HELP! Obvious business seller operating on a private account!

[cocooncards]

I hate having to do this but there is a business seller operating on a private account in my category (I'm posting this on a throwaway just FYI). He's already made like a grand in a day (NO FEES!). I tried to report but the old system is gone and the new one doesn't appear to have "fee avoidance" (or similar) as an option, as far as I can tell. 

I was under the impression that all the new rules (simple delivery, BFP, selling limits etc.) were supposed to stop PRECISELY THIS from occurring!

[jonatjonatjonat]

Are you referring to you yourself having to pay a fee on a purchase from someone on ebay but then you also have to pay a fee if you then sold that same item on ebay?
If so, if your business model was flipping ebay sales - then yes, it is a bit of a bind - but I'm not sure what scenario you are actually talking about.

[spence0175]

This is not just about what the buyer pays. It’s what the seller gets. Everyone has different views on how they see it.. I pay to sell, they don’t…it’s not free for me.

I will stick with my view….

[spence0175]

If I was selling a pair of Nike trainers for £20 and a private seller was, in order for him to sell at £20 he would have to swallow the bpf.

If I was selling a doll  for £20 on a buy it now I would pay the fee of £4 and get £16. If a private started an auction of a teddy  at £20 and I bought it. He would get £20 and if he didn’t swallow the bpf then I would pay it.

Now if people are both buying and selling then it’s swings and roundabouts. If a person is just selling then everything they sell if fee free. That’s how I see it

[jonatjonatjonat]

Right the first bit of that is the ONLY bit to latch onto.

both a private and business seller sellling a pair of Nike trainers. 

business seller is selling them at £20 with fees taken off them. the private seller will sell for £20 but only if they can somehow convince someone to actually buy that with the BPF on top. If they are the same exact product, I know what I’d rather buy.

the bear and the doll is irrelevant because they could have completely different worth.

[ga00645]

How do you know he’s not selling chattels?(wasted or non wasted assets)

[clutterfreeplz]

There is ways to get around it. I have the same problem in a niche market, where competitors just open another personal account and sell against me with no fees, whereas I'm doing it as a business. Contact me directly and IL give you some pointers. If still needed

[enduringclothingstudio]

I was concerned by a seller selling lots of new items on his private account and Ebay told me he wasn't selling multiples of the same items that all his items were singular so he didn't need to be a business seller , but he does have alot of new items for sale and at one stage was selling alot of brand new ladies underwear  and was selling it no problem with high prices too ,he is on benefits too .

[vintagechinashop]

I’m playing eBay at their own game. I’ve opened a private account on a rival platform and only upload a few items a month ( they will be declared on my tax return). So no fees on there prices can be lower as I have no fees just like private sellers do on here   Once the item has sold I remove it from eBay therefore ,although I’ve paid a listing fee as part of my shop , I’ll pay no final value fee and eBay have lost out on that sale.   I’m having much greater success there which goes to show this is why so many private sellers do well here   Even though I have a fraction of the items listed on here on the rival platform my sales have already jumped above my monthly average here 

[gemini-project]

When there was a way to report these sellers i never got anywhere , its almost a year now and one of the sellers i reported more than once is still selling on a private account, how much have ebay lost in fees??

I reported this trader to trading standards last week but i suspect little will happen.

[krafty-kreations]

Same, been reporting the same seller for over year who would need a featured shop with the amount of listings they have. 

I couldn't get as far as trading standards tho, I couldn't get past Citizens Advice who were adamant it is down to eBay to sort in house. 

[fribblecollectables]

Nothing happens.

When I remember, I have been reporting three 'private' sellers for over a year now, every few months.

One has over £80,000 of brand new stock constantly being added to.

Another also has a physical shop in London and a very nice looking website on which they sell.

Another says they will, "make all items to order".

Nothing done. They are saving a lot of fees.

[gemini-project]

I have had no response from trading standards who probably left it in the hands of eBay that won't do anything, they will have had a response from AI " sorry but we can't find anything wrong with this seller, they are following all the rules and we make so much money from the legitimate business sellers its not worth the hassle of employing an actual person to sort this out"      

[4_bathrooms]

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@gemini-project wrote:

I have had no response from trading standards who probably left it in the hands of eBay that won't do anything, they will have had a response from AI " sorry but we can't find anything wrong with this seller, they are following all the rules and we make so much money from the legitimate business sellers its not worth the hassle of employing an actual person to sort this out"      

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As I suggested earlier in the thread due to budget cuts Trading Standards are pretty much toothless enforcers these days. It is nigh-on impossible to contact a TS department directly; you're usually directed to Citizen's Advice who will almost certainly tell you to report the problem to eBay (who don't care either).

The situation will only change if eBay are forced to do something about it upon threat of financial penalty. That will only happen if those in Government pass legislation to that effect and that will only happen if those in Government actually recognise there's a problem to start with. In another thread I suggested a petition was the way to go and another member actually drafted one (I'm not sure if they actually submitted it or not). I also pointed out that 10,000 signatures are required to obtain a response with 100,000 signatures required for the petition to be debated in Parliament - I have a feeling obtaining 1,000 signatures would be a push.  

[cobwebcottage]

' I suggested a petition was the way to go and another member actually drafted one (I'm not sure if they actually submitted it or not). I also pointed out that 10,000 signatures are required to obtain a response with 100,000 signatures required for the petition to be debated in Parliament - I have a feeling obtaining 1,000 signatures would be a push'.

I know of a few BS who have given up posting on the boards due to being disillusioned or suppressed. And a few others who have been permanently put to pasture for their views ( fight) on this very subject.

There are probably less than 50 active BS on the boards now so a petition isn't going to work as not enough sellers will see it.

We have PS regularly giving advice to businesses on this board when they are incorrectly registered themselves so that sums up the situation as it stands.