Buyer Protection is coming soon

[nutrafituk]

Just announced - finally some sort of good news for business accounts basically saying ONLY PRIVATE SELLERS will have this fee added (£0.75 fixed + various %). Hopefully that will make a difference for genuine business sellers and make those dodgy ones re-think their position:

We’re excited to announce that from 4 Feb, buyers will benefit from a brand new protection every time they shop on eBay. What’s even better is that this comes at no extra cost to you or your buyers. To give your buyers more confidence and security when shopping, Buyer Protection will be included on every purchase on ebay.co.uk. We’ve kept things simple for you, so there’s nothing you need to do to access this protection. These are all part of our efforts to make eBay the best marketplace for our community. Here’s how the recent changes will benefit you.

Why Buyer Protection is good for your business As a business seller, Buyer Protection is included for free for you and your buyers. They’ll get the protection, without the cost. With Buyer Protection, all buyers and sellers will now get 24/7 customer support where you can connect with a real person by phone whenever you need, or start a chat to get quick answers. We’ve also still got you covered with secure transactions, thanks to payments that are encrypted end-to-end and handled by our trusted payment partners.

We’re always looking for more ways to help drive sales to your business, so from 20 Jan, Coupons, Multi-buy and other discount tools will only be available to business sellers. You can look forward to more exclusive benefits in the future. Learn more about Buyer Protection What’s changing for private sellers

• We recently made changes to our fee structure so it’s free for private sellers to sell on eBay (excl. Vehicles). As part of this, from 4 Feb, a Buyer Protection fee will be added to listings from UK-based private sellers so we can make investments into these protections. This fee will be included in the item price and be paid for by the buyer. As a reminder, this is free of charge for business sellers.

• To give buyers more protection and encourage timely shipment, private sellers will be paid once the item is delivered. There’s no change for business sellers and you’ll still receive your payouts as quickly as you do today.

• We know it’s important to have a fair and equitable marketplace for all business sellers. That’s why we’re monitoring trading activities on eBay to help business sellers using a private account transition over to a business account, or restricting selling activity as necessary.

[bzmotman]

If go to the FAQs you will see that the fee will be displayed separately at checkout so you will have the option of not proceeding with the purchase. You can then spend your time & money travelling to the shop to buy that item. Whether the cost of going to the shop is more or less than the buyers fee only you will know.

[lovewoodbridge]

I fully agree. That is me finished as a seller and buyer with ebay after many years.

Currently there are over 22 million post cards for sale on ebay, the vast majority listed with a price of between £1.00 to £3.00 each. There is no way that I or any other buyer is going to pay an extra 75p + 4% on these items.

As I am now a pensioner, I have been selling off parts of my collections for as little as £1.75 including postage. At the end of the month I will delete all unsold items as it will be pointless trying to sell them under these ridiculous new rules.

This also means that I will not have any funds in my account to use on the listings of business sellers on ebay. My first port of call for buying random items will now be Amazon.

[dion5feb2016]

I feel sad for you but I feel the same, eBay will lose a lot of really good sellers and serves them right for treating us so poorly. The red tape is becoming so tedious, the backtracking over everything, I am fed up with it. When you contact them to discuss discuss anything the first things they say is ‘thanks for your loyalty’, they then proceed to really (can’t put what I want to say) get in your nerves big time!

[discre]

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@bravergrace wrote:

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You have made a simple distinction between:

- private sellers, who sell second-hand goods

- business sellers, who sell brand-new goods.

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I did not do this.

I also didn’t say, or even infer, that I ‘wouldn't dream of buying any of these things second-hand’?

You seem to be the only person to have inferred that any of the business types you’ve referred to might be ‘shady’ in any way. You also refer to them as selling 'second-hand junk.'  You then seem to go on to belittle ALL private sellers with the 'No tax, no warranties, no electrical PAT testing, no returns, no safety standards, no business rates...'  Other than for safety standards, as even private sellers can be held personally liable for these,  there is no legal requirement for them to be responsible for these as almost all of them will be just that - A PRIVATE SELLER.  Stop tarring everyone with the same brush!

Other than food, almost everything I ever buy is second-hand. I only buy new if it’s a) necessary for safety or security, b) needed urgently, or c) simply not available second-hand.  I’ve never seen the need to just add to manufacturers’ bottom lines, or add to the pollution of the planet by wasting precious natural resources.

I buy from both business AND private sellers, and have no specific preference as long as I can get the item I want, in a reasonable timeframe, in one piece, and at a reasonable price.  I run small businesses (with business seller accounts) selling second-hand items so I know EXACTLY what these businesses have to do to survive online AND how much time is continually wasted having to deal with eBay’s never-ending stream of ludicrous policies.

This has all come about because, as is usual with eBay, one ridiculous policy – in this case zero fees for private sellers – is introduced one month and then two weeks later someone higher up the food chain realises what an almighty mistake it was.  Instead of then reversing the decision eBay then introduces half a dozen even more ludicrous policies to attempt to mitigate the effect of the first disaster. It has been like that almost since the very beginning. It's always either that, or give a penny with one hand, and then take fivepence back with the other.  It's how eBay works. Constant greed to cover up ineptitude.

