eBay Condition Guarantee: What Sellers of Used Phones and iPads Need to Know

eBay Condition Guarantee is a new, optional check on used phones and iPads. From 11 November 2026, buyers on eBay UK can add it at checkout for £5, and when they do, the phone goes to eBay before it goes to them. eBay inspects it against your listing and only sends it on if it matches.

For sellers of used electronics, that changes two things: where you post the order, and how closely your listing has to describe the phone in your hand. This guide sets out what eBay's announcement says, what makes a listing pass, and the questions eBay hasn't answered yet.

How does eBay Condition Guarantee work?

There are four steps, and only the second one is new work for you:

1. The buyer chooses it. They buy your phone and pay £5 for Condition Guarantee at checkout.
2. You post the phone to eBay. Send it to the address eBay gives you, following eBay's packing and shipping instructions, instead of to the buyer.
3. eBay inspects it. It runs diagnostics and a physical inspection, comparing the phone with your listing.
4. eBay sends it on, or sends it back. If it passes, eBay packs it and ships it to the buyer with tracking. If it fails, the buyer gets a refund of the item and the fee, and the phone comes back to you, unless its condition means it can't be shipped.

The estimated delivery date buyers see includes time for the inspection, and both you and the buyer can follow the order and tracking for updates.

What does eBay check?

eBay says the inspection compares the phone's condition, functionality, and key details with your listing. Depending on the device, it may check:

• the visible condition
• functionality, using diagnostics
• battery health
• the model and storage
• network locks and account locks

Condition Guarantee isn't a warranty, a repair service, insurance, or a refurbishment certificate, and it doesn't certify original parts. A repaired or refurbished phone can still pass, as long as it passes every functionality test.

How to write listings that pass

The inspection checks the phone against what you wrote, so the listing is where a pass or fail starts. eBay's advice for sellers is to:

• Photograph the actual phone, not a stock image, so marks and wear are visible.
• Describe the condition honestly, including any known faults.
• State the battery condition and network status. Both are on eBay's inspection list.
• Disclose repairs and replacement parts. A replaced screen or battery doesn't fail a phone, but an undisclosed one can mean it doesn't match the listing.
• List every accessory in the box, such as a charging cable or case.

The details that matter most here, such as battery health, network status, storage and repairs, are easiest to keep consistent as item specifics rather than in free text. That way every listing states them in the same place.

Before you post the phone to eBay

A phone that arrives locked can't be tested. Before it goes in the box:

1. Remove your data and factory-reset the phone.
2. Sign out of every account and turn off activation lock services, such as Find My on an iPhone.
3. Take out the SIM card and any memory card.
4. Don't send recalled or potentially unsafe items, or loose batteries, chargers or cables. eBay's product safety policy and hazardous materials policy explain what's restricted.

If you dispatch from a team, it's worth adding these to the packing checklist for phones and tablets, so the step doesn't depend on who packs the order.

What happens with returns?

Condition Guarantee doesn't change your returns policy. A buyer who changes their mind can still return the phone under your normal terms, and refunds follow that policy. When a guaranteed phone comes back, eBay may inspect it to check it's the same item and in the condition expected.

What eBay hasn't said yet

Condition Guarantee launched on 11 November 2026, and eBay's announcement leaves several questions open. We couldn't find answers on eBay's help pages or Seller Centre at the time of writing:

We'll update this guide as eBay publishes the full rules. Until then, check the order details on any Condition Guarantee sale before you print a label, so the phone doesn't go to the buyer's address by mistake.

Is it worth having?

For buyers, a £5 check takes some of the risk out of a used phone, and that's the point: eBay says the programme aims to boost buyer confidence. eBay's own research for this Christmas found that buyers of refurbished tech hold back for lack of confidence rather than price, which we covered in our eBay peak season guide.

For sellers, the trade-off is time. The buyer waits longer for inspection, and an honest but incomplete listing can fail. Sellers who already describe their phones carefully have the least to change, and the most to gain from a buyer who trusts the listing.

How Prolisto helps

Prolisto doesn't yet handle Condition Guarantee orders automatically: the order still needs checking so the label goes to eBay's address. It does help with the part that decides a pass:

• Battery health, network status, storage and repairs as item specifics. You can add them to any listing that isn't a variation listing, so every phone states them the same way. Fast product listing.
• Listing templates that put the same condition details on every phone you list, so nothing is left out on a busy day. eBay HTML templates.

If you sell used phones and tablets in volume and want Condition Guarantee orders built into your dispatch, our team can build it as a custom integration. Book a demo and tell us how you work.