Setting up your return policy

When you sell on eBay, you need to state whether you accept returns or not, and if so, under what conditions. For example, you might assert who pays for return shipping or that you’re willing to accept returns for a specific period of time after a sale. Whatever you decide your policy is, it needs to be clearly specified in your listings.

If your policy is to accept returns, you can set up rules that automate the way that you manage different parts of the return process. For example, you can create rules to:

• Accept some returns automatically, while continuing to process others manually
• Refund the buyer automatically and allow them to keep the item if the return shipping cost is higher than the item’s cost
• Provide different return addresses for different items

Handling some returns automatically not only saves you time, it’s also great customer service: the buyer gets their return request sorted right away.

Your returns rules options 

You can choose to offer one of the following return policies:

• No returns
• 30-day buyer-paid returns
• 30-day free returns
• 60-day buyer-paid returns
• 60-day free returns

Some product categories have unique retail standards where you’ll be able to offer variations on the returns policy options. 

You can offer 14-day returns in the following categories:

• Camera Drones
• Camera Lenses
• Collectibles & Art
• Digital Cameras
• Jewelry
• Medical & Mobility

Setting your returns rules

Here’s how to set your returns rules:

1. Go to your Returns preferences - opens in new window or tab.
2. Under Send a refund, you can choose to let buyers keep the item and automatically refund them if the refund amount is less than a certain amount. Simply enter the amount you’re comfortable with.
3. Choose the return reasons when this rule will apply.
4. Under Approve a return, you can choose to automatically approve a return if the total refund cost is less than a certain amount. Enter an amount you’re comfortable with.
5. Choose the return reasons when this rule will apply.

Changes to your return rules will automatically apply to all future return requests but won’t apply to returns already in progress.

Creating advanced returns rules

You can also create your own advanced return rules - opens in new window or tab. Here’s how:

1. From the Select a rule dropdown, choose Send a refund automatically or Approve a refund automatically.
2. Fill in the total refund amount(s) and the return reasons.
3. Create a list of items the rule applies to.
4. Select the applicable selling categories.
5. Give your rule a name and then select Save and turn on.

Tip
Even if you specify “no returns accepted,” under the eBay Money Back Guarantee, the buyer can still return an item if it doesn’t match the listing description.