[the_book_seekers]

ebay's 'invent new streams of revenue team' have been working over time. The CEO has stated that simple delivery is a money stream and must believe buyer protection will be the same.  So much so that it's free (at the moment) to business sellers. 

 I'm not sure how buyer protection together with Coupons, Multi-buy and other discount tools becoming available to business sellers only will play out in relation to business sellers operating on private accounts. 

Will it be enough to persuade any of them to correctly register? Perhaps some of them selling really low value items.  If the benefits of fee free selling still out weighs these changes then the answer will be no. 

[bearandballoon]

Personally, I think it’s a very poorly thought-out idea. I’ve no doubt it will confuse buyers having 2 separate systems. It would have been much easier to either go the Vinted model for all sellers or stick with seller fees all round but at a reduced rate.

[jaguar_king]

Buyer protection is another eBay scam, sellers will pay for the buyer protection as it comes out of the sale price . Why is eBay making changes like this - is there not a user group helping with ideas like this . All this will do is reduce the fees to sellers ?? 

[liquid-bargains]

Everyone, but especially private sellers, seems to have forgotten that when eBay announced the fee-free selling for private sellers last year, they announced in the same press release that these fees would be coming in Q1 to replace those fees. 

Also, your 4% + 75p, is still much lower than you were paying the same time last year. I'd take the 10% drop in fees and consider it a win, as it begins to seem nothing less than eBay paying you to be here would be acceptable.

Also, with the fees now being split out like this, you can legitimately make the point to buyers who make lowball offers "I don't see that though, eBay get that". Business sellers still have to contend with buyers thinking they're charging a fortune and laughing all the way to their yacht.

Also, I would say that the biggest damage done to eBay's user numbers is due in no small part to eBay sellers complaining about eBay. If you'd like more users/buyers for your items - probably complain more selectively about how terrible eBay is, instead of denouncing every small change (the one's I'd consider leaving out are the ones that make you financially better off than other sellers and your historical self).

Honestly, some people/private sellers don't know when they're well off. 

[bzmotman]

You seem confused as to how this will work. If you go to the FAQs you will see an example where the Buyers Protection fee is added onto the sale price so the seller will not be paying for it.

As for "All this will do is reduce the fees to sellers ?? " this obviously cannot be true as it only applies to Private sellers who pay no fees to start with so they can't be reduced.

[bzmotman]

"I'm not sure how buyer protection together with Coupons, Multi-buy and other discount tools becoming available to business sellers only will play out in relation to business sellers operating on private accounts.

Will it be enough to persuade any of them to correctly register? Perhaps some of them selling really low value items. If the benefits of fee free selling still out weighs these changes then the answer will be no."

I'm hoping that the cumulative effect of HMRC reporting, reduced listings, Buyers fee, withholding of payouts, increased Ebay pressure [if it happens] will have an effect but I have no doubt some will carry on their merry way.

[sml192]

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@bzmotman wrote:

You seem confused as to how this will work. If you go to the FAQs you will see an example where the Buyers Protection fee is added onto the sale price so the seller will not be paying for it.

As for "All this will do is reduce the fees to sellers ?? " this obviously cannot be true as it only applies to Private sellers who pay no fees to start with so they can't be reduced.

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The seller won't be paying for it directly but they will indirectly, as they will need to account for the buyer protection fee when deciding their selling price, in order to remain competitive. 

[sml192]

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@bearandballoon wrote:

Personally, I think it’s a very poorly thought-out idea. I’ve no doubt it will confuse buyers having 2 separate systems. It would have been much easier to either go the Vinted model for all sellers or stick with seller fees all round but at a reduced rate.

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As the buyer protection fee will be included in the listed price most buyers won't even notice it.  The breakdown will be shown at checkout but again many buyers won't bother reading it. 

[bazinga-games]

"We already HAVE 24/7phone support. It is not new. You can request a callback from eBay 24/7. "

That's 👆 correct.

Also, buyers already have protection - it's called the 'Money Back Guarantee' - so, in all honesty, I don't see what is going to be any different.  It appears to me that's it's just another fee grab.

I guess eBay are trying to reap back some of the money they are losing.  For instance, if a buyer has to open a Case because the item they bought from a private seller is faulty, etc, the seller SHOULD deal with the Return according to eBay's rules, but if they don't, eBay refunds the buyer and tells them that they don't need to return the item to the seller.  I believe in these situations eBay refunds the seller out of their own pocket.  I imagine this type of thing is where eBay are losing money.

[bravergrace]

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@discre wrote:

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@bravergrace wrote:

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You have made a simple distinction between:

- private sellers, who sell second-hand goods

- business sellers, who sell brand-new goods.

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I did not do this.

You said: @discre wrote:

If some ‘private’ sellers are actually business accounts masquerading as businesses then presumably they are competing against genuine business sellers, selling NEW items.  Simple solution. STOP ‘private’ sellers listing NEW items. It’s not rocket science, it’s incredibly simple to implement, and has already been suggested on these boards as a solution to this perceived ‘problem’.

Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but you are the one describing (defining?) genuine businesses sellers as those selling NEW items.  And your "simple solution" to the problem of illegal trading, is to STOP "private" sellers listing NEW items.

This is a brilliant idea for stopping people competing with businesses that sell brand new items.  But it doesn't address the problem for a large proportion of businesses on this platform.

Try telling the vinyl sellers, the stamp dealers and the booksellers that the "simple solution" to their problem is to stop "private" sellers selling brand new items.  It doesn't come close to addressing the problem of illegal trading.

It's a "simple solution", yes, but it treats second-hand dealers as if they don't exist, or don't matter.  You simply dismiss their problems with illegal competition as not worthy of a solution.

[dion5feb2016]

There is already buyer protection. I am a seller and a buyer (for now). Expecting that to change! If I purchase something and it is faulty, doesn’t match description or I do not receive it then I am guaranteed my money back, same as if I sell to a buyer, same applies. Why the stupid bureaucracy again. Goalposts continually move, I.e. your payments will be sent to your bank account, then, ‘erm, well they won’t be anymore’. But hey ‘you can withdraw your funds by request’. And then ‘well actually  you can have them 2 days following receipt of your sent item’ but only if it’s sent tracked. Otherwise you will need to wait 2 weeks. I am so fed up with all this, 

As for your focus group comment, I believe eBay asked some members if they wanted to join the Expression Focus Group? I was asked, completed surveys a few times, just seems to be a waste of time. Do they actually listen anyway, I doubt it, it’s their way or the highway.

I my opinion if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. 

[dion5feb2016]

Have scanned a lot of the replies etc but cannot see anything about having to refund before the 14 days is up? 

To clarify, at the moment if a buyer does not receive an item I have a set amount of days to refund. That is definitely NOT 14 days. If I don’t refund eBay will do it anyway and I will no doubt have a black mark on my account for not being cooperative. Will sellers be given an extended period of 14 days now before having to refund? So, I refund after say 7 days, the item turns up after that or AFTER the 14 day period. What happens then, do I get my money after 14 days despite having had to refund the buyer. I will not be happy having to refund someone before 14 days as the item may arrive (this has happened to me in the past, things get delayed), then where do I stand trying to get me money. Surely I have made an ‘admission’ that it is lost, do I then attempt to claim from the courier? Hope that makes sense, nothing about this makes sense at the moment!!!!!

[game_raid]

The Item not received cases will still be as normal and inline with when you shipped an item, a seller will still be responsible for dealing with cases.

It's the same as now if you close a case and refund and the item gets delivered a few days later you are left to try and claim from the buyer. If you send an item untracked the chances of a buyer being honest and saying it has finally arrived are very slim from experience.

The 14 days does not come into it, all eBay are saying is funds are released after 14 days if no tracking has been uploaded that's the only thing that is changing.

As with any item sold tracking should be used if viable, then if it is lost you claim from the courier.

What happens if the item is lost in delivery?

If your buyer hasn't received their item and the estimated delivery date has passed, they'll let you know there's an issue by opening an 'Item not received' request. If a buyer opens a request, we'll send a message with all of the details to your registered email address – it'll be available in your Messages too. Once a request is opened, you have 3 business days to resolve the issue. After that time, either you or the buyer can ask us to step in and help resolve the issue.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/buyer-protection-fee?id=5594

[game_raid]

Thinking about all this you can see what has been done, they want to rid the site of cheaper items that can't be sent tracked because it's not cost effective to do so, this is how ecommerce is going buyers prefer and want tracked delivery eBay knows this will help improve conversions. Buyers want to know when their item will be delivered whether we like this or not, it's how the industry is going and what consumers demand these days no matter what the value of the item is.

They Introduce a fee that will pretty much remove all the £1 items which will not be sent tracked, introduce slow payouts to pretty much force a seller to use a tracked service if they want to get paid quicker and this is all done through simple delivery.

Buyer's will soon be all getting a fast tracked delivery which should in turn produce more sales for all sellers.

eBay will never be able to compete with Amazon when it comes to shipping but they can still compete against other marketplaces by trying to offer a better shipping experience from private sellers.

I agree that it's hardly fare on those that want to sell cheaper items and all they can do now is create bundles to make it more worthwhile or not sell at all.

[myriad*seller]

I thought I read that the new "Buyer" protection meant that sellers did not refund buyers for items lost or damaged in the post and that eBay did so?? 

(Surely that is Seller protection but whatever)

Am I wrong? 

[insidethe93]

As a buyer it looks like I'll be changing the way I shop. No more recreational shopping - I used to enjoy browsing eBay. Buying 20 items per visit wasn't uncommon (fewer now as my struggle with eBay's new messaging system makes me concerned I'll miss a seller email). If it's 20 items and there's 75p flat buyer fee per item, never mind any additional fee, I'd resent paying eBay £15 in fees, and that'd be for just one session of shopping.

I'll probably continue buying made-to-order or customising-to-order items from sellers I buy from most often. And I'll be increasingly going to seller's own websites.

eBay has missed out a vital word - it's not "buyer protection" but "protection racket" and it's not buyers or sellers who'll benefit.