How to Open a Dispute on eBay

Co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

If you buy an item on eBay, there may be a time when you do not receive the item you purchased or when you received a faulty item. Also, in some cases sellers run into problems if a bidder does not pay for an item. In all of these cases, eBay has a mechanism for disputing transactions that go awry.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing to Contact eBay

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Take a few minutes to sit down and write down important information about the dispute. The most common issues are receiving a faulty item or not receiving payment. Also think about how you want the problem resolved. Do you want a refund or do you want the item replaced?
2
Gather necessary information. Before opening a dispute, you should make sure that you have the following information:
- the name of the other party.
- the transaction number. This should be on any correspondence associated with the transaction. It will also appear on the “My eBay” page.
- the date of the transaction.
- the date you were charged (if you paid for an item).
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3
Contact the other party. You should attempt to resolve the dispute informally. Sometimes problems can be fixed quite easily. Contact the other party through eBay (instead of through private email). By contacting the other party through eBay, eBay will be able to trace the communications.
- The other party should promptly agree to issue a refund, pay for the item, or replace the item. If the other party does not respond in a day or two, you should open a dispute with eBay.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Opening the Dispute

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1
Access eBay's Online Dispute System. To open a dispute, first visit eBay's online dispute resolution system. Click here to be directed to the resolution center.
- You may be required to sign in using your eBay login and password.^{[1]
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2
Characterize the dispute. After visiting the resolution center, you must describe the nature of your problem based on whether you are disputing an item you purchased or an item you sold.
- If you purchased an item, then you must choose between "I haven't received it yet" and "I received an item that does not match the seller's description."^{[2]
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- Alternatively, if you sold an item, you must choose between "I haven't received my payment yet" and "I need to cancel a transaction."^{[3]
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- If the options available do not properly characterize your problem, then you can select "My problem is not listed here."
After characterizing the nature of the dispute, you need to enter the transaction number for the transaction in dispute. After entering the transaction number, eBay will ask you questions regarding the disputed transaction.
4
Wait to hear from eBay. Upon submitting your dispute, eBay will contact the other party to obtain a response. Depending on their response, eBay may ask you for additional information before you can make the claim final.
- The dispute process should take a few days before you hear back from eBay.
- After the dispute process is complete, you may receive a refund and the dispute will be added to the record of the other party. In limited instances, eBay may ban a member due to the sheer number of open disputes.
- If you sold a good to a party who never paid, you may be offered the opportunity to make a Second Chance Offer to other bidders or relist the item for free.
5
Leave feedback. If you are a buyer, you can leave feedback for the other party by clicking on “Leave Feedback” in your “My eBay” page. Be sure to stick to the facts but also warn others of the difficulties you had with the seller.
- For example, you can state, “Sent broken product” or “Never sent.” Refrain from commenting, “Terrible seller!” or “Beware: Don’t do business!”

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Tips

If you purchased an item through eBay using free in-store pickup or same day delivery, then you can return the item to the store where you purchased it if it doesn't match the seller's description.

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