eBay's clock counts business days. The carrier's clock counts days from the last scan.
The eBay Money Back Guarantee timeline
eBay's Money Back Guarantee sets a tight window on both sides. Buyers report a missing item once the estimated or actual delivery date has passed and no later than 30 calendar days after. Sellers get three business days from the report to respond with tracking, delivery information, or a refund. If tracking shows successful delivery, eBay may close the case automatically. If nothing moves, eBay steps in between three and 21 business days after the report and can refund the buyer without further seller input. Read from ebay.com on 2026-08-11.
| Day (business days) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Estimated delivery date passes | Buyer becomes eligible to open a case. |
| Case opened (day 0) | eBay notifies the seller; the response clock starts. |
| Day 3 | Seller deadline to respond. Tracking, updated delivery info, or a refund. |
| Day 3 to 21 | eBay may step in if the seller has not responded or the buyer asks eBay to help. |
| Case closes | Either the buyer's refund is issued (by seller or by eBay) or the case is decided in the seller's favor when tracking shows delivered. |
| Plus 30 calendar days | Outside window: buyer can no longer open a Money Back Guarantee case. |
The eBay case decides the buyer's money. The carrier claim decides who eats the loss. They run in parallel, and neither pays the other.
A seller's playbook for the first 72 hours
- Open the tracking history end to end. The last carrier scan tells you what happened. A parcel sitting at a regional facility for four days is delayed, not lost; a parcel with no scans since acceptance is a different problem.
- Message the buyer first. Acknowledge the delay in the case thread, share the last scan, and give a specific next step (a carrier trace, a redelivery, a refund on a set date). eBay's dispute review reads the messages, and a proactive seller notes better than a silent one.
- Open a carrier trace. USPS Missing Mail Search, UPS package search or FedEx trace. The trace request creates a case number the carrier uses to decide payment on your claim later; without it, the claim starts on the back foot.
- Refund on day three if nothing has moved. Under Money Back Guarantee the buyer gets refunded either way; a seller-initiated refund inside the window preserves your defect metrics and keeps eBay from stepping in.
- File the carrier claim. USPS accepts a Ground Advantage claim after the parcel is 15 days late; UPS accepts a claim after eight business days from the last scan; FedEx accepts a claim up to nine months from ship date. The included coverage on each label is where the payout starts.
- Log outcome and reason. A lost-parcel rate above a couple of percent is usually a packaging problem or a carrier problem, not a random event. Track by carrier and by lane so the pattern shows up before the next case.
What each side actually pays
| Path | Who pays | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| eBay Money Back Guarantee | eBay (initially), reimbursed by the seller | Item price and original shipping refunded to the buyer. |
| USPS claim (Ground Advantage) | USPS | Actual value up to the label's included coverage, plus additional insurance purchased at label time. |
| UPS claim | UPS | Actual value up to $100 included, plus declared value if purchased. |
| FedEx claim | FedEx | Actual value up to $100 included, plus declared value if purchased. |
| Third-party shipping protection | Provider | Whatever policy was in force at label time; see the provider's terms. |
Proof-of-value documentation is what turns a claim into a payment. Save the sold-listing screenshot, the packing photo and the last carrier scan; a claim without them defaults to the carrier's cap regardless of the item's real price.
Where these rules come from
- eBay, eBay Money Back Guarantee policy — reporting window, seller response time, escalation. Read 2026-08-11.
- USPS, File a domestic claim — waiting periods and eligibility for indemnity payment. Read 2026-08-11.
- UPS, Filing a claim — window and documentation. Read 2026-08-11.
- FedEx, File a claim — window and documentation. Read 2026-08-11.
Common questions
When can a buyer open an Item Not Received case on eBay?
eBay's Money Back Guarantee lets buyers report an item hasn't arrived once the estimated or actual delivery date has passed, but not later than 30 calendar days after that date.
How long does the seller have to respond?
Three business days from the report date. Tracking that already shows delivered can close the case automatically; otherwise the seller supplies updated tracking or refunds the buyer.
What happens if I do nothing?
eBay may step in between three and 21 business days after the report date and refund the buyer for the item and the original shipping. eBay may then seek reimbursement from the seller by invoice or by collecting from the seller's payment processor.
Does the carrier owe me the money back?
That depends on the label. USPS Ground Advantage carries $100 of included coverage; UPS and FedEx include $100 declared value; additional coverage is what the label bought at purchase. File the carrier claim in parallel with the eBay case; the eBay refund is unconditional, the carrier claim is a separate recovery.
What if the buyer files INR after tracking shows delivered?
eBay may close the case once tracking shows delivered. If the buyer disputes the delivery scan, they file a complaint with USPS or the carrier; on eBay's side, tracking that scans delivered to the buyer's ZIP is what closes the case for you.