How to stay safe on eBay (2024)

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With 135 million users worldwide, eBay is one of the leading online marketplaces. Whether you use it to make some extra cash by selling unwanted items or you're adding to your wardrobe, it's important to be aware of scammers.

Unfortunately, scammers have always targeted online shoppers and eBay is no exception. Common eBay scams include selling counterfeit goods, not sending the items or putting the wrong name on the package so it is returned. There are even example of people selling the box, rather than the contents inside it, using deliberately opaque language so buyers are unaware of exactly what they are buying.

It isn't only sellers who are known to carry out fraudulent practices. Some buyers have been known to claim that their package was empty so that they can keep the item and still receive a refund, or offer to pay for it privately to save transaction fees - but then the payment never arrives.

eBay has put processes in place to protect its customers, but it is still important to keep your wits about you. Here's our best advice for avoiding scams when you're buying and selling on the platform.

Only take or send payment via eBay itself

Ignore any sellers or buyers that want to do a separate bank transfer or use a money transfer service like Moneygram or Western Union. Using these will mean you will not quality for eBay's Money Back Guarantee so if something does go wrong, you will struggle to get your money back.

The Money Back Guarantee applies in several common situations. For example, when the buyer doesn't receive the item, the item received by the buyer doesn't match the listing, such as when the seller sends the wrong item, or the item arrives broken, damaged, or faulty, or if the seller doesn't fulfil their return policy as stated in the listing.

If you need to make a claim under the Money Back Guarantee, eBay has published detailed instructions, the payment methods that are covered, and which items aren’t eligible (which includes vehicles, tickets, services, and items sold through a classified ad).

Eligible payment methods, when used via the eBay checkout, include credit or debit cards, PayPal or PayPal Credit, Apple Pay and Google Pay. You will not be covered for items if any part of the payment was made outside eBay (such as bank transfer, cash, money orders, or escrow services).

Sellers should always personally check their bank account to confirm the payment has been received before dispatching an item, to avoid being caught out by fake payment emails.

Do your research

Always read the listing carefully and check the seller's feedback before buying. The more you're spending, the more cautious you should be. Has the seller sold similar items to the one you are interested in recently? Be extra cautious if the seller has received a lot of negative feedback. Read eBay's information on buying with confidence.

Read the descriptions carefully

eBay advises its users to watch out for strange item descriptions – they’re often an indicator of a fraudulent listing. Common warning signs are:

Differences between the location of the item on the listing page and in the item description itself
The item description language differing from the seller’s country
The item description reading as if it has been translated by an automated translator

Use a trackable posting service

Sellers should only send goods using a trackable postal service, whether that’s through Royal Mail or another courier. As well as making it easier to verify a buyer has received your item (so they can’t claim something didn’t arrive and demand a replacement), this makes you eligible for automatic bad feedback removal if the purchaser claims an item didn’t arrive on time when you have proof of posting in a timely manner.

Use secure passwords

Use a secure password for your eBay account, and not the same one that you use elsewhere. Avoid using personal information, such as your maiden name or favourite pet’s name as part of your password, and use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and special characters.

If you have trouble remembering your complicated, unique password (or even coming up with one in the first place), consider using a password manager like Bitwarden (which has a monthly subscription fee). This can generate complex passwords, synchronise them between computers, smartphones and tablets, and enter them on websites automatically.

Be aware of phishing scams

If an email appears to come from eBay or PayPal, log into your account to confirm whether it's legitimate or not. Never click the link in the email.

Look for the email address it has come from. Compare it to previous emails you've received from eBay – is it from the same address? Look for typos, such as @ebya.co.uk in the email addresses and well as grammar errors and typos in the body of the email. Spelling mistakes are a huge red flag - forward any suspicious emails to spoof@ebay.co.uk for confirmation

Upgrade your browser. Browsers with the latest anti-phishing capabilities make recognising spoof (fake) websites easier.

Be cautious about opening messages with attachments, especially if you're not sure who sent the email.

Keep your wits about you!

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A pair of designer shoes or a designer handbag, even if second-hand, won’t be that cheap. If you're a buyer, check what prices other sellers are offering these items for – if the one you’ve found seems too cheap, it could be a scam or a counterfeit, so walk away. If the seller is promising to send the item for free, that should also ring an alarm bell.

Likewise, for sellers, if the bid seems suspicious (too high or the buyer won and refuses to pay) then you cancel the bid by heading to the Cancelling Bids page. You do have to state a valid reason for cancelling, however.