
Responding to Second Chance Offers
If you lost out in an auction, the seller might send you a Second Chance Offer, giving you another opportunity to get the item you were looking for.

2 min article
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How reserve prices work
Sellers often set a reserve price when selling in an eBay auction in the Motors category. A reserve price is the minimum amount the seller is willing to sell for, so if the reserve price isn't met, the vehicle won't be sold.

1 min article
Bid sniping
Waiting until the last few seconds of an auction to make a winning bid is known as bid sniping. This tactic is used to try and prevent other bidders from having a chance to react and place a higher bid before the auction ends.
2 min article

Resolving Issues

Returns, missing items and refunds for buyers
5 min overview
Get help with an item that hasn't arrived
If you didn't get your item, you're covered under the eBay Money Back Guarantee. We'll make sure you either receive the item you ordered, or get your money back.

3 min article
Return an item for a refund
Most sellers accept returns if you've changed your mind about an item – check the listing for full details of their return policy. If there's something wrong with your item, you're entitled to return it, regardless of the seller's return policy.

4 min article
Check the status of your return or missing item request
If you sent a request to let the seller know that you either didn't receive your order or the item doesn't match their description, you can check on its progress while it's being resolved.
2 min article
Asking eBay to step in and help for buyers
If you've asked your seller to help with a problem and they don't respond within 3 business days, or they're not able to sort it out for you, you can ask us to help.
1 min article
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Appeal eBay's decision about a return or missing item for buyers
If you don't agree with our decision after we've stepped in to help resolve an issue between you and a seller, you can appeal by providing new information within 30 days of the case being closed.

2 min article
Return postage for buyers
If you need to send an item back to the seller, there are a few different ways of getting it back to them. Who pays for return postage depends on why you're returning it, and the seller's return policy.

5 min article
Get help if you bought as a guest
If your item hasn't arrived, has turned up damaged or faulty, or if you just want to return it, let the seller know so they can help you out. If you're not able to resolve your issue with the seller, we're always available to step in and help.

3 min article

Payments

Paying for items
4 min overview
Contacting PayPal
If you're having problems paying with PayPal or need help with your PayPal account, it's best to contact PayPal Customer Support directly.

1 min article
Paying with PayPal
Paying for items with PayPal on eBay is simple and secure. It's also the payment method most commonly accepted by our sellers.

2 min article
Paying for items with a credit or debit card
You can pay for most items on eBay with a credit or debit card.

3 min article
Checkout
When you're ready to pay, simply head to checkout. You'll be able to check the details of your order and confirm how and where you want it delivered.

2 min article
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Vouchers, coupons and discount offers
If you've received a voucher, coupon or discount offer, you can use it to help pay for your eBay purchases.

3 min article
Appealing an unpaid item
Most sales go smoothly on eBay, but from time to time, buyers may not pay for an item they won in an auction or bought using Buy It Now.

2 min article
Paying tax on eBay purchases
Many countries and jurisdictions around the world apply some sort of tax on consumer purchases, including items bought on eBay. Whether the tax is included in the listing price, added at checkout or charged at the border depends on the order price, the item's location and your delivery address.

4 min article
eBay Best Price Guarantee
If you buy something on eBay and find the same product cheaper elsewhere within 48 hours, we'll give you a voucher for the difference in price, plus an additional 5%.

1 min article

Postage & Tracking Items

Postage and delivery for buyers
2 min overview
Tracking your item
You can follow your package online all the way to your delivery address when the seller uploads tracking information.

1 min article
Delivery date options for buyers
Estimated delivery dates let you know when you can expect an eBay item to arrive. Some items even offer a guaranteed delivery date.

2 min article
International purchases and postage for buyers
When shopping on eBay, you'll find items from all over the world. If you buy from an overseas seller, they can deliver to you through regular international postage services, or if they're in the US or UK, they may choose to use eBay's Global Shipping Program (GSP).

3 min article
Postage rates for buyers
You can find a seller's postage rates in the Postage section of every eBay listing. We always show the postage cost separately to the item cost to make clear exactly how much you're paying for delivery.

1 min article
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Saving through combined postage
Most sellers on eBay are happy to post everything to you in the same package if you're buying multiple items from them. You might also get a discount on postage costs because the seller saves money by combining items together.

2 min article
Changing your delivery address after a purchase
You may be able to change the delivery address or the delivery service you selected for an eBay purchase, but you'll need to contact the seller before they post the item to you.

3 min article
Buying with Click & Collect
With Click & Collect, you can buy on eBay and collect your items from your local Woolworths or ParcelPoint location at a time that suits you. You can also buy items from selected retailers and pick up from their store.

3 min article
Buying with local pickup
Some items that aren't easy to post, such as large pieces of furniture, may be marked as 'Pickup only'. This gives you the chance to inspect the item in person and avoid delivery costs.

1 min article

Finding Items & Managing Purchases

How to use search
2 min overview
Your purchase history
Your purchase history lets you track and manage all the items you've bought on eBay. Go to Purchase history to find details on the items you've bought from as long as three years ago.

1 min article
Your eBay item ID and order details
Every item you buy on eBay has its own unique item number, which is sometimes called an item ID.

3 min article
Finding a listing
Occasionally you might not be able to find a listing on our site anymore. This could just be because someone else already bought the item, but sometimes there may have been an issue with the listing and we needed to remove it.

3 min article
Saved searches
If you frequently search for the same types of items on eBay, you can save time by creating saved searches. These are also known as followed searches.

1 min article
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Your recently viewed items
You can look back on your recent eBay activity and remind yourself of items you're interested in through recently viewed items.

1 min article
Your Watchlist
If you've got your eye on something but you're not quite ready to commit, you can add it to your Watchlist while you make up your mind. You can add up to 300 items to your watch list so you don't have to worry about losing track of an item you're considering buying.

2 min article

All About Feedback

Leaving Feedback for sellers
3 min overview
Viewing and changing Feedback left for sellers
Your Feedback profile shows all of the Feedback you've received and left for others. From there, you can also follow up, make changes, or add comments to Feedback you've left.

3 min article
Handling Feedback disputes with sellers
When you leave Feedback, you're letting others know about your buying experience with a seller. Usually this means leaving positive Feedback to recognise a successful purchase. However, if something didn't go as smoothly as expected, you might choose to leave a negative rating or comment. If that happens, and the seller doesn't believe the Feedback was fair, they have the option of disputing it.

2 min article
Seller ratings
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.

2 min article

Buying Limits

Buying limits and restrictions
3 min overview

Working With Sellers

Resolving issues with sellers
1 min overview
Contacting a seller
How you contact a seller on eBay depends on whether you've already bought an item from them or not.

1 min article
Report an issue with a seller
To make sure eBay is a safe place to buy and sell, we have policies that members have to follow. If you're having a problem with a seller because they're not following our policies, let us know and we'll look into it.

2 min article
Avoiding seller fraud
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.

2 min article
Seller ratings
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.

2 min article