ByHow Long Does an eBay Buyer Have To Request a Refund?
There’s not much to be said about eBay that hasn’t been said before. Almost everyone knows about this e-commerce corporation that started its business in 1995 in San Jose, California. While eBay’s original sales method included auctions for various consumer-to-consumer items, its website now offers:
- Instant Buy It Now shopping
- Shopping by Universal Product Code, ISBN, or other SKU numbers
- Online classified advertisements
- Online event ticket trading
Mid-2019, eBay counted 182 million users worldwide and around 1.3 billion listings. With numbers this high, it’s a matter of time before a transaction goes wrong and you’re left researching your refund options.
eBay Money Back Guarantee Policy
An eBay user usually requests a refund if there’s something wrong with the shipment they receive or it doesn't get delivered at all. For such scenarios, eBay introduced its Money-Back Guarantee policy at no additional cost. It works for almost all items on the website except for:
- Items sold by Sotheby’s
- Websites and businesses for sale
- Services
- Vehicles
- Real estate
- Classified ads
The policy covers all payment methods recognized by eBay, including PayPal, ProPay, Skrill, Bill Me Later, as well as credit and debit cards.
How Long Does a Buyer Have To Request a Refund on eBay?
eBay’s Money Back Guarantee policy gives you 30 days from the actual or latest estimated delivery date to initiate a dispute over a missing or faulty order.
If you paid for the item using PayPal, you can start the refund process within 180 days, as per PayPal refund policy.
Even with eBay’s protection, you should check the seller’s return window and policy before you make a purchase. It’s recommended to attempt settling a dispute with a seller first, before asking eBay to step in.
How To Initiate a Refund Request on eBay?
You don’t have too many options when it comes to asking for your money back on eBay. We have listed the available methods in the table below:
|
Can you request a refund via |
Yes / No |
|
DoNotPay | Yes |
|
No | |
|
Phone | No |
| Letter |
No |
|
Website | Yes |
| In Person |
No |
Request a Refund Using eBay’s Website
These steps will help you navigate the official process of asking for a refund on eBay:
- Log in to your eBay account
- Select My eBay Purchase history
- Locate the order that didn’t arrive or came faulty
- Click on Return or Item not received
- Confirm your selection when prompted
- Hit Resolve a problem
- Answer the questions that follow and complete your refund request
eBay will have you negotiate a refund with the seller. Only in cases where you can’t reach an agreement will eBay investigate further and make a ruling accordingly.
DoNotPay Can Be Your Shortcut to eBay Refunds
eBay is an e-commerce behemoth and figuring out which policies regulate what and how can be quite complicated. If you want to avoid headaches induced by eye strain from reading all the regulations and finding the proper tools to get your money back, we can offer a simple solution to your woes.
DoNotPay developed a fast and secure method for requesting refunds based on the Fair Credit Billing Act of 1974. This law allows customers to dispute credit card charges within 60 days from the purchase.
The process we use is simple and takes only a few minutes. When you set up your account in any , you can follow these steps and submit your eBay refund request with no fuss:
- Log in to your account and select File a Chargeback from the homepage
- Provide the details of the bank you use
- Answer several questions about your eBay order
- Confirm your identity and sign the request
DoNotPay will immediately create a dispute letter appropriate for your case and send it to your bank. If the situation calls for it, our app can provide you with a compendium of relevant MasterCard and Visa codes and regulations to support your claim even further.
How Long Will the eBay Refund Take?
The whole process might stretch out because in many cases you will be requested to return the item. Shipping times can vary depending on locations and shipping methods.
Some sellers wait until they receive the returned item, while others may agree to issue a refund before or even without the return. Once the item reaches the seller, they have two business days to send your money back
The exact time when you will see the funds back in your account depends on the form of payment you used. Most credit card refunds take around seven business days, but in some cases, it may take up to 30 days. If you use PayPal, refunds are usually processed within three to five business days.
How To Check The Status of Your Refund
eBay has a useful tool for checking the status of your requests, and it can be found on this page. Hit the blue Check my request status button, sign in if required, and proceed as instructed.
What To Avoid When Asking for a Refund on eBay
While there are some sellers whose goal is to scam you by not sending the item you purchased or shipping an item that looks considerably different from what was advertised, many merchants also end up as victims of scammy buyers.
In an attempt to protect the sellers from fake refund requests, eBay prohibits the following actions:
- Initiating refund requests for the same order using different buyer protection programs (for example, on eBay and PayPal)
- Disputing credit card charges with your card issuer after receiving a refund
- Falsely claiming that the order has not arrived despite existing proofs of delivery
- Shipping back a different item from the one that was purchased initially
- Using and damaging the purchased item on purpose and then returning it
- Making arrangements with sellers to declare an incorrect item’s value to avoid customs
As per eBay’s Refund and Return Policy page, these actions can lead to several restrictions, including the loss of eBay Money Back Guarantee coverage or suspension of your account.
Is Bureaucracy Bullying You? DoNotPay Comes to the Rescue!
With DoNotPay, you can learn everything you need to know about the difference between full and partial refunds on eBay. Maybe you paid for a damaged item with an eBay gift card, and you are not sure how to go about getting your funds back? DoNotPay knows how to handle that issue as well.
You can use our app to ask for refunds from companies like Amazon, Verizon, Target, and even those businesses with no-refunds policy! Want to try a new streaming platform but don’t want to risk charges when the free trial ends? Use our revolutionary virtual credit cards!
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