Why are eBay charging fees on postage and packaging?

[mi546018]

So I've sold a few low value items lately( £1 to £125) and I've noticed that eBay are changing final value fees on the postage and packaging cost. For example, the higher value item I sold had a total cost of £130.32 inclusive of postage & packaging. I was charged a final value fee of 10.67% on the £130.32 NOT the £125 that was actually bid. I think this is theft! That postage and packaging cost doesn't go to us, especially if the service used is eBay's own. As sellers we're essentially paying them the actual cost of the p&p paid AS WELL AS extra from the cost of the item. Absolutely disgusted. I don't think I'll be selling things on here again. I will be looking to sell elsewhere. Anybody have any recommendations? Feel free to message me with replies privately. 

[kidmore_kats]

Ebay have been charging fees on the full selling price, including postage and packing, for at least the last ten years, probably longer.

Perhaps check this out before you start selling?

You might think it is theft, it isn't, it's in the terms and conditions which you didn't bother to read 

[plpmr]

Please read the hundreds of answers on the massive number of threads going back over a decade.

[gnosemalf]

The probable reason is that before they started charging fees on shipping charges, about ten years ago, people used to sell items for 99p and charge £50 postage and get away without paying any eBay fees at all (some sellers on a certain Chinese site still do this).

It's actually a good reason to provide 'free' shipping on Buy it Now items.

[bennotbill]

No it's not acceptable eBay charging for a service they don't provide. But this is eBay and they are a business so morality gets kicked into touch when it comes to ways to  increase revenue. Even the unearned sort.

All the other big sites do the same now.

[andrewlaidlaw1979]

Short answer

You've got the sellers who listed items at 99p or less & used and abused the 100 free listings at the time and then charged £20+ in P&P to avoid paying any selling fees and then undercutting other sellers.

Out of all the other arguments and ideas put forward would mean either more people working for ebay to look into sellers charging excessive amounts of P&P or capping P&P charges and then have staff adjust the P&P cap on a yearly baisis.

[kieranb189]

Ebay is clever.

It know's how much it costs to ship your item to your customer.

It even works it out for you and provides a postal service.

Most of the item's I post I send with Evri. 99% of those items cost me £2.99.
I charge £3.40 for postage and packing. This includes the postal bag, fuel, postal charges, parking etc.

Surely Ebay can have some kind of cap on post costs and work out the people trying to avoid paying the listing fee's by inflating the post costs?

It's not rocket science!

[61stephenuk]

eBay does have postage caps in many categories

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/postage-rates/maximum-postage-costs?id=4655

[viennastoreuk]

This is theft and it's outrageous to suggest that this is an effort to combat the 99p item with £50 postage scam. EBay could easily implement proof of postage costs to combat it. I'd happily send a copy of my postage receipt to eBay. This manuvoure is driven by greed

[plpmr]

"I think this is theft! "

No its not as you signed up to eBay T&C.

[plpmr]

"This is theft" 

No its not as you signed up to eBay T&C.

[viennastoreuk]

You are correct it's not theft however it does border on profiteering. It's
morally incorrect and poor practice hidden behind the excuse of unfair
listings that occurred over a decade ago.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Because ebay dont miss a trick when it comes to making money.

They could have had a list of acceptable p+p charges but they chose to take 15% of p+p instead.

[susapric-68]

How is it theft when you agree to the T&C when you list the item? Like it has been said if they didn't then everyone would list items as 99p with huge postage. eBay would make just over 10p a sale and wouldn't last long, unless they increased listing prices hugely as well

[stripeyjoe]

The part about it I have an issue with is that eBay list the postage price of each service which is the price the seller has to pay when sending, but adds a percentage on that which the seller has to pay. It should list the postage cost with the percentage added on so it is at least clear to their customer, the seller, what the actual cost will be. On a low value item the fees for the postage significantly eat into what the seller actually gets.

I understand charging fees if the item is free postage but not if eBay list the postage cost.

The small item i just sold will be the last with eBay. I'll be using another service for lower value items because i don't want to be trying to work out postage fees each time I list too.

It may be in terms and conditions but clearer pricing for fees is possible they just don't want to do it. I've been burned once, not again.

[papso22]

You don't have to buy postage through ebay, so the suggested price that ebay might give you is only relevent to some sellers and for some sales.  

The other issue is the maths, if, for example, ebay currently suggests you charge £2.94, you are saying that they should actually tell you to charge  £3.32, which would include fees of 38p (assuming just the 12.8% is applied to the postage and ignoring the fixed 30p).  But if you charge £3.32 on your listings, you will pay fees on that of 43p, not 38p.

[ronnie555]

By by Ebay, I have had enought, I thought the "final Value fee was a rip off AND they add everything in first like postage and packaging!. WHY?, The buyer pays for that, whats Ebay got to get its percentage for.

This new fee {another charge including the postage in the total} is a complete rip off.

I have a full wardrobe of new clothes that dont fit me anymore but I would rather give them away than give ebay another penny

Its pure greed, no wonder sites like Vinted are taking the business off them.

Goodbuy and I hope ebay goes bust

[1902elder]

You do not have to charge Ebays' suggested postage/carriage charge, it is in your hands, and if you wish to, you can add to the actual cost to cover the fees, and the cost of packaging etc.  Working out the cost is hardly rocket science, you can find the cost by Royal Mail, or any courier, on line.

[1902elder]

"This new fee" ?? It has been the same for about fifteen years. Other contributors have explained why.

[viennastoreuk]

I've been using ebay for 15 years, I'm seriously considering trying other providers now. I think they're getting too greedy