eBay, it's time to drop the delivery fees

[keeptheroof]

I understand why they were introduced, so many people trying to hide the price of the goods inside the delivery so their items can reach the top of the searches. But A) that was mostly business - which you could easily separate off from Private Sellers and introduce it as a real fee (not an hidden one). And B) the cost of postage has risen so high since this was introduced that it makes many item unsuitable for eBay.

I have collections that I could list on eBay and I would be happy to achieve 50p an item after fees but these items cost £3-£6 to post so I would have to try and achieve £1 an item which means they won't sell. Yes, you could say include the postage in the price and list them as "freepost" but all that does it makes it even more unlikely these items will be sold as A) they'll be lower done the search then similar item price without "freepost" and B) it make the item look expensive. 

So come on eBay, do the right thing. Remove these hidden fees or if that is not possible do it for private accounts with long term good standing - IE. make something to be earned, turning it into a positive.

The extra benefit it you'll be taking custom from other marketplaces where these lower prices items can be sold and you'll be generating new avenues attracting more collectors like myself.

[papso22]

While there might have been a way to do the fees differently when Paypal processed the payments, now that Ebay processes the payments (using Adyen),  there is even more justification for them basing their fees on the total the buyer pays because they process the total the buyer pays (including postage).

They are not going to change how it is done, but yes, it does skew unfavourably when items are low value and postage is high.  

[keeptheroof]

Pretty sure if they don't have the coders I could do it for them, it's not hard. They take the payment from the buyer and don't take the fee from the seller. Everything else sorts itself out and everything is all above board and legal. The buyer understands the real cost of the delivery and doesn't then have thoughts of leaving negative feedback because when they compare it to Royal Mail prices it's within the margin of "reasonable" not "unreasonable".

[plpmr]

" everything is all above board and legal."

nothing illegal at present.

It would give more encouragement to business sellers to trade as private sellers and ther's more than enough of them at present. 

[keeptheroof]

On the face of it nothing is illegal but I maintain eBay taking 10% of what the customer expects to be a delivery cost could be seen as "not legal". The fact they hide this from the buyers makes it at least underhand IMO.

Business or Private is not my concern, it's down to eBay to sort that out. Nothing at all to do with this argument.

[plpmr]

"but I maintain eBay taking 10% of what the customer expects to be a delivery cost could be seen as "not legal""

All members signed up to eBay T&C so "not legal" cannot come into it.

"The fact they hide this from the buyers makes it at least underhand IMO."

The majority of buyers have no idea as to what, if any, fees are charged to a seller.

[keeptheroof]

"The majority of buyers have no idea as to what, if any, fees are charged to a seller."

These fees are not taken from the seller, they are taken from the buyer's postage payment.  At no time does a seller take ownership of this money.

[a45heaven]

One way of minimising the impact of fees on postage is through combined postage lots.

Sadly ebay have a vested interest in sellers mailing a separate item in a separate package, and are thwarting the practise of combined postage by way of the improvements and lack of functionality of the checkouts, and shortening the 'Pay By ' times (Auctions) to reduce the timescale of realising auction items into bigger lots. (A spin off of this is reducing sales on auction items where price is sensitive and relies on the benefits of combined postage).

Ive only mentioned this in light of financial impacts on the seller, there are also massive impacts on environmental issues, which i have to admit not ever seeing a stance on by ebay, but i can imagine nice words and little action.

[papso22]

OK, let's make this simple:

1. The seller has charged the buyer an amount for the item and an amount for the postage (unless it's 'free' postage).  This is the seller's income for the purposes of any tax, if they are trading as a business, and their money from the sale if trading as a private seller.  It is the seller's money whatever way you look at it, they 'own' it, even if they don't have it in their possession, as the buyer has paid for the item and postage as per the seller's listing.

2. Ebay could pass this money on in it's entirety to the seller and then invoice separately for their fees for separate payment by the seller (as they used to)  but since managed payments they have deducted the fees from the payment by the buyer and passed on the balance. 

3. The selling fees are charged to the seller, members who don't sell have no reason to know anything about fees charged to sellers.

4.  The fees are taken from the whole payment the buyer makes, they set it out in the notification as two separate elements, but it's still a single fee.  

You are trying to create an argument out of misunderstandings.