Understanding Trust & Safety Errors

eBay sometimes revokes authorization for security reasons. These snipe attempts result in us encountering a "Trust & Safety" error. (The error message itself is evidence of a bid being placed, as we couldn't get the error unless the snipe attempt was received by and replied to by eBay.)

This error is governed not by our system, but rather by eBay's internal rules and restrictions. You would experience the same issue if you attempted to place the bid manually. These errors generally arise from account configuration or auction restrictions. (The only way to know the problem exists is to try to place a bid on the item manually.)

Most of the time, eBay gives very specific error messages, and we have virtually all of them programmed into our site. However, there are two errors that are very cryptic, due to the fact that they are private in nature, and eBay doesn't disclose information to third parties that are considered to be privacy-related.

Common Causes of Trust & Safety Errors

The following are examples of items or conditions that may trigger a Trust & Safety error when placing a bid:

1. Account Configuration Issues
   These errors occur due to restrictions or missing configurations in your eBay account, such as:

   • Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) verification.
   • Shipping restrictions based on your location. Even if a ship-to country is listed in the auction, there could still be a restriction in place for your particular country.
   • Buyer strikes or account issues that restrict bidding.
   • Outstanding agreements, such as:
     • Needing to accept a disclaimer for certain items or transactions.
     • Agreeing to specific terms of purchase.

2. Restricted Item Categories

   • Jewelry: Items such as diamonds or other high-value jewelry may require additional verification or restrictions.
   • Weapons: Bidding on firearms, ammunition, or prohibited weapon accessories.
   • Prescription Medications: Bids on restricted or prescription-only drugs.
   • Prohibited Substances: Items like illegal drugs, banned supplements, or drug paraphernalia.
   • Cultural or Historical Artifacts: Bidding on artifacts protected under cultural heritage laws.
   • Counterfeit Goods: High-risk listings flagged for suspected counterfeit items.
   • Live Animals: Certain categories of animals or wildlife products may trigger errors.

eBay’s systems enforce these restrictions to comply with regulations and ensure safe transactions.

Examples of Trust & Safety Errors

Here are some sample error messages that we frequently encounter:
- "Sorry, you are not allowed to purchase this item. This item is available to buyers who have not received 2 or more unpaid item strikes in the past 1 month(s)."
- "Several sellers let us know that you haven't paid for items you purchased from them."
- "Please note that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission periodically issues recalls. Please review the CPSC website for specific details."
- "To help prevent unpaid items, we restrict the number of auctions where a buyer is the highest bidder."
- "Please pay for your unpaid items. It looks like you're unable to buy this item due to the number of unpaid items in your cart. To complete your purchase, you'll need to pay for the items you've already committed to purchase."
- "You've reached a temporary buying restriction. You can only buy items where you can pay immediately at checkout."
- "Some products on the site may have restricted access such as perfumes and cosmetics due to legal restrictions. We are therefore forced to block your bid. We regret the inconvenience and encourage you to bid on other types of items."

See Also

• Bulletproof Your Account
• Why Did I Lose? My Bid Was Higher.
• How do I revoke access?
• Why was my authorization revoked?