eBay seller ghosted you? Sue them, not the platform.
The Money Back Guarantee is eBay's process. When it closes against you, or the seller has simply gone quiet, a county court claim against the seller runs outside it. eBay itself is the defendant only when eBay is holding your money.
Who you're actually suing
A sale on eBay is normally a contract between you and the seller, so the seller is usually the defendant — a private person, or a business trading through eBay. eBay (UK) Limited itself is typically the right defendant only where eBay holds your money: a refund the Money Back Guarantee said you'd get and that never arrived.
You say the item never arrived, is counterfeit, or isn't what was listed. Business sellers must show a name and address on their listing; for private sellers, eBay's order details, the return address on the parcel and PayPal or bank records usually give a name and address. If you only have a username, a court may allow the claim to be sent another way once you've made proper efforts. Suing an eBay seller for breach of contract goes deeper.
eBay's UK marketplace is run by a UK-registered company. It is the defendant where eBay itself owes you: a Money Back Guarantee refund it agreed and didn't pay, or a balance it is holding beyond what its terms allow.
- Name on the form
- eBay (UK) Limited
- Company number
- 03726028
- Address for service
- 1 More London Place, London, SE1 2AF
Don't name "eBay" and hope. For most disputes the defendant is the seller's real name and address. Only where the money sits with eBay does eBay (UK) Limited, with its number and address for service, go on the form.
Checked against Companies House on 2026-08-24. Registered details change — the wizard re-checks before anything is filed.
Alongside the money itself, courts may award simple interest on money you have been kept out of — commonly 8% a year under the County Courts Act 1984 — and the court fee is typically added to a successful claim. Interest is discretionary.
How people describe it when they reach us
The sorts of things people tell us. Illustrative, based on patterns in the cases that reach us.
Your legal rights in an eBay dispute
In England and Wales an eBay purchase is a contract with the seller. Which law bites depends on whether the seller was a private person or a business, and on whether the money you're chasing is with the seller or with eBay.
ActSale of Goods Act 1979, s.13Even a private sale usually has to match the description.
Where goods are sold by description, section 13 typically implies a term that the goods will correspond with that description. It generally applies to private sellers as well as traders, which is why a listing that calls a fake "genuine" or hides a defect may support a claim even where the Consumer Rights Act does not apply.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗ActConsumer Rights Act 2015, s.9Goods from a business generally must be of satisfactory quality.
Where a consumer buys goods from a trader, section 9 usually implies a term that the goods are of satisfactory quality — taking account of price, description, durability, safety and appearance. A fault may support an argument that the goods were not satisfactory; courts typically ask what a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory in all the circumstances.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗ActMisrepresentation Act 1967, s.2A false statement that led you to buy may give a right to damages.
If a seller made a statement of fact that was untrue — about authenticity, condition or what was included — and you relied on it in deciding to buy, section 2 may allow a claim for the loss it caused, unless the seller can show they had reasonable grounds to believe it was true. This typically applies to private sellers too.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗Case lawContract law — breach of contractFailing to deliver what was paid for may amount to breach of contract.
A purchase or subscription is typically analysed as a contract. If one side does not perform a central promise — goods not delivered, a service not provided, money not refunded as agreed — a court may find a breach and will then consider what loss flowed from it. The measure is normally the money you are out of pocket, proved with evidence.
This is general information about the law in England and Wales, not advice about your case. Which provisions apply, and how, depends on the facts.
Four things you'll hear. None of them end it.
Closed for eBay's process, not for the law. A county court claim against the seller is separate and doesn't need eBay's agreement to start.
Second-hand still has to match the description. A private seller who describes a fake as genuine, or hides damage, may be liable for misrepresentation; a business seller owes the full Consumer Rights Act standard.
Their record, not the last word. Delivery to the wrong address or a doorstep photo that isn't yours is evidence for you; a court typically weighs what actually happened.
The contract of sale is with the seller. eBay is the marketplace. Unless eBay itself is holding your money, the seller is the one who has to answer.
Five things worth gathering now
Three steps, done for you
Your side, your words
What happened, what was agreed, what you are out of pocket. We ask what a court would ask — starting with who the defendant is.
A formal demand
A letter before action to the seller — or, where eBay holds the money, eBay (UK) Limited, with a deadline. Many disputes end here.
Court claim, prepared
If they will not engage: a small claim drafted, checked and filed. We do the paperwork; the decision is the court's.
What JustClaim is: we prepare and file the paperwork for your claim, for a fixed price shown before you pay. We're not a law firm, this isn't legal advice, and no outcome is ever guaranteed — what you get is the strongest honest version of your case, properly made.
Questions people in this exact spot ask
Can I sue an eBay seller directly?
Yes. A sale on eBay is a contract between you and the seller, and a county court claim against them runs outside eBay's process. Business sellers owe the Consumer Rights Act standard; private sellers must still match the description and must not mislead you.
How do I find an eBay seller's address?
Business sellers must show a name and address on the listing. For private sellers, the order details, the return address on the parcel, the postcode on the label and PayPal or bank records usually give enough. If you truly only have a username, a court may allow the claim to be sent another way once you've made proper efforts.
When is eBay itself the defendant?
When eBay holds your money: a Money Back Guarantee refund it agreed and didn't pay, or a balance held beyond what its terms allow. Then the defendant is eBay (UK) Limited, company number 03726028, 1 More London Place, London SE1 2AF — checked on Companies House on the date shown above.
The Money Back Guarantee closed against me. Is that the end?
No. It is eBay's own process. A county court claim is separate and doesn't need eBay's agreement to start.
How much does it cost to take an eBay seller to small claims court?
The court fee depends on the amount: £35 up to £300, £50 up to £500, £70 up to £1,000, £115 up to £3,000. If you win, the fee is normally added to what the other side is ordered to pay. Our fixed price is shown before you pay anything.
The seller was a private person. Do I have any rights?
Fewer than against a business, but real ones. The item generally has to match its description, and a seller who misled you about authenticity or condition may be liable for misrepresentation. The Consumer Rights Act itself applies only where the seller is a trader.
eBay seller gone quiet?
Tell us what happened. We work out who the claim is really against — the seller, or eBay — then prepare and file it for a fixed price.
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