More than one account / reducing selling costs

[fatbobfan]

Hello all, opinons/advice if you'd be so kind. 

Registered as a business seller on another account, feature shop 1500 listings.

Out of the 1500 listings approx 300/500 listings are turnover and the rest long term, single item, oak,  I know the inventory, sometimes it takes years to sell but as a rule it was a good way  using up the the 1500 listings. 

With fees increasing I was looking at reducing selling costs, but dont think I can do so as a business as I have to pay to list on all Ebay buisiness accounts. So even with the Ebay 'No Shop' business account it will cost to list

Or do I take out a free to list private account along with the 'Basic' business account? If so can the accounts have the same bank account?

So to sum up 300/500 listings I am happy with on a business account and approx 1000 slow moving listings I really do not want to pay to list as they are too slow moving, costly to list. 

Thoughts?

Cheers FBF 

[cobwebcottage]

I think as a regular poster on the boards, you know that a private account is only for selling your own unwanted items so transfering stock to a private account is against Ebay rules and breaking distance selling laws.

I have two accounts and two bank accounts, business and private.

[fatbobfan]

Just looking to reduce business selling costs

As a platform its seems to be all about fast turnover of listings, I have 4 figures of slow turnover listings that are expensive to list, looking for a solution/suggestions to an expenive listing problem. Im dissappointed the platform cant find a solution for slow moving inventory.  

Appreciate your comments on rules etc but its not policed, as for requirements Im not looking to provide anything less than what we would do on our business account, quality service TRS level etc etc, we know how to keep customers happy and what they need, want, expect

Im not wishing to debate rules/regs just looking for to reduce my costs, 

[papso22]

The only way to legally reduce your costs is to look at the costs you incurr on running the business account and see if they can be reduced in some way.  It might be that another business account for slow moving items is a way forward, but the way forward is not to move stock to a private account.

You will be aware that one thing you cannot provide on a private account are your contact details to prospective buyers, which is a legal requirement for someone who is trading onlline. 

Also, posting on an ebay board that you are considering using a private account for trading to avoid the ebay business fees is a weird thing to do!

[myriad*seller]

For the reasons listed above it would be illegal to make your business sales on a private account

If your items don't sell, why pay to list them? If they cost more to list than the profit you make on them, then the items aren't profitable, so why list them?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Wow!   Just because something isn't/hasn't been policed in the past, does not make it the right thing to do.

By using a private account when you are a business, is actually illegal, because you are not displaying your business details.

It's like saying it's ok to rob someone if you don't get caught!

If your items aren't selling in a timely manner or making a profit, then you sell them off and don't replace them.  Buy something different to sell.

Sell them somewhere else if possible.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Could you bundle the slow movers to get them gone, or is the stock too disparate?

Alternatively, you could divide up the slow movers and just list maybe 200 of them for a month - then retire them and list the next batch of 200.  You can retire them by selecting Sell Similar and saving as a draft - but you will have to open them up within a certain number of days (I think that increased recently) and Save, otherwise they'll drop off the twig.  This might give them a boost as they'll get the benefit of being a new listing.

[sheba-knows-best]

Any business seller who hasn't considered swapping to the 'dark side' is a bit dim in my opinion given that so many people do it, benefit from it (or so most people on these boards seem to think) and eBay apparently condones it.  Im not saying it is legal or right... but surely, with this issue, there is room to be kind?

I have a similar issue. About 100 over the 1,500. I also know many of my items will sell...eventually. Given my loss is £6 a month I let it go.

IF I did want to 'go private' - I'd consider which items I'd had items for YEARS and switch them over. I mean, is anything you've had 10+ years really still a business sale?. It sounds more like a much loved heirloom. Actually, I'm curious... to any accountants out there... is there a cut off for when a business purchase becomes a private sale. I mean if I bought a coat today meaning to sell it, then kept it in case I might wear it (I have about 5 of these) then 10 years down the line decide I'm never gonna wear it... is it business or private?

