Tech Reference

How to track an eBay order if the seller has provided tracking information, or contact the seller for updates

ebay package
It's possible to track an eBay order if the seller has provided tracking information. Shutterstock
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While the practice is a common courtesy, eBay sellers are not required to send their buyers tracking information. 

Sellers do have to state the number of days it will take them to process an order, and you know ahead of time what shipment service they will use and the likely number of days shipping will take, but sometimes all you can hope for is a window of time in which you expect your order to arrive.

In most cases, though, eBay sellers proactively provide tracking information that makes it easy to follow your order from shipment, through delivery, and right to your door.

Here's how to track eBay shipments for which tracking has been provided. 

How to track an eBay order

1. Log into your eBay account and hover over "My eBay" at the top right corner of the homepage, then click "Purchase History" from the menu.

2. Locate the item you want to track, and note that its shipment status will usually be displayed beside the image — something like "This item has been shipped" or "Delivered on..."

shipment1
You can see general tracking information in your Purchase history.  Steven John/Business Insider

3. For more specifics, click on the displayed tracking number itself, or click the "More actions" link and select "View order details."

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Click on View order details under More actions.  Steven John/Business Insider

On this page, you can contact the seller of your item if you want additional tracking information or if it hasn't arrived yet. 

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You can contact the seller or get more shipping details.  Steven John/Business Insider

If you click on "+ Show shipping details" you'll also be able to view a more detailed breakdown tracking your package all the way from shipment to successful delivery. 

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You can see more shipping details here.  Steven John/Business Insider

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.