eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in September 1995 and is run by eBay Inc., which is based in San Jose, California. It is a marketplace rather than a shop: almost everything is listed by other people, from big retailers and specialist businesses to individuals clearing out a cupboard, and items sell either at auction or at a fixed Buy It Now price. eBay takes a commission from sellers when something sells. In the UK the site is ebay.co.uk, and eBay (UK) Limited has been registered at Companies House since March 1999.
Because sellers set their own prices, delivery charges and return policies, the same product can cost quite different amounts from one listing to the next. eBay's Deals pages gather discounted listings by category, many with free postage, and the site has a large range of refurbished goods (vacuums, hair stylers, phones, laptops), labelled 'Refurbished on eBay' in the deals listings.
Buyers who pay at eBay checkout are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee for 30 days from the estimated or actual delivery date. If an item doesn't arrive, arrives faulty or damaged, or doesn't match the listing, you can get a full refund including the original postage, with eBay stepping in if the seller doesn't sort it out. Some things are excluded, including vehicles, property, services, digital content, travel tickets and vouchers. We couldn't load eBay's homepage or item pages, so this profile draws on its Deals and help pages, Wikipedia and Companies House.