If eBay's latest estimated delivery date has passed, you don't need to wait 60 days before acting. Open My eBay > Purchases, check the order and carrier records, and report the item as not received if it still hasn't arrived. The seller generally has 3 business days to respond or resolve the problem. After that, you can ask eBay to step in.

An eligible claim under eBay's Money Back Guarantee may lead to a refund of the purchase price and original shipping charge. It isn't automatic, though. A delivery scan, an address error, customs issues, or an excluded transaction can change the outcome.

The information below is for U.S. consumers using eBay.com. The exact coverage and available options can vary by marketplace, item, destination, order, and payment method.

The eBay policy that controls a late delivery

The usual eBay process for a missing package is the eBay Money Back Guarantee, under an "Item Not Received" request. Check the terms and options shown on your eBay.com order because marketplace versions and transaction exclusions can differ.

These are the clocks that matter:

The seller's handling time is different from the delivery estimate. Handling time is the period allowed for dispatch. The estimated delivery date also reflects carrier transit and other information in the listing and order record.

For an eligible item-not-received claim, eBay says that if the seller can't provide proof of delivery to the address in the order details, or proof that you collected the order, eBay will issue a refund. That standard doesn't turn every late shipment into an automatic refund; eBay can still review eligibility and the evidence.

What to do when the package is late

1. Check the order before contacting anyone

Go to My eBay > Purchases and open the order. Confirm:

Look up the tracking number on the carrier's website too. The carrier may have a newer scan than eBay.

Save screenshots of the order details and tracking history. Keep the seller's messages and any case updates in eBay as well. Tracking records can change, and the original date or scan may be useful later.

2. Send the seller a short message

A message through eBay gives the seller a chance to check the shipment and creates a record of what you asked. It doesn't replace the item-not-received report, and it shouldn't use up the reporting window.

For example:

Hello, my order [number] had an estimated delivery date of [date], but I haven't received it. Tracking currently shows [status]. Could you check the shipment and send me an update through eBay?

If the date has already passed and the package is missing, you can send the message and open the request without waiting indefinitely for a reply.

3. Report the item as not received

In Purchases, select the order and look for More actions, I didn't receive it, or a similar option. eBay's labels can vary by account and marketplace. The official eBay help page for an item that hasn't arrived explains the available route.

Describe the facts accurately. Include:

Don't choose an "Item Not as Described" reason for a package you never received. That is a separate type of request.

4. Give the seller the case response period

After the request is open, the seller may add tracking information, issue a refund, or explain a carrier problem. Check the request status from Purchases and keep replies in the case.

Keep the discussion on eBay. Personal email, text messages, or another payment service won't give eBay the same case record.

5. Ask eBay to step in if nothing is resolved

If the seller hasn't responded or hasn't fixed the problem after the 3-business-day period, choose Ask eBay to step in in the request. Provide the screenshots, carrier case number, or other evidence eBay requests.

The stated 48-hour period is usually the time eBay takes to respond to the intervention request. It isn't a promise that the refund will be in your account within 48 hours.

Match the next step to the tracking status

What the order shows What to do
The estimated date hasn't passed Monitor the carrier record. Message the seller if you need an update.
"In transit" after the date Check the carrier's own tracking page, then report the item if it still hasn't arrived.
No tracking was uploaded Report non-delivery after the estimated date, provided the transaction is eligible.
"Delivered," but you have no package Check the delivery location and contact the carrier before or while reporting the problem to eBay.
Customs activity Look for a request for duties, documents, or another action. Respond if one is directed to you.
The seller stopped responding Open the item-not-received request and ask eBay to step in after 3 business days if there is no resolution.

When tracking is stuck on "in transit"

An "in transit" scan shows a shipment status. It doesn't prove delivery. Look for a later scan, exception, or revised estimate on the carrier's website.

If the eBay delivery date has passed and you still don't have the parcel, use the item-not-received process. A delayed scan may support your account of what happened, but it doesn't guarantee a refund by itself.

When tracking says "delivered"

Start with the address in the eBay order. Then check the mailbox, parcel locker, front desk, household members, neighbors, and any delivery photo or location information. Ask the carrier whether it can confirm where the package was scanned and request a case number if it investigates.

You can still report the problem to eBay. State that the tracking says delivered and explain what you checked. Don't describe the order as merely "in transit" if the carrier has recorded delivery.

A delivery scan to the address in the order details is significant evidence. eBay may treat it differently from a shipment with no delivery record, and the decision can depend on the full tracking record and other order information.

When the seller says it shipped but provides no usable tracking

A missing tracking number alone doesn't prove that the order was never shipped. Compare the listing's handling time with the latest estimated delivery date.

If the delivery date has passed and the item is still missing, report it. Keep any message in which the seller says the package was shipped or promises to provide tracking. Don't rely only on a promise to wait several more weeks.

