Investigations

The Investigations team attempts to resolve reported cases of inappropriate trading behavior. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

Disciplinary action may range from a formal warning, up to indefinite suspension of a user's account. However, if we cannot prove your complaint with certainty, we may take no action.

Find out what eBay does and does not investigate below.

What eBay Investigates

Click on the offense category you�re most interested in below.

Feedback offenses

Buying offenses

Selling offenses

Contact information/Identity offenses
Misrepresentation of identity, false contact info, etc

Miscellaneous offenses
Interfering with eBay's site, spam, threats, profanity, etc

Here's how to report specific trading offenses:

1. Make sure that your complaint falls under what eBay investigates by reviewing the offenses above. If you have a question about fraud, insurance, or an item that may not be allowed, please go back to What is SafeHarbor? and click on the correct link.
2. Include the appropriate information plus emails in question with full descriptions in the subject line.
3. Only report a case once - multiple emails about the same case slows the investigation.
4. Contact Rules & Safety

Once you notify the Investigations team, we will typically try to contact you with the results. However, we can't discuss the results in detail due to privacy reasons.

What eBay Does NOT Investigate
There are many things the Investigations department doesn't investigate including simple misunderstandings, failure to communicate, and interpersonal disputes over which eBay has no control.

Here are some examples of what eBay doesn't investigate. Learn about how to address these issues.

Specific Trading Offenses
As you review this list of offenses, please remember that while multiple User IDs are allowed, it is never permissible for those User IDs to interact with one another. For example, you cannot bid on your own auctions or leave comments on your own Feedback Profiles.

Feedback Offenses

See other offenses

If you've experienced any of these issues, please report offenses to the Investigations link below. Disciplinary action may result in the indefinite suspension of a user's account, temporary suspension, or a formal warning. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

• Shill feedback, defensive - Using secondary eBay User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of your own feedback.
• Shill feedback, offensive - Using eBay User IDs or other eBay members to leave several negative comments for another user
  (commonly called feedback bombing).
• Feedback extortion - Demanding any action of a fellow user that he or she is not required to do, at the threat of leaving negative feedback. ("Even though it didn't reach reserve, sell it to me for my bid or..."; "Pay me $100.00 or I will..."; "Sell me all of the Dutch items or I will get all of my friends to...")
• Feedback solicitation - Offering to sell feedback, trade feedback undeservedly, or buy feedback.

A special note: eBay will not remove feedback from your profile unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please check eBay's Feedback Removal Policy for details.

Report offenses to Investigations here

Buying Offenses

See other offenses

If you've experienced any of these issues, please report offenses to the Investigations link below. Disciplinary action may result in the indefinite suspension of a user's account, temporary suspension, or a formal warning. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

• Transaction interference - Emailing buyers in an open or ended transaction to warn them away from a seller or item.
• Contacting a seller and offering to purchase the listed item outside of eBay.
• Invalid Bid Retraction - Any misuse or frequent use of the retraction option, which is not permitted on eBay. This includes any manipulation of the bidding process to discover the maximum bid of the current high bidder.For more information on Bid Retraction rules please see our Bid Retraction Information page.
• Non-payment after buying an item - Winning an item(s) at auction or buying an item in a storefront without paying thus blocking legitimate buyers and disappointing sellers. To understand the penalties, please see our Non-Paying Buyer Policy
• Persisting to bid on a seller's items or buy items from a seller's storefront despite a warning from the seller that bids are not welcome - Sellers have every right to reject bids. In order for eBay to take action, a copy of the email warning from the seller with the subject line must be sent to Investigations.
• Unwelcome Buyer - Buying in violation of the terms set forth by the seller in the listing description. Examples:
  • Seller states they ship to "home country" only and the buyer is outside the stated shipping area
  • Seller will not enter into a transaction with members who have negative feedback
  • Bidder rebids after the seller has canceled their bid
  • Using a secondary account to make a transaction after an associate account has been blocked by a seller
• Bid shielding - The deliberate use of secondary User ID's or other eBay members to temporarily raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item to extremely high levels in order to protect the low bid level of another bidder.
• Shill bidding - Using secondary User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item. Additionally, to avoid the appearance of being involved in this activity, family members, and individuals living together, working together, or sharing a computer should not bid on each other's items. For further information on why shill bidding is not permitted on eBay, please click here.

