Has anyone seen that private sellers are seeing "it is now free to sell" excludes motors

[notstopbuying]

Wow, if all private sellers can list and sell with no fees that is going to change the whole site. 

It's been reported over on the private sellers forums and via other places too

Small picture of the eBay banner. 

[dch2112011]

It looks as though they have added more categories where you can use the 1000 free listings  from 1st Sept to 1st October  ? Not sure at all whether this is the news  - the reports that are far and few between mention no selling fees or regulatory fees but nothing visible anywhere that I can see

The last update 29th Aug 

It's Free to List!
Up to 1,000 free listings and schedules per month, excludes Motors & Classifieds opens in a new window or tab

Start:1 Sep 2024 at 12:00am BSTEnd:1 Oct 2024 at 12:00am BST

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

I'm waiting to hear an announcement from the government telling us about the huge increase in wages that all employers will be paying (without increasing their prices) so that Ebay buyers have the extra cash to be buying more of the items listed.

Followed by the major restructuring of the road and rail networks to deal with the extra delivery services that will be required to deliver all the extra parcels.

Oh,and if the listings increase on this site and more people buy here then do the high street shops not lose coz most people only have so much to spend and cannot buy from everywhere.Add on all of the extra packaging created that then needs a place to go ???.

Job vacancies and traffic will obviously increase though 😂🤣🙄

Why would Ebay announce a reduction in free listings from 1/10/24 and then announce this ?.I wonder if photoshop comes in to it somewhere.

[notstopbuying]

Likely to change tomorrow to fee free, as the new policy change to 300 free listings per month comes into action... Then I guess the news will go site wide, with lots of banners stating the new fee free policy. 

[dch2112011]

I think you reported a similar offer on  a thread in February

This was the offer you reported - could it be another similar offer on the run up to the reduction on 1st October ?

What's it all about?

• Get 100% off fixed order level fee of 30p and variable percentage final value fees ("FVF") per listing in final value fees if the item sells and pay no insertion fee.
• Other fees, including any International fees, still apply
• Listings must start during the promotional period.
• Listings can be auction-style or fixed price format.
• The promotion start and end dates are included in the email we send to invited sellers.
• Eligible listings must sell during the promotion period or within the first listing period post promotion end date.

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

Please post a link and why is your feedback not public

[notstopbuying]

My feedback is private through choice, but I did post a link to a new article earlier today.

It is eBay's worst kept secret, I know it is not ideal for business sellers, as they will not be fee free....but check back tomorrow when the new policy change kicks in, I am sure you have doubts and it all seems quite unbelievable, but sadly it looks like it will be happening, for the better or for the worse....only time will tell.

I know the link I added earlier today is not the very best source, but it does have a quote from eBay...I guess that would be taking things a step too far, but scepticism, is inevitable, but believe as you choose.

[dch2112011]

Who is interested in your feedback ?  Maybe hiding it is a good idea - get everyone guessing then the big reveal !  All it will show is feedback !  Which is of no real interest to anyone here ! Nah keep it private - keep em guessing !

Yes there is no smoke without fire the offer will appear soon - brace yourself for all the private accounts being told to upgrade to business  without the use of the offer.

I wonder just how many will protest they are just private sellers and have been wronged, picked on, maligned, and any other adjective they can think of !

[leadhills_scot]

I wish they would hurry up and state what is going to happen. Normally there is a sellers update in September.

If they are going to allow private sellers free selling I will not bother to put in a last order with the wholsaler, just sell what I have left and close down.

[ett1954]

"I checked the German ebay fee structure for business sellers in the hopes that business seller fees where much lower than in the UK, but sadly not, it looks as if the free fees in Germany for private sellers is propped up by business sellers full fee structure." - whilst not disputing that this be the case in the UK it is not fair to compare with the system in Germany.

In Germany business selling is strictly controlled and enforced at a local level.  Anyone buying, making, or refurbishing to sell is compelled to register as a business - it is monitored and strictly controlled, even by eBay, unlike at present in the UK.  It would be much more difficult to find incorrectly registered sellers on eBay.de as the penalties are severe and digital platforms can be held equally liable.

