5 min article

Order cancellation policy

We understand that there are occasions when orders will need to be cancelled. Once an order has been placed, buyers have the option to request an order cancellation up until the order has been dispatched. Only the seller or eBay can actually cancel it.

Need more information about how to cancel an order?

Cancelling an order

Purchases on eBay can be cancelled by the seller or by eBay. Buyers can request a cancellation, but it's up to the seller to accept or decline the request. If multiple items were purchased as part of the same order, then all items in the order will be cancelled.

An order cannot be cancelled if:

The seller has dispatched the item or the item has been collected in person
The buyer has reported that the item hasn't arrived
The buyer has opened a return request
It's more than 30 days since the order was placed

A seller can cancel an order if:

The buyer hasn't paid within the time allowed
The buyer used the wrong delivery address at checkout
The item is out of stock (this will result in a transaction defect)

A buyer can request to cancel an order if:

They changed their mind about the purchase
They made a mistake during checkout
They are unable to pick up the item

When a buyer submits a request to cancel their order, the seller can choose to accept or decline the buyer's request.

eBay can cancel an order if:

The buyer hasn't paid for the order and the seller doesn't respond to the buyer’s cancellation request within the time frame allowed

Actions & time frames for order cancellations

Action		Time frame
Seller initiated cancellations:
The seller cancels an order Learn more about how sellers can cancel an order.		Latest: 30 calendar days after the seller receives notification that the item has sold If the buyer doesn't pay, the seller can cancel the order after 4 calendar days Learn more about Resolving unpaid items with buyers.
Buyer requested cancellations:
	The buyer requests to cancel an order Learn more about how buyers can request to cancel an order.	Latest: 30 calendar days after the order, or up to the point the seller indicates the order has been dispatched or the item has been collected in-person
	The seller responds to the buyer's request	Latest: 3 calendar days after the request date If the buyer has paid for the order and the seller doesn't respond within this time frame, we'll close the request and the order won't be cancelled If the buyer hasn't paid for the order and the seller doesn't respond within this time frame, we'll automatically cancel the order

Refunds

If the buyer completed payment through eBay checkout and the seller cancels the order, a full refund will be issued to the buyer's original payment method.

If payment was not completed through eBay checkout and the seller cancels the order, the seller will be responsible for issuing a full refund to the buyer.

Abusing the order cancellation process

Sellers aren't allowed to abuse the order cancellation process. A seller should never cancel an order and select an incorrect cancellation reason, including falsely claiming that the buyer failed to pay. Learn more in our Unpaid item policy.

Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.

Other terms and related policies

Buying an item or bidding on an auction on eBay is a commitment to complete a purchase. Buyers should pay for items within 4 calendar days or the seller can choose to cancel the order. If buyers have excessive cancelled orders for unpaid items or make excessive requests to cancel orders, they may be subject to the consequences outlined in our Unpaid item policy and Abusive buyer policy
When a buyer submits a cancellation request on eBay, we'll remove any negative or neutral feedback left for that transaction, regardless of whether the seller accepts or declines the cancellation request. Learn more in our Feedback policy
A buyer can still leave feedback on a cancelled transaction, unless the seller cancelled the order because the buyer didn't pay. Learn more in our Unpaid item policy
Cancelling an order because the item is out of stock will result in a transaction defect, as sellers are responsible for fulfilling the items they've sold. Learn more about the factors that affect a seller's performance level
Once an order has been cancelled, the cancellation can't be undone
A seller may be eligible for fee credits for cancelled orders
If you are a business seller, consumer buyers in the EU and UK have the right of withdrawal. Learn more about the EU consumer rights directive - opens in new window or tab and UK's consumer protection policy

This policy has been updated to reflect a simplified process for buyers and sellers to request and manage order cancellations.

For a small number of transactions, the previous version of this policy will continue to apply until early 2025.

Buyers whose orders fall under the previous version of the policy will only see the option to request a cancellation for 60 minutes from the time they commit to buying the item, but can contact the seller directly to request a cancellation
Sellers may still receive some cancellation requests through eBay Messages

Read the previous version of our Order cancellation policy

Applicable until early 2025 for a small number of transactions, as described above.

When a seller can cancel an order

A seller can cancel an order if:

The buyer asks to cancel the order and they haven't dispatched the item yet
The buyer hasn't paid within the time allowed
The buyer used the wrong delivery address when they completed their purchase
The item is out of stock (this will result in a transaction defect)
It's a local collection item and the seller has been unable to arrange collection with the buyer, or the buyer asked for the item to be delivered

The "Issue with buyer's address" reason is no longer available to sellers when cancelling orders for items sold through Authenticity Guarantee.

Sellers won't be able to cancel an order if the buyer has reported that the item hasn't arrived, or has opened a return request.

When a buyer purchases more than one item, the entire order will be cancelled. Sellers can't cancel individual items when multiple items are purchased as part of the same order.

Actions & time frames for order cancellations

Action		Time frame
Buyer requested cancellations:
	The buyer requests to cancel an order Learn more about how buyers can request to cancel an order.	Latest: 60 minutes from the time the buyer commits to buy the item, which is any of the following: They choose "Buy It Now" in a listing and pay for the item or select "Commit to Buy" They win an auction The seller accepts the buyer's offer The buyer accepts the seller's offer If this time frame has expired, the buyer can still contact the seller directly and ask if the order can be cancelled. For local collection orders, the buyer can submit a cancellation request up to 30 calendar days after the order, or up to the point the collection code is submitted by the seller. Learn more about local collection.
	The seller responds to the buyer's request	Latest: 3 calendar days after the request date If the buyer has paid for the order and the seller doesn't respond within this time frame, we'll close the request and the order won't be cancelled If the buyer hasn't paid for the order and the seller doesn't respond within this time frame, we'll automatically accept the cancellation
Seller initiated cancellations:
The seller cancels an order Learn more about how sellers can cancel an order.		Latest: 30 calendar days after the seller receives notification that the item has sold If the buyer doesn't pay, the seller can cancel the order after 4 calendar days Learn more about Resolving unpaid items with buyers.

If a cancellation has been initiated but isn't resolved within 30 days, we'll automatically close the request.

Refunds

If the buyer completed payment through eBay checkout and the seller cancels the order, a full refund will be issued to the buyer's original payment method.

If payment was not completed through eBay checkout and the seller cancels the order (for example, the buyer paid by check or cash), the seller will be responsible for issuing a full refund to the buyer.

Abusing the order cancellation process

Other terms and related policies

Once an order has been cancelled, it can't be undone
A seller may be eligible for fee credits for cancelled orders
Buying an item or bidding on an auction on eBay is a commitment to complete a purchase. Buyers should pay for items within 4 calendar days or the seller can choose to cancel the order. If buyers have excessive cancelled orders for unpaid items, they may be subject to the consequences outlined in our Unpaid item policy and Abusive buyer policy
A buyer can still leave Feedback on a cancelled transaction, unless the order was cancelled because they didn't pay for the item. Learn more in our Unpaid item policy
Cancelling an order because the item is out of stock will result in a transaction defect, as sellers are responsible for fulfilling the items they've sold. Learn more about the factors that affect a seller's performance level
If the buyer has paid and the seller declines or doesn't respond to the buyer's request to cancel, they'll need to wait until the item is received and then start a return request instead
If you are a business seller, consumer buyers in the EU and UK have the right of withdrawal. Learn more about the EU consumer rights directive - opens in new window or tab and UK's consumer protection policy

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