eBay contact information policy: why an email, phone number or web address can get a listing hidden

What does the eBay contact information policy say?

The eBay contact information policy is short and strict. eBay UK's contact information in listings policy says members are generally not allowed to include contact information in public content on eBay. That covers listings, eBay Shop pages and community content such as blogs, reviews and guides.

eBay treats these as contact information:

• email addresses;
• phone numbers;
• chat IDs, such as messaging app or social media handles;
• full physical addresses.

If a listing breaks the policy, eBay may remove the listing or other content, issue a warning, restrict activity or suspend the account. In practice, sellers often first see a listing hidden with a message saying it does not follow the policy and stays hidden until fixed.

This article quotes the eBay UK policies. eBay.com has its own pages on publishing contact information and off-eBay links, so if you sell in the US, read those as well.

Why does eBay ban contact details in listings?

Contact details in a listing make it easy for buyers and sellers to deal outside eBay. eBay's policy on offers to buy or sell outside eBay says that offering to buy or sell outside eBay is not allowed, and that members must not share or request direct contact information before completing a sale. It also bans listing an item and then mentioning or linking to identical or related items for sale outside eBay.

The same page encourages buyers to complete purchases on eBay to be covered by eBay protections, and to negotiate through eBay's own tools such as Best Offer and offers sent through Messages. Contact details in a listing undercut all of that, so eBay's systems look for them.

Are web addresses and links contact information too?

They are treated in much the same way. eBay UK's links policy says listings or products cannot contain links that direct customers to a site other than eBay, even if the link is not clickable. A web address typed as plain text counts, not just a clickable link.

eBay says allowed links must use secure HTTPS. The policy lists the approved video and freight sites by name, so check it before adding either.

Where do business sellers put their contact details?

Business sellers in the UK must show full business contact details, but not in the listing text. eBay's contact information policy says business sellers complete the Business Seller Information section of their account. Their business name, contact details and street address then appear in the Business Details section of their profile page, as UK electronic commerce rules require.

Two points from the policy catch business sellers out:

• Not in the description. Showing your name and address in the item description is not permitted. Use the Business Details section only.
• No PO boxes. eBay says a PO box is not a geographic address and is not accepted as a valid business address.

Our guide to eBay UK business seller registration covers the rest of the business set-up.

How do contact details end up in listings by accident?

Few sellers type their phone number into a listing on purpose. Most contact details arrive with copied text. Common sources:

• Manufacturer or supplier descriptions that end with a customer service number, a support email or 'visit our website at'.
• Store names from other marketplaces, such as 'Visit the brand's store at' followed by a web address.
• Product manuals and packaging text pasted into the description, which often include a helpline.
• Publisher or brand websites in book or media descriptions, written as plain text.
• Item specifics filled automatically from a source, where a website appears in a field such as brand or manufacturer.
• Old templates with a 'Questions? Call us' line or a social media handle in the footer.

Listing tools that copy product text are a frequent cause, because the source text was written for a different site. Our guide to Amazon to eBay listing tools lists what to check on every draft.

How do you find and fix contact details in your listings?

1. Download your active listings from Seller Hub Reports, including titles, descriptions and item specifics.
2. Search the text for the tell-tale signs: the @ sign, 'www', 'http', '.com', '.co.uk', '.org', 'call', 'phone', 'tel', 'email', 'contact us', 'visit' and 'store at'.
3. Check long runs of digits. A phone number usually has spaces, dashes or brackets between groups of digits. Model numbers, sizes and ISBNs do not need removing, so read each match rather than deleting every number.
4. Remove the whole sentence where it only exists to give contact details, such as 'For support, call our helpline on...'. Leaving half a sentence makes the description read badly.
5. Revise the listing and check it on eBay.
6. Fix the source. Update your template or tool settings so the same text does not come back on the next listing.

If a listing is already hidden

Read eBay's message to see which policy it names, remove the text, and revise the listing. Then check your other listings from the same source or template, because the same text is often on many of them. If you cannot see what is wrong, contact eBay through Seller Help with the item number.

A worked example

Example: suppose a kitchen scale's description, copied from a supplier, ends: 'Questions? Our UK team is happy to help on 0800 000 0000 or at help@brandsite.example. See our full range at www.brandsite.example.'

• The phone number, email address and web address are all contact information or off-eBay links.
• The whole closing paragraph exists only to send buyers elsewhere, so delete all of it.
• Replace it with something useful inside eBay: 'Questions? Send us a message through eBay and we will reply within one working day.'

The listing now gives the buyer a way to ask questions, through eBay Messages, without breaking the policy.

How can a listing invite questions without breaking the rules?

Sellers often add contact details for a good reason: they want buyers to ask before buying rather than return the item afterwards. You can get the same result inside eBay.

• Answer the common questions in the description. Size, compatibility, what is in the box and how to use the item. Every answered question is one fewer message. Our guide to writing an eBay product description shows how to structure it.
• Point to eBay Messages. A line such as 'Message us through eBay with any questions' is clear and within the rules.
• Use item specifics fully. Buyers often ask for details that belong in specifics, such as dimensions or material.
• Add an approved product video if a demonstration would answer questions better than text. The links policy lists the sites eBay accepts.
• Use Best Offer or offers in Messages for buyers who want to negotiate, rather than inviting them to call.

Does the policy cover messages and Shop pages too?

The contact information policy applies to public content: listings, eBay Shop pages and community content. Shop descriptions and Shop page text should follow the same rules as listings, including the ban on web addresses in Shop names.

Messages are private, but the policy on offers to buy or sell outside eBay still applies to them. Sharing or asking for direct contact details before a sale is completed is not allowed, and neither is using contact details from an eBay transaction to offer a sale outside eBay. Keep conversations in eBay Messages, where they stay on record if a dispute arises later.

A quick checklist

• No email addresses, phone numbers, chat IDs or full addresses in titles, descriptions, item specifics or Shop pages.
• No web addresses or links to sites outside eBay, clickable or not, except the policy's listed exceptions.
• Business contact details in the Business Details section only, with a real street address, not a PO box.
• Search copied supplier text for contact details before publishing.
• Fix templates and tool settings, not only individual listings.
• Point buyers to eBay Messages for questions.