Report offenses to Investigations here

Selling Offenses

See other offenses

If you've experienced any of these selling misuses, please report offenses to the Investigations link below. Disciplinary action may result in the indefinite suspension of a user's account, temporary suspension, or a formal warning. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

• Shill bidding - Using secondary User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item. Please remember that family members or housemates should not be bidding on each other's listings. For further information on why shill bidding is not permitted on eBay, please click here.
• Transaction Non-Performance
  • Accepting payment for an item and not delivering the item(s) as described in the listing OR
  • Not delivering the item(s) according to the seller's terms and conditions, as outlined in the listing
• Non-Selling Seller - Refusing payment and failing to deliver an item at the end of a successful transaction.
• Transaction interception - Pretending you are another eBay seller and accepting their bidder's payment.
• Fee avoidance - Circumventing eBay fees. Examples:
  • Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to offer to sell any listed item outside of eBay
  • Canceling a listing to sell the item to anyone who contacted the seller through eBay, or became aware of the item through eBay
  • Ending a listing early to sell the item at a higher price to the winning bidder
  • Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to offer to sell an item outside of eBay to any of your bidders in a Reserve Not Met listing.
  • Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to sell duplicate or additional merchandise outside of eBay to underbidders
  • Listing items in a manner that allows circumvention of eBay fees (click here for more information)

Report offenses to Investigations here

Contact information / identity offenses

See other offenses

If you've experienced any of these issues, please report the offenses to the Investigations link below. Disciplinary action may result in the indefinite suspension of a user's account, temporary suspension, or a formal warning. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

• Misrepresentation of identity (eBay) - Representing yourself as an eBay employee when you are not.
• Misrepresentation of identity (user) - Representing yourself as another eBay user or registering by using the identity of someone else.
• False or missing contact information - Falsifying or omitting your name, address, and/or telephone number (including use of fax machines or disconnected numbers).
• Dead/invalid email addresses - This is determined when an email address bounces repeatedly (usually an error message that the email address or mailbox is unknown or invalid). If you'd like to report this, include the bounce message in your report.
• Underage user - User under the age of 18. To report, please send emails in question or board post.

Report offenses to Investigations here

Miscellaneous Offenses

See other offenses

If you've experienced any of these issues, please report the offenses to the Investigations link below. Disciplinary action may result in the indefinite suspension of a user's account, temporary suspension, or a formal warning. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action.

• Interfering with eBay's site and/or operations - Using any software program, routine or activity to interfere or attempt to interfere with any of eBay's operations. Example:
  • Purchasing multiple items from a seller without the intention of following through with your payment
• Bid siphoning - Emailing another seller's bidders and offering the same or similar items
• Sending spam - Sending unsolicited (without prior permission), commercial email. Examples:
  • Sending unsolicited offers to bidders for the same or similar products that they have bid on in the past
  • Soliciting a seller to sell a listed item outside of eBay.
• User-to-user threats - Threats of bodily harm made via email. Remember, eBay can only act when there are emailed threats of physical harm. All other forms of harassment should be reported to the proper authorities. If you experience email harassment, report it to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), too.
• Publishing contact information - Publishing contact information of another user on ANY online public area (Make sure to send a copy of the post with the subject line).
• Use of profanity or patently vulgar language - Using language that is racist, hateful, sexual, or obscene in nature in a public area.

Report offenses to Investigations here

Please note that if your email does not fall into any of the categories above, it will be redirected to our Customer Support department. This may result in a significant delay in response!