Sold on eBay, item stolen in transit and I'm out of pocket: who helps?

Summary

If you sold on eBay, posted with eBay's own delivery service, and the item was stolen in transit (lost, or swapped for something worthless), you can end up refunding the buyer and losing the item too. As a seller you bought the postage through eBay, so your complaint usually sits with eBay, not the courier. Use eBay's seller protection and complaints process first, get a police crime reference for the theft, then use Citizens Advice templates and, as a last step, a small claim.

Key information

• Who you deal with: if you bought the label through eBay (for example Simple Delivery), your contract for the postage is with eBay. Couriers often refuse to talk to the seller directly.
• Read eBay's Simple Delivery and seller protections pages and quote the exact words that apply to items lost or damaged in transit.
• Gather evidence now: listing, dispatch photos, packed weight, tracking scans (some show parcel weight), the buyer's photos of the opened box, and the returned packaging.
• A swapped item is a theft. Report it to the police and keep the crime reference: eBay and courier claims teams ask for it.
• eBay's Money Back Guarantee protects buyers. It does not stop you challenging eBay's decision about who should bear the loss.
• Deadline: small claims for breach of contract have a long time limit (usually 6 years in England and Wales), but evidence fades. Act within weeks, not months.
• eBay can: review the case through its resolution centre and seller protection rules; take a formal complaint if you ask in writing for a review of the decision and say what outcome you want. They will not investigate the theft or tell you who took the item.
• Citizens Advice can: explain your rights as a customer of a service, and point you to the letter to complain about the poor standard of a service; log your complaint and pass it to Trading Standards where there is a pattern. They will not contact eBay or the courier for you, or start a court claim.
• The police can: record the theft and give you a crime reference. They will not usually trace the item or recover your money.

Practical guidance

• Save everything: listing, messages, tracking, dispatch photos, weights, buyer photos, returned box.
• Report the theft to police (101 or your force's online form) and note the crime reference.
• Ask eBay in writing to review the case under its delivery cover, quoting its own Simple Delivery page. Ask for a final written answer.
• Use the CA poor service template if eBay refuses, and give a clear deadline (14 days).
• Stuck? Call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
• Last resort: a money claim online for the sale price you lost.
• Ask the Shaman to order the steps for your case.

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