CWhat happens when someone commits to buy?

You must go through with the sale

When someone wins an item you’ve listed for sale or auction, you have to sell it. You have entered a binding contract with eBay to do so, and you can’t back out if you change your mind or are not happy with the final result.

The buyer must pay you

If your item sold through an auction, eBay will notify the buyer that they’re the winning bidder and tell them to make the payment. The buyer will pay you through the eBay payment system.

If your item sells as a Buy It Now sale, the buyer will have paid at the time of purchase through the eBay checkout. Their purchase price will include the postage that you specified at the time of listing.

Timeframes

Following a sale, the buyer has four days to pay for the item they’ve purchased. When they pay, you need to send the item in the time frame established when you created the listing, but generally, the sooner the better.

If the buyer has not paid after four days, you can open a non-payment dispute with eBay. However, many sellers send an invoice via eBay at this point as a gentle reminder and give an extra day or two before taking it up with eBay.

eSafety Tip

If you do not provide the items in a timely manner or they are not as described, the buyer may give you a low star rating. That could affect your reputation on eBay and make it less likely that others will want to buy from you. You may even be required by eBay to refund the purchase.

Feedback is vital

One of the great things about eBay is that everyone – buyers and sellers – has a rating. So, you can make an informed decision about whether you should buy from someone or sell to someone. That’s why you should leave feedback for the buyer. eBay will remind the buyer to leave feedback for you, so that future buyers will have confidence in what you sell.

Well done!

Congratulations, you’ve come to the end of the What happens when someone commits to buy? activity. You have learned what happens once someone buys an item you’ve listed for sale or auction, and the importance of leaving feedback for buyers.

Next up, we'll check out how you can sort out any potential problems in the What if there's a dispute? activity.