| When you buy things on eBay, you pay the seller | | | | will be responsive, as do not want to have their |
| before they send you anything. This means that | | | | reputation damaged when an upset buyer leaves |
| you, as a buyer, are vulnerable to all sorts of | | | | negative feedback for all their future buyers to |
| problems. You might not get the items you have | | | | see. If that doesn't work, report them to eBay. |
| paid for, or they might be damaged or faulty. | | | | While eBay don't have many people handling |
| Luckily, you have two very important rights when | | | | complaints, they do have a relatively effective set |
| you buy on eBay. | | | | of automatic process to handle common problems |
| The Right to Receive Your Item. | | | | buyers and sellers have with one another. |
| Maybe the seller never sent the item, or maybe it | | | | Finally, if that doesn't work, then you should seek |
| got lost in the post. Whatever happened, you paid | | | | advice from consumer groups in your country, |
| for the item. If it doesn't arrive in the post as | | | | and as a last resort from the police. You should |
| described, you have the right to a replacement or | | | | never have to get this far, though: problems on |
| a refund, whether it's the seller's fault or not. | | | | eBay that can't be resolved easily are extremely |
| The fact that you bought something on eBay | | | | rare. |
| doesn't mean that you don't have the exact | | | | Don't Be Too Quick. |
| same rights that you would have if you bought it | | | | Remember not to get too annoyed and be unfair |
| in a shop (these rights are pretty much the same | | | | to the seller: nice sellers have agreed to give me |
| all over the world). Plus, under eBay's rules, the | | | | refunds for undelivered items, only for me to find |
| seller isn't allowed to change their mind about | | | | out a few weeks later that they were being held |
| selling you the item: once the auction ends, it | | | | for me at the post office! Always try your best |
| becomes a contract - you must buy and they | | | | to communicate and think of everything that |
| must sell, or face eBay's penalties. | | | | might have gone wrong: eBay works best when |
| The Right for Your Item to Be as Described in | | | | buyers and sellers sort out their problems |
| the Auction. | | | | together, instead of reporting each other to the |
| Sometimes sellers don't wrap items properly, and | | | | authorities straight away. |
| so they get broken. Occasionally they write | | | | More often that not receiving what they paid for, |
| descriptions that are misleading or just plain wrong | | | | buyers have an altogether different problem: they |
| to begin with, leaving out vital details that would | | | | knew what they were paying for, but didn't |
| have caused you to change your mind about | | | | realise that what they were paying for was |
| buying. If this happens to you, you again have the | | | | overpriced, low quality or a scam. The next email |
| right to a replacement or a refund. | | | | will give you a list of tips on how to avoid being |
| So How Do I Use My Rights? | | | | ripped off on eBay. |
| First, you should take it up with the seller - most | | | | |