Member-to-member contact policy

However, to keep everyone in our community safe we have guidelines and policies that cover how you communicate.

We don't allow our members to:

• Make offers to buy and sell outside of eBay
• Send spam
• Threaten others, or use profanity or hate speech
• Exchange any personal information (except names), including email addresses, phone numbers, financial information, social media links or accounts, or other contact information
• Send viruses, malicious code, or software through our messaging service

This applies to all messages sent on the eBay platform, including My Messages and Best Offer, eBay Live chat, and all types of content posted on eBay by users, including listings, feedback, and reviews. To find out more about our policies related to member-to-member communications, please read our full policy guidelines below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does eBay monitor and store members' messages?

We may monitor messages (together with any attachments) sent between members for fraud, abuse, spam, illegal content, and other policy violations. We keep a copy of all communications which can be used to help in these circumstances.

While we understand members may wish to keep communications private, if you contact members through channels other than eBay, we can't help if problems arise.

Does eBay share personal email addresses?

In the majority of cases, we don't share buyers' personal email addresses. We replace email addresses with aliases for buyers and sellers to hide personal contact information. When you communicate, your email appears like 63ae59ac280fe0fa69@members.ebay.com and is sent through our secure platform.

What can I do about a member who's threatening me?

If you ever receive a threat, report it to us immediately.

We'll look into it and determine what action is needed, which could include suspending the member's account. You should also report threats to local law enforcement.

A member left feedback which I don't think is accurate or fair. Can I have it removed?

On request, we may remove some kinds of feedback – if it contains hate speech or profanities, for example. However, while we discourage rude and accusatory comments, we don't remove them if they're related to a specific transaction.

We would recommend getting in touch with the member and asking them to revise their feedback. Read our article on viewing, responding, and changing feedback.

Read our full policy

Member-to-member contact policy overview

Members can send messages to each other through eBay. We encourage open communication between our members but we don't allow our members to use these options to send spam, offers to buy or sell off eBay, threats, profanity, or hate speech. We also don't allow members to offer, reference, or request email addresses, phone numbers or other contact information, physical addresses, web addresses, or links within eBay messaging systems (for example Best Offer, My Messages, or eBay Live chat) or in any email communication managed by eBay, and all types of content posted on eBay by users, including listings, feedback, and reviews. eBay may monitor messages sent through eBay and between users for fraud, abuse, spam, and other violations of eBay's policies.

Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.

Please remember that we don't have control over communication unless it takes place through eBay. Also, posts on eBay discussion boards - opens in new window or tab aren't covered by this policy. However, we do have a Community content policy.

What are the guidelines?

Spam and unwanted messages

We don't allow our members to use eBay messaging or communications features to send spam, unsolicited commercial messages, or repeated unwanted communications. This includes:

• Sending unsolicited messages to promote, advertise, buy, sell, or trade goods or services
• Sending the same or substantially similar messages to multiple members without a legitimate eBay-related reason
• Sending repeated or excessive messages
• Continuing to send unwanted messages after another member has asked for the communication to stop
• Sending irrelevant or unrelated promotional messages to buyers, sellers, or other members
• Adding members to mailing lists or sending marketing communications without their permission
• Using automated, repetitive, or bulk messaging in a way that disrupts or abuses eBay communication features

Messages reasonably necessary to complete an eBay transaction, respond to a member’s request, provide customer service, or communicate relevant information about an eBay purchase or sale are allowed, provided they aren’t excessive or used for unrelated promotional purposes.

Attempts to move contact and transactions outside of eBay

We don't allow members to use eBay messaging or communication features to move transactions or transaction-related communications outside of eBay. This includes:

• Offering, requesting, or encouraging another member to buy, sell, or complete a transaction outside of eBay
• Sharing or requesting email addresses, phone numbers, social media accounts, usernames, or other contact information for the purpose of communicating or transacting outside of eBay
• Sharing links or web addresses that direct members to external sites or services to complete a transaction
• Directing members to external marketplaces, websites, apps, messaging services, or social media platforms to buy, sell, trade, or arrange payment
• Requesting or sharing payment information for the purpose of completing a transaction outside of eBay
• Using eBay messaging or communication features to promote goods or services available for purchase outside of eBay
• Attempting to bypass eBay checkout, fees, policies, protections, or other transaction processes

Members should keep communications and transactions on eBay when required so that applicable eBay protections and policies can apply.

