Frequently Asked Questions

Despite several years of attempts to make eBay more user-friendly, eBay remains one of the most complex buying an selling environments online. Questions are inevitable. Happily, answers often can be, too. Here is where to find the eBay help you need.

A brief history of eBay from San Jose, 1994, to world domination.

Reasons for the requirement that users become members of eBay before being allowed to buy or sell on the site.

Buyers and bidders new to eBay are often shocked and bewildered to discover that eBay auctions don’t work like the most common form of auction to which they are accustomed. There are a number of important differences between eBay auctions and “regular” auctions.

Sellers can change their mind about a sale only if no one has yet won or ended an auction listing.

If you're not yet an eBay trader, you may assume that it actually costs a lot to trade on eBay: annual memberships, transaction fees, surcharges, and so on. In fact, this isn't the case. If you're a shopper, eBay doesn't cost you a thing, and if you're a seller, your charges depend entirely on how much you sell.

It can be frustrating to be billed by eBay unexpectedly. Whether you're a regular eBay user or not, here are tips to help you get to the bottom of...

If you would like to try selling an item on eBay, but aren't sure you want to sell at rock bottom prices, reserve prices or a high starting bid price are the way to go.

Understanding the reaons why you might sometimes feel as though you're bidding upstream.

No, there are indeed limits on the range of things that you can buy and sell on eBay, and they are generally quite strictly enforced.

Wondering why your sales are slow? Lots of inexperienced sellers find themselves in this position. Don't just wait to see if they pick up; see whether you're doing something to harm them.

It is possible under some circumstances to retract a bid, but in general eBay rules forbid it. That's not to say that you can't get away with it, though, and here's how.

Your friends and family can not bid on your auctions. It's not only unethical, it's against eBay rules.

To contact eBay directly, use one of the customer support forms on the eBay website to contact eBay with your question, issue, or concern.

Some say eBay is a get-rich-quick heaven. Others say you'll be luck to clear a few dollars rather than go bankrupt. So which is it? Is today's eBay feast or famine for would-be sellers?

Whether it's a matter of "too quick to be real" counterbids, high shipping costs and low starting prices, or used goods turning up instead of new goods, buyers new to eBay often wonder whether eBay is an entirely honest or fair company. Understanding more about eBay can help to answer such concerns.

Those who have had bad experiences with eBay can often be heard to say that eBay doesn't care about online crime. Are such accusations true? Is eBay really uninterested in fighting fraud and other harmful activity, or are they willing to turn a blind eye?

Worried about buying on eBay because you'd like to get a warranty for your purchase? Don't. You can, in fact, get a warranty for most types of goods that you can purchase on eBay. Here's what you need to know to get covered.

Buyers often suspect that sellers are overcharging for shipping. But is this really the case? And how do you determine the difference?

From time to time you may find yourself wanting to bid on goods listed in other countries. Can you bid on these goods? If so, how do you pay for them?

Are you getting email from eBay that you don't want or that you don't understand? Maybe that email isn't from eBay after all, or maybe you can do something about it.

If the eBay website seems to be running slowly to you, it can be caused by any one of several possible factors—and the fix can be any one of several possible remedies.

There are so many weird auctions on eBay, surely the can't all actually result in sales, much less for the tens of thousands of dollars that some of them appear to earn for their sellers. Right?

eBay maintains auction listings indefinitely, but using the eBay website members can only access listings that have ended within the last 90 days.

From time to time buyers may request that you allow them to come and pick an item up from you directly. Should you say yes?

Gift certificates are a classic way to give an open-ended gift without having to send actual money to someone. Wouldn't it be great if eBay offered such a product?

The more serious you are about buying or selling on eBay, the more likely it is that serious market research data will become important to you. Once you decide that you want to know what the most listed items are, or what the average selling price of a certain kind of item is, there is nothing left but to choose a product and access the data. Here's a starting list of datasets.

If you're new to eBay, you may wonder how eBay decides what the next "minimum bid" for an auction is, since it seems to vary from auction to auction. In fact, the next minimum bid for any auction is determined according to eBay's "bid increments" table.

Most sellers who sell on eBay as a business dream of becoming PowerSellers. But just how does one become a PowerSeller, and what are the requirements for remaining one?

Though in nearly all cases completed eBay item listings are binding legal contracts between buyer and seller, there are a few exceptions to this rule that come into play under exceptional circumstances.

Sometimes it's necessary to change an eBay user ID. If now is the time for you, read on to find out how it can be done.

Dissatisfied with eBay's customer service? Tired of buying and selling in auction format? Just generally turning over a new leaf? If you're sure you want to close your eBay account, here's how.

