Independent profile — not affiliated with eBay

eBay

eBay Inc. is a San Jose, California company listed on Nasdaq that operates the eBay marketplace. This page lists eBay's own Money Back Guarantee, contact, account-restriction and arbitration terms for buyers and sellers, then the documented record: 2024 Department of Justice settlements, a reported July 2026 civil settlement, BBB and Trustpilot figures as displayed on October 15, 2026, and 600 archive complaints dated 1999 to 2014.

COMPLAINTS600
VERIFIED PHONE1-800-456-3229
LAST CHECKED2026-10-15
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CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 600 historical complaints about eBay, published between 1999 and 2014. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.

EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

account suspension, restriction or ban (sellers and buyers) (keyword match)seller fees and billing disputes (keyword match)item not received or not as described; eBay buyer protection or case outcome (keyword match)customer service and support access (keyword match)feedback removal or feedback system (keyword match)fraud, fake listings or spoof emails on the platform (keyword match)PayPal holds, payments or forced payment methods (keyword match)

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBB: 1576 reviews, 17352 complaints
Trustpilot: 19322 reviews,
VERIFIED

Contacts

VERIFIED

Locations

TypeAddress
Headquarters2025 Hamilton Avenue San Jose CA 95125
EDITORIAL

eBay: refunds, Money Back Guarantee, seller suspensions, contacting eBay and look-alike emails (checked October 15, 2026)

People searching this page are usually (a) buyers whose item did not arrive or was not as described, (b) sellers dealing with fees, a hold on funds, removed listings, feedback or an account restriction, or (c) people who received an email or vehicle offer that used eBay's name. The routes below come from eBay's own pages opened on October 15, 2026; check them for current wording.

  • Item not received: eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy says the buyer can report the item as not arrived once the estimated delivery date has passed and up to 30 calendar days after it. The seller must respond within 3 business days, and if the seller has not responded or the two cannot resolve it the buyer can 'ask us to step in'. Eligibility requires paying through an eligible method at eBay checkout; the policy says items paid for outside eBay (bank transfer, cash, money orders, escrow services) are not covered.
  • Item not as described, damaged or faulty: the same policy gives the buyer up to 30 calendar days after delivery (or the seller's longer returns window) to request a return; the seller must respond within 3 business days and, if the item is returned, the seller is responsible for return shipping. The policy says certain items have a more limited return window (for event tickets it is 30 calendar days after delivery or 7 calendar days after the event date, whichever is later) and lists excluded categories, including motor vehicles (covered, if at all, by a separate vehicle programme named in the policy).
  • Contacting eBay: eBay's 'Contact eBay' article tells you to sign in, select 'Contact us' at the bottom of the relevant help article and choose the topic. Questions or complaints about eBay's payment services have a separate route on eBay's money-transmitter page (eBay Commerce Inc., 1-800-456-3229).
  • Seller account limits and fees: the User Agreement says eBay may, in its sole discretion, limit, suspend or terminate accounts, remove listings and restrict access to funds under its Payments Terms. The agreement also says sellers must meet eBay's minimum performance standards and that failing to meet them may result in additional fees or a limited, restricted, suspended or downgraded seller account; its section 12, 'Holds and Restricted Funds', points to the Payments Terms of Use for funds holds. Use the contact route above and any instructions in the notice you received. Feedback removals follow eBay's Feedback policy page.
  • Emails and vehicle offers using eBay's name: eBay's Security Center has 'Stay Safe from Scammers' and 'Report a Concern' pages. Many archive complaints (2007-2013) describe offers, often for vehicles, that moved the buyer outside eBay to wire or Western Union payments; eBay's own policy says payments completed outside eBay checkout are not covered, and its User Agreement says eBay is not a vehicle broker or dealer. Those third-party sellers and senders are not the same as eBay.
  • Legal route: for U.S. residents the User Agreement contains an Agreement to Arbitrate with a class-action waiver, an exception for small-claims court and a mandatory informal dispute resolution step of 45 days before arbitration, administered by National Arbitration & Mediation (NAM). On opting out, the agreement says: 'IF YOU ARE A NEW USER OF OUR SERVICES, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE' by a written notice 'POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE YOU FIRST ACCEPT THIS USER AGREEMENT' (section 19). The page shows a current agreement and a 'Previous User Agreement' effective for existing users from February 20, 2026, so the terms changed recently.
  • Outside eBay: card issuers have their own dispute rights for card payments; the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov), your state attorney general and, for payments, your state financial regulator accept complaints.
EDITORIAL

