No Fees for selling Clothing?

[vintagewatchpart]

So Ebay has abolished all fees for selling clothing on a private account.

Now more than ever surely the clamping down of businesses operating from private accounts has to increase?

I feel so sorry for those in this niche who trade legitimately as businesses who are competing with "private" sellers who just got handed a massive chunk of money.

[*vyolla*]

So, we’re confident that business sellers will also be able to benefit from this”.

Sholto Mee, Chief Commercial Officer, eBay UK

Yeah, I don't think that you've quite thought this through, eBay. 

[fatbobfan]

Just seems like spin to me, 

[pg_kicks]

I'll be asking whomever is at the Roadshow for the benefit of a business that private accounts are now getting everything I pay for but for free, guarantee they come out with it will bring more people to the site which is true but its not a benefit as they will buy the cheaper items which dont need to cover fee's.

I suspect they will say nothing that is mentioned at the Roadshow can be said on the forums though.

[btr.style]

You know it. Tight lipped and smiling and nodding. There will be some reason you just have to accept even if you don't accept it. That will be the reason and they won't be briefed to give any other reason even if they don't agree with the reason they've been briefed to give. 

[pg_kicks]

Only positive is at least they will be highlighted to the issue, as well as the reporting being nto fit for purpose and the EDD not being true. As much as the community team tell us these are passed to the relevant team that team dont tell their managers so the people with actual power dont know anything is broken.

The open event in Manchester was one of the best things to happen to my business/mental health as I got the email of the head of eBay sneakers, the stuff that was being kept from him was a joke, customer service saying its been passed to managers and then 1 email to him and he genuinely didnt have a clue and it was solved within days, instead of just being baited by eBay employees telling me to do the same broken procedure 34234 times.

[thesmokingrunner]

---

@*vyolla* wrote:

So, we’re confident that business sellers will also be able to benefit from this”.

Sholto Mee, Chief Commercial Officer, eBay UK

Yeah, I don't think that you've quite thought this through, eBay. 

---

I think that might have been misquote and should have read "So, we're confident that business sellers with private accounts will also be able to benefit from this".

There. Fixed it for you, Sholto...

[myriad*seller]

---

@douglaspuglas wrote:

It's supposedly only pre-owned clothing that's fee free.

But does that mean used or something new with tags that's been sat in the back of a wardrobe?

---

eBay say pre-owned can be used or NEW clothing....

[myriad*seller]

HMRC will have fun sending out tens of thousands of requests for self assessment to these "private sellers" come January 2025...

Remember, they will still be brought to HMRCs attention after a certain number of sales or selling more than £1700 worth of items

With no selling fees to deduct, to offset against tax, the tax bill will be higher, rather than lower...

[btr.style]

Good to hear. It's puzzling here isn't it. Look at that post about VAT and only today was there a response saying eBay's systems are being updated to reflect the new 90K. That's an old topic, probably waited for a email all week and finally got one back today. 

Get it all put more direct and don't go easy on them 

[pg_kicks]

I'll be direct, I mentioned the lack of an option to report at the open event so basically I got ignored, I'll be bringing that up too. I have a list of issues, which if fixed would only increase eBays income, its like the genuinely dont want people to use the site. After this announcement I wouldnt be angry if anyone selling clothes just set up a private account and done so for free.

I'm also sick of people mentioning the HMRC rules, they wont change a thing, anyone who has played chicken with HMRC is an idiot, you pay your taxes but just dont pay your eBay fees, even if they caught the people with sales of £0-5k a year thats nothing the ones who has sales of £80k and multiple accounts are the ones who will be doing everything legally with regards to HMRC but know eBay dont give two hoots so trade illegally on eBay.

[the_book_seekers]

Clearly an attempt to drag some private sellers back from Vinted rather than anything else. I'm not in clothes reselling but as a business on ebay I see this as yet another thing to be supported by all business sellers. Up to 1000 free listings a month, 70 - 80% FVF promotions, fee free selling for some and now this. I really can't see how business sellers in this area will benefit from this - that statement needs to be explained. God help the rest of us if ebay expands this idea across other areas.

[elianajvintage]

I'm confused. I'm used to eBay introducing changes and maintaining that these changes are supposedly for my benefit . I fail to see how clogging the site up with cheap clothing is going to help me as a business seller.

Even if these (so called) private sellers buy twice as much as they sell they will be buying from other private sellers who are able to undercut Business sellers like myself because they don't have to pay eBay fees, or taxes etc.  It going to be a disaster for business seller - unless I'm missing something here?

And on the subject of 'private' sellers when is eBay going to clamp down on business sellers masquerading as private?

[bricklanebargains]

The main problem here is, as you`ve already pointed out, business sellers masquerading as private sellers. Vinted has many business sellers operating as "private". In my opinion, Ebay really hasn`t thought this through. Unfair competition for business sellers is only one aspect of it. I can see the site soon being flooded by thousands and thousands of cheap high street clothing items that have no monetary value at all. Most of those won`t sell and will only work to push good listings down Ebay search.            

[vintagewatchpart]

Do you think it someone made a new business online that people could sell their old tech and computer games on for free that took off, eBay would make these free to sell too?

Maybe someone will make one for jewellery, perhaps books. 

It's a fast changing world and who knows what's round the corner but being a leader in decisions and ideas and not a follower as a marketplace is hugely important to survive.

[pg_kicks]

---

@vintagewatchpart wrote:

It's a fast changing world and who knows what's round the corner but being a leader in decisions and ideas and not a follower as a marketplace is hugely important to survive.

---

Looking after your customers and not pi**ing off a large proportion is always a great business rule to go by, this one move by eBay has gone against that, they need business accounts to pay the bills, without a business selling then private accounts wont have a platform. To me it looks like eBay has chased the short term gain for a serious long term loss.

[btr.style]

Trust me sunshine. You'd not be saying that if suddenly watches became no fees and they allowed all the shysters from Ali express to come in on private accounts to cut you down on makeshift watch models and parts. 

Sure you'd still have your clientele but it would be reduced and I guess we could say you'll be laughing at the other side of your face when they whack up fees in your category to offset this. 

[vintagewatchpart]

I think you have seriously misinterpreted my post. I did start the thread and have posted a plethora of threads and posts that definitely side with the majority view!

I was suggesting that in the future other businesses may come along who create sites that sell items for free in other categories so ebay would have to make those categories free too.

To spell it out quite clearly:

Ebay needs to be a leader in ideas and decisions and not a follower (just following what other platforms do) and that in the future lots of competition may just come out of nowhere and Ebay will not survive unless it starts becoming proactive.

[btr.style]

Oh I see now. My mistake and I apologise for that. 

Just all frantic at the moment as you can understand. Sorry I read it wrong. 

[vintagewatchpart]

Its ok, thank you, I am honestly gutted for the clothing sellers.

[fatbobfan]

I hope that the other platform/s are seeing this as an opportunity, 

Do they have anything to loose by opening their doors to business sellers? 

When you stop and think about todays announcement, its a bit unbelievable, struggling to get my head around the 'quotes' backing up their decision making, very discourteous to so many loyal and professional customers.

Small fry, big pond, not in that pond either, but was there any consultation?  Big or small?

Genuinely gutted as @vintagewatchpart , shameful, they should be backing/supporting you not making it difficult, doesnt make sense, dont get it

Apart from the obvious.....