Money

[chrimont_84]

Could you please explain how the ebay Money Back Guarantee works? I'm also wondering if there are any potential downsides for sellers under this policy.

[christworks]

Have you read this ? If not, do that!

A brief summary...

For buyers, it means no matter what a seller's return policy is, if the item you receive isn't as described in the listing, you have a right to return it and the seller must accept the return at their expense. If the seller refuses the return, the buyer can escalate the situation to eBay. It is virtually certain eBay will side with the buyer and refund them from the seller's funds. The seller will get an account ding and their seller rating could be impacted. 

For sellers, you think you don't have to accept a return? Think again. If you misrepresent an item in your listing, you will take the return back or get a defect on your account. If you send the wrong item, you will take it back or get a defect. But buyers beware, if you abuse the MBG by lying about the return reason, sellers can (and should) report you. eBay keeps a record of those reports. Get enough sellers reporting you, and you'll find that the paddle does indeed spank both ways. 

Contrary to what I often read here, eBay does care about buyers abusing the MBG and lying about the return reason. But, they want you to get the item back first, then address any return abuse from there.

[simba6]

This is a link to it.  

https://pages.ebay.com/ebay-money-back-guarantee/

[dirk12955]

For the OP:

Pretty simple.     The buyer is "Right"  99.95%  of the time.

Even when he isn't.    

[12345jamesstamps]

The customer is always right even when they are not right...well, in the USA at least.

Don't know about Sweden...which is one of those happiest countries in the world🌎to live in.

[dirk12955]

"Happiest" country in the world?

That just sounds depressing.    

[babyers88]

the only downside (money back guarantee or not) is you occasionally get unscrupulous buyers that will abuse the return system, for this all you can do is report the buyer and "eventually" ebay weeds them out, buyers can have limitations just like sellers.

If they flat out return something different or obviously "worked on" etc you still have some protection and can report the buyer, provide photos and ask ebay support to step in, if the value is $500 or more you will have to fill out a legal declaration that ebay will send you to fill out and return and if that happens you are covered and will get to keep your money but those type of things are rare, but still part of doing business.

In general the MBG is not any kind of issue at all as long as you are a stellar seller and not trying to hide defects or lie about the condition of things you are selling, you get back what you put out, if you are a **bleep** you get douched.  If everything is copacetic you are good to go.  

[reallynicestamps]

no matter what a seller's return policy is, if the item you receive isn't as described in the listing, you have a right to return it and the seller must accept the return at their expense.

NO.

A seller can have a No Returns policy

But

A No Returns policy is not a No Refunds policy.

Sellers cannot have a No Refunds policy.

Sellers can abandon a disputed shipment and refund.

Sellers can demand (and pay for) the return before refunding, even with a No Returns policy.

Many sellers just refund without asking for the return if the value of the purchases is lower than than the cost of returning, or if they are satisfied that the buyer's complaint is right .

For example a set of china that was delivered broken.

Or as happened to me recently, I sent the wrong item (value $10). I told the buyer to keep it and sent the correct one. Since I buy low and sell high my cost was about $2USD including postage.

Sellers must refund.

Return is not always needed.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Rule #1: Buyer is always right

Rule #2: when seller disagrees, please see rule #1.

[closed-account-6-8-2025]

There are downsides for sellers I ship something FedEx economy. There was no option to ensure it was a $300 item. It has been in transit for two months and is stuck in a distribution center and hasn’t moved since May 1.  The greedmachine eBay decided to charge me over $300 for the item because it is lost. I had no option to ensure it  

They need to Go after FedEx, not me  

what should I do pack a lunch and travel with the **bleep** package? 

[buyselljack2016]

If I shipped a $300 widget I would likely have chosen a service that I would be able to purchase insurance for.

There has to be other shipping options in New Mexico other than FedEx Ground Economy such as USPS Priority flat rate. 

The person that shipped the item needs to go after FedEx.

eBay did not choose the shipping service.

[theteamsetguy]

@chrimont_84 ,

Just offer free 30 day returns and you don't have to worry about the MBG. I have done it for years and it works great. 

[soh.maryl]

You've received multiple excellent replies to your question here.

The one I want to emphasize is that, as a seller, your options are limited if/when any buyer opens a case with eBay.  Read the MBG very carefully and understand how its rules apply to you as a seller. 

And, yes, there are downsides.  But a seller cannot refuse to be governed by this policy.