Regulator actions: DOJ controlled-substances settlement (2024) and deferred prosecution agreement (2024)

Department of Justice, Controlled Substances Act settlement (January 31, 2024). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced that eBay 'has agreed to pay $59 million and to enhance its compliance program to resolve allegations' that it violated the Controlled Substances Act in connection with pill presses and encapsulating machines sold through its website. The release says: 'The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.' eBay's 10-K says the agreement 'fully resolved' the allegations and that eBay agreed to implement enhanced processes for monitoring and reporting listings that violate its policies.

Department of Justice, deferred prosecution agreement (January 11, 2024; United States v. eBay Inc., D. Mass. No. 1:24-cr-10003). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on January 11, 2024 that eBay agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty over an August 2019 harassment and intimidation campaign against a Massachusetts couple who published an e-commerce newsletter, and over obstruction of the investigation. The release says eBay was charged with two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through electronic communications services, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction of justice, and 'admitted to a detailed recitation of all the relevant facts', that $3 million 'is the statutory maximum fine for these six felony offenses', and that eBay must retain an independent compliance monitor for three years. eBay's 10-K says six former employees and one former contractor pleaded guilty and that the information will be dismissed after three years if eBay meets its obligations; the three-year term is not described here as concluded.

Environmental claims dismissed. On September 27, 2023 DOJ, for EPA, sued eBay in the Eastern District of New York over products sold by third parties; eBay's 10-K states that the court dismissed the claims in their entirety on September 30, 2024 and that the Second Circuit dismissed the government's appeal on April 25, 2025 after the government moved to dismiss it voluntarily.

Searching the sources opened on October 15, 2026 (eBay's 10-K, the DOJ releases above, BBB's government-action note and the CFPB complaint-database company lookup) did not identify an FTC or CFPB order against eBay Inc.; the CFPB lookup for 'ebay' returned no company. This is a scoped statement, not proof that none exists.

EDITORIAL

Who is eBay: entity, PayPal separation, vehicles and Depop

Entity. eBay Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered at 2025 Hamilton Avenue, San Jose, California, listed on Nasdaq as EBAY; the company says it was founded in 1995 (Form 10-K for fiscal 2025, filed February 19, 2026). The User Agreement names eBay Inc. as the contracting entity for U.S. residents.

How it works. eBay's marketplace connects buyers and sellers; the User Agreement says sellers pay fees, that eBay may restrict, suspend or terminate accounts, and that disputes between users are covered by the Money Back Guarantee only when the policy's conditions are met. Vehicles: the agreement says eBay 'is not a vehicle broker, vehicle dealer', and that title and registration services are provided by an affiliate, Caramel Dealer Services, LLC d/b/a CDS Auto Sales.

PayPal is a different company. eBay's filings list a Separation and Distribution Agreement with PayPal Holdings, Inc. dated June 26, 2015 and a tax matters agreement dated July 17, 2015; PayPal has been a separate public company since then. Complaints in our archive that name only PayPal about PayPal accounts are about that company. eBay's own payment services use licensed eBay entities (see eBay Commerce Inc. in the contacts).

Unsolicited proposal (2026). eBay's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 states that on May 3, 2026 the company received an unsolicited, non-binding acquisition proposal from a third party and that its Board determined on May 12, 2026 that the proposal was neither credible nor attractive. A Rule 425 filing by GameStop Corp. dated July 20, 2026 (subject company eBay) reprints a Financial Times article describing GameStop's pursuit of eBay and a roughly 10 percent stake; that is a report in a filing, not a completed transaction.

Recent event. On July 30, 2026 eBay announced it had completed its acquisition of Depop, a consumer-to-consumer fashion marketplace that, per the release, will keep operating with its own brand and platform. The Form 10-Q names the acquired entity as Depop Limited and states a definitive agreement price of $1.2 billion in cash; Depop complaints are not part of this page.

