Part of the Disputes and chargebacks guide
eBay item not as described: seller evidence for returns and appeals
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"Item not as described" is the claim eBay sellers fear most, partly because it bypasses your returns policy and partly because the buyer can make it with a photo and a sentence. Sellers often ask whether a packing video helps at all. The honest answer is that eBay's process is built around documents and images, and a recording helps when it is turned into the specific stills the process asks for.
This guide covers the seller side of eBay's Money Back Guarantee: deadlines, seller protections, empty-box and different-item returns, Authenticity Guarantee, appeals and what to upload where. The rules come from eBay's own policy pages, checked in October 2026; where eBay.com's help center blocked automated access, we used the same policy as published on eBay's seller portal.
Why evidence decides an eBay not-as-described case
An eBay not-as-described case is decided by eBay, and it weighs what each side can show. According to eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy, when it reviews a not-as-described claim it looks at both parties' compliance with policy, whether the listing breached eBay policy, whether the item can be shipped back and proof that the return was delivered. If the seller fell short, the buyer gets a full refund, the seller reimburses eBay, and the buyer may keep the item.
The stakes are more than one refund. eBay's seller protection page says that once eBay steps in you can no longer issue the refund yourself, and if you are found responsible you get no fee credits and the case counts as closed without seller resolution, which can affect your seller performance level. eBay aims to decide within 48 hours of stepping in, so the evidence has to be ready, not found.
eBay Money Back Guarantee rules for sellers (October 2026)
The rules below summarize eBay's Money Back Guarantee and seller protection pages.
| Stage | Rule |
|---|---|
| Buyer reports not as described | Return request within 30 calendar days of delivery, or your stated return window if longer; applies even if you don't accept returns |
| Buyer reports item not received | From the estimated delivery date up to 30 calendar days after it |
| Seller response | 3 business days to accept, refund, offer a partial refund, message the buyer or offer a replacement |
| eBay steps in | From 3 business days after the request, up to 21 business days |
| Return shipping (not as described) | Paid by the seller, including customs fees or duties on the return |
| Refund after return | Within 2 business days of receiving the item; eBay may refund automatically if return tracking shows delivery |
| Proof of delivery | Tracking from an integrated carrier showing delivery to the address on the order; signature confirmation for orders of $750 or more |
| Deductions | Some sellers may deduct for lost value if the item comes back used or damaged beyond inspection, under eBay's condition of returned items policy |
| Fraudulent or abusive returns | Returning an item other than the original, or using or damaging it and then returning it, can cost the buyer their coverage |
| Appeal | Within 30 calendar days of eBay's decision, with new information |
| Payment dispute (chargeback) | Respond within 5 calendar days; uploads JPEG, JPG or PNG, up to 5 files, under 1.75 MB total, text up to 1,000 characters |
The payment dispute row comes from eBay's guide to handling payment disputes. A buyer can use only one route per transaction: opening a payment dispute closes the open return or Money Back Guarantee case.
Empty box and different item claims on eBay
"Empty box" means two different things on eBay, and each has its own evidence. Before you answer, work out which one you are facing.
| The claim | How it usually arrives | What answers it |
|---|---|---|
| "The box I received was empty" | Item not received or not as described, from the buyer | A continuous pre-shipment recording through sealing, the sealed weight, carrier acceptance weight; see the customer says the box was empty |
| "I returned it" and the box that comes back is empty | A return you receive | The return parcel filmed with its label before opening, then opened in one take; the return's tracking and weight |
| The item that comes back is a different unit | A return you receive | The serial number, IMEI or unique mark recorded before shipping, compared with the returned unit on camera |
| The item comes back worn, used or damaged | A return you receive | Condition close-ups from your pre-shipment record against the unboxing of the return |
The policy language that protects you is in the Money Back Guarantee itself: returning an item other than the original item received is listed as fraudulent or abusive buyer behavior, and buyers who do it can lose coverage and face other sanctions. eBay's seller protection page adds that it acts against abusive buyers, including removing their negative and neutral feedback and the related defects, with an item returned after the buyer used or damaged it given as an example.
None of that helps without proof. A different-item return is only provable if you recorded something that tells the two units apart; our guide to return swap fraud and serial numbers is about exactly that, and the customer says the wrong item was sent covers the outbound side. If the item came back worn rather than swapped, see wardrobing returns.
Authenticity Guarantee returns: the authenticator compares against your listing
For items sold with eBay's Authenticity Guarantee, a not-as-described return does not come straight back to you. eBay's Authenticity Guarantee page for sneaker sellers says that for eligible returns the buyer is instructed to send the item to the authentication facility, which inspects it within two business days to confirm it is the same item in the same condition it was sent. The Authenticity Guarantee tag must remain attached and untampered for a return to be eligible, and your return policy decides who pays postage to the authenticator.
Your listing photos do a lot of work in this process. The same page says your item may be returned to you if its condition is not consistent with your photographs and item description, and it asks sellers to photograph all defects and wear. eBay's policy also treats an authenticator's receipt scan as proof of delivery on Authenticity Guarantee orders.
What a pre-shipment record adds is the leg the authenticator does not see: the item leaving your hands. If a return arrives at the authenticator in a different condition, or a different unit appears, your recording of the serial, the security features and the condition at packing is the baseline. Sellers of watches, handbags and sneakers will find more in sneaker and luxury resale seller protection and on our authenticity and warranty page.
