Protection racket...?

[mr.mxyzptlk99]

Who would have thought it? Ebay running their very own protection racket? 😄

In other words you pay a bit extra on the side, for EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE YOU MAKE, just in case things get 'broken' or 'lost'... (regardless of whether any kind of claim is necessary)

And it's all legal.

Al Capone would be proud of such a scheme.

[crafty_cat_lover]

Not for every single purchase, only those purchases that are from private sellers.

[missdollydaydream]

Al Capone would be proud of such a scheme.

Nah, Al would have done it properly.

[gazzer666]

Personally most of my purchases were from private sellers so it will hit hard. It is the 1st thing in many years of using Ebay that I will very much limit what I buy. It will have a knock on effect to the local parcel deliveries and also the local charity where I donate most of my barely worn items. The only winner here will be my hubby who will no longer have to put up with my shopping habit! 

[nordsee_international]

This will finish ebay off. My buyer just yesterday complained to me about this fee. Another enquirer asked if I'd be prepared to pay the fee for him. Err, let's think....NO!

[tally14mama]

It's disgusting. It's around 15% on EVERY PURCHASE for something that was offered anyway with eBay money back guarantee. 5% - 10% wouldn't be so bad but it's too much money going in eBay's pocket when I'd rather it went to the seller. 

[cosmeticsandmisc]

The price you see on the search results is the price you pay. 

Just like VAT. It doesnt hit buyers, it hits sellers who have to reduce their price in order to price their goods competitively. 

If you're not happy with the price of an item, don't buy it. 

[cosmeticsandmisc]

it's more like

"£15 is the price you would normally make, now we're taking out 10-15% of that as a 'buyers protection fee'" 

ie you arent actually paying more. The seller has to price the item at a competitive price meaning they will look at the total you'll pay and mark their prices lower to accomodate that.

how do you fail to grasp this? it is no different to VAT really. if i pay £115 for an item, i don't care whether a seller is VAT registered or not. However the VAT registered sellers receive less than the rest because they have to mark their prices down to accomodate the VAT charge.

[crafty_cat_lover]

It's not around 15% on every purchase.

It is 4% plus 75p on private sellers only.

So it depends on the price of what you are buying and who you are buying it from.

For example, I won an auction for £40 plus £2.35 buyer protection, that is just under 6% and well within the range you say wouldn't be so bad.

On the other hand if you buy something for 99p the buyer protection is 79p so which is about 80%

I guess private sellers, myself included,  need to consider what they sell more carefully, bundling up cheaper items where possible.

[jonatjonatjonat]

I appreciate all you’ve done is see the word protection but buyer protection fee does not cover the same thing as the money back guarantee.

it is just a fee to cover eBay’s costs associated with the transaction.

[tally14mama]

No. It is an extortionate fee that will eventually stop me using eBay. I've
been given some amazing offers from private sellers that is completely
ruined by this greedy fee. Take 10% and no more. Or make it optional. A
compulsory fee, 80% on eggy cosies, is an own goal.

Tallymama

[tally14mama]

I've been given an offer on egg cosies which has this fee totalling 80%.
Completely wiped out the offer. A flat rate of 10% or make it optional.

Tallymama

[tally14mama]

So how come eBay have managed just fine for the last 15 years without
excessive fees to cover their costs when I buy something?
Instead of sellers fees now it's buyers fees. And the rate is extortionate
when the item is a low price. It could be a flat rate of 10% on final
selling price, which wouldn't wipe out sellers offers, or make it optional.
I'd rather give that money to the private sellers

[crafty_cat_lover]

I'd rather give that money to the private sellers

There is actually no difference in who eventually gets that money. If it is sellers fees then part of the money you pay to sellers goes to Ebay. If it buyers fees then part of the money you pay goes to Ebay.

And, of course, if it is not a really low price item then buyers pay less when buying from private sellers than they would with your suggested 10% flat rate.

[toolboss15]

It is a racket, I use PayPal for any dispute or problem. eBay never get back to PayPal when you open a case, upshot you always win the case. eBay protection is a joke. My advice for all, go through PayPal and not eBay if you have an issue.