EDITORIAL

Complaint record: our archive, BBB and Trustpilot as displayed on October 15, 2026

Our archive. The archive links 600 approved complaints as primary eBay complaints (offender field naming eBay, eBay.com, eBay Inc., eBay Motors or eBay International AG), dated 1999 to 2014, plus 196 non-primary links where the offender field names eBay together with PayPal (170) or Half.com (26). Posts whose text is about an individual seller or a third party using eBay as the venue, and emails or sites impersonating eBay, were not linked as eBay's own complaints. Themes below are keyword counts over the 600 primary posts (one post can match several): account suspension, restriction or ban 141; seller fees and billing 188; item not received or not as described, buyer protection or case outcome 148; customer service and support access 148; feedback 159; fraud, fake listings or spoof emails 242; PayPal holds or payments 185. These are unverified consumer allegations, not findings.

BBB (as displayed on October 15, 2026). BBB profile for eBay Inc., 2065 Hamilton Ave, San Jose (headquarters): BBB Accredited; rating B+ with the reason 'Failure to respond to 1 complaint(s) filed against business'; '17,352 total complaints in the last 3 years' and '6,018 complaints filed in the last 12 months'; customer reviews '1.09/5 stars, Average of 1,576 Customer Reviews'. BBB's raw data shows accreditation from 1998-09-01 and a file opened 1997-04-02. BBB's profile shows two government-action notes, 'DOJ vs eBay' (the controlled-substances matter described above) and 'U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts vs eBay' (the criminal penalty described above).

Trustpilot (as displayed on October 15, 2026). Page for ebay.com: 19,322 reviews, score 1.2, claimed profile since September 2013, 3,162 reviews in the last 12 months. Trustpilot's notices on the page say the company has not invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative, and that it has not replied to negative reviews. Trustpilot does not fact-check reviews.

These counts come from different sources, measure different things and are not added together or compared with our archive.

EDITORIAL

Lawsuits and settlements: Steiner v. eBay, EPA case

Steiner v. eBay (D. Mass.). The Massachusetts couple targeted in the 2019 campaign sued eBay in 2021. According to an Associated Press report published by WBUR on July 29, 2026, the parties reported a tentative settlement in February 2026 that was not finalized, and a new settlement was reached in July 2026. Under it, the report says, the Steiners receive $48.7 million in compensation, including $46.15 million from eBay and the rest from three former executives, plus $7 million in charitable contributions ($6 million funded by eBay and $1 million by former CEO Devin Wenig), with no confidentiality provision. The docket (No. 1:21-cv-11181, filed July 21, 2021) shows a stipulation of dismissal filed by the plaintiffs on July 27, 2026 and the case terminated on July 28, 2026 on CourtListener. eBay is quoted in that report: 'What the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened.'

United States v. eBay Inc. (E.D.N.Y.). Civil complaint (No. 1:23-cv-07173) filed September 27, 2023 on behalf of EPA; dismissed in its entirety on September 30, 2024; appeal (Second Circuit No. 24-3104) dismissed April 25, 2025 (Form 10-K; CourtListener docket listing).

Consumer class actions and individual arbitrations may exist that this page does not list; the User Agreement's arbitration clause is described in the practical section.

EDITORIAL

Is eBay Legitimate?

eBay Inc. is a publicly traded Delaware corporation that files annual reports with the SEC, is a BBB Accredited business at the headquarters file shown, and operates the eBay marketplace under a User Agreement and a Money Back Guarantee policy that describe what is and is not covered. The public record on this page also includes a January 2024 settlement of Controlled Substances Act allegations, a January 2024 deferred prosecution agreement over the 2019 harassment of journalists, and a July 2026 reported civil settlement of the Steiner case; BBB and Trustpilot display large numbers of complaints and low review averages as shown above. Decisions about a specific listing or seller depend on the seller and the payment method used.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

CaseAuthorityDatesTypeOutcomeSource
United States v. eBay Inc. (Clean Air Act, FIFRA and TSCA claims)
Docket 1:23-cv-07173 (E.D.N.Y.); 24-3104 (2d Cir.)		U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DismissedDismissed

Per eBay's Form 10-K for fiscal 2025: the government alleged eBay was liable for regulated products sold by third parties; on September 30, 2024 the district court 'issued an order dismissing the Government's claims in their entirety'; the government appealed on November 26, 2024, moved to dismiss the appeal voluntarily on April 24, 2025, and the Second Circuit granted the motion on April 25, 2025.

