Rebecca Garland
Rebecca Garland
Business and Education Expert

Many people have made buying and selling on eBay.com a profitable business model. But not everything works perfectly all of the time. With so many sellers trying to compete for buyers and so many buyers trying to find the best price on the items they are looking for, some issues may arise. So, it is essential to find the best way to contact eBay customer service.

eBay.com is a website with millions of users. Not all of those users are satisfied, and when something goes wrong, they want to be sure they can contact eBay customer support quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, looking at the sheer volume of eBay complaints online on sites like PissedConsumer, GlassDoor, and the BBB, contacting the company isn’t as simple as many customers would like.

Whether you’re buying or selling, the company has eBay customer service support for potential issues.

eBay Questions and Answers

Number of eBay reviews – 47.7K

eBay rating* – 2.0⭐⭐

Claimed losses – $378M

Successful calls – 7%/430K

Resolved issues – 594

Key Insight

  • There are several options to contact eBay customer service if you face issues. You may use eBay live chat, phone numbers of the resolution center, social networks, and community. 
  • The eBay telephone number for customer service is not readily available on the company’s website. However, there are opportunities to reach the eBay resolution center to address general customer service issues, hacked accounts, or to report fraud.
  • If you need to start an eBay live chat, you should do it via your account and the “Help and Contact” button at the bottom of the page. 

How Does eBay Work?

When eBay.com was first introduced, it was strictly an online auction. Very soon, however, the business model expanded, and eBay.com became not just an auction site, but also a prolific platform for buying and selling.

Sellers bring new or previously used merchandise ranging from figurines to RVs and vehicles and set a price or set up an auction. Buyers use the eBay search feature to look for the specific item they want and either bid or pay for the item like any other retail site. The seller then ships the item to the buyer.

There are quite a few moving parts in a transaction, and that is why so many customers look for eBay support. Unfortunately, like any website that brings buyers and sellers together, some are unethical. Many eBay complaints include issues with the buying and selling process. But many other negative eBay reviews have concerns about the platform or account issues and wonder how to contact eBay by phone. Still, others have questions about simply how to handle eBay returns. They also want to know what eBay phone number for returns is.

eBay's customer service fields complaints about purchased items that never arrive and payment issues. The most prominent articles in the eBay help section are about payment issues and hacked accounts. These are common issues customers complain about when they contact eBay.

ebay help sectionSource: eBay Help and Contact

What Are eBay Pros and Cons?

Overall, PissedConsumer users find more disadvantages in eBay than advantages. The most common issues concern difficulties contacting eBay customer service and getting refunds, faulty delivery, and fraudulent sellers. 

Some reviewers say that there are too many cons to enumerate. Still, the pros, such as affordable prices, great variety of choices, and convenience, are persuasive enough for consumers to shop on eBay.com.

Pros

  • Good prices
  • Variety of products
  • Convenient to use

Cons

  • Poor customer service
  • Not reliable shipping
  • Refund issues
  • Fake sellers

How to Contact eBay Customer Support by Phone?

The eBay customer service phone number is not readily available on the company’s website. If you dig through the help section in search of the eBay telephone number, you’ll eventually find options to get help from an automated assistant or contact an agent. Other options include a returning process and reporting an item that hasn’t arrived. 

Contact eBay assistantSource: eBay Help and Contact

While the company offers to call you, many eBay reviews express frustration with trying to contact the company on their own terms. Customers want to call eBay directly and are trying to find how to contact eBay by phone. While it might not be heavily publicized on the website, there is an eBay customer service phone number available for customers to use. You can reach the eBay resolution center by calling (866) 961-9253 for general customer service, (866) 348-9519 for hacked accounts, or (866) 643-1607 to report fraud.

Reaching eBay.com customer service by phone can be tricky, as one customer discovered. In his review (#2928911), the frustrated customer explained that his credit card was used fraudulently. Yet despite calling the various eBay phone numbers, the poster has not been able to reach a live representative, even a month later.

I have called several numbers found on the internet and NONE has been a good contact number. There is NEVER a LIVE agent available to speak with me.

How to Contact eBay Customer Service via Email

Some consumers prefer written communication and sending emails instead of looking for a phone number for eBay customer service. However, eBay's customer service does not list a general email address on the company’s website. If you dig a bit through the automated help chat feature, you can find an eBay email for specific purposes. A fraudulent eBay email, for example, can be sent to spoof@ebay.com and the company will record the message.

