FAO Ebay staff - Reporting businesses trading on private accounts

[howmuchtobid]

To whom it may concern.

It's about time it was made easier for Ebay users to be able to report businesses trading on private accounts in a much more straight forward way.  At the moment there is no obvious option when using the report item option, i.e. there is no business trading on a private account option.

I and many other business sellers/Ebay users have spent a lot of time reporting blatant business sellers on private accounts however we are often wasting our time as all we get is a pointless AI response which simply isn't good enough.

This is something that needs to be introduced urgently as it will help legitimate business sellers survive and hopefully flourish, also in many ways it will be of great benefit to Ebay. It will also help Ebay's image as having so many illegal sellers on the platform is not a good look.

Can someone from Ebay please confirm they have seen this, thank you.

[hobbiesncrafts]

When l first made the post l did not realise that there were so many different views on this so maybe next time l will think twice before making a post. I reported 2 different accounts to ebay and both are still on there merrily adding to their listings. My listings are approx. 2,500 with a value of £98k, a private seller, not allowed to say who, has double that amount of listings for the same products, sewing patterns so god knows what that value is. That is why l reported them, it was not vindictive, just trying to make this platform fair for all other business sellers. Since then l have received a 'friendly warning' from ebay for advising people to go off site (HMRC) and my sales have plummeted by about 75% so l advise all other sellers to think twice before giving such advise as it will affect both your sales and income and as a true business seller l still have staff to pay, rent and rates, NI and pensions. Just bear that in mind when giving advice tghat, although you genuinely believe you are trying to make it fairewr you are just making it far worse for yourself. It has made me look towards another platform, something l never thought l would do after 17 years but my business is more important to me than anything ebay has to offer. Thank you for all your messages regarding this but l think it is just a hopeless case now as the main ones l reported has 5 different listings for the same item, just worded slightly different but with the same pictures and that is one of many of their listings using the same practice and so shows that no matter what there are ways round ebay rules as they have many listings like this.

[moldosgifts]

For a business the only requirment should be if you buy or make to sell you are a business.

Even if you have one thing that doesnt sell so zero tunover.

It's the intent that should apply

I know a business that has one thing they offer over 10 and have sold 3 on a private account, They are a business and i  ill be reporting them as such.

The are defraudung ebay of the appropriate fees.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

No need to do the full paragraph explaining why people should have insurance, when I already said:  "It's something that any sensible business will have, but it's certainly not a requirement."

As to the rest, your simply splitting hairs. 

Sure, if Ebay doesn't charge anything, they won't be paying any tax on it.

But then what do you think is happening right now, with free selling for business sellers on clothing?

Your making a ridiculous argument for that, just trying to prove what was obviously incorrect, right.

But it was more than clear that you were talking about business, using private accounts and their taxes, not Ebays!

[hobbiesncrafts]

I thought so too so others did not make the same mistake but have now received another warning from ebay so l guess 75% sales reduction will now be 100%. I give up and will be moving all my listings now

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

Ebay should update this page as in reality it is not happening. 

Business seller policy | eBay

[pg_kicks]

Hi Kat,

I sent you a PM on Thursday with the name and role of the person who told me this info, I've not heard anything back to say you actually got the message but I don't really trust eBays pm service as it seems many are ignored/not received by community team from me so just wanting to make sure if you have received it and if there is anything further you can explain?

[kat@ebay]

Hi @pg_kicks ,

As its a community forum we mainly operate through posts here on threads.  Yes your message was received. I was out of the office on Friday and Monday. I will have it followed up to be reviewed and if required the necessary training and coaching will be provided.

Thank you,

Kat

[pg_kicks]

I didnt think it would be wise to post the managers name on a public forum, next time I will just post names of your colleagues who are telling incorrect information or ignoring me if thats the better way to do it. for the record training is essenial as he clearly told me the wrong information. Sadly I expect it to go under the carpet like all the other issues eBay customer service have though.

Thanks

[palison_123]

Your missing the point Lupo they are not going to get these "private sellers" removed.

[gemini-project]

I agree, its been a month now and nothing is happening or seems to be.

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

Once again I have just been told by ebay customer service that sales of 85k is the point at which sellers have to upgrade to a business account.

You couldn't make this up, what a mess.

Here are examples of what I was told:

"There is no specific criteria, but a seller who is found buying items to sell and whose annual turnover is above 85K is forced to business seller."

"Recently, we forced approx 60k private sellers were forced to upgrade their account to business and the sellers who missed to upgrade where suspended from selling. This was communicated to all private sellers in mid August and those sellers who missed to upgrade were suspended on 4th September."

[therenewalworkshopltd]

That is insane.  It's not very obvious at all is it, that they are not UK based or familiar with the law.

What is it with support in these bigger companies, that just want to tell you what you want to hear?

It seems to be a thing, no matter where you go these days.  All of the marketplaces do this, not just Ebay.

Maybe they all use the same flaming company to support us......

[nutrafituk]

Just had a call from ebay's marketinmg dept oferring us a Black Friday coupon offer - they would cover 20% of it if opted in. I got straight to the point and expalined that we would not participate in any sort of marketing campaign or promotion until they get this 'private seller - not really one' situation sorted. Money talks - probably the only way ebay can understand anything...

[the_book_seekers]

It's shocking and illustrates the size of the problem. They've dealt with the tip of the iceberg but not much more than that.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

You have very likely misunderstood how those coupons work.

They fund 40% of it and you 60%.

Money may well be the way to make them do things, but not if your the only one doing it.  🙂

[nutrafituk]

I understood it perfectly well and read their t&c's at seller's portal - the only difference was 20/80 ratio, not 40/60%. I suggest they call one of those private seller-companies instead.

[papso22]

What so 60,000 sellers trading over the VAT registration threshold were forced to become business sellers?  If that's true then how many hundreds of thousands of other 'smaller fry' are there that are still trading illegally?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Ok, I was only trying to help you.

I have the same coupon for the black friday.

It gives a 20% discount to customers, but is funded 60/40.

That is where you are getting the 20% from.

[gemini-project]

It not even £85,000 anymore its £90,000 for the VAT threshold, are eBay really that much out of touch??

Had this yet again, they just aint bothered.

Thanks again for reporting the listing(s) you found. 

What happened:
We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy.  This determination was made by a customer service agent.

[ett1954]

"We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy" - It's a shame these auto responses are from a no reply address otherwise the response would be 'That may be, however it is against UK law which has precedent.'

The conclusion: eBay not only condones the breaking of UK laws, but supports it as well.