eBay Buyer Protection, officially known as the eBay Money Back Guarantee, protects you if the item you purchased on eBay doesn’t arrive, is faulty or damaged, or doesn’t match the listing description. It applies to nearly all eBay purchases made through the official eBay checkout and typically covers the full purchase price up to a defined cap, along with original shipping costs.

Under the current eBay Money Back Guarantee, protection covers the full purchase price of the item plus original shipping, up to the program’s per-transaction cap. This cap has historically been around $20,000 USD, though it may vary by region, account type, and the specific terms in force at the time of purchase.

For most issues — including items not received or not as described — buyers typically have 30 days from the actual (or latest estimated) delivery date to open a request. You must first contact the seller and give them 3 business days to resolve the issue before escalating to eBay. Certain categories and international transactions may have different time windows.

Purchases NOT covered include items paid for outside eBay’s checkout (cash, wire transfers, direct PayPal transfers), real estate, vehicles, business and industrial equipment, prohibited items, and digital content sold outside eBay. Purchases from certain sellers flagged for policy violations, items received past the 30-day claim window, and items damaged by the buyer after receipt are also excluded.

Yes. Before asking eBay to step in, you must first open a request directly with the seller. eBay requires you to give the seller 3 business days to respond and attempt to resolve the issue. If the seller doesn’t respond within that timeframe, or you cannot reach a resolution, eBay will step in to review the case and may issue a refund.

To qualify, the purchase must be completed through eBay’s official checkout using an approved payment method — typically credit card, debit card, PayPal (processed via eBay), Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Payments sent directly to the seller outside eBay’s checkout (bank transfers, direct PayPal friends-and-family, cash, checks, or money orders) void buyer protection and are strongly discouraged.

Yes. This calculator works for international purchases, but delivery windows and claim deadlines may differ due to longer shipping times, customs clearance, and regional eBay policies. Enter the estimated delivery date for your region, and the calculator will compute the correct claim deadline.

In most cases where an item is not as described or faulty, eBay’s Money Back Guarantee requires the seller to pay for return shipping. If you return the item for personal reasons (buyer’s remorse), return shipping is usually your responsibility unless the seller offers free returns. eBay may refund you for return shipping in certain cases where the seller failed to provide a return label.