eBay Live FAQ

What is eBay Live?

eBay Live is a highly interactive livestream shopping experience. This real-time platform allows eBay buyers to shop curated livestream events, hosted by their favourite influencers, brands, and sellers. Visit the eBay Live Hub for more information.

Do I need an eBay account to participate on eBay Live?

Yes, you’ll need to be signed into your eBay account before you can interact with an eBay Live event. Currently, only users registered in AU who are 18 years of age and over may participate.

Download the eBay app or open eBay.com.au and then create or sign into your eBay account to get started.

Where can I find and join eBay Live events?

Check out the eBay Live Hub for a schedule of upcoming eBay Live events. You can set an in-app reminder or scan an event’s QR code to access an eBay Live event. You can also follow your favourite sellers to be notified when they go live.

For reminders about upcoming eBay Live events, enable push notifications from eBay in your account settings in the eBay app by following the step by step directions below:

Open the eBay app and make sure you are logged into your eBay account. Once logged in, navigate to My eBay > Settings > Notifications > Recommendations and Rewards and turn on General Promotions.

To receive important updates about live events you've registered for or items purchased prior to a stream, go to My eBay > Settings > Notifications > Shopping Updates and enable eBay Live.

Will my eBay Live activity be public?

Yes, your username and eBay Live activity will be viewable to all livestream attendees. eBay may record, store and make copies of livestreams. These recordings will be made available on the eBay site and relevant portions of the recording will be made available to buyers as part of their transaction records. The recordings may also be used by eBay for additional marketing, promotional, archival or other purposes in accordance with the User Privacy Notice. Additionally, it’s possible that the livestream could be recorded or used by other users.

We welcome users to express themselves but please be respectful to the hosts and mindful of the community. Content that is harmful, hostile, hate or racist speech, threatening, abusive, attacking, baiting, name-calling, profane, vulgar, defamatory, harassing, misleading, attempts to circumvent eBay policy or content that is otherwise objectionable will not be tolerated. Learn more about our Threats and offensive language policy and eBay rules and policies.

Why was my content removed or blocked?

If content is determined to be illegal, harmful, non-compliant or otherwise in violation of eBay policy, it is blocked or removed. 

We will swiftly take down content where we are alerted to or become aware of the presence of any content on the eBay site which we believe to be in breach of our policies (including illegal content prohibited by our policies). Content may be taken down automatically if our algorithm flags the content as being illegal. Where content is flagged for review by eBay, we will prioritise review of content that is likely to be of most harm to users.

Refer to Clause 4 (Abusing eBay) of eBay’s User Agreement for further information. 

In addition, sellers have access to content moderation features when hosting an eBay Live event. This enables sellers to, for example, block or remove chats of users, or mute a user in live chat so the chat is not visible by others.

How can I report content on eBay Live? 

You can report content on eBay Live by using the Report Content functionality within a livestream. To report content, select the three vertical dots in the top right corner or click the question mark icon in the bottom right corner of the eBay Live Hub page. 

How can I appeal for removed or blocked content?

If your content has been removed by eBay and you believe this was done in error, please contact reportaconcern@ebay.com to submit an appeal by providing the following information:

• Your eBay User ID; 
• eBay Live event where your content was removed (i.e., event name);
• What content has been removed; and
• The reason for the appeal (including any supporting documentation).

Which listing formats are available on eBay Live?

Sellers can choose to list their items as fixed-price listings (Buy It Now) or as auction listings. 

How do auctions work on eBay Live? What are extended auctions (also known as “soft-close auctions”)?

Sellers on eBay Live can list items as auctions, which allow buyers to place bids until the auction ends. There are two types of auctions:

1. Standard Auctions: These run for a fixed duration. Once the auction timer reaches zero, the highest bidder at that moment wins the item. 
2. Extended Auctions: If enabled by the seller, extended auctions add extra time when and if bidding activity occurs near the scheduled end time. If a bid is placed within the last 5 seconds, the timer resets to 10 seconds. This continues until no more bids are placed in the final 5 seconds, ensuring all interested buyers have a fair chance to bid.

During the live auction, the highest bid and bidder’s username will be displayed just above the comments section. The winning bidder will receive an in-app notification and a message in their eBay inbox.

What are the eBay Live auction bid increments?

How do I place a bid during an eBay Live event?

eBay Live participants can bid on the items showcased in the event with a simple one-touch action.

Remember, a bid is a binding contract. When you bid on an item in an auction, you're committing to buy it if you win. Learn more about how bidding works.

How do I know if I won an eBay Live Auction?

The winning bidder will receive a notification and a message in their eBay inbox. Payment must be completed through the normal checkout process in accordance with eBay policy. Learn more about our Payment methods policy.

Can I cancel my order if I’ve changed my mind?

If you’ve changed your mind about an item you bought on eBay Live, you cannot cancel your order.

I’ve received my item. Can I return it if I’ve changed my mind?

If you’ve changed your mind about an item you bought on eBay Live, you cannot request a return. 

This does not and is not intended to, alter or affect your other statutory rights as a buyer. 

I’ve received my item. Can I return it if there is a problem with it?

If there’s something wrong with an item you bought, you can request a return. Additionally, you may be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee if you receive an item that is different from what was described in the listing.

How can I sell on eBay Live?

Currently, only approved sellers can sell on eBay Live. Please fill out an eBay Live Seller Interest Form if you’d like to host an eBay Live event, and we’ll notify you as soon as you’re eligible to start selling live.

Why can’t I bid during a live event? 

If you see an error message or the bid button is greyed out when you try to bid during a live event, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

• Account restrictions: Your account may have a restriction that makes you ineligible to bid in live auctions. Learn more about our Account restrictions and suspensions.
• Missing address: You may not have a valid address on file.
  • To add a new address:
    • Go to My eBay and select Account.
    • Select Addresses.
    • Select Edit next to Postage address.
    • Edit your information or select Add another address.
    • Enter your new address.
    • If you'd like to make this address your primary delivery address, select Save as primary address.
    • Select Add.

What are some recommended practices to avoid bidding restrictions?

• Only bid on or buy items you plan to pay for
• Pay for items as soon as possible
• Improve your feedback profile by leaving feedback for sellers
• Establish a buying history by purchasing items that require immediate payment

For any questions related to bidding restrictions, buyers should contact eBay Customer Service for assistance.

Learn more about Buying limits and restrictions.

How can I request a copy of my personal data collected through eBay Live or eBay more generally? 

You can request a copy of the data we hold about you in connection with eBay Live at any time by contacting us at reportaconcern@ebay.com.

For all other data we hold about you, you can request a copy of the data at any time through your eBay account. Once you submit your request you'll be able to download the report within a few days.

You can also submit a request for your personal data from your eBay account. Learn more.

How can I request the deletion of my personal data collected through eBay Live?

You can request the deletion of the personal data eBay collected in connection with your use of eBay Live. eBay will delete all such data, except for data that we are legally obligated or permitted to retain for limited purposes. Learn more.

Can I delete all personal data eBay holds about me?

If you wish to delete all the personal data eBay holds about you, including but not limited to the data collected through eBay Live, you will need to request the closure of your eBay account. Please note that closing your account means you will no longer be able to sell on the site or access My eBay. Additionally, you will lose your feedback, purchase history, and sales history. 

How do I submit a data deletion request? 

Submit a request and learn more here.

For additional assistance with user data deletion requests or Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR), please contact us at reportaconcern@ebay.com.