When weather, holidays, or carrier delays are blamed

Severe weather, holiday volume, and carrier disruptions can cause real delays. They may also cause eBay or the carrier to revise the delivery estimate.

Ask whether the estimate has changed and save the carrier's explanation. Use the latest date shown in the order. If that date passes without delivery, follow the item-not-received process rather than treating an explanation as a resolution.

When the order has the wrong address

Check the address before filing a claim. If you entered it incorrectly, contact the seller immediately and ask whether the order can still be corrected before dispatch. Once it has shipped, a carrier intercept or reroute may not be possible.

Because proof of delivery to the address in the order matters, a buyer-entered address error can make an INR refund harder to obtain. Save the order record and any carrier instructions.

International deliveries and customs

Cross-border orders can have more than one tracking leg. The order may show the seller's shipment to a processing center as well as a separate international carrier record. Check every tracking number listed for the order.

If customs or the carrier asks for payment, identification, or documents, respond promptly to the stated request. Keep the notice and tracking entries showing what action was requested and when.

If no action is required from you and the latest estimated delivery date has passed, use eBay's item-not-received process. The basic steps are similar to a domestic order, but international transactions can have different exclusions, delivery services, and Money Back Guarantee terms. Don't assume that coverage is identical across every eBay marketplace.

Customs activity neither guarantees a refund nor automatically defeats one. The order's eligibility, delivery address, tracking history, and any stated buyer responsibility can all matter.

What an eBay refund may include

For an eligible Money Back Guarantee item-not-received claim, the usual remedy is a refund of the purchase price and original shipping charge. It normally goes back to the original payment method.

A late package doesn't automatically create a right to a coupon, inconvenience payment, or other extra compensation. If the listing or order included a separate guaranteed-delivery promise or benefit, check the terms attached to that order. Don't assume that a standard estimated date carries the same benefit.

If eBay approves a refund and it doesn't appear after the stated processing period, check the original payment method and contact eBay through the order or case record. A bank or card issuer may show a credit as pending before it becomes available.

If the package arrives after you've received a refund, contact the seller through eBay and ask what to do next. Keep that conversation with the order record.

High-value orders and signature confirmation

For an eBay.com order with a total cost of $750 or more, including tax, eBay's signature confirmation policy says signature confirmation is required for the seller to be protected under the Money Back Guarantee.

This is primarily a seller-protection and delivery-evidence rule. The absence of a signature doesn't mean that every high-value late order receives an automatic refund. eBay can review the address, tracking, delivery evidence, and other information.

For an expensive purchase, save the complete order record, tracking events, delivery photos, signature information, and seller communication.

If eBay doesn't resolve the problem

Start with eBay while the order is within its Money Back Guarantee reporting window. If the case option is unavailable, the deadline is close, or eBay denies the request, contact the payment provider promptly and ask which dispute process applies.

U.S. credit-card purchases

For a credit-card purchase, the FTC's billing-error guidance says a billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the statement containing the error was first sent. The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved it, then resolve it within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days.

Those deadlines apply to credit-card billing disputes. They don't automatically apply in the same way to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH payments, bank transfers, or person-to-person payments. Contact the provider as soon as possible and follow its written instructions.

Keep the eBay order, case number, seller messages, tracking history, and refund status. Remove full card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information before sending documents.

The FTC shipping rule

The FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and its federal regulation address sellers' shipment representations and delay notices.

That rule concerns when a seller must ship, based on the promised shipping time or the applicable default. It isn't the same as eBay's latest estimated delivery date, and it doesn't replace eBay's item-not-received process or guarantee that eBay will approve a refund.

Evidence to save

Before submitting or escalating the request, gather:

Only upload material relevant to the delivery problem. Redact sensitive payment and account information.

Common questions

How long should I wait before reporting a late eBay package?

Use the latest estimated delivery date in the order details. Once that date has passed and the package is missing, report it as not received. For many eligible purchases, the report must be made within 30 calendar days after that date.

What if the seller doesn't respond?

The seller generally has 3 business days after the item-not-received report to respond or resolve the issue. If nothing changes, select Ask eBay to step in from the request.

Does "in transit" mean I can't get a refund?

No. "In transit" doesn't prove delivery. Check the carrier's record and report the item after the estimated date if it still hasn't arrived. eBay will consider the tracking and other evidence.

Can I get a refund when tracking says delivered?

You can report the problem, but a delivery scan to the address in the order may weigh heavily in the decision. Check the delivery location, contact the carrier, and give eBay the carrier's findings.

Should I wait 60 days before contacting eBay?

No. The 60-day period often discussed online concerns certain U.S. credit-card billing disputes. It isn't a reason to delay an eBay item-not-received report. Follow the reporting deadline for your order.

Start in Purchases by saving the latest delivery estimate, confirming the address, and checking the carrier record. If the date has passed, message the seller and submit the item-not-received request before the reporting window closes.