Violence, threats, and weapons

We don't allow communications between members that threaten, promote, encourage, or provide guidance for violence, physical harm, or the dangerous use of weapons. This includes:

• Threats or statements expressing an intent to physically harm, injure, or kill any individual or group, whether direct or implied
• Threatening to damage or destroy another person’s property as a means of intimidation
• Encouraging or encouraging another member to commit violence or physical harm
• Sending graphic or disturbing images, videos, or other content depicting severe injury, mutilation, dismemberment, or death
• Expressing a desire or hope that an individual or group experiences serious physical harm or death
• Instructing another member or providing guidance on using weapons or other methods to cause physical harm
• Providing instructions intended to help someone create, modify, or use a weapon to cause harm
• Offering, requesting, arranging, or facilitating the sale, purchase, or exchange of weapons or other dangerous items that are prohibited on eBay

Example: "If I don't hear from you by tomorrow about the item I purchased, I will come over to your house and break your legs."

If you receive a threat, report it to local law enforcement. You should also consider contacting your local phone company if the threat was made by telephone, or the other member's Internet service provider (ISP) if the threat was made through email communication.

Hate speech, harassment, and offensive language

We don’t allow any communications between members that promote, express, or support hatred, harassment, or discrimination towards individuals or groups. This includes:

• Language that is hateful, degrading, or dehumanizing
• Repeated or severe insults, ridicule, humiliation, or degrading comments
• Bullying, intimidation, or targeted abusive behavior
• Unwanted sexual comments, propositions, or sexually degrading remarks directed at another member
• Repeated unwanted or abusive communications intended to harass, intimidate, or distress another member
• Supporting, advocating, or justifying violence against any individual or group
• Praise, promotion, or alignment with organizations or ideologies that promote hate or discrimination
• Use of slurs, even if partially censored
• Graphic or highly vulgar language meant to shock or offend
• Severe or explicit profanity, including highly offensive language

Substances and unsafe substance use

We don't allow communications between members that promote, encourage, or facilitate illegal or unsafe substance use. This includes:

• Promoting, encouraging, or glorifying excessive or unsafe use of alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products, cannabis, illegal drugs, or other substances
• Encouraging or providing instructions for the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications
• Encouraging the consumption or misuse of substances not intended for human use
• Providing instructions or guidance intended to help another person engage in dangerous or harmful substance use
• Offering, requesting, arranging, or facilitating the sale, purchase, or exchange of illegal drugs or other prohibited substances

This applies to alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription and over-the-counter medications, and other substances where misuse may pose a risk to health or safety.

Sexually explicit content and messages

We don't allow members to use eBay messaging features to send sexually explicit content, nudity, sexual solicitations, or other inappropriate sexual content to another member. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

• Sending or requesting nude, sexually explicit, or pornographic images, videos, or audio
• Sending graphic descriptions of sexual acts or sexually explicit messages
• Making unwanted sexual comments, propositions, advances, or requests
• Offering, requesting, arranging, or promoting sexual services or sexual activity
• Sharing, threatening to share, or soliciting non-consensual intimate images
• Pressuring, coercing, or threatening another member to provide sexual content or participate in sexual activity
• Directing members to external websites, accounts, or services for pornography, sexual services, or sexually explicit interactions
• Sexualizing, soliciting, or exchanging sexual content or messages involving anyone under 18

Feedback comments containing inappropriate content

Removable

These types of feedback comments may be removed:

• Feedback containing personally identifying information about another member, such as a member's address, phone number, email address, or real name. We may also remove feedback that can be used to obtain personally identifying information about another member, such as a shipment tracking number
• Feedback not related to a sale, including a comment, reply, or follow-up related to a different sale
• Feedback containing political, religious, social, or other commentary, rather than genuine comments about a sale
• Feedback containing language that is profane, vulgar, obscene, or racist, as well as comments containing adult material or physical threats
• Negative feedback comments that directly contradict a positive rating. (When the comment is posted by the seller. This type of contradictory comment isn't removable when left by the buyer.)
• Feedback containing links or promotional language which encourages buyers to purchase outside of eBay
• Feedback that includes references to third-party investigations, including law enforcement investigations or eBay investigations

Not removable

These types of feedback comments aren't removed:

• Feedback comments containing accusatory language such as "fraud," "liar," "cheater," "scam artist," or "con man." Although this type of comment is strongly discouraged, it isn't removed unless it also contains content that isn't allowed
• Feedback comments containing URLs or links to eBay

Additional information

Your email address and other contact info might be disclosed to the other party when involved in a successful eBay transaction with you. We investigate and take action on reports of misuse of this information. Please see our User Privacy Notice for more information on how we handle your personal data.

Why does eBay have this policy?

Communication between members is a key part of the eBay buying and selling experience, and we want to keep it as open as possible. But it's important that our members feel safe, and aren't getting unwanted emails or offers from other members.