You can also get in touch with customer service through the eBay live chat feature if you are logged in to your account. To use this option, you need to click the “Help and Contact” button at the bottom of the page, select the topic that is most relevant to your issue, and follow the link. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a section labeled “Need more help?” Simply click the “Chat with us” button and follow the instructions provided. Alternatively, you can access eBay live chat with the representative through the “How can we help you today?” page.

For a more general complaint, however, the automatic help chat feature redirects you to the eBay customer service number and gives you the option to have the company call you. If you choose the relevant issue from the eBay support menu, you may see an option to email the company for specific issues. Otherwise, you will find the most eBay help by chatting with an agent, having the company call you, or calling the company directly.

One eBay.com user explained his issues with limited communication options in a video review. In his eBay complaint, the user explained that he had decades of positive feedback on the website, but had his account banned for life after a customer complained to the company rather than him.

Additionally, when he tried to contact eBay.com about the issue, he finally got some answers after “chatting with 2 customer support reps (who both hung up on me) who both said I am banned and they cannot disclose why due to eBay policy.” Despite positive ratings on all of his orders, the user was cut off from the service and no email was ever sent.

How to Contact eBay Customer Service via Community and Social Networks?

eBay support does have an online presence on social networks. While you always have the option of using the eBay customer service number, you can also contact the company through Twitter or Facebook. To contact eBay help via Twitter, ask questions using the @askebay handle.

There are many eBay complaints and questions available on the company’s Facebook page (@ebay) as well. Through the eBay Facebook page, you have the option to post on the company’s wall or contact the company through messenger. Some customers leave their thoughts and complaints in eBay reviews by tagging the company or commenting under their posts.

eBay comments on FacebookSource: facebook.com

How to Contact eBay Resolution Center?

The eBay resolution center may be your best option to sort out issues specifically between buyers and sellers. Inside the eBay resolution center, you’ll find resources specifically for buyers and sellers regarding transactions. In the resolution center, eBay customer support provides information and acts as a sort of mediation service when issues do arise.

eBay resolution center Source: resolutioncenter.ebay.com

If you have an issue with a return and cannot find eBay phone number for returns, you can use the company’s resolution center. If you have an eBay complaint, you might start by finding the specific purchase in your account through the eBay.com resolution service. The links provided will take you to your bought and sold items where you can see unpaid invoices or items shipped.

When you drill down into specific transactions, you are presented with options for how to contact or call eBay. In some cases, you may find options for an eBay email. You may be able to cancel transactions or send additional messages to sellers as well.

The options inside the eBay.com resolution center will be specific to the type of transaction you’re concerned about. In many cases, you may get more targeted support working through the resolution center than by calling a generic eBay telephone number.

eBay, Inc has become a powerful force in buying and selling online. Customers can find just about anything they might be searching for through eBay.com, which makes an eBay gift card a great present for most. The site has grown from a simple auction to a massive selling platform for just about every industry in the world. While some customers run into trouble with eBay's customer service, for many others, the platform may be the only place they can find what they are looking for.

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.

 

Legal disclaimers:

  1. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide any legal, medical, accounting, investment or any other professional advice as individual cases may vary and should be discussed with a corresponding expert and/or an attorney.
  2. All or some image copyright belongs to the original owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.

