A simple way to resolve the "private" business seller problem

[vonchief]

A correctly registered business can obviously not compete with those using private accounts to avoid eBay fees.

With eBay seemingly taking no action on these "private" business sellers, genuine business sellers feel they have no option but to open a private account and also avoid eBay fees.
I am certain this is not what genuine business sellers want to do.
eBay would not last very long either if all business sellers did this.

Surely if eBay removed the item condition of "new" for private accounts, this would go a long way to resolving the problem.
Simply grey out "new" for private sellers when they list an item.
They could still use "new other" if they have new, unused & unwanted items.

Anyone who is selling new items is a business.
If they want to list new items on eBay, the only option should be to open a business account.

[date80211]

Of course selling personal possessions and collections whatever their condition doesn't make you a business...

Equally obviously, selling anything in greater quantities than the relevant combination of your local trade and tax authorities like does, only too obviously make you liable to prove you're not a business.

Even in the real world, if you offer for sale in a fairly short period of time, large numbers of items worth large amounts of money - say £50,000 worth of house-hold stuff - then however 'personal…' they might be, the powers-that-be might assume you are operating as a business.

In such a case, it will be down to you to prove the sale wasn't commercial, but rather, for instance, a house clearance prompted by and with the sole purpose of realising the assets of a deceased relative.

If eBay doesn't make the same assumptions, does that give the appearance eBay is more,  or less compliant with the general idea of 'due diligence…' or perhaps even, that eBay thinks such standards of ethics either don't apply, or can't be enforced on line?

Almost separately, d'you really suppose what happened 18 or 19 years ago when you yourself say at least one relevant and important procedure was different, might make a useful difference here and today? 

[date80211]

No; sorry. Everyone is welcome to tell me how to delete an Answer, or any other Post here.

[date80211]

Will you say what that means, please?

What has a search that works and helps buyers find what they write in the search box? I'd almost pay money to understand that…

What's 'FVF…' please? is that some kind of vendor fee?

[date80211]

No, but how is 'using private accounts to avoid eBay fees…' not both fraudulent in the real world and more importantly, a clear breach of eBay's simple contractual rules?

Shouldn't genuine business sellers feeling they have no option but to open private accounts be raising complaints left, right and centre to show this is first and foremost eBay's problem?

I'm certain you're quite right; that's not what genuine business sellers want.

I'm prolly more certain you're being at best complacent… it might well be eBay wouldn't last very long if all business sellers did that, but how likely is that ?

I suggest removing the 'new' description for private accounts would go no way to resolving anything. 'Fake private…' sellers would find other descriptions the next, if not the same day.

Here below, I've talked myself into suggesting 'Brand new…', specifically without 'in box…'

Do you truly believe forcing innocent private sellers to use 'new other…' would change anything, except those innocent people's blood pressure?

If only because of what you just said, above, very clearly not 'Anyone selling new items…' is a business.

In my view, whoever wants to list what truly are 'new items…' should be free to.

I buy a 'new…' car and drive it off the dealer's lot, for no logical reason it not only stops being 'new…' but immediately suffers a huge drop in value, even if it's been driven less than 100 yards?

The fact that that's wholly unreasonable doesn't make it untrue. If you have your way, how long will it be before the same ridiculous depreciation applies to everything you're thinking of?

Instead of 'new…' or 'new, other…' we might use 'Band new, in box (BNIB)…' but if we do, will we not then want to differentiate between that and 'Band new, in unopened box (BNIOB)…'? Many buyers might give a rat's whisker; a very few might actually mind; collectors could be spitting in rage.

If in your own view, unwanted gifts and the like aren't 'new…' will you explain the relevant difference, as you think it might be expressed either in local laws or in eBay's contracts ?

[date80211]

Will you say what 'personal collections…' might mean, please?

Was that meant to be 'personal recollections…'?

[date80211]

Will you say how a private account doesn’t allow a business to make it clear to buyers that it is a business?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

This has been stated many times now on the forum.

The simplest part of it all, is that it does not display contact and establishment details.

Aside from the fact, that it is both against Ebay rules and the law, to misrepresent yourself as a private seller, when you are in fact a business.

[jonat_broad]

A personal collection is a collection of things someone has accrued. I collect vinyl records. That is my personal collection.