EBay
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995-03-24 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | E-commerce, Online Marketplace |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://www.ebay.com/ |
eBay (formerly known as AuctionWeb, 1995–1997) is an American multinational e-commerce corporation based in San Jose, California, that enables users to purchase or view products via retail sales on websites and online marketplaces in 190 markets around the globe. Sales happen either via online auctions or "buy it now" immediate purchases, and the firm makes commissions from sales made by sellers.
Consumer impact summary
[edit | edit source]Incidents
[edit | edit source]Impossible battery capacities
[edit | edit source]- Main article: Fake batteries on eBay
Impossible battery capacities are a common sight when one is looking for cheap rechargeable batteries. Readers may be familiar with this due to the Deep Cycle Systems coverage in ~5 of Louis Rossmann's YouTube channel videos.
A consumer was successful in pressuring eBay to remove entire sub-categories of 100% fraudulent battery products from its site.
User agreement update to arbitration (April 2025)
[edit | edit source]On April 17th, 2025, eBay updated its User Agreement to include a Forced arbitration clause, wherein any user of the platform would waive their right to a jury trial as a means of dispute resolution.[1][2]
eBay AI opt in by default (April 2025)
[edit | edit source]- Main article: eBay opts-in users for AI training
In April 2025, eBay also updated its privacy policy to allow its users' personal data to be used for machine learning purposes by both the company and third-parties.
User agreement update to arbitration (February 2026)
[edit | edit source]As of 20 February 2026, eBay has changed its "Agreement to Arbitrate" section in the User Agreement:[3][4]
- The option to opt-out has been removed for existing users. Now, only new users can opt-out:
Old version:
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE ("OPT OUT") BY MAILING US A WRITTEN OPT-OUT NOTICE ("OPT-OUT NOTICE"). THE OPT-OUT NOTICE MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDMENT OR 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE YOU FIRST ACCEPT THIS USER AGREEMENT.
New version:
IF YOU ARE A NEW USER OF OUR SERVICES, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE ("OPT OUT") BY MAILING US A WRITTEN OPT-OUT NOTICE ("OPT-OUT NOTICE"). THE OPT-OUT NOTICE MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE YOU FIRST ACCEPT THIS USER AGREEMENT.
Required log-in for "sold" item searches (May 2026)
[edit | edit source]Around May 2026, eBay has started to mandate log-in to user profiles for price referencing by viewing a list of recently sold items defined in a search query. Users which choose to use the website without signing in to their account and avoiding the surveillance are barred from accessing the information.[5][6] Aside from the effects of profiling and recording user activity for item recommendations, this creates a suitable environment for price manipulation and scalping, especially for items which don't have their historical price data available through other means. This also walls off bots from recording this data creating a further worsening of the ability of manipulation. It also forces workaround methods like creating "burner" accounts, which could potentially further complicate matters by risking a total ban and putting greater stress on the servers.
Advertising data sharing
[edit | edit source]- Main article: EBay shares user data with advertising platforms
eBay discloses information about how users browse and buy on the site, along with certain personal information, to advertising platforms including Meta, TikTok, Snap, Pinterest, Microsoft and GroupM, via tracking pixels, server-to-server transfers and offline conversion uploads.[7] The consent dashboard operates within the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework, ruled non-compliant with the GDPR by the Belgian Data Protection Authority in 2022, a finding largely upheld on appeal in 2025.[8]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "User Agreement". eBay. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026. Retrieved 19 Apr 2025.
- ↑ Morton, Liz (17 Apr 2025). "eBay User Agreement Update May 2025: New Arbitration Terms & Limits On Lawsuits". Value Added Resource. Archived from the original on 18 Apr 2025. Retrieved 19 Apr 2025.
- ↑ "User Agreement". eBay. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Morton, Liz (21 Jan 2026). "eBay Explicitly Bans AI "Buy For Me" Agents, Updates Arbitration & Dispute Rules In User Agreement Update". Value Added Resource. Archived from the original on 10 Feb 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Accomplished_Emu_658 (2026-05-11). "Ebay now requires you to sign in to search sold listings". Reddit. Archived from the original on 2026-08-03. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
- ↑ Classic_Christian (2026-05-28). "Sold listing option gone?". Reddit. Archived from the original on 2026-08-03. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
- ↑ "Advertising and related preferences". eBay. Retrieved 2026-10-30.
- ↑ "EU: Brussels Court of Appeal rules on IAB Europe and the TC String – Implications for GDPR Compliance". DLA Piper Privacy Matters. Retrieved 2026-10-30.