The eBay Community offers eBay sellers and their buyers the opportunity to connect with one another. eBay employees also occasionally take part in discussions. But it is eBay users who are at the center of the eBay Community and continue to build it out. These Community guidelines form the foundation for an open, helpful, and respectful environment for all users.
We expect all users to follow these guidelines when they are active in the Community, and to also comply with the eBay User Agreement and the eBay Privacy Policy .
Be respectful.
Respect is the cornerstone of a strong Community. All members should feel welcome, no matter who they are or where they come from. Be friendly and helpful if you are an experienced member. If you are new to eBay, take some time to learn from experienced sellers and buyers.
Express yourself appropriately.
The eBay Community is open to all members, and we expect our users to protect the eBay Community as a safe place for everyone. Your posts should be respectful and appropriate for all age groups.
Provide accurate information.
A vibrant Community offers trustworthy content in honest posts. The information in your posts should be as accurate and correct as possible.
Be open and share your opinion too.
Constructive opinions and different viewpoints are welcome in the Community and can be discussed and debated in an open, calm, and reasonable way. There can also be different viewpoints on the same issue, and both can be valid . Stay open to other opinions, as there are many ways to buy and sell successfully on eBay.
Post meaningful content.
Please use search to determine whether your question may already have been answered. If you can’t find the content you’re looking for, please post your question in the forum that matches the topic. If you agree with a post, you can also use the “Helpful” button at the bottom of each article to show your appreciation and agreement. Use the “Accept as solution” option if you’ve received an answer from someone else that you find helpful.
Get the help you need.
Turn to the Community for recommendations on tools for your business, to find items you want to buy, or to get feedback on your items or listings, or to give other users examples. We know that Community members are happy to respond helpfully to this kind of question with tips about listings, products, or services.
Follow this important guide for polite and focused Community interaction:
Please make sure your posts and comments are relevant to the current discussion. Staying on topic helps keep the Community focused and engaged. Also, please avoid making public assumptions or accusations regarding specific sellers, such as claiming that someone is conducting commercial trading through a private account. In the case of unfounded accusations, such behavior may, if applicable, infringe the rights of those affected. If you believe that certain sellers or eBay accounts are violating legal requirements, the eBay Terms and Conditions, or eBay policies, you can of course report this to us through the usual channels. Let’s create a respectful and constructive community for everyone, one that is enjoyable to be in and take part in. * *
Share, discuss … and have fun!
Buying and selling on eBay is certainly not your only passion. Describe your hobby or rant about something that has annoyed you for a long time. Celebrate your latest bargain or share a photo of items you haven’t listed yet. The Community is happy to hear about your latest personal triumph, shows sympathy when you need support, or wants to see (in the appropriate forum) the fantastic food you cooked. Our Community is meant to connect people. The better we know each other, the more successful our businesses are.
Prohibited content and actions
Inappropriate content or content that violates these Community guidelines or the eBay User Agreement may not be posted. You agree not to post any content or take actions of the following kind:
adult-only, pornographic, violent, or otherwise not age-appropriate content
prohibited language or threats, as described in the Threats and Abuse policy
dishonest, unfounded, or misleading information
identical or repeated content, especially in forum posts and replies
calls for petitions, boycotts, lawsuits, or other calls to activism in posts or private messages, or attempts to redirect traffic away from eBay
advertising listings, products, or services to make sales, or otherwise using the Community as a marketing platform. See also the following eBay policies:
Policy on avoiding eBay fees
Policy on communication between eBay users
promoting websites, groups, or forums outside of eBay, or suggestions that encourage users to leave eBay Update 01/05/2024 (this also includes statements such as, for example, "I wouldn’t sell here anymore," "I can only recommend trying it on another marketplace" - list is not exhaustive)
reposting content that has been edited or removed by the employees responsible for the eBay Community
content about moderation warnings or consequences
content about listings or other users’ usernames in order to damage their reputation ("Naming & Shaming"), or other calls to action to the Community. NOTE: It is okay to respectfully comment on items or listings for which sellers are asking for feedback.
content that violates the policy on sharing contact information .
content that encourages others to violate the eBay User Agreement, the listing policies , the policy on professional selling on eBay , or other policies
copyrighted content used without the rights holder’s permission. See also the following eBay policy:
Section 3 of the eBay User Agreement
manipulating the “Helpful” option by overusing it or using multiple accounts to give yourself or others “Helpful” ratings, and unjustifiably marking other users’ posts as “Helpful” to move them up in the rankings Update 02/16/2023
circumventing terms not allowed in the Community by using circumlocutions or special characters.
Reporting prohibited content
If you see posts that harm the Community and violate the Community guidelines, do not contact the person concerned in these situations. Instead, use the options we provide for your safety. Report inappropriate behavior by clicking the
drop-down arrow in the upper right corner of each post and private message and then selecting “Report inappropriate content.” This will notify our moderation team, which can review the issue and take appropriate action. Your report will only be seen by the eBay Community team. Please report a post or message only once
Consequences and considerations
If posts go off topic, conversations become heated, or users violate these guidelines, the eBay Community team may, at its own discretion, move content and provide public reminders or send private messages with warnings.
Posts or content that violate the rules may be edited or removed. eBay reserves the right to restrict or suspend users’ access to the Community for violations of the Community guidelines.
Third parties and press
Representatives of third parties who want to post in the Community must obtain approval beforehand.
Journalists seeking official comments or wanting direct contact with eBay users must contact eBay via the email address press@ebay.com and obtain permission to post.
This ensures that the eBay Community is informed when someone posts for professional reasons and not as a buyer or seller .
Familiarize yourself with how the eBay Community works.
By reading these guidelines, you have already taken an important first step. If you are just starting out on eBay as a seller, use the “Search all content” search function at the top of each Community page to find out how other sellers have approached things. Please also watch our videos about the eBay Community and read the general information about selling in the Seller Portal .
Thank you for being part of the eBay Community and following these guidelines.
*07/07/2024 the word "new" removed from the title
* * Added 05/14/2025