[cobwebcottage]

'Any business seller who hasn't considered swapping to the 'dark side' is a bit dim in my opinion.'

And your statement is a bit dim. In my opinion.

[yorkshire*flower]

Like anything its trial and error - Ive tried removing non selling listings then found the rest seems to suffer so not sure if they all work in some algorithm group as Etsy seems to do the same - the more you list the more you sell (but not across the board just a small %) but I know what you mean re costs., I think if you do the maths of reducing to a basic with main 250 sellers and see if anything changes - maybe a costly exercise but you can always go back up and relist the non movers 

[btr.style]

eBay have created this massive divide as to people doing the right, legal or wrong thing and they've done nothing to take any responsibility or change things, they just make it worse. 

Why do they target some people and force them onto business accounts, yet others get away with it for many years? 1000's of listings, a good turnover and always getting the fee promo. I know of several "private" business accounts that turnsover £5-6k a month and have done for years, racking up 10k total sales and yet they are still on private accounts. Then when I've seen people posting here about being forced onto a business account, their turnover and sales is less. 

They know all too well they could put a stop to it, limit the promo, reduce the incentive or take more action to get those who should be correctly registered onto business accounts, yet they wont. Which then just encourages more people to get away with it or consider doing it. It causes that constant unfair competition, undercutting and makes the platform less appealing as a whole to buy or sell on.

[fatbobfan]

There can be good money in them, its just slow turnover. 

As in the first post it topped the remaining listings balance, it used to work well but more and more fees, there is good money in it when it sells  but its equates to at least double per month  what I compare with other selling platforms. 

[litp*records]

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@sheba-knows-best wrote:

Any business seller who hasn't considered swapping to the 'dark side' is a bit dim in my opinion given that so many people do it, benefit from it (or so most people on these boards seem to think) and eBay apparently condones it.  Im not saying it is legal or right... but surely, with this issue, there is room to be kind?

I have a similar issue. About 100 over the 1,500. I also know many of my items will sell...eventually. Given my loss is £6 a month I let it go.

IF I did want to 'go private' - I'd consider which items I'd had items for YEARS and switch them over. I mean, is anything you've had 10+ years really still a business sale?. It sounds more like a much loved heirloom. Actually, I'm curious... to any accountants out there... is there a cut off for when a business purchase becomes a private sale. I mean if I bought a coat today meaning to sell it, then kept it in case I might wear it (I have about 5 of these) then 10 years down the line decide I'm never gonna wear it... is it business or private?

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Sheba have you ever considered stealing from your local shop?  You'd save money and if there's no security/police then you'd be a bit dim not to, right?

Remember you'd not just be robbing Ebay (trading as a business on private account) but robbing customers of their legal rights and robbing those businesses who are correctly registered (we are paying more in fees to subsidise the freeloaders).  When was "everyone else is doing it" an excuse?

Having said all that I do understand where the source of your frustration is coming from.

[fatbobfan]

Nutwood that could well be a solution, good food for thought in there hadnt though along those lines

Thanks

[the-nutwood-collection]

'A much loved heirloom'. 

Whenever I move the box containing the 50mm crepe de chine ribbon that I've had since 2020 and sold practically none of, I will think to myself 'It is not a waste of space, it is a much loved heirloom'.

With regard to the coat - if you wear it, you've bought it, and should pay for it.  If you've written it off in the accounts and subsequently recover all or part of the cost, then the money must go back into the business. 

I've just had a giant clear-up of discontinued colours and weights, all put aside with the intention of using them in my own work.  Finally got fed up of them being in the way, so listed them at sale prices.  Gosh, they were popular.  Everyone loves a bargain.  Accountant says revenue belongs to the business.  The great thing about the exercise is that, because the stock value is written down to zero, the profit % is AWESOME.

