eBay buyer opened an item not received request: what sellers should do
A buyer says the item never arrived — or that it isn’t what you described — and has opened a request. How you handle the next few days decides whether it closes quietly or counts against your seller level. Here’s the process from eBay’s seller protection pages.
Before it’s a request: messages
Watch your messages and reply quickly. Most problems can be solved before the buyer opens anything official.
The request: you have 3 business days
A buyer can open a request if:
- the item hasn’t arrived; or
- it arrived but is not as described — faulty, damaged, or missing parts or pieces.
Once a request is open, you have 3 business days to resolve it. Depending on the situation, you can:
- provide tracking, if you haven’t already;
- refund the buyer in full, including the original shipping;
- message the buyer — for example, to offer a replacement.
Message templates for the buyer:
What eBay accepts as proof of delivery
Buyers can report a missing item once the estimated or actual delivery date has passed, and up to 30 calendar days after it. If you uploaded tracking, eBay may close the request automatically once tracking shows delivery.
If eBay decides the case, it looks for proof of delivery to the address in Order details. eBay requires all of these:
- a tracking number from an integrated carrier, uploaded to eBay, with a shipping scan before the latest estimated delivery date;
- a status of “delivered” or “attempted delivery”, with the date;
- the recipient’s ZIP code matching the one in Order details (or the city if the ZIP isn’t available);
- signature confirmation for orders of $750 or more.
eBay may step in without the buyer asking if there’s no valid tracking. Not covered: the buyer gave a wrong address at checkout, arranged their own courier, or used a third-party freight forwarder.
If you can’t agree: up to 21 business days
If you can’t resolve it, or disagree with the buyer, the request can become a dispute, and either of you can ask eBay to help. You don’t have to escalate right after 3 business days — if you’re still working it out with the buyer, you generally have up to 21 business days.
To escalate, go to Requests and disputes in Seller Hub, or find the order in My eBay → Sold and select View request details.
When eBay steps in
- Once eBay steps in, you can no longer issue a refund yourself.
- eBay aims to give a decision within 48 hours.
- If eBay decides you’re responsible, it refunds the buyer and then collects the money from you. You don’t get fee credits, and the case counts as “closed without seller resolution” — which affects your seller level.
That last point is why it’s often better to refund yourself when you’re likely to lose anyway: a refund you issue doesn’t become a case closed without seller resolution.
Appealing a decision
If you disagree with eBay’s decision, you can appeal with new information within 30 calendar days of the case closing.
If the buyer goes to their bank instead
A buyer may open a payment dispute (chargeback) with their card issuer or payment provider. Then the payment institution — not eBay — makes the final decision, and you may have to cover the refund and/or a dispute fee.
- You must respond within 5 calendar days of eBay’s notification.
- A buyer can’t use more than one route for a refund: when a payment dispute is opened, any return request or eBay Money Back Guarantee case for the same order is closed.
When eBay protects you
If eBay finds a buyer’s behavior abusive — for example, returning an item they used or damaged, or demanding something the listing didn’t offer — it can act against the buyer and remove negative and neutral feedback and defects, including opened cases. Use Report a buyer to describe what happened. Protection may not apply to some items and listings, or if eBay steps in to help with a return or item not received request.
Preventing the next one
- Ship with tracking and upload it within your handling time.
- Describe condition honestly, with clear photos.
- Pack well, and use checklists for items with many parts.
To cancel an order before it ships, see how to cancel an eBay order. For returns rather than missing items, see eBay returns for sellers. To deal with the feedback afterwards, see eBay feedback.