Businesses masquerading as private seem to be on the increase!!!!!!!!!!!

[chrledd]

I have been an ebay business seller for over 10 years and have to say I am beginning to despair - sales are down and worse still they seem to have taken a nosedive since the no fees for private sellers was introduced. I really don't know what to do. Every time I go list a new item I search for comparables and every time there are 'private' sellers selling the same items (clothing brand new with tags) . It is driving me absolutely nuts. Is there a correct way to report these sellers and will anything be done if I do?? It seems so unfair that my ebay selling costs are spiralling even though sales are down - these people don't even have to accept returns. GGRRRRRRRR - sorry, rant over now but it really is driving me mad, especially seeing as ebay don't seem to care - just fleecing us business sellers for more and more cash. 

[chrledd]

I have tried to report another two sellers this morning but doubt anything will be done.

One of these private sellers has over 900 brand new items for sale and has 300 followers !!!!!!!!!!

It just is making me so mad - I have paid thousands in fees this year and these people are paying nothing. All ebay are doing is trying to make me give them more money with so called promotions and advertising - making my miniscule profit margins even smaller.

[pg_kicks]

Wait a minute are you telling me you dont find the below statement to be true in any way what so ever?

At eBay, we are dedicated to ensuring a fair and equitable marketplace for all business sellers.

I'd love somebody at eBay to explain this to me as they have made it less fair and equitable and I'm yet to find any business seller who can say since this move their sales have went up like eBay claimed would happen.

Shock that eBay employees will be silent on this issue though or at very best will give a copy and paste please report and we are working our best to deal with accounts (who are breaking policy and UK law).

[chrledd]

It is shocking really that we are treated so badly - there needs to be a clear way to report these 'private' sellers and an obvious action from ebay .

I have just gone to list another item and checked to see which others are for sale on ebay - there are at least 5 'private' sellers with the same brand new items. The latest I saw had over 500 sales and over 1000 items listed for sale. It makes me so upset when we are really struggling at the moment and such a massive *bleep* of any sales I do get goes to ebay in fees - I feel like ebay are laughing at us for being such mugs as to put up with it.

[pg_kicks]

100% agree there needs to be a way and have humans (who know policy and uk law) checking them, until thats implemented then all we will get from eBay staff is copy and paste replies which is just baiting (against board policy). 

The amount we spend on eBay (via fee's) as a whole should mean somebody pretty high up should be available every so often to answer questions instead of hiding under their desk and releasing pointless business jargon filled announcements with no deal facts.

[krafty-kreations]

Fed up Business sellers will be moving their listings on to private accounts 

New business sellers signing up on private accounts because it is free to sell

Business sellers on private accounts lowering their prices and undercutting correctly registered business sellers, buyers looking for the cheapest prices, not sure how eBay thinks this is going to work.

At eBay, we are dedicated to ensuring a fair and equitable marketplace for all business sellers.

Should read, At eBay, we are dedicated to ensuring  business sellers pay as much as possible for very little benefit or support. 

[laptopsparesrepairs]

Moderating these accounts are not what's needed, what's needed is changes that don't add complexity. If recent changes were fair across the board there would be no need to have to report accounts etc.

The recent changes are an insult to businesses and unless eBay pulls out another surprise that resolves this mess then I certainly won't be staying around to be mugged off.

Over recent years everything has just becoming more complex, I just want to sell and concentrate on listing, not to have a degree in keywords and SEO for advertising campaigns etc.

I want simplicity and as of now eBay just find ways to make things more and more difficult and more recently totally unfair.

As long as eBays making money though ay!

[bojangled]

Here’s what I don’t understand. 
In every business I’ve worked in bulk buyers, frequent users ie business accounts are invested in, given discounts and the relationship nurtured and maintained.

This private seller free listings is upside down and inside out! 
I honestly don’t get it.

What would the kickback had been if a ‘free element’ was given to business accounts, an uptick in users trading legally ? Am just being naive?

Jo

[the-layer-laboratory]

---

@bojangled wrote:

Here’s what I don’t understand. 
In every business I’ve worked in bulk buyers, frequent users ie business accounts are invested in, given discounts and the relationship nurtured and maintained.

This private seller free listings is upside down and inside out! 
I honestly don’t get it.

What would the kickback had been if a ‘free element’ was given to business accounts, an uptick in users trading legally ? Am just being naive?

Jo

---

I couldn’t agree more. Ebay has implemented this totally backwards and they just can’t see it.

When offering a multi-tiered product or service, it is basic business 101 that the paid tier should provide more value than the free tier.

On ebay, personal accounts provide more value than business accounts in every way. Less fees, more listings, larger market opportunity, less rules, less regulations, less responsibility. More profit.

Absolute madness!

[pg_kicks]

eBay would be crippled as its businesses who give them the most money would be my guess.

PL would increase a bit as businesses would have extra to spend and buyers would have more rights as more would switch over.

