Is a seller on eBay or another marketplace asking me to mark an item as received before it arrives a scammer?
Yes. This request is designed to close your buyer protection window before any problem with the item is discovered.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Premature delivery confirmation fraud is used on eBay and other marketplaces to defeat buyer protection systems. Once you mark an item as received or leave positive feedback, most platforms close the dispute window or significantly reduce your protection. Scammers use this to prevent claims after sending a different item, a damaged product, or nothing at all. A seller may claim they need confirmation 'for their records' or 'to release the payment' or may offer a small discount in exchange. You should never confirm receipt of an item until it is physically in your hands and verified to match the listing. If a seller asks you to do otherwise, report it to the platform immediately.
Each cover story collapses on inspection, which is why the requests rely on you not inspecting. Sellers are paid through the platform's normal settlement cycle — no marketplace requires a buyer's manual confirmation to release funds, so 'I need it to get paid' is false by design. The discount variant is more honest about being a trade: a small sum in exchange for your entire dispute window, which prices your protection at almost nothing. And where tracking already shows 'delivered' while your hands are empty, confirming receipt converts a winnable missing-parcel case into a closed one.
Your feedback and confirmations also function as infrastructure for the next victim: positive reviews extracted before delivery launder the seller's profile, making the account more convincing for future frauds. Treat both — confirmation and feedback — as things that happen only after the physical item is in your hands and matches the listing. Any seller message requesting otherwise is worth reporting even when you have refused and lost nothing, because the pattern across reports is what gets fraudulent accounts removed before they finish their run.
Common red flags
- Seller asks you to confirm receipt or close the order before delivery
- Offer of discount or bonus in exchange for early confirmation
- Claim that confirming early is needed for payment release
- Item has not arrived but tracking shows 'delivered'
- Seller asks you to leave positive feedback in advance
What to do now
- Never mark an item as received until it is in your hands and verified
- Do not leave feedback until you are satisfied with the item
- Report the request to the marketplace's customer service
- Open a dispute through the platform if the item does not arrive as described
Frequently asked questions
What if the tracking says delivered but I have not received anything?
Open a dispute with the marketplace immediately and contact your local postal service. 'Delivered' tracking can sometimes mean left in a safe place or signed by a neighbour.
The seller says they can't get paid until I confirm receipt — is that true?
No. Marketplaces pay sellers through their normal settlement process; no platform requires the buyer's manual confirmation to release funds. The claim exists solely to close your dispute window early.
Is accepting a small discount for early confirmation really that risky?
You are selling your entire buyer protection for a token amount. If the item then arrives damaged, wrong, or not at all, the closed order leaves you with little recourse — the trade only makes sense for the seller planning that outcome.