From an eBay sale to an Amazon order: addresses, tracking, returns and cancellations.
If an item is out of stock after a sale on eBay, contact the buyer at once and offer a short wait, a close alternative or a cancellation with a full refund. A cancellation because you cannot supply the item is a transaction defect, so keep listed quantities in line with stock you can really send.
To mark an item as dispatched on eBay, open the order in Seller Hub and choose Mark as dispatched, or add a tracking number, which marks it for you. Do it on the day the parcel reaches the carrier, never before: the buyer is told it is on its way, and eBay starts judging delivery from that point.
To accept a return on eBay, open the request in Seller Hub, choose to accept it and send the buyer a return label or your return address, then refund once the item is back. You can also refund without a return or offer a partial refund. Act within 3 business days, and check the item before you refund.
The FTC 30 day shipping rule says a US seller must ship within the time it states, or within 30 days if it states none. If it cannot, it must ask the customer to consent to the delay or cancel for a prompt refund. On eBay, your handling time and delivery estimate are the stated time you must meet.
When an eBay buyer does not pay, do not send the item. Wait for the payment period, send one friendly reminder, then cancel the order as unpaid through eBay. An unpaid cancellation is not a defect, the item becomes available again, and settings such as immediate payment and buyer requirements reduce how often it happens.
When eBay says a tracking number is not valid, it usually means the number does not match the format of the carrier you selected, the carrier has no record of it yet, or eBay cannot read that carrier's scans. Check the carrier first, then the number, then whether the parcel has actually been scanned.
An eBay partial refund returns part of the price so the buyer keeps the item, usually for a small fault, a late parcel or a missing extra. Send it through the order or the return request in Seller Hub, never outside eBay, and only when the buyer agrees it settles the problem.
The eBay order fulfilment process runs in seven steps: confirm the paid order, check stock and price, prepare or buy the item, pack and label, hand over to the carrier within your dispatch time, upload tracking, then watch delivery and answer the buyer. Doing them in the same order every day is what keeps defects and late deliveries down.
When a buyer opens an eBay item not received case, check the tracking first. If it shows delivery to the right address, share it and help the buyer look. If it has stalled or there is none, contact the carrier and offer a refund or replacement within 3 business days, before the buyer can ask eBay to step in.
An eBay item not as described request means the buyer says what arrived does not match your listing: wrong item, damaged, faulty, missing parts or a different condition. Buyers can raise one within 30 calendar days of delivery. Respond within 3 business days, accept fair returns, and prevent most claims with listings that describe the actual item.
When a buyer says an eBay item arrived damaged, ask for photos of the item and the packaging, then offer a replacement or refund within 3 business days. For low value or broken items, refund without a return. Keep the photos and proof of postage, claim from the carrier separately, and improve the packing that failed.
eBay handling time, called dispatch time on eBay UK, is the number of working days you allow between the buyer's payment and the parcel reaching the carrier. eBay adds it to the postage service time to show the buyer a delivery date, so pick the shortest time you can meet on your busiest normal day, not your best one.
