If you receive an offer from a seller to transact outside of eBay, please report it.
If you receive an offer from a buyer to transact outside of eBay, please report it.
Watch the video series about our policy on offers to buy or sell outside of eBay:
- Part 1: What is the policy? - opens in new window or tab
- Part 2: What happens if you breach the policy - opens in new window or tab
- Part 3: Best practice guidelines for communicating with other users - opens in new window or tab
What are the guidelines?
Allowed
Buyers and sellers should:
- Complete purchases on eBay in order to be covered by eBay protections and eBay Money Back Guarantee. Confirmation of a completed transaction on eBay can be obtained by:
- Using the eBay checkout to complete the purchase
- Viewing the purchase in purchase or sales history
- Use Best Offer or Seller Initiated Offer transactions to accept offers for items and negotiate a price
- Use the Private Offer feature to send a customised offer within Messages to sell to a specific buyer
Not allowed
Buyers and sellers can't:
- Engage in any action with a user on the site designed to complete or facilitate a transaction outside of eBay
- Share or request direct contact information prior to completing a sale
- Exception: Sellers may opt to provide their phone number as part of the Ask a Seller a Question (ASQ) or any other eBay endorsed functionality
- In any communications with another eBay member, refer to or promote external websites that facilitate sales outside of eBay
- Use contact information obtained through an eBay transaction to offer to buy or sell an item outside of eBay
- List an item and then mention or link to additional identical or related items for sale outside of eBay
- Offer catalogs or other items that are used to order items directly outside of eBay
- Host item descriptions or images outside of eBay
Why does eBay have this policy?
Offers to buy or sell outside of eBay are a potential fraud risk for both buyers and sellers. Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not eligible for eBay protection programs and the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Additionally, eBay has invested a great deal to connect interested buyers with great sellers and we want to participate in ongoing transactions with them.