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Lalitha Subramanin #3467
I called a number from google for ebay and the the number 85860990536 and they said it is ebay customer service and asked how to get free returns and the guy jack said my manager alex can help you. He said ebay is going to pay for the future returns i to your crdit card account. Mas a70 year old woman believed it and with innocence i gave the details believing it is going onto mymcredit card. They keep saying it did not go through and did $300.00 12 times equal to $3,600.00 we live on our SSN. October 3rd went to the police station and complained to the Billerica police station in ma. Asked santander and they said i authorized so denied my deny my request. We also filed a complaint to FBI. Msomebody cheated in the name of ebay. Mis ebay going to step in and help ro get this scam money happened in October 2nd. Please do not refuse to help. We do not know where to go and it is a huge amount for us to please. I am just begging ebay to help me with this scam.
Hercules Steenkamp #3471
As a normal amazon buyer I decided to get some parts on E bay and what a disappointment ...The delivery address is ignored and the items end up in my country's poor Post office system and can not be traced... E bay does not assist buyers to receive their items...I is really a disgrace to wait 60 + days and then E bay put a hold on the case for 10 days and never lift the hold once the date they stipulated is reached"eBay Customer Support has placed the case on hold until Mar. 1 to allow time to provide additional documentation"This is a Item that should have been delivered 2 February. It is a disgrace.
Michael Pusateri #3478
I receive my Redken Shamppo package with a hole in the bottle and it leaked all over have sent 7 text messages to the seller with no response. I would like a refund of 20.99 credited to my paypal account. Thanks Michael Pusater
Scott McGowan #3489
They are fishing for peoples details and bank accounts on a global scale. Try to contact them? No chance.One BIG CORRUPT BUSINESS that needs heavily fined.
Christina Rocha #3505
never got any payment for an item sold at $ 715.00
Alan #3553
So once again I have been done over by eBay sellers advertising there products for sale you purchase there products and they cancel your sale and send you a refund making some excuse item cannot be shipped to Northern Ireland what a load of rubbish is totally obvious they just don’t want to send it if sellers could do there homework about how much it’s gonna cost or exclude areas in there description it would be a great help for eBay buyers it seems the buyer cannot even leave feedback I have been a long time customer of eBay buying a lot but my thoughts are to move my business elsewhere
David Fryer #3555
I purchased a Nakamichi BX-300 cassette tape deck - order#07-07840-40912 - Item# 133871764141 back in Dec 2020 and the unit was delivered to my address and I would play pre-recorded tapes on this unit just fine But when I tried to record music onto a blank tape the unit wouldn't record the music so that you could hear it correctly like the source (CD) has recorded onto the CD. I have send two requests to the seller - msjjr but I haven't heard back from them - all I was asking for was an address that I can send the unit to be him/them for repair and then ship it back to me but again I haven't heard anything from the seller and all of my attempts to reach customer service (message to customer service, phone call to customer service, trying to chat w/ CS has failed. Please help me with this matter and let me know if I just need to return the unit back to the seller and then get a refund back from ebayThanks,David
Anonymous #3571
How can I get a security code, I have tried several times to no avail only to discover they were all going to junk mail ,now eBay are saying they can’t send anymore codes. How am I to purchase anything without the security code?
Kenneth Groninga #3572
I ordered GLUCOSE MD. When will I receive it?
Thomas clark #3576
How do I make sure a salebeing brochured through ebay jzS ral s d not a scam?
Brenda K King #3577
ebay complaints need to speak with a human and I can't afford to spend any more money with your company
Robert Wade #3586
I have been at this for days with no avail I can never get no one on the phone this is ridiculous and eBay is not very compliant with trying to help someone with a problem you need to contact me immediately before I take further action I'm done playing at this point I am a very pissed off customer and when I get pissed off I contact my attorney don't play with me because I will sue you for taking advantage of a disabled person yes I am disabled what do you think the Court's going to find out about that
Hyun soon kim #3595
What do you mean I canceled right away because there was no item, so why are you shipping? I don't understand. I bought another piece.
Hyun soon kim #3596
I trying to return postage is over $130.
Michael Somers #3605
I ordered something on the 26th Feb,I was sent message on the 3rd of march it was coming on the 3rd of march/5th of march then on the 7th nothing arrived. I stayed in to wait for it. Yesterday i had hospital appointment. I got message from yodel they had delivered eBay parcel. When I got home nothing in the post box from delivery person to let me know it had been delivered or where. Seriously upset by the whole thing. Seller is useless.
Daniel #3606
Who can help me with eBay?It has been a while since I have been unable to bid on items from two major sellers in Germany, Constantly getting a message that the seller is blocking me.Contacted the sellers and they say they did not block me, contacted eBay and they send me to the seller!!!!What can be done to get out of this complication?Time passes and I can not buy items I am interested in and it's a shame.I would love to get help.Thanks in advance.Daniel
Claude thomson #3627
I would like to have an ebay chat to reinstate my ebay account after many enquiries over many months I've been told this has been done but ime waiting to recieve two specific amounts to my ebay bank account to verify it's me could someone please help me, thank you
Martin Speikers #3631
I want to contact a human being about a shipment I did not receive. I lost the order and tracking number and I do not have an ebay account. I want to have an ebay representative look at their history for an order with my name and credit card number on it. I have only bought one item from ebay in my life...it should be easy to find.
Javone Sims #3633
Y payment won't go through with any of my cards
Gary #3637
eBay order delivered by dpd was stolen because dpd left parcel in hallway without notifying me first without no phone call without no making contact parcel was stolen worth over £600