ebay customer services does not understand the uk simple delivery policy
Summary: helmc136a expressed frustration with a company's approach towards small sellers, particularly those living in villages, indicating they felt unwelcome. *vyolla* responded by pointing out that this sentiment was previously addressed in a different forum section, suggesting that opting out was a possible solution.
About two weeks ago i sent an item by simple delivery and it was shown to be delivered about 3 days later. Shortly after the buyer opened a case stating that it had not been delivered to him but a house he did not recognise. He claimed to have seen the delivery photo. The case stated as it used to do that i should either 1/ post the item... ( posted as indicated by the tracking, 2/ Update the tracking. ( could not as ebay does not allow updating of tracking numbers ) or 3/ refund the buyer. ( not my position to refund as its insured through ebay) So there was nothing i could do.. 5 days later the case was escalated and ebay closed the case in favour of the buyer refunding him and taking the amount from my account. When i appealed they granted my appeal and in there words made it seem they were doing me a favour in returning my money.
Yesterday i have another not delivered case pop up. Again through simple delivery. This time i contacted customer services straight away to ask them to deal with the case as its a simple delivery issue.
This is where it gets frustrating... The first reply asked me send, update tracking or refund, as there was nothing they could do for 5 days. When i questioned this as it was a simple delivery issue i was told they could not see any tracking number on the order and that i should contact the courior company involved.
I sent them the tracking number and asked if they understand the simple delivery policy. The reply i got back said yes they can now see the item is still in transit but theres nothing they can do till the case is escalated by the buyer. So i can see in a few days ebay is going going to close the case in favour of the buyer again and im going to have to appeal again...
Customer services replys have come from a diffrent indian agent each time and i dont think they understand the uk simple delivery policy. If and advisor can help the order number is 08-14695-53711. many thanks and sorry for the long ramble
helmc136a
·Jul 21, 2026 at 7:09 PMeBay want rid of all small sellers, I have had countless issues with them, and if you live in a village, get lost is the clear message.
*vyolla*
·3 weeks agoYou've bumped an old thread for no reason whatsoever.
You posted on the M2M section and have received some answers there explaining that you can simply opt out:
https://community.ebay.co.uk/forum/member-to-member-support-26/topic/ebay-dont-want-village-dwellers-in-the-uk-50884/
fribblecollectables
·2 months agoMaybe because its the weekend, they haven't changed their account to the correct one yet.
On Monday morning, switch from an individual (personal) account to a business account on eBay by following these steps:
Go to Account settings in My eBay.
Select Personal information.
Select Edit next to Account type. You may be asked to sign in again.
Select Confirm to upgrade to a Business account . . .
It only takes a minute or so.
jus468420
·2 months agoebay "SELLER" does not understand the uk simple delivery policy
Another business moaning about simple delivery? You're a business, you should be on a business account period. Doing this means you control your own postage, not eBay.
As some have said, you are breaking certain consumer laws.
jonatjonatjonat
·2 months agoI don't think they are coming back to this thread. They've been rumbled, they don't care, they know ebay don't care.
Rinse and repeat.
jus468420
·2 months agoIt staggers me any business would even want eBay to control their postage options? The day eBay forces simple delivery on my business is the day I leave eBay permanently.
c_of_e84
·2 months agoSure looks like it.
papso22
·2 months agoIf you use the simple delivery label provided by ebay the the tracking is automatically correct and entered against the sale.
Was that the case with these sales?
go_ahead_buy_me
·2 months agoI've recently seen another seller who had a similar issue. I'm not sure why eBay is sometimes referring Simple Delivery postage related issues to be handled by the seller. Perhaps there is a glitch in the system? Anyway, as per the T&Cs (https://pages.ebay.co.uk/shipping/delivery/seller-terms/ - point 12), once an item is scanned into the carrier's network then delivery related issues are on eBay to sort out. So if this doesn't happen then you need to contact CS and point this out to them - referring to their own policies and T&Cs should help clear things up quicker.
But @cobwebcottage is correct. You appear to be a self-proclaimed trader ("I try to sell at fair prices taking minimum profit...") so you should not be using a private account to sell on eBay. So Simple Delivery would not apply anyway (at least for the time being - I still think eBay will eventually roll it out to small businesses).
In case you are unaware, by running a business under a private account on eBay you are breaking the law.
sid.123
OP2 months agoSent from Samsung Mobile on O2
Sent from Outlook for Android<>
go_ahead_buy_me
·2 months agoYou are denying your customers the right to return change of mind purchases. You do not display your contact info in the listings (as eBay does not permit private sellers to do this). These are required for business sellers or you are breaking the law.
If I have got my details wrong, oops. Oh well. If you have, you are breaking the law! Big oops!
cobwebcottage
·2 months agoThey are correct. You may wish to read the Distance Selling Laws and Consumer Rights Act.
You need to provide your name, address and allow returns when selling as a business online.
https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses
https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
lucy_farmer
·2 months ago1. 'You are not breaking the law...
2. 'Ebay does not care what account you have...'
3. 'if you report all your income in your annual tax return there is no issue...'
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Lets start with number 3.
Basically correct. HMRC don't give a flying do dah what sort of account you sell on on ebay, as long as you pay your taxes. (But HMRC are not in charge of this part of the law.....)
2. Ebay are *supposed* to care what sort of account you're on so that you, *and ebay*, comply with UK laws around online selling. (but ebay are, at heart, an American company who don't really care about complying with other countries' laws and really c. b. a. to keep on top of the issue...)
1. A business selling on a private account *is* breaking UK Trading Standards laws.
If you sell, as a business, online in the UK there are various rules and regulations you have to meet. Some of those (like having all your contact details on view on your listings) are impossible to do on a private account.
You are also depriving your buyers of their consumer rights.
You are also avoiding paying business fees to ebay and thereby undercutting businesses who are comply with the law.
It's not difficult to find all this out/look it all up.
jonatjonatjonat
·2 months ago"please get your facts right before commenting."
You might have some bedtime reading to go through - you are a business (you state as much - you are a repair shop. So why can't I return anything on your listings?
For that matter -what is the issue with upgrading to a business account? You could probably get cheaper postage, reduce your prices and sell more. You are already paying taxes as you state - so what does it actually matter? What is the reluctance to do as required?
4_bathrooms
·2 months agoA trader buying or selling via a private account is committing a criminal offence as per the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act:
"Falsely claiming or creating the false impression that the trader is not acting for purposes relating to the trader’s business or falsely representing oneself as a consumer."
That regulation is in Schedule 20 which lists "commercial practices which in all cases are considered unfair". For the avoidance of any doubt the Government's guidance states the following about unfair commercial practices (UCPs):
"The UCP provisions contain criminal offences."
As has already been mentioned traders buying or selling via private accounts are also committing other offences under the Consumer Rights Act and the Consumer Contracts Regulations regarding identifying themself as a trader, displaying their contact details, accepting remorse returns etc. However, offences committed under the CRA and the CCRs can be treated as civil or criminal offences. The offence a trader commits by masquerading as a private seller or a private buyer is always criminal and is the offence such a trader would be prosecuted under if Trading Standards had the resources and/or the will to do so.
sml192
·2 months agoWhat eBay thinks is quite frankly irrelevant and you may be complying with the laws regarding taxation but there are also consumer laws that you need to comply with, in particular this one:
'Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
SCHEDULE 20 Commercial practices which are in all circumstances considered unfair
25. Falsely claiming or creating the false impression that the trader is not acting for purposes relating to the trader’s business or falsely representing oneself as a consumer.'
cobwebcottage
·2 months agoIf you were correctly registered as a business seller, then you wouldn't need to use Simple Delivery.