eBay item not as described: how sellers prevent the claim and handle it when it comes

What does eBay item not as described mean?

An eBay item not as described request is the buyer saying the item they received does not match your listing. eBay covers these under the eBay Money Back Guarantee: buyers can request a return for an item not as described within 30 calendar days of delivery, or within your longer return window if you offer one, and sellers must respond within 3 business days.

The test is always your listing. eBay compares what arrived with what you said, in the title, the photos, the condition, the description and the item specifics. That means the best protection is written before the sale, and the best response is quick and fair after it.

What counts as not as described?

Change of mind returns are governed by your own returns policy and, for UK business sellers, the buyer's legal cancellation rights. They are not not as described claims, even if the buyer selects that reason.

How should you respond to an eBay item not as described request?

1. Read the request and the buyer's photos. Note the date and work out when your 3 business days end.
2. Compare with your listing. Open the listing as it was when the buyer bought it, including the item specifics and condition notes.
3. Decide honestly. If the item does not match, say sorry and fix it. If you are unsure, ask the buyer for a photo of the problem or the label.
4. Offer a solution in the request: a return for a full refund, a replacement, or a refund without a return for low value items.
5. Refund promptly when the item comes back, or straight away if no return is needed.
6. Fix the listing if it caused the misunderstanding, before the next buyer orders.

Who pays the return postage?

When an item really is not as described, eBay expects the seller to cover the cost of the return, normally through a return label. For change of mind returns, your returns policy decides who pays. If a buyer picks not as described for what is plainly a change of mind, you can explain politely in the thread and ask eBay to look at it if needed, but do not argue in a way you would not want eBay to read.

Asking for photos without sounding suspicious

Photos help you understand the problem and decide quickly. Ask in a way that sounds helpful rather than doubtful, for example:

Hello, I am sorry the item is not right. Could you send a photo of the problem, and one of the label or model number, so I can sort this out for you as quickly as possible? I will reply as soon as I see them.

If the buyer does not send photos, do not let that stall the request past your deadline. Make a fair offer anyway, such as a return for a refund, which also lets you see the item yourself.

A worked example: return, refund or partial refund?

Example, with hypothetical numbers. You sold a lamp for £28. The buyer says the shade arrived dented, with a photo. Return postage would cost you £6.

• Return and full refund: you pay £6 to get the lamp back, refund £28, and may be able to resell the base. Total cost depends on what the returned item is worth to you.
• Full refund, no return: you refund £28 and save the £6, but lose the lamp.
• Partial refund: you offer £8 for the dented shade. If the buyer accepts, they keep the lamp and the request closes as resolved by you.

Any of these, agreed in time, keeps the request off your performance record. The worst outcome is a fourth path: doing nothing for 3 business days, after which the buyer can ask eBay to step in, and a decision against you counts as a case closed without seller resolution.

What if you think the buyer is wrong?

Sometimes the item matches the listing and the buyer is mistaken, or is using not as described for a change of mind. You can still respond, but the way you do it matters.

• Point to the listing, kindly. Quote the part of the listing that covers the issue, for example the size in the item specifics or the condition notes. Do not accuse the buyer of anything.
• Offer a return anyway. A return for a refund when the item comes back in the same condition is often the cheapest way to end it. You get the item back and can check it.
• Check what comes back. If the returned item is not the one you sent, or is damaged in a way it was not when it left, photograph it straight away and tell eBay with the evidence.
• Keep everything in eBay. Messages, photos and offers made inside the request are what eBay reads if the buyer asks it to step in.

Holding out for a no refund outcome is rarely worth it unless the evidence is clear. eBay looks at your listing and the buyer's evidence, and if the listing is vague, the buyer usually wins. The time is better spent making the next listing clearer.

How do you prevent not as described claims?

Describe the actual item

Write the title and description from the item in front of you, or from accurate supplier data, not from a similar product. Include model numbers, sizes and what is in the box.

Use honest condition

New means new and unopened. If packaging is damaged or the item is opened, choose the right condition and say so. eBay's picture policy says stock photos are not allowed for used, damaged or defective items, and photos must accurately represent the item.

Show flaws in the photos

If an item has a scuff, a missing manual or a mark on the box, photograph it and mention it. A buyer who saw the flaw before buying cannot reasonably claim it was not described, and most buyers appreciate the honesty.

Fill in item specifics

Specifics such as size, colour, compatibility and model are what buyers filter on. A wrong specific creates a buyer who thinks they bought something else.

Check before you pack

Pick against the order, not memory. Check variation, colour and size against the packing slip, and test items where it makes sense.

Pack to survive

Damage in transit is a not as described claim from the buyer's point of view. Padding, a sturdy box and fragile labels cost less than a return.

Not as described when someone else sends the item

If a supplier sends the item, you cannot check it before it goes, so listing accuracy and supplier quality matter even more. Ask suppliers how they handle wrong and damaged items, and where returns go. A return address you control makes these requests much easier to handle.

eBay's drop shipping policy allows fulfilling orders directly from a wholesale supplier, but not listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer. In both cases the seller is responsible for the buyer's satisfaction, so the request is yours to resolve.

A checklist for fewer claims

• Respond to every not as described request on the day it arrives.
• Keep a copy of the listing as sold, including photos and specifics.
• Pay for the return when the claim is genuine; it ends the dispute faster.
• Record the reason for each claim and fix the listing or packing that caused it.
• Look for patterns by product or supplier, and drop the ones that keep causing claims.
• Re-read your top ten listings once a quarter and check the photos still match what you send.

For the full rules behind these requests, read our guide to the eBay Money Back Guarantee for sellers, and for how escalated cases count, see cases closed without seller resolution.