[pg_kicks]

If my local shop kept charging me more for the same products, were told about the shop lifters but basically said yeah we know but look we have security guards tell them, then when you told them they said meh they aren't breaking any rules as they walked out of said shop with a basket full of products I'd consider it, my moral compass probably wouldnt allow me to do it but seriously if are allowing it, have been told about it and doing the very minimum they could do.

I've always had the same outlook I dont blame the accounts who are doing it, yes they are breaking the law but eBay have created the issue, have been told about it and do nothing about it. Its a bit like greggs, they leave sandwiches out near an open door with full knowledge they are going to be taken, then just increase the prices for law abiding customers instead of dealing with the issue, its a bit of a joke.

[fatbobfan]

Can we show some class people, a couple of rude comments, not needed.

Yup the legal bit, yes your right, and yes it is right thing to do and have done so for 20 years as a business seller but is it right as you say when.......

Its not policed

The platform doesnt police.

The customers dont care or they wouldnt buy from them. 

The private business sellers dont care and actively seek to do so.

Paying business sellers are told to police and do so to no results. I checked my emails this morning  in excess of 3 figures of accounts reported towards the end of last year alone and the biggest pain in my **** clearly manipulating the situation and has been doing so for over a year

And thats just this platform ?

Yes its the right thing to do, have done so as advised. Would be good if it was supported.

Again looking at my costs and have found tips in these posts thank you, I stated in the first post this platform is geared to fast turn over, the algorythm rewards it and slides slow movng inventory down the pecking order. I have some slow moving inventory that is borderline not being viable here, shame as it can have good results, 

I am someone who has done the right thing for 20 years and have been questioning why for the above reasons, you guys care passionately I get it but...... 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I'm sorry, but just because your allowed to get away with something because someone is looking the other way, simply does not make it right.

Yes, Ebay should resolve these issues, but in law, at the end of the day, it is the sellers responsibility to work in a legal manner.  It's not something that the marketplace is legally obliged to do.

So I do blame the accounts that are doing this.  They are gaining an unfair advantage against properly registered business'.  Ebay is complicit in this, but the hammer should fall on the business' involved.

So though people may look to turning to the dark side at times, it's still wrong.  No matter which way you look at it.  And I do have some sympathy with this, but wouldn't do it myself as I want to trade legally.

[pg_kicks]

We agree on a few things, what they are doing is wrong, but in my opinion it should be eBay that take most of the blame as they have set up a platform that allows it and is broken so reporting doesnt help, but they kept trotting out the line of please report these accounts they are looked into by humans, when they have been proved wrong they double down. If eBay didnt have stupidly high limits for private accounts it would be stopped. Instead eBay love the money/sales these private accounts make and would rather we argue amongst ourselves instead of fixing the issue. 

If eBay just closed the loopholes then they couldnt break the law, it should be much easier for 1 company to change than expect others to report them and then close down accounts 1 by 1. Really eBay shouldnt even require reports, they should have staff making sure that accounts are not breaking the law, that should be the bare minimum I'd expect from a company.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I don't disagree with you, but....

Imagine that you went out and rented a shop.  You then begin to trade without registering with HMRC and so on.  If what you are saying is true, that Ebay is responsible, then in the scenario above, the landlord should ensure that you are trading correctly.  That in fact does not happen and shouldn't.  It's not their responsibility.  All the landlord cares about, is that there rent etc is paid on time.  In just the same way, Ebay only cares about being paid.

You have to remember that it's just a place to sell things, no more than that.   That ebay does take some action is laudable and to make a better selling platform, it should do more.  But they are not responsible for this.  It's those sellers, that are actually breaking the law and it's up to the likes of HMRC and so on to do something about it.  Which in some respects they have done, with the reporting requirement etc.  Then trading standards should also be doing something about this.  These are the organisations with the power to do something about it.

There is a partial exception to this, in the Ebay is liable for the VAT when traders are using Ebay UK etc, but are based in other countries.  You can be sure that Ebay will take action in this instance.