Postage fees

[blossomby]

I have returned to EBay after some time to sell some items. However I see they are now charging a seller protection fee to the buyer. Postage is added as usual & paid by the buyer. My issue is with the postage. I have selected the label option to generate a pre paid label which is charged to my bank. Ie I pay for it.  Even if you don’t select pre paid you still have to purchase some postage at your own cost to deliver it. 

I notice that the amount paid for my sale does not include the postage cost which I have paid myself, and so has the buyer. So EBay keep the postage cost too from the buyer? I cannot understand this so called customer service and after a rather difficult conversation she would not accept that this is not correct. Am I the only one who sees this as a massive disadvantage? Selling a £10 item and postage @ £4 means effectively I’ve sold it for £6. Meanwhile the buyer has paid a further £6 to EBay (protection fee & postage) which they keep?  This isn’t right!

I think Vinted has big downsides too but at least you receive the full sale price of your item into your account. 

[papso22]

There is much confusion in your post.

Ebay now charges a buyer protection fee to buyers from private sellers.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/buyer-protection-fee?id=5594&st=3&pos=2&query=Buyer%...

Ebay also now promotes Simple Delivery to private sellers.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575&st...

If you don't use Simple Delivery then the buyer pays you for the postage and you can either buy it from ebay (where it comes off the payment you receive), or buy it direct from the courier (when it doesn't come off your payment.

Simple Delivery means that the buyer pays ebay, not you, for postage and ebay sends you a paid for label to use on the package. 

[tressygirl]

If you buy your own postage at the Post Office and have you listing showing Buyer pays for postage then you will receive the item price and the postage price,  buyer pays the extra Buyer Protection Fee.

If you buy your postage through eBay,  this is not mandatory your choice to do so if you wish,  then eBay deduct that postage so you will see this deduction on the breakdown of the transaction.

Any payout which is pending, and not yet  cleared in your Available section of your eBay Balance,  this can be used to buy postage from eBay.

@blossomby 

[blossomby]

Thank you for the explanation. It still makes no sense!

So if I go to the Post Office and buy my own label - at my own cost - EBay will repay the postage cost listed in the sale?

However if I use the EBay postage option and am charged for it - I’ve paid through PayPal as no funds in my eBay acc - It’s not repaid to me via sale?

This is a con. Sorry.

Thank you for clarifying it.

C


Sent from my iPhone

[blossomby]

I still remain confused. It seems eBay promote simple delivery which means the seller - which however you look at it - has to pay the quoted postage. So if I go to the Post Office and buy postage myself this cost is then refunded to me in my EBay payment? This should be made clear. I see many others have the same issue.

This has all changed in recent months. EBay are conning people now. Will not use again. As for the buyer protection …..

Thanks for explaining



Sent from my iPhone

[red_magpie]

As we can't see the transaction we can only suggest possibilities, but it sounds as though you may have accidentally selected the option to give the buyer free postage, see:

"If you'd like to offer free postage, go to the 'Who pays?' section and adjust the toggle to select Seller pays. When your buyer completes checkout, you'll be charged for a postage label for a standard delivery service and the cost will be deducted from your sales."

[blossomby]

No I’ve checked all my sold listings which say “buyer pays” and the suggested fee. I haven’t offered free postage. 

The postage charged is listed in the sales figures on the order breakdown plus the buyer protection charged to them. EBay are retaining the charged postage & am have to pay it. This is my issue. 

according to other responses received if you select the simple delivery (new thing) EBay don’t pay the seller the postage.