"Buyer protection fee"? I don't think so. What a scam!

[soulhunter123777]

Was just about to purchase an item when I noticed a ~£3 "buyer protection fee".

What an absolute scam. As a buyer, I absolutely refuse to pay eBay for the privilege of bare minimum customer service. Foisting hidden fees and extra charges onto buyers is NOT remotely acceptable.

In this website's footer there's a link called "Selling Fees". When will eBay add an equivalent link for "Buying Fees"?

What a ridiculous situation.

[dch2112011]

If you use SD - ebay will be paying out if they go missing or are damaged in transit - it is a much easier system with ebay - quick and no proof of cost or loss - 

Now although that is a really good thing for both sellers and buyers - because the seller keeps the sales proceeds and the buyer gets their money back quite quickly, I suspect ebay have had to introduce this as a carrot to sellers and because:

As a business user of RM they will not get any insurance for lost or damaged items in transit nor any refund of postage costs - this is standard practice for RM business services - what they get is averaging and cheaper prices - ebay will have used historic information to how much they add to each postal price to cover this insurance from themselves

The postal agreement is between ebay and RM - you are not part of that agreement 

A big bonus is that private sellers and buyers no longer get into stupid often heated discussions on who should claim from RM, whose fault it is, -  ebay take all the responsibility and simply refund the buyer and let the seller keep the sale proceeds - everyone should be relatively happy 

[breaker70]

the fee isnt clear on all listings, its a rip off. The sellers are supposed to be verified & the buyers are supposed to be protected anyway, that was all in their spiel to retain & get new members. Its a scam & not a very nice one. They cream a % of the postage & then do this dressing it up as protection. They make it look like you are paying the seller - the money goes straight to ebay, the seller doesn't even sell it. It's a tax on buyers. a tariff 🙂 hahahahahahahahha 

[toolboss15]

Thats why I have now almost stopped using eBay, Also a lot of sellers also sell on other platforms and are cheaper on them or they have there own website and are a lot cheaper . eBay has made the platform a non-buyer platform now. Mainly use it of saving things that I'm interested in and then go off elsewhere and purchase cheaper for the same product.

[spyabargain]

The worst thing is how it totally messes up the offer system, by telling the buyer when the sellers offer while then going on to say what eBay allow it to sell at with their cut. This week on an item I had already dropped the price by the eBay BPF, effectively making it my seller fee, to then drop it further in an offer. The interested party then contacts me saying they are happy to accept my offer of £16.99 but could I reduce postage for multiple buys. To that I had to reply with he should understand that the offer price is mine and is subject to further eBay BPF. The day before they message me asking for a sell price for multi buy of £65, but I can't accept that as I would have to accept a much lower offer to take into consideration the ebay BPF. Its just so messed up atm. 

[spyabargain]

I've said it in other replies, that we we get skimmed from both sides, as a seller we have to take in to consideration the BP fee, which is higher than actual fee was on 70% off monthly reduction offers, and reduce our selling price, effectively paying a seller fee now. Yet this does not matter to the buyer as they are actually paying a BP fee too, so they will not care for the current reduced price. So both side are paying the fee in their own eyes. 

[spyabargain]

Also, it it illegal to sell something while adding additional charges without informing the buyer they are being charged said fee without an itemised breakdown? If I put a £4 blu ray in my basket there is still no mention of the BP fee that I am paying as the buyer. Surely if this is a fee for my benefit that I have to pay, it should be stated, like PPI. Will there be a case in the future to claim back all ebay BPF? 

[spyabargain]

Hey is ebay actually operating illegally here? I've just checked out by adding an item to my basket and they say the cost includes BPF and covered by money back guarantee. When I click on this for further information it says there is NO EXTRA COST added!!! Leading you to believe there is no charge for the protection. 

 

 

 

[sml192]

That looks like a business seller?  Buyer Protection is included at no extra cost to the buyer when purchasing from a business seller. 

[sml192]

---

@spyabargain wrote:

Also, it it illegal to sell something while adding additional charges without informing the buyer they are being charged said fee without an itemised breakdown? If I put a £4 blu ray in my basket there is still no mention of the BP fee that I am paying as the buyer. Surely if this is a fee for my benefit that I have to pay, it should be stated, like PPI. Will there be a case in the future to claim back all ebay BPF? 

---

It is only illegal if the additional fees  are not included in the headline price  and only added later.  The breakdown is shown at the checkout stage although I agree it could be made clearer and should possibly be mentioned before that stage. 

[swede.speed]

Not true I purchased a ps4 game for my grandson advertised at £14.99 with £2.25 postage and ended up paying £1.10 buyers fee on top which eBay added to the £2.25 postage cost and added tax onto that so in total I ended up paying £19.01 and not the £14.99 with £2.25.
Contacted ebay who told me that the buyers fee was included in the purchase price, which it wasn’t as it was added after the sale and that the postage had gone from £2.25 to £2.70 because Royal Mail had added vat when it was clearly eBay taking the vat.

[spyabargain]

You're right it did say business seller, hadn't noticed they put that. I went and checked with a private seller as well and it does say the fee. Do business sellers pay seller fees then? I wonder if seeing the fee on private sellers will have a knock on effect to their sales declining. 

[spyabargain]

This is what it should look like on a private seller: see image.

 

They shouldn't be adding to the postage. I know they stupidly show the sellers price and then the total price including ebay fee when a seller sends an offer. Its done it to me, as a buyer and seller. I've got good looking offers until I look into it then it jumps up. Also I've had buyers message me saying they're happy with my offer and I've had to tell them they will get an eBay fee on top of that.