Item not collected from collection point by buyer
Summary: nixbarchetta is concerned about an item they sold that remains uncollected at a Royal Mail collection point, despite notifying the buyer. They seek guidance on how eBay's Simple Delivery and Click & Collect policies apply, particularly regarding refunds and parcel collection timeframes. jonatjonatjonat and sml192 provide explanations, noting the buyer usually has 16 days to collect the item. If returned, the seller may be required to refund the buyer, including shipping costs, with eBay potentially covering return postage.
An item I sold has been sat at its collection point since last Tuesday (11/8) it’s a Royal Mail shop within Spar according to the tracking. I messaged the buyer at the weekend to remind them about it but no reply and still no collection. Anyone know how long they will hold the parcel before presumably returning it to me? It was sent simple delivery with RM, will eBay refund the buyer and I get to keep the payment? I’ve not had this scenario before. I don’t offer click and collect on my listings but the buyer appears to have this place set as their delivery address.
nixbarchetta
OPAug 18, 2026 at 2:54 PMThanks, I found conflicting information when I searched. It would be helpful if eBay dated their articles so you could see which is the most recent.
So even though I don’t accept returns I have to accept this. I don’t imagine it will get collected now. It’s so annoying as it’s a smart, tailored suit and even though I folded it very carefully it will be so crumpled by now it will have to go for dry cleaning again or be thrown away. Why order something if you don’t want it and have no intention of collecting it 😤
sml192
·Aug 18, 2026 at 12:09 PMClick & Collect is mandatory with Simple Delivery.
According to the Click & Collect help page for buyers the buyer has 16 days to collect from a Royal Mail store (don't know how accurate that is):
'You'll need to collect your parcel within a specific timeframe, depending on where your item is being delivered to:
eBay Collection Point
7 days
EVRi or InPost locker
3 days
EVRi store
10 days
Royal Mail locker
3 days
Royal Mail store
16 days'
If the item ends up deing returned to you then eBay will usually expect you to refund in full as per the Click & Collect terms:
'Returns
If the buyer fails to collect the goods within 7 working days of being notified that it is ready for collection, the contract between you and the buyer shall be treated as cancelled by the buyer.
Provided the item has been delivered with a valid, legible eCP code and does exceed the eligibility requirements set out above eBay will ship and cover the cost of the return.
If the item was delivered to an Argos or Sainsbury's eBay collection point, it will be returned to you by Royal Mail's tracked 48 hour service.
If the item was delivered to a CollectPlus eBay collection point, it will be returned to you by Yodel's tracked standard returns service.
Once you have received a returned item, you shall refund the buyer within 2 business days in line with our return policy. The refund has to include original shipping cost (except surcharges for express delivery services that were ordered by the buyer). If eBay manages your payments, you shall initiate the refund as part of the returns process on eBay UK.
The buyer will not be able to return items to an eBay collection point and will be directed to use the standard returns process on eBay UK.
Your normal returns policy will apply to items that are eligible for Click & Collect.'
jonatjonatjonat
·Aug 18, 2026 at 12:17 PMIt's a bit confusing with Click and Collect as the systems for Business Sellers (or custom postage) offering click and collect and Simple Delivery Click and Collect are functionally separate.
This page (I think) refers to Simple Delivery Click and Collect
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/clickandcollect/
Time Parcels are Held
Evri, InPost or Royal Mail locker: 3 working days
Evri shop: 10 working days
Royal Mail shop: 16 working days
If you can’t collect within your courier’s timeframe, the item will be returned.
Presumably therefore - if an order is not collected and returned - in this instance the buyer should contact the seller who should provide a refund and ebay would then refund the postage costs (if the buyer paid postage).
What would happen if a buyer opened up an item not received case - I'm not sure. In theory ebay is supposed to take over and deal with it as its simple delivery. They may well refund the customer themselves!
jonatjonatjonat
·Aug 18, 2026 at 11:53 AM · Edited"I don’t offer click and collect on my listings"
You do on any listing with Simple Delivery, provided its under £100.
Take a look - Click and Collect will be there as an option.
From a Simple Delivery side - ebay seem vague on click and collect time frames. The only bit in the terms and conditions is below...hopefully others may have experienced a none collection.
10. Undeliverable or Uncollected Items.
Items that the carrier is unable to deliver to the buyer or are uncollected by your buyer, other than those that do not comply with these Terms, may be returned to you. If the item is returned to you, you may be responsible for refunding the buyer the item cost, and any amounts paid by the buyer for delivery.