I honestly think 100 listings a year for private accounts and then 5% for both businesses and private accounts would have been a better route, the same price across all categories, some how I pay 12% for one pair of trainers then 7.2% for another, why so complicated?

[susanddave]

You're absolutely right - I can't understand it.

[susanddave]

You are absolutely right. If private sellers were limited to just 50 -100 listings at any one time the problem would disappear. I don't know any genuine private sellers who need more than that. Any that do are obviously sourcing items from elsewhere in order to sell in which case they need to register as a business.

As for the promoted listings/advertising rubbish - if everyone does it as they suggest there is only one winner - ebay themselves!

[auctiongabble]

Apparantly updates are coming in next release by ebay but i dont see anything being done for business sellers, i went to sign up for 1:1 just to see what they can say i got declined.... 

Here's a though if every business just opened private accounts and started selling for free only then will ebay start doing something as you take away the only thing they understand, MONEY!

[myriad*seller]

No, there is no way to report these sellers

If you try reporting them and you do it too many times you will get an email telling you off, from eBay

It needs some sort of legal action to be taken, as eBay clearly don't care 

[auctiongabble]

I just spoke to support and what a waste of time!!! So no way of speaking to 1:1 support clinic, actually support handlers dont even know about this.

Questioned them about business sellers on private accounts.....dead silence

They said its supposed to help business sellers...how??? 

I think even support think the same that its become a complete ...... performance on this platform

Unless a miracle happens in the next update by ebay otherwise all business sellers will be flocking by the dozen

[vintique*violet]

I have reported a new perfume seller ( Sri Lanka based) and their page has now completed disappeared...

I know this thread is mainly for business sellers, but please don't confuse genuine private sellers with those who are masquerading... 

On a side note ... I have had messages such as the following -

" Being as it is free to sell for you .  I will buy this if you discount by 60%" 

" Hey,  private sellers pay no fees so can you send me an offer to accept at £15.00 off" 

( this  particular item was priced at £24.99 with free postage @ £3.95 Royal Mail Tracked 48 ) and usually sell at around £60 brand new... mine was barely used and in excellent condition and " like new" although we cannot use that description. 

" Just realised that you pay no fees, are you going to reduce your prices for ( x) now?" 

Auctions at a start of 99p often sell for just that as no viewings... even if I do a search, many, many times my item is not showing? Plus lots of items have been purchased only to be re-listed by that buyer at a much higher price ( Yes, I know its just " business"..but...) 

Is it just algorithms? 

I do not think so.... 

Genuinely I feel for all legitimate ebay sellers, it seems we are at the mercy of....??? 

[triple512]

Loads of the businesses that were operating on private accounts in one of my sectors disappeared in the summer.  However, now Black Friday deals have started, most seem to have reappeared, undercutting legit sellers and seemingly operating on multiple accounts!!!

There was even a comment by one of them on here telling everyone to stop moaning about it, open your own private account(s) and sell for free - although the mods quickly removed the comment……!

Surely this cannot continue, something has to give otherwise this platform will not exist in a few months time.

[pg_kicks]

Obviously I don’t want to know your exact figure but were your sales last year over £85k? If so you don’t qualify for one of the only 2 rewards eBay thought we as businesses should be offered when they have private accounts free selling. So as a business account with sale figures over £85k all you got was the possibility of getting postage back when a customer scams you and misuses returns (something that should be standard).

[tigsby]

I can’t understand why ebay are pushing private seller listings ahead of their business customers.

It’s become a 50/50 split now business & private sellers in the sector I sell in. I’m seeing big businesses with upwards of 20k listings selling less in a day than private sellers in our category. 

My sales are down 20% vs last year yet I’ve 500+ more listings. Since free private listings were introduced sales are 30% down for the same period last year.

It’s not often I have a wobble but with sales in free fall and eBay fees increasing due to having to pay to promote plus overheads, rent ect I’m becoming increasingly concerned.

I’ve had 3 calls with concierge this month regarding a huge slump in traffic and sales but still no difference after spending hours implementing their advice on tweaking listings ect.. For years the platform has always been an absolute powerhouse for us with no need to keep having to make changes to listings ect.

Do eBay even know themselves what’s actually going on?

[the-nutwood-collection]

When fee-free selling started, a new listing arrived in one of my categories.  I think I know who it is - a business with their own website.  This fee-free bonanza is not only getting them sales where they keep 100% of the value, it's also providing them with a war chest of buyer addresses that they can target with vouchers when the fee-free selling finishes.

I was watching the listing, sales were buoyant, increasing every day.  My sales and views dropped like a stone.  Suddenly, the views on my listing increased dramatically, and I got an order.  I checked the private seller's listing - out of stock of the item.

I wanted to cancel the order, but I couldn't figure out a way to do it without getting a neg.  OK, I'd lose a sale, but it irks me that, by accepting the order, I am paying fees to eBay - fees that will prop up this ridiculous adventure to increase GMV.