In addition the sales level at which a seller has to be registered for VAT; I think it was around €20,000 last time I checked - compare that with the £90,000 in the UK.

As it stands today a similar fee structure in the UK with the amount of business sellers incorrectly registered would drive many correctly registered small businesses to the wall.  Whilst this may help eBay's 4th quarter results for 2024 (Oct-Dec), the 'shake-down' through HMRC reporting in January 2025 and the potential implications of 'private' sellers avoiding the GPSR rules come December 13th could have some unwelcome impact on eBay's UK financials during 2025.  If no-fee selling for private selling is introduced under the current lax enforcement of UK legislation and eBay policies it would be welcome to the 'wild west'.

Now is the time for small business sellers to diversify, if they haven't already done so, including options other than online selling if appropriate.

[dch2112011]

"Ich bin ein Berliner"  or as some translated JFK as saying "I am a Jelly Doughnut" 

In ebay terms  this is  what JFK would have said about ebay's business sellers

Als gewerblicher Verkäufer zahlen Sie eBay-Gebühren. Die Höhe hängt davon ab, was Sie verkaufen, wie Sie Ihre Angebote einstellen und ob Sie einen eBay Shop haben.

Translated 

As a business seller, your eBay fees are based on what you sell, how you set up your listings and whether you subscribe to a shop as a Personal account holder 

[lens-sage]

The 300 free listings for private sellers will incur no transaction fees or regulatory operating fees.

There's a new "balance" thing where they hold your funds for 2 days it seems, clearly aimed at encouraging private sellers to spend their money on ebay.

[notstopbuying]

Now showing as transaction fee free for private sellers. But at the time of posting this, the fees have not yet been updated on the fees page for private sellers. 

 

 

 

[notstopbuying]

You can also spend your money on promoting listings..... Which was quite prominent In the details, promoted listings is going to be the big upsell, to claw back some of that missing FVF, otherwise sellers listings will be on the last page in the searches. 

[hoodsw1v]

I don't see how private sellers could hit 300 per month and not get pulled up by HMRC. Maybe that's the point?

I'm trying to clear my house as my downstairs needs gutting, old wiring, woodchip everywhere etc and even with the amount of stuff I've got I couldn't hit 300.

[lens-sage]

Depends whether HMRC think it looks business-like enough to actually have a living breathing person look into it beyond initial reporting.

Also, don't forget, any "private seller" with an ounce of brains will have already registered for self assesment after learning their sales info will be automatically sent.

If a seller is found to be making tax returns and declaring turnover equal to or greater than ebay sales, hmrc won't really have anything else to do. It's not their concern whether or not a seller is registered as private, not their domain.

Perhaps they would communucate back to ebay that the seller is definitely a registered business, though? Depends whether the data goes both ways.

[bypyhgyk]

IT IS NOW FREE TO SELL FOR PRIVATE SELLERS!

Relist your old items! Old listings will still have fees to pay for them.

Free selling for UK-based private sellers
It's now free for UK-based private sellers to sell on eBay (excluding motors: Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles listings). You won't pay final value fees or regulatory operating fees when your items sell.

Fees will apply if you list more than 300 items in a month, if you add optional upgrades to your listing, or if you deliver to an overseas address.

[leadhills_scot]

Well that has made my decision for me, really had enough now. Was planning to continue selling until I retire next April, as ebay has yet again shafted small business sellers I will close down after Christmas and what is left will go to charity.

[hudsonsclothes]

It is crazy that private sellers are getting rewarded and those who pay a subscription and everything else that comes with being a small business are getting nothing other than competition that can now charge a little less with the fee savings.

I'm trying to see the positives and hope traffic on site increases and the new funds staying in eBay wallet will mean more private sellers spending on eBay but that's at a stretch. Will just see how it goes 

[leadhills_scot]

They said buyers would increase when they removed fees for private sellers selling clothes. Not sure where these invisible buyers are, my sales were down 66% in September.

[krafty-kreations]

My guess is it will be harder to sell as a business now, I have no issues with genuine private sellers benefitting but when there are still so many business sellers using private accounts it just makes me want to give up on eBay altogether.