What to upload, and where
The right format depends on which eBay process you are in, and each one has its own limits.
| Where you are | What eBay asks for | Format that works |
|---|---|---|
| Return request (before eBay steps in) | Your response: accept, refund, partial refund, message or replacement | Messages; photos if you need to show the item as shipped |
| Appeal of a closed case | New information: delivery tracking, proof a return was misdelivered or lost, documents showing the item matches the listing, proof of refund | Documents and photos; stills from your recording with a short explanation |
| Payment dispute | Evidence to challenge the dispute, such as tracking, labels, messages and photos of condition before shipment | JPEG, JPG or PNG; 5 files; under 1.75 MB total; 1,000 characters of text |
| Report a buyer | Details of the abusive behavior | Your outgoing and return recordings, as stills |
eBay's appeal guide explains the route: Seller Dashboard, expand Closed without seller resolution, find the case, open See details and send the appeal with everything new you want considered. eBay says it normally gives a final decision within 48 hours.
For payment disputes, 1.75 MB across five files is tight. Three or four well-chosen stills (order reference with the item, the identifier, the item in the box, the sealed parcel) fit; a 20-page PDF does not. Our guide on which disputes packing video can support explains how card disputes differ from eBay's own cases.
Step by step: answering an eBay not-as-described return
The procedure covers the item's whole round trip, from listing to appeal; the first three steps happen before you ever hear from the buyer.
Step 4 has a trap. If you think the claim is false, it is tempting to ignore it; but once eBay steps in, you lose the ability to refund on your own terms and the case can close against you on silence alone. Respond, ask for photos, and keep the conversation in eBay messages.
Copy-ready responses for eBay
Keep the tone neutral. Describe what you shipped and what came back; leave the conclusion to eBay.
How PallasMark handles eBay orders
PallasMark records both ends of an eBay order's round trip and turns them into the stills eBay's forms take.
- Orders in, without retyping. If your eBay orders already pass through ShipStation or ShipHero, connect that system and the orders arrive in PallasMark on their own; otherwise add them manually. Scan the label and the app opens the order, so the recording is bound to it before the first frame.
- Identifiers on camera, sealed. Record the serial number, condition and seal on any iPhone or Android phone. Every file gets a SHA-256 fingerprint when it is stored, and there is no edit button for recordings. A public verification page lets eBay, the buyer or a bank re-check the file without an account; see tamper-proof video.
- Return evidence from the buyer's side too. When a return is open in PallasMark, you can ask the buyer to film or photograph the returned item and its packaging through a link, with no app and no account. That puts the buyer's own footage of what they are sending back on the record before it arrives. More in return evidence and returns.
- Stills for image-only forms. On request, PallasMark builds an evidence PDF for the order with four stills from each recorded video, the photos, order details and fingerprints. For eBay's image-only uploads, save the key stills as images and stay under the 1.75 MB limit.
- Kept beyond the appeal window. Proofs are kept for 90 days by default, longer than eBay's 30-day return and appeal windows, and orders with an open dispute, chargeback or return are never purged.
The free plan needs no card: create an account. For the same claim on other marketplaces, see the hub on seller dispute evidence by platform, and for Etsy's version, Etsy case not-as-described evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to respond to an eBay not-as-described return?
Three business days. eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy says the seller must respond within 3 business days of the request, and the buyer can ask eBay to step in after that. Once eBay steps in, you can no longer issue the refund yourself, and a case found against you counts as closed without seller resolution.
Who pays return shipping for an item not as described on eBay?
The seller. When an item is returned because it does not match the listing, eBay's policy makes the seller responsible for return shipping, including any customs fees or duties on the return. This applies even if your listing says you do not accept returns.
What can I do if an eBay buyer returns an empty box or a different item?
eBay's Money Back Guarantee lists returning an item other than the original item received as fraudulent buyer behavior, which can cost the buyer their coverage. To use that protection you need evidence on both ends: a pre-shipment record showing the item and its serial number or other identifier, and a recording of the return being opened with its return label visible. Report the buyer and appeal with both.
Does eBay accept packing videos as evidence?
eBay's forms are built around documents and images. The appeal guidance asks for documents or photos showing the item matches the listing, and the payment dispute upload takes JPEG, JPG or PNG files only, up to five files under 1.75 MB in total. Convert your recording into a few clear stills that show the order reference, identifier and condition.
How do I appeal an eBay case decision as a seller?
From the Seller Dashboard, expand Closed without seller resolution, find the case, open See details and send your appeal within 30 calendar days of the case closing. Include information eBay did not have: tracking showing delivery before the case closed, proof a return was misdelivered or lost, documents or photos showing the item matched the listing, or proof you refunded before closure.
How does eBay Authenticity Guarantee change not-as-described returns?
For eligible Authenticity Guarantee returns, the buyer sends the item back to the authentication facility rather than to you. The authenticator checks within two business days that it is the same item in the same condition it was sent, and the Authenticity Guarantee tag must still be attached and untampered. Your own listing photos and pre-shipment record are what that condition check is compared against.
Can I use PallasMark for eBay orders?
Yes. If your eBay orders already pass through ShipStation or ShipHero, connect that system and they arrive in PallasMark on their own; otherwise add the order manually. You record the outgoing pack and the returned parcel on any phone, every file is fingerprinted, and the evidence PDF gives you the stills eBay's image-based forms need.
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