In order to ensure a positive experience for all eBay users, the shipping service detailed in the listing and chosen by the buyer should be provided.
What is the policy?
Sellers must ship items within the handling time stated in their listing, using the shipping service the buyer selected at checkout. They must:
- Review the cost and speed of delivery before offering a shipping service
- Specify clearly when the item will be shipped
- Ship items within the handling time specified in the listing
- Only include shipping charges that are actually incurred and are related to the cost of shipping and handling the items being delivered
- Actual cost paid to the shipping service
- Handling costs, including the cost of packaging materials and insurance
- The actual cost of delivery confirmation or extra services, such as certificate of mailing, certified mail, collect delivery, delivery confirmation, registered mail, restricted delivery, return receipt, signature confirmation, special handling, or similar services
- Follow any category restrictions for maximum shipping costs
- Upload accurate tracking details. The tracking number uploaded must match the shipping location provided in the listing
- Mark the item "shipped" once it has been sent
Sellers must not:
- Use a slower shipping service than the one selected by the buyer
- Include any additional fees for handling and packaging when offering free shipping
- Delay shipments once notification is received that a payout has been initiated
Additional information
To receive an automatic 5-star DSR rating for shipping, sellers must provide free shipping with same day or 1 business day handling, except when listing in the following categories, which do not have specific handling time requirements:
- Classified Ads
- Real Estate Ads
- Motor Vehicle categories
- Specialty services
Please note that orders with a total order cost (total of item(s), shipping and tax) of $750 or more require signature confirmation in order to be protected if the buyer reports they didn't receive the item. Learn more about signature confirmation requirements.
Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.
Why does eBay have this policy?
This policy helps meet buyer expectations, protect seller performance, reduce defect rates, and increase buyer satisfaction.