Protecting auction integrity on eBay
Sta rting May 1 3, 20 26, buyers in the US who win auctions on eBay will no longer see an option to cancel orders.
Why we’re making this change
Auctions on eBay work best when winning bidders follow through and pay. You have told us that canceled bids disrupt your sale, hurt the item’s value, and create overhead. To better protect you, we’ll be removing the option for buyers to cancel winning bids.
What this means for you
Fewer cancellation requests
US buyers will no longer be able to submit cancellation requests after winning auctions.
Auction sales are final
While US buyers can still message you directly to request a cancellation, it’s up to you to grant or reject. Our policy states all auction sales are final and fully supports you in declining the request.
Protection from negative feedback
If the buyer leaves negative feedback due to a declined cancellation, you can request its removal through Seller Help within 90 days of the sale.FAQs
What should I say if a buyer is confused about why they can’t cancel?
You can let them know that this is an eBay policy. Once an auction ends and they’ve won, cancellations are disabled and the order is considered final. If they have concerns or questions about the policy itself, they should contact eBay directly. Learn more about eBay’s policies.
What if the buyer sends me a message to request cancellation?
Per eBay’s User Agreement, auctions are considered binding and buyers aren’t allowed to cancel an order themselves after winning an auction. If a buyer messages you to cancel an auction order on their behalf, you will not be required to do so, however you can choose to if you prefer.
Which of my orders are covered by the new cancellation policy?
All orders resulting from auctions where the transaction takes place on the US site are covered by the new policy.
Does this cancellation policy change apply to eBay Live?
No, currently this updated cancellation policy only applies to transactions resulting from auctions on our core US marketplace.
Maybe I’m just a cynic after 23 years of doing this, but everytime one of these sites seems to be doing something to favor sellers my first thought is “but at what cost”? Surely they aren’t just going to help us out without somehow, somewhere along the line, bending us further over in some other way.
In this case. I think it’s just because these fake bids are bad for ebay too, not just sellers.
I was just about to post this. I mean I always thought bids were binding so this one kinda caught me by surprise. In reality all they are doing is taking away the “cancel order/bid” request from the buyers. They can still reach out with a sob story (and boy howdy ive seen them) and then if you refuse to cancel they turn around and say "well ill just say it was damaged and return it at your expense ". (Yup, been there)