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. 

[papso22]

As far as I am concerned the more businesses that are trading illegally on a private account and leave ebay, the better.

[gailehughes]

I agree. I sold a top for 99p and fees were 88p. I may as well give the stuff to charity, because by the time you pay travel costs it's just not worth it!

[hunningham]

I have been using ebay for years and this is not something that dates back 10 years or more.  I have suddenly noticed an increase in the fees so I decided to check why.  I don't agree with ebay taking a pecentage of the postage because some people don't play fair.  Why should honest people be penalised? They take 10.69%, then a final fee then VAT on top!! None of this is explained beforehand.  They only mention 10% fees. I am losing money by selling with ebay.  It's just plain greed.

[papso22]

---

@hunningham wrote:

I have been using ebay for years and this is not something that dates back 10 years or more.  I have suddenly noticed an increase in the fees so I decided to check why.  I don't agree with ebay taking a pecentage of the postage because some people don't play fair.  Why should honest people be penalised? They take 10.69%, then a final fee then VAT on top!! None of this is explained beforehand.  They only mention 10% fees. I am losing money by selling with ebay.  It's just plain greed.

---

Greed is a business seller actively trading on a private ebay account and taking advantage of free listings.  Multiple new items is not indicative of a private seller selling off their own, old, unwanted possessions.

Nowhere does ebay say their fees are 10%, your selling fees are (wrongly) 12.8% plus 30p, all inclusive of VAT. 

Fees on the total including postage have been in place for at least 10 years.

[plpmr]

"some people don't play fair."

Like a business seller trading as a private seller thereby denying buyer's their legal Rights?

[badger1-0767]

but i am not a business seller, ebay have enough people to find these business seller on the site and dont give me there are millions, theyll have to put there hand in there pocket and work something out *bleep*  off paying correct postal fees and been condemed becouse of business sellers stop preaching the Script help the little people

[badger1-0767]

find the business seller and stop us little people who pay the right postage being discrimated against

[allsortsassortment]

Teacher's pet 😋

[2014purpleeyes82]

you have to be pretty slow to not understand that paying a fee for a service that hasn't been provided equal theft, even though it's written on a electronic T&C. This should be removed but thanks for people like you it's still there...

[papso22]

---

@2014purpleeyes82 wrote:

you have to be pretty slow to not understand that paying a fee for a service that hasn't been provided equal theft, even though it's written on a electronic T&C. This should be removed but thanks for people like you it's still there...

---

There is no need to be rude, especially when it is you that is wrong.

They are charging for a service they provide you with, they just work it out and display it as two separate elements, the charge based on what you received for the item and the charge based on what you received for the postage.  EBay processes the whole payment so that makes sense.

In the days of PayPal processing payments they also based their fees on the entire amount the buyer paid.

Put very simply, they base their fees on the total the buyer pays.  That's not theft, it's a legitimate fee structure.

[geeksy]

Ebay have an effective monopoly in this area because they were early to market and they can do what they like. Since I purchase all postage via Ebay (EVRi) they know exactly how much I'm paying so it does seem strange that they levy fees against this.  I'm not disputing their transparency.  It can result in a net loss on a sale I presume although that hasn't happened to me yet.  I wonder if you can then legally back out of the sale if this is the case.

The time may come when they have to submit to regulations that put a stop to this kind of thing.  It may be in Ts&Cs but you can make similar arguments about a lot of other business activities, e.g. no need for mobile PAC codes, banks can just walk away with your money or surgeons can botch your op all due to stuff you signed.  Change has come to app stores via the EU, so maybe we'll see some regulation of Ebay.  With a Labour government in the UK later this year, who knows?

[arkwebus]

It is surely similar to H M Revenue and Customs who calculate the lovely 20% VAT on the price inclusive of Carriage and the calculation for Duty and VAT on "imports" based on the "C I F" value ["Cost + Insurance + Freight"] if I recall.

Wouldn't it be lovely if all sellers sold "Post Free" [i e "included in the final price"]?  No further arguements on this topic - ever!

@mi546018  

[geeksy]

Bit of a  straw man.  HMRC have their own deeply unfair rules that go beyond anything Ebay can ever do, like the fact that an investment can lose money in real terms but still attract CGT.  But you could say it's ...cough... going to good cause so it's OK? 🤣

[papso22]

Ebay's business model and fee structure are based on the final value fees being calculated on the total the buyer pays.  That means the item, any postage,  and any taxes.   

It's not illegal, not unfair, and not going to be changed however much people who don't understand moan about it. 

[philgra_9731]

I know this is a while after you wrote your post but just been charged 10% and p&p, what a rip-off!!

[colby_brighton]

Ebays fees are now approx 17.8% on total sales Inc postage so just up your minimum sale price and postal costs by 20%

[papso22]

---

@colby_brighton wrote:

Ebays fees are now approx 17.8% on total sales Inc postage so just up your minimum sale price and postal costs by 20%

---

Actually ebay selling fees for private accounts are approx 13% of the item and postage selling price plus 30p.  

Where did you get 17.8% from?

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Ebay saw an opportunity to make more money and took it.

A fair solution would be to cap postage to reasonable levels.

But ebay dont make more money that way.

[philgra_9731]

How true! Money grabbing so and so's, ain't ever use them again. Thanks for
your comment

[panckral_123]

This is a thievery! And people are agreeing to be robbed!