Concern Over New Attributed Sale Fee Rule (Effective 24 June 2025)

[lord_and_lady_m]

dave@ebay kat@ebay marco@ebay 

I’m writing as a UK small business seller regarding the upcoming change to attributed sale rules under general campaigns. Given that the 30-day click attribution window reaches back before the formal effective date (24 June 2025), I am concerned this introduces ad fees without fair notice or sufficient time to adjust campaigns.

Please clarify how eBay ensures compliance with UK advertising standards and consumer protection regulations in applying these fees, and whether there is an opt-out option or grace period for affected sellers.

Thank you for your attention.
Everyone

[lord_and_lady_m]

Question for clarification:

How does eBay define “buyer” ?

Does this refer only to users who have purchased from my shop previously, or does it include any logged-in eBay user who clicked on the promoted listing, even if they have no purchase history?

Does the buyer have to have actually purchased something from someone within those 30 days or are "buyers" actually just potential buyers.

[lord_and_lady_m]

Link to the announcement - https://www.ebayadvertising.com/en-gb/2025/05/22/seller-announcement-updates-to-ebays-promoted-listi...

Announcement Text:

Exclusive ad placement with priority campaigns

Starting 24 June 2025, campaigns using a priority strategy on ebay.co.uk, ebay.fr, ebay.it, ebay.es and ebay.au will get exclusive access to the first ad slot at the top of eBay search results. This means your items will get more visibility to help increase your chances of a sale.

We first introduced the priority campaign strategy to help sellers reach more buyers and sell their items faster by providing access to high-visibility ad placements and advanced controls for increasing sales velocity. And over the past year, we’ve continued to improve the product, introducing key features like AI-optimized keyword guidance, Smart Targeting, and suggested campaigns.

With exclusive access to the first ad slot position in search results, you’ll soon be able to drive greater visibility for your priority listings helping you generate more sales. This also means campaigns that use a general strategy will no longer be eligible to show ads in the first ad slot position in search results.

We’ll continue investing in the priority strategy to ensure you have access to the best ad placements and can increase sales velocity with greater efficiency. If you’re already using priority campaigns, your ads will automatically be eligible to show in the first ad slot position at the top of search results.

Updated attribution for general campaigns

Starting 24 June 2025, items listed on ebay.co.uk, ebay.fr, ebay.it, ebay.es and ebay.au and promoted with a general campaign strategy will use the following attribution definition

An attributed sale will be when any buyer purchases the promoted item within 30 days of any click on the ad, regardless of whether the buyer themselves clicked on the ad. The item must be promoted at the time of click and the time of sale. The seller will be charged the ad rate at the time of sale.

This update will simplify campaign reporting, while allowing you to maintain control over your spend – you continue to only pay when your item sells. As with any update, we recommend you monitor ad performance and adjust your strategy accordingly.

We’re here to help

There’s never been a more exciting time to advertise on eBay. As we focus on the year ahead, we’ll continue investing in ways to help you grow your business and your brand. Please continue sharing your questions, comments, and feedback with the community and support team. We’re committed to helping you get the most out of your selling experience.

[darth_baggins]

Already a big discussion on this https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/Promoted-Listings-Changes-You-Must-Be-Joking-e...

[lord_and_lady_m]

Thanks for posting the link. I've purposefully posted this seperate with a tag to the ebay community team in it, and hopefully they will see the main thread with all the concerns.

[marco@ebay]

Hi lord_and_lady_m, thanks for your post. 

That's a fair question, please note that due to the nature of your query and how new these incoming changes are, I will double check this with the relevant team to provide as much clarification as possible and an accurate response. Once they confirm this for me, I will post back here as soon as possible to let you know. 👍

Thank you,

Marco

[dave@ebay]

Hi @lord_and_lady_m 

eBay ensures compliance with advertising standards through a combination of policies, guidelines, and monitoring systems. Here are some ways eBay achieves this:

1. Advertising Policies: eBay has specific advertising policies that sellers must adhere to. Sellers are required to provide accurate descriptions and avoid misleading claims.
2. Seller Guidelines: eBay provides detailed seller guidelines that outline best practices for creating listings and advertisements. These guidelines help sellers understand what is acceptable and what is not, ensuring compliance with advertising standards.
3. Monitoring and Enforcement: eBay employs automated systems and human reviewers to monitor listings and advertisements for compliance. If a listing is found to violate eBay's standards, it may be removed, and the seller could face penalties, including account suspension.
4. Education and Support: eBay offers resources and support to help sellers understand and comply with advertising standards. This includes educational materials, webinars, and customer support to address any questions or concerns.
5. Collaboration with Regulatory Bodies: eBay works with regulatory bodies to ensure its advertising policies align with national and international standards. This collaboration helps eBay stay updated on changes in advertising laws and regulations.

By implementing these measures, eBay strives to maintain a marketplace that is fair, transparent, and compliant with advertising standards.

Thanks,

Dave

[dave@ebay]

Hi @lord_and_lady_m 

Regarding a grace period, when it hits June 24th, we are going to look at the previous 30 days for the clicks to attribute, which is from now & that is correct. However, it is different to how you as a seller knows attribution to currently work. So when June 24th hits, we will look at if a click occurred within last 30 days and charge a PLG rate. But the rate that will be charged is the rate that is in effect at the time of sale. Under the current attribution model we would charge the rate in effect at the time of the click. What is also different is that the item still needs to be promoted at the time of sale for us to charge! If the seller removes that item from PLG on June 24th, they won't receive any PLG fees for that item beyond that date, where with the current attribution model, we would charge the PLG fee up to 30 days after the click if the sale occurred, regardless of whether the item was still promoted or not.

Thanks,

Dave

[lord_and_lady_m]

Thank you for getting a detailed response from ebay regarding the upcoming changes to attribution and promoted listings fees effective June 24, 2025.

I appreciate the clarification on how the new rules will apply; however, I remain concerned about the retroactive nature of this change. Specifically, sellers are now liable for ad fees on sales after June 24 based on clicks that occurred prior to the policy change — effectively reaching back 30 days before the effective date, without a formal grace period or opt-out.

As a UK small business, I wish to understand how eBay has ensured that this retroactive application is compliant with UK consumer protection, advertising fairness standards, and principles set by regulatory bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Could you please clarify:

• Has eBay consulted with UK regulatory bodies to ensure the fairness and legality of applying new fees to pre-existing clicks?

• Is there a formal seller notice process, given the financial impact?

• Will sellers have any reporting or tools to clearly separate fees generated under the old model vs. the new one, for auditing purposes?

I look forward to your clarification, as this change significantly affects margin planning and campaign management for small sellers like myself.

Thank you for your time and support.