Source
Steiner v. eBay Inc. (civil action by the publishers of EcommerceBytes)
Docket 1:21-cv-11181		U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
SettledSettled

Filed in 2021 according to an Associated Press report published by WBUR on July 29, 2026, which says a settlement was reached in July 2026 under which the Steiners receive $48.7 million in compensation ($46.15 million from eBay, the balance from three former executives) plus $7 million in charitable contributions ($6 million from eBay, $1 million from former CEO Devin Wenig). The CourtListener docket shows a stipulation of dismissal by the plaintiffs filed July 27, 2026; the case is listed as terminated July 28, 2026.

Source
United States v. eBay Inc. (deferred prosecution agreement, harassment campaign against the Steiners)
Docket 1:24-cr-10003		U.S. District Court for the District of MassachusettsFiledFiled — no final outcome recorded

Per the U.S. Attorney's Office release of January 11, 2024: eBay was charged with two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through electronic communications services, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction of justice, and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with a $3 million criminal penalty and a three-year independent compliance monitor. CourtListener lists the case as filed 2024-01-11 and not terminated; no termination is shown there.

Source
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Affiliated with: PayPal Holdings, Inc.
  • Affiliated with: eBay Commerce Inc.
  • Affiliated with: Caramel Dealer Services, LLC
  • Affiliated with: Depop Limited
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

What if an item I bought on eBay never arrived?

eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy says a buyer can report an item as not arrived once the estimated delivery date has passed and up to 30 calendar days after it, the seller must respond within 3 business days, and the buyer can then ask eBay to step in. The purchase must have been paid for at eBay checkout with an eligible payment method.

Is a purchase covered if I paid by bank transfer or money order?

eBay's policy lists 'Items paid for where any part of the payment was completed outside of eBay (such as bank transfer, cash, money orders, escrow services)' as not covered. Complaints in our archive describe vehicle offers that asked for wire or Western Union payments under eBay's name; eBay's User Agreement says it is not a vehicle broker or dealer.

How do I contact eBay customer service?

eBay's 'Contact eBay' article says to sign in, select 'Contact us' at the bottom of a help article and choose what you need help with. The article does not list a general phone number. Payment-services questions and complaints have 1-800-456-3229 on eBay's money-transmitter page.

Why can eBay restrict or suspend an account?

The User Agreement says that if eBay believes a user is violating the agreement or its policies it may, in its sole discretion, limit, suspend or terminate the account, remove or demote listings and take other steps, and that sellers must meet eBay's minimum performance standards, failing which eBay may charge additional fees or limit, restrict, suspend or downgrade the seller account.

Can I take eBay to court or join a class action?

For U.S. residents the User Agreement contains an Agreement to Arbitrate that requires individual claims and waives class actions unless you opted out; there is a small-claims-court exception and a mandatory 45-day informal dispute resolution step before arbitration, which is administered by National Arbitration & Mediation (NAM). The opt-out is offered to new users and had to be postmarked no later than 30 days from first accepting the agreement (section 19).

What did eBay settle with the Department of Justice?

In January 2024 eBay agreed to pay $59 million to resolve Controlled Substances Act allegations about pill presses sold through its website (the release says the claims are allegations only, with no determination of liability), and entered a deferred prosecution agreement with a $3 million criminal penalty over the 2019 harassment campaign against a couple who published a newsletter.

Is PayPal part of eBay?

eBay's SEC filings list a Separation and Distribution Agreement with PayPal Holdings, Inc. dated June 26, 2015; PayPal is a separate public company. eBay's own payment services are provided by licensed eBay entities named in its money-transmitter page.

What do BBB and Trustpilot show for eBay?

As displayed on October 15, 2026: BBB lists eBay Inc. (headquarters file) as accredited with a B+ rating, 17,352 complaints in the last 3 years and a 1.09 out of 5 review average from 1,576 reviews; Trustpilot shows 19,322 reviews with a 1.2 score and notes that eBay has not invited reviews recently. These are different measures from different sources.