Policy overview
Certain eBay listings involve non-binding bids, such as items listed in Property and eBay Motors classified listings.
A non-binding bid isn't a formal contract between the buyer and the seller, but it does represent a buyer's serious interest in buying the item. Insincere bidding isn't allowed on eBay.
Make sure you follow these guidelines. If you don't, you may be subject to a range of other actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.
Some examples
Example of a non-binding bid:
Mary is selling her house and has received several bids on the property. The listing closes with a winning bidder and Mary is ready to close the sale. Unfortunately, the winning bidder decides not to complete the sale. Upset by this, she tries to request a final value fee credit through the unpaid item process. Mary, the seller, is breaching the non-binding bid policy because bids on real estate are not contracts.
Example of a binding bid:
Steve is bidding on a new rug for his living room and he wins the auction. Later he finds out that the rug isn't big enough to cover his floor and he wants to back out of the sale, claiming the bid was non-binding. Steve, the buyer, is breaching the unpaid item policy because the rug he bid on isn't in a category that's covered under the non-binding bid policy.
Why does eBay have this policy?
In most cases, a bid on eBay is a legally binding contract between the buyer and the seller. Due to the complexities of property transactions, bids in this category are non-binding.