Postage price inflation and shipping variable fees. Should ebay share their profits with sellers?

[epizo369]

Hi all, 

With regards to shipping costs increasing, I'm curious as to why ebay does not give sellers dicounts on the fees taken on our set postage prices. 

I am an individual seller, a small business operating at reduced sales volumes as it is. With the trend in dropping sales for some, and increasing operational costs for everyone, I'd like to think it's fair that ebay does not profit further from courier price increases. For example, current price for Royal Mail large letter is up to £1.55, from £1.05 a short while back, that's a 50p increase, of which ebay will continue to add 12.8% (6p extra revenue on every large letter item) onto this new increase. That's a whopping income stream across the board, and I believe it is not acceptable and not justified to charge sellers extra on these increases. ebay should give back by either reducing the variablle fee on shipping, or negotiating better shipping rates with the couriers via Packlink. When the costs infalte again, ebay will contiune to profit massively on this, so maybe it's time for them to share the profits to support it's community. Without us, there is no ebay model, we are it's backbone.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

[1956glyn]

Well my thoughts are that you may well be already receiving promotions for reduced fees that you are not entitled to.

"I am an individual seller, a small business operating at reduced sales volumes as it is"

[epizo369]

Not sure what you mean by non entitlement of fees, promotions are available to all eligible sellers. The fortnightly variable fee discounts are standard promotions for sellers and were around long before mass inflation. Such promotions only suit a small percentage of items being listed during a small time frame, whilst businesses list on a daily basis, therefore the extra profits ebay gains from variable fees on shipping does not support the growing financial burden on many sellers. 

[kidmore_kats]

To put it more clearly, you say you are a business seller, but you are registered on eBay as a private seller.

If you were correctly registered as a business seller, you would not receive the benefits and promotions you are currently enjoying as an incorrectly registered private seller

[plpmr]

"What are your thoughts on this subject?"

“I am an individual seller, a small business”

But your listings state -

“No returns accepted.”

And,

“Registered as private seller, so consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. eBay Money Back Guarantee still applies to most purchases.”

business sellers cannot state that as it would be illegally denying buyers their Rights.

[epizo369]

Registered businesses that have filed with Company House as a LTD/Unltd Company, LP or LLP, register with ebay for a business account. However, Sole Traders come under the catergory of private seller, and can sell for profit using a private account. ebay is fully aware of such trading activities and provide assistance to sole trading operations in full knowledge of their retail practice. Also, whilst submitting self assessment returns, the HMRC online forms  request confirmation for selling as a sole trader using a non registered business account with ebay. 

This posted discussion is for postage involving all sellers, not discussing seller's registration activities. 

[epizo369]

My listings offer 30 day domestic returns and 14 day international returns

[papso22]

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@epizo369 wrote:

Registered businesses that have filed with companies house as a LTD/Unltd Company, LP or LLP, register with ebay for a business account. However, Sole Traders come under the catergory of private seller, and can sell for profit using a private account. ebay is fully aware of such trading activities and provide assistance to sole trading operations in full knowledge of their retail practice. Also, whilst submitting self assessment returns, the HMRC online forms  request confirmation for selling as a sole trader using a non registered business account with ebay. 

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What a load of rubbish!

It's actually illegal to make business sales on a private eBay account.  You are breaking consumer law,  not tax law, and HMRC self assessment forms do not ask you for your ebay account status.

A business seller is anyone who buys, or makes, things in order to sell them.  EBay's own guidance tells sellers that if they do that they must do so using an ebay business account. 

Sole traders are traders, they are trading, that's a business,  i suggest you stop making ridiculous excuses and upgrade your account to a business account. 

[epizo369]

That is incorrect. ebay allows sole traders to sell on private accounts, providing consumer laws are ahered to. I spoke at length with customer service during account registration. 

[papso22 · Accepted solution]

Ebay CS know nothing about UK consumer law and have no business advising on it.  That advice is also directly contrary to the guidance published on the site that will have been written with the help of a legal team.

Have you read that guidance?  

Also, consumer law requires a business to display their contact details on their listings,  you can't do that on a private account, so you are clearly not complying with consumer law.

Accepting returns is only part of it.

It is also illegal for a business seller to misrepresent themself as a private seller,  you are doing that.

[tommystrezures]

"Would you like to see a charity benefit from your purchase? EPIZO donates 10% on all sales listed with the charity logo in their title. Details of the charities supported can be found in the about this item section. If you prefer the donation to be donated to a charity of your choice, we can make this happen. Please send a message with the organisation's name prior to purchase, buyer's receive a reply to confirm the change. Let's give back together."

I have just been through quickly your 290+ listings, and have not found details of one charity name in any titles of your listings you are supporting with items. Further more you say details of the charities supported can be found in the about this section, there is nothing there.  This in my opinion is really misleading.

The correct way to support charities on ebay is by adding details in to the listing here: Click the edit button and then add the charity of your choice. There are always popular ones/suggested ones, but there are hundreds of others. Your listings and title then automatically get the "charity" ribbon in the listing, so that it is easy to identify

FInally please have a read of this as your last post (number 6) is factually very incorrect.

 Business Seller Policy | Ebay 

[epizo369]

Where does it say that? I de-selected items that were available for charity donations, unless I forgot to remove this in any of the descriptions.

[epizo369]

Are you referring to the postcards for Maurie Cancer, which have details about whats written on the card? This information highlights extra the details about the product, for buyers to cross reference if they are collectors. 

[susapric-68]

Is a business seller pretending to be a private seller really on here moaning they don't get enough from eBay? You're not selling any worlds smallest violins are you?

And using charities to push your items, digusting. they don't get any lower than you

[epizo369]

There are no charites

[epizo369]

There are no charity items mentioned in any listing. Only information that is typed on the product itself for collectors reference. No listing is advertising charity contributions, so please withdraw that comment.

[susapric-68]

Would you like to see a charity benefit from your purchase? EPIZO donates 10% on all sales listed with the charity logo in their title. Details of the charities supported can be found in the about this item section. If you prefer the donation to be donated to a charity of your choice, we can make this happen. Please send a message with the organisation's name prior to purchase, buyer's receive a reply to confirm the change. Let's give back together.

Still have that up to try and cash in 

[epizo369]

Where is that? Can you send me the item number please?

[epizo369]

Ah right yes I know what you are referring to, that is on the profile when items were available for charity donations, hense the paragraph stating charity donations on all sales listed with the charity logo.  Currently there are none. Therefore, the paragraph is accurate, when items are available for charity, the paragraph applies, explaining items with the charity logo are eligile. 

[susapric-68]

So you're just hoping to catch stupid people who think you donate to charities when you just use that to scam them. Small print excuse