23-Year eBay Seller Leaving Over Simple Delivery Policy

[pzjuls]

I've been using eBay as a private seller for over 23 years. This new Simple Delivery policy is the final straw. It strips away the flexibility and control we've always had, forces us to use services that often don't work for our area, and ties up payments until delivery is confirmed — even when we’ve done everything right.

I currently have over 50 active listings, and I will now be moving them to Vinted. I never thought I’d leave eBay after all these years, but this policy is anti-seller, especially for long-term, reliable users like me.

eBay: Please reconsider this change. At the very least, give private sellers the choice to use their own postage methods.

[parsley2003]

Yes me too have it all as unsold waiting in hope but i doubt i will be relisting 21 years for me. I can cope with waiting for money and do offers to allow for bpf but the postage problem and not being able to combine invoices is the last straw

[auctionmike1]

26 years for me, and I'm no longer adding any new duplicate or unwanted collectables to eBay, just knocking it on the head altogether. Too many disadvantageous changes.

[millcottage]

I have been a member since October 2000 and selling since 2001.

100% positive feedback and never a negative left.

Numerous comments from buyers on quality of packaging that my dear wife does.

I sold my autograph collection and coin collection over last two years on eBay.

They got commission for sales mainly on the 70% off weekends.

Also sold numerous gold coins on eBay.

ebay have now created conditions where it is near impossible to stay as a private seller.

I have started to sell via Facebook groups and last week sold £235 worth of collectible coins. No commission charges, paid at point of sale and I chose the best postage option for size of parcel including secure packing.

I have some other items to sell this weekend and will be posting on Facebook groups also.

Also have some gold coins to sell that I will now sell via bullion dealers who offer very good prices with little spread. With eBay dictating when I get paid and how they are posted the risk factor is now simply too high.

The items I have left listed on eBay I will just leave to wither on the vine. If I do make a sale and eBay postage method don’t match our needs the I will simply cancel the sale and inform buyer why.

What a way for a platform to treat loyal long term customers.

[millcottage]

That’s interesting.

Posting a parcel for an item I sold on a Facebook Group and was chatting to postman who collected.

He said ‘not collected from you for a few weeks now. Is this an eBay sale?’

Told him it isn’t and about the eBay change , simply delivery etc.

His comment was ‘Ah that explains it. I did wonder why I wasn’t collecting hardly any eBay sales parcels for last few weeks. Some people were sending parcels everyday and now nothing’.

[sheeramazement]

Quitting here too.

[devale12]

I'm leaving too. I'm a private seller who had quite a lot of items up for sale that I've whittled down to just 4 now since simple delivery  came into force in April. Once the last 4 run their course I won't be using eBay again either as a seller or a buyer.

The dictator rules have pushed me out.  Simple delivery was the last straw. 

People vote with their feet and I'm stepping away.

Unless they change things back to giving private sellers more freedom in which to post their items I won't be returning.

I've been a good seller, conscientious, always took pride in my customer service, items always posted on time and packaged well. Great feedback. 

EBay your not listening to your users feedback.  Do you actually care? It seems not.

I'm sad to be leaving, but I can't and won't stay in a company that wants to call the shots all the time. EBay if your reading this then take note as I'm not the only one who feels this way. Just read some of the comments on the community group!

At this rate  I doubt you will have a business left to run soon.

😔

[neverthrowsanythingawayjnr]

Im leaving too been on here since 2009 on my other site this is my sons site which I help him with we both work very hard with it and take pride.  Ive loved selling on here but dont like Simple Delivery.  Up till last week I could choose then this week I cant with no notification!  Also theyve put discounts on my items without asking me too, I dont like to see my items with a discount voucher attached looks like they are on sale due to them not being able to sell? Why are we not being notified and asked first.  I've asked Ebay customer services to remove the discount they said they would but they havnt.  It doesnt make sense why charge people for buyer protection, then offer customers a discount ?????? I've told many customer services whom first words are always "thanks for being a great Ebayer", well not any more I'm leaving I would of carried it on when I ever get to retire really sad and fed up and have loads of stock left, gonna try a local toy fair instead as I dont think Vintage is much better. Ebay stood out from the crowd as the best site to sell on why are they copying Vintage why dont they want to carry on being No. 1???  They are having to advertise more on TV and Radio now too so that shows as till recently never saw Ebay advertise! Im only selling an odd item now in December & January I was selling loads but started to die from February, bye Ebay

[kyle_p85]

I'm definitely not a veteran of eBay like a lot of the people I've seen commenting, and have used it in the past to sell my unwanted Warhammer projects. 

Coming back this month to do one last clear out and seeing all these changes was frustrating, and I have to echo what others are saying... Simple Delivery seems like such a backwards step, to the point it feels overwhelmingly scammy (and scummy) on eBay's part. 

Once these listing are done with, I'll be done with the platform too. I'll find other avenues like FB marketplace.

Such a shame really.

[tonynibbles]

I don't understand any of it.

I just tried to sell some kids bikes and I can't post them. It defaults to a royal mail medium parcel every time - much smaller than the size of parcel I need. Even after I disabled Royal Mail and chose Evri (a company I avoid at all costs due to poor previous experience), it still set itself to Royal Mail. I would normally use Parcelforce and add the tracking number on the site but I cant even do that now.

I cant understand how a selling platform expects to function by removing the ability to set postage costs for items or attach tracking numbers to orders.

I'm not really a business user, I just sell on things that we don't need but god knows how actual businesses are supposed to function.

[lucy_farmer]

'...but god knows how actual businesses are supposed to function.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Even

Actual businesses don't have to deal with Simple Delivery. 

Some people think that eventually ebay will roll it out to business accounts as well as private, but if they do, it really couldn't be mandatory, surely...  (can you imagine the really big boys, like World of Books or MusicMagpie, putting up with this sort of carp?)

'...after I disabled Royal Mail and chose Evri (a company I avoid at all costs due to poor previous experience), it still set itself to Royal Mail'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This may have something to do with where you are in the country? (Evri doesn't cover all corners and Islands for the same price, the way R.M. do)

If, on the other hand, you live right in the middle of the UK, I've no idea why it should revert to R.M !

[xyz307xyz]

"I dont like to see my items with a discount voucher attached looks like they are on sale due to them not being able to sell?"

It's up to you, but I would think most buyers don't draw that conclusion and are more likely to buy your items with a bit of a discount (which also doesn't affect what you receive).

[xyz307xyz]

If the bikes are too big for SD, see https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/how-do-you-list-anything-bigger-than-61cm/m-p/7