Ever wonder whether you could use a well-formed Excel sheet to upload lots of auctions to eBay at once, or to download, view, and revise your auctions? It may be possible for you to do so.

If you live your life through RSS feeds, you may be wondering whether you can shop eBay the same way. You can.

The more serious you are about buying or selling on eBay, the more likely it is that serious market research data will become important to you. Once you decide that you want to know what the most listed items are, or what the average selling price of a certain kind of item is, there is nothing left but to choose a product and access the data. Here's a starting list of datasets.

Yes you can buy and sell homes, automobiles, boats, and other major assets on eBay. Millions of people have already done it!

eBay Motors offers shoppers the chance to buy major vehicles of all kinds on eBay. But is it safe to buy and sell assets of this size and complexity online?

Sellers, you can indeed prevent problem buyers from placing bids on your auctions in the first place, whether you want to exclude low-feedback bidders, international bidders, or non-PayPal bidders.

Though eBay is a great market for finding deals on (and getting rid of) household items and products that you use, it's also a great place for big-time buyers and sellers to move inventories at wholesale.

Can I back out of an auction bid? Generally speaking, no. Your bid is a legal and binding contract.

eBay maintains two announcement boards that members can use to find out about current eBay outages and major eBay initiatives and events.

Yes, you can. Sellers can elect to have a percentage of proceeds donated to a chosen charity, visible to buyers.

The stars after member feedback scores "rank" members according to their eBay feedback scores.

Can eBay feedback be erased? Yes, if both parties agree to the removal.

How does eBay affect your taxes? The same way any other self-employment income would.

eBay Live! is the annual eBay conference where execs, sellers, community members, and eBay-related businesses gather to talk shop.

eBay's fee structure has traditionally been complicated, and that complexity has been magnified by ongoing changes to eBay's fee structure. Isn't there some way to automatically calculate what fees eBay will charge?

Though it's not a pretty truth, there are a significant number of fake and counterfeit items for sale on eBay. Here's what to do if you suspect that you've received such an item.

It's become common for those who are not eBay savvy to ask family and friends that are heavy eBay user to sell items on eBay for them. Should you agree to do this? The answer may be more complicated that you imagine.

If you're thinking of selling on eBay but have never done it before, you may be wondering just how much you can "get" for your item. It's a complicated question, but there is an answer.

eBay doesn't provide easy-to-find tools for making lists of your most loyal buyers or your most popular items by title or category, but there are free ways to compile such data quickly on your own.

eBay has marketplace websites around the world in many different languages. Does eBay offer a feature by which one listing form can be used to sell on all of them at the same time?

If you've received a notice that your selling has been temporarily restricted, don't worry, it's not the end of your eBay selling days. If you don't keep a few things in mind in the future, though, it could be.

Is one particular eBay member giving you fits by bidding on and/or winning your auctions after you've asked them not to, for whatever reason? Block them. Here's how.

To hear some talk about eBay, the place is crawling with shills, some working for eBay and some working for sellers, all ready to send auction prices higher just as you start to bid. Here are responses to some of the most common scenarios and accusations.

Because it impacts everything from search placement to PowerSeller status, serious eBay sellers today closely monitor and nurture their Seller Performance rating. Learn more about what this rating is and where to find it in your eBay account.

There is some seriously persuasive marketing out there telling prospective eBay sellers that drop-shipping is the path to success on eBay, or even to financial independence in general. What's the real story on drop-shippers? It's a lot more complicated than that.

Did you sent money via wire transfer for an eBay item, only to still be waiting weeks later for your item to arrive? Having trouble locating the seller or getting eBay to do anything about it?

Waiting for a package is hard enough without having to wonder just when it is going to arrive or whether there is a problem of some kind with the purchase or shipment. But how can you find these things out?

When you're unsatisfied with your eBay purchase, there are a number of steps that you can take to rectify the situation, though some may surprise you. Here they are.

Shoppers that have never bought an item for a Chinese (or other overseas) seller often balk at the thought. But how risky is it, really? And what should you know before buying from a foreign seller?

It has become almost automatic to think "eBay selling" whenever anyone begins to talk about "small business" these days. But is eBay selling for everyone? Here are some facts to help you to decide whether or not eBay selling is right for you.

So much of the eBay-oriented tutorial material around the web is focused on Windows that Mac users might ask themselves whether or not they can become eBay sellers. The answer is yes, and here are the tools to make it happen.

Looking for a way to create an online selling website for your small business, without having to learn HTML or other languages, and without having to spend weeks or even months "developing" your site? eBay stores may be a good solution for you.