📋Unsere Community-Netiquette📋
Summary: The eBay Community Guidelines emphasize respect, courtesy, and openness in discussions. Users should share accurate information, express themselves respectfully, and contribute constructively. The guidelines prohibit inappropriate content, misleading information, and advertising. If these rules are violated, it is recommended to use the appropriate mechanisms for reporting inappropriate behavior. Positive exchange and a constructive community are at the center, in order to promote buying and selling together on eBay.
The eBay Community gives 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 who 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 foundation 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're 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 provides 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.
Reasoned opinions and different viewpoints are welcome in the Community and can be discussed and debated in an open, calm, and reasonable way. Even on the same issue, there can be different viewpoints, both of which are valid. Stay open to other opinions, as there are many ways to sell and buy 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's relevant to 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 when you've received an answer from someone else that you find helpful.
Get the help you need.
Turn to the Community for recommendations for 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 on 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. Please also avoid publicly making assumptions or accusations about specific sellers, such as claiming that someone is conducting commercial trading through a private account. In the case of unfounded accusations, such behavior may, where applicable, violate the rights of the persons concerned. If you believe that specific sellers or eBay accounts are violating legal requirements, the eBay User Agreement, or eBay principles, you can of course report this to us through the usual channels. Let us create a respectful and constructive community for everyone, where it's fun to be and participate.**
Share, discuss ... and have fun!
Buying and selling on eBay is certainly not your only passion. Describe your hobby or vent about something that has been annoying 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, show sympathy when you need support, or (in the appropriate forum) see the fantastic meal you cooked. Our Community is meant to connect people with one another. The better we know each other, the more successful our business will be.
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 content or actions of the following kinds:
adult-only, pornographic, violent, or mature content
impermissible wording or threats, as described in the Policy on Threats and Insults
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 divert traffic away from eBay
advertising listings, products, or services in order to make sales, or otherwise using the Community as a marketing platform. See also the following eBay policies:
advertising 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 staff responsible for the eBay Community
content about moderation warnings or consequences
content about listings or the usernames of other users 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 ask 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 permission from the rights holder. See also the following eBay policy:
manipulating the "Helpful" option by using it excessively or using multiple accounts to give "Helpful" votes to yourself or others, and unfoundedly marking other users' posts as "Helpful" to move them up in the rankings
Update 16.02.2023circumventing terms not allowed in the Community by using paraphrases 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 on
and then on
below each post. This notifies our moderation team, which can review the issue and take appropriate action. Of course, your report will be treated confidentially. ***
Please report a post only once.
Consequences and considerations
If posts go off topic, discussions become heated, or users violate these guidelines, the eBay Community team may, at its own discretion, move content as well as provide public reminders or send private messages with warnings.
Posts or content with violations 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 in advance.
Journalists seeking official comments or wishing to contact eBay users directly must contact eBay via the email address press@ebay.com and receive authorization to post.
This ensures that the eBay Community is informed when someone is posting 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're 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 handled things. Please take a look at our eBay Community videos and read the general information on selling in the Seller Portal.
Thank you for being part of the eBay Community and for following these guidelines.
*07.07.2024 the word "new" removed from the title
**14.05.2025 added
*** 22.07.2026 adapted to the new UI
