eBay Explicitly Bans AI “Buy For Me” Agents, Updates Arbitration & Dispute Rules In User Agreement Update
eBay explicitly prohibits AI "buy for me" agents and LLM (larger language model) bots, updates arbitration and dispute resolution requirements in latest User Agreement update, going into effect February 20, 2026.
The following summary of changes was provided in an email sent to users:
We’ve updated eBay’s User Agreement, including the agreement to arbitrate any disputes you may have with us. Our updated User Agreement was posted on January 20, 2026. For users who agreed to a prior version of our User Agreement, this agreement is effective as of February 20, 2026.
In this update, eBay is updating its anti-scraping prohibition to clarify that it specifically also includes bots used for AI or LLMs. eBay is also updating the agreement to arbitrate in the updated User Agreement:
- We clarified the scope of the class action waiver.
- We clarified the process for opting out of the agreement to arbitrate.
- We updated the physical address to which notices for informal dispute resolution, arbitration demands, and notices for opting out of arbitration must be sent.
As always, sellers are encouraged to read the entire updated terms carefully, but Value Added Resource has you covered with a side by side comparison highlighting some key changes.
Disclaimer: comparisons are made using both automated and manual methods and are provided for informational purposes only - no warranty of completeness or accuracy is expressed or implied and users are advised to do their own due diligence.
AI Agents & LLM Scraping
First, as the summary calls out, eBay is explicitly prohibiting AI "buy for me" agents and LLM scraping bots from interacting with the platform without permission from eBay.
Old Version:
In connection with using or accessing our Services you agree to comply with this User Agreement, our policies, our terms, and all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and you will not...
...use any robot, spider, scraper, data mining tools, data gathering and extraction tools, or other automated means to access our Services for any purpose, except with the prior express permission of eBay;
New Version:
In connection with using or accessing our Services you agree to comply with this User Agreement, our policies, our terms, and all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and you will not...
use any robot, spider, scraper, data mining tools, data gathering and extraction tools, or other automated means (including, without limitation buy-for-me agents, LLM-driven bots, or any end-to-end flow that attempts to place orders without human review) to access our Services for any purpose, except with the prior express permission of eBay;
The move comes after eBay quietly changed their robots.txt file with new guidance placing guardrails and restrictions on how AI agents interact with the site in December.
Liz Morton
It also comes on the heels of Amazon's controversial Buy For Me test which uses agentic AI to display items from direct merchant websites for sale through the Amazon app, even if the brand does not sell on Amazon themselves - raising concerns about transparency, consent, and control over how product details are displayed to buyers.
Liz Morton
While it appears that Amazon Buy For Me currently does not pull inventory from other third party marketplaces, it would not be surprising if eBay is reacting at least in part to this and other agentic commerce news making recent headlines.
Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
The rest of the changes in this User Agreement update affect arbitration and dispute resolution.
eBay's previous User Agreement update in May 2025 made significant changes to arbitration terms and limits on lawsuits, forcing users to give up their right to the sue the company in many situations.
Liz Morton
In this update, eBay has finally updated the address to send arbitration opt out requests and other legal correspondence to since selling their former office in Draper, UT in 2024.
Old Version:
Notice to eBay should be sent by email to DisputeNotice@eBay.com or regular mail to our offices located at 583 W. eBay Way, Draper, UT 84020.
New Version:
Notice to eBay should be sent by email to DisputeNotice@eBay.com or regular mail to our offices located at 339 W. 13490 S., Ste. 500, Draper, UT 84020
Most importantly, eBay has expanded their arbitration clause which previously prohibited class actions to now also explicitly exclude more types of group legal actions.
Old Version:
EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE BASIS, AND THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE ANY DISPUTE BE BROUGHT, HEARD, ADMINISTERED, RESOLVED, OR ARBITRATED ON A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE BASIS. ONLY INDIVIDUAL RELIEF IS AVAILABLE.
Subject to this Agreement to Arbitrate, the arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the party’s individual claim. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to, nor shall it, affect the terms and conditions under Section 19.B.7 ("Batch Arbitration").
New Version:
EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, OR REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE BASIS, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING, NOR OTHERWISE TO SEEK RECOVERY OF LOSSES OR DAMAGES (WHETHER FOR YOURSELF OR OTHERS) INCURRED BY A THIRD PARTY, AND THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE ANY DISPUTE BE BROUGHT, HEARD, ADMINISTERED, RESOLVED, OR ARBITRATED ON A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE BASIS. ONLY INDIVIDUAL RELIEF IS AVAILABLE.
Subject to this Agreement to Arbitrate, the arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the party’s individual claim. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to, nor shall it, affect the terms and conditions under Section 19.B.7 ("Batch Arbitration").
Here's what that means in plain language:
- “Not as a plaintiff or class member” — prevents someone from joining an existing class action.
- “No private attorney general actions” — blocks lawsuits brought “on behalf of the public,” a type of claim sometimes used in consumer protection cases.
- “Nor… for losses incurred by a third party” — prevents a person from trying to recover damages suffered by someone else.
Note: this language does not in any way change or restrict legal action that state Attorneys General, the FTC or other regulatory or legal agencies can take on behalf of sellers and/or consumers - so don't be dissuaded from letting those agencies know about your experiences with the platform, like the recent changes to Promoted Listings ad attribution policies.
Liz Morton
And finally, this User Agreement update has been changed to clarify that only new users may request to opt out of arbitration agreement - existing users missed their opportunity if they did not opt out before May 16, 2025.
Opt-Out Procedure
IF YOU ARE A NEW USER OF OUR SERVICES, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE ("OPT OUT") BY MAILING US A WRITTEN OPT-OUT NOTICE ("OPT-OUT NOTICE").
And that's it for changes to eBay's User Agreement going into effect February 20, 2026.
Let us know in the comments below what you think of these change and how they'll affect your business!
