How eBay Offers Help to Buyers and Sellers

eBay users – buyers or sellers — who feel they have been defrauded can click here to reach eBay’s official complaint area.

Sellers whose accounts have been taken over should select Account Concerns, then Unauthorized Use of my eBay Account and select the most appropriate line in the third box. Options include: “There are auctions listed on my account that are not mine.”

There are links all over the place for contacting customer support via e-mail.

For consumers, eBay’s official policy is: “If after sending payment, there is a concern that the seller has no intention of shipping the item, eBay will immediately investigate the seller upon receipt of a report submitted to SafeHarbor through our webform. Upon initial investigation of the seller’s account, eBay will determine if appropriate action should be taken at that time.”

Fraud victims also can file complaints with The Internet Fraud Complaint Center, a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center.

eBay was founded on the principle of open communication and in fact it lists these Community Values on its site:

“eBay is a community where we encourage open and honest communication between all of our members. We believe in the following five basic values.

We believe people are basically good.

We believe everyone has something to contribute.

We believe that an honest, open environment can bring out the best in people.

We recognize and respect everyone as a unique individual.

We encourage you to treat others the way that you want to be treated.

eBay is committed to these values. And we believe that our community members should also honor these values — whether buying, selling, or chatting. We hope these community values will help you better understand the eBay community.”

— Beth Cox