2 min article

Appealing an unpaid cancellation record

If you haven’t paid for your purchase within 4 calendar days, the seller can cancel your order and you may have an unpaid cancellation recorded on your account. However, you may be able to appeal that record by providing some extra information.

If you build a history of unpaid cancellations, your buying privileges may be revoked by eBay or sellers might block you from buying their items. You can appeal an unpaid cancellation record and ask for it to be removed if you can prove that you did pay for the order, or that there was a valid reason for why you didn’t pay.

Tip
When you commit to buy something on eBay - by winning an auction, agreeing to an offer with a seller, or selecting Buy It Now in a listing - you are obligated to complete the purchase by sending full payment to the seller. You can find out more in our unpaid item policy.

How to appeal an unpaid cancellation record

If you have an unpaid cancellation recorded on your eBay account and want to appeal it, you should Contact us.

You can appeal an unpaid cancellation if:

You have proof of payment
Your account was taken over
There was an eBay system issue or bug
You had a family emergency
This was your first unpaid cancellation
You can prove that the seller agreed to a later payment date in messages
The feedback the seller left for you proves you paid
The seller was suspended
The seller changed the terms of the sale after you committed to buy or won an auction
You were unable to contact the seller to arrange local pickup or to combine shipping
There were mitigating circumstances outside of your control, such as a natural disaster

What you'll need to appeal

You'll need to provide proof either that you did pay for the item, or that there was a valid reason for why you didn't pay.

We accept the following forms of proof:

eBay messages between you and the seller showing the item was paid for
A copy of your payment confirmation email or statement from your payment provider (such as your credit card or PayPal)
Positive feedback the seller left for you about the transaction
An eBay message from the seller saying you didn't have to go through with the sale

Always include the email date and time stamp, subject, and the from and to email addresses when you're providing emails or messages as proof.

What you need to know

You can appeal an unpaid cancellation record if you can provide proof that you've paid or that there was a valid reason for not paying.

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How to appeal an unpaid cancellation record

You can appeal an unpaid cancellation if:

What you'll need to appeal

You can appeal an unpaid cancellation record if you can provide proof that you've paid or that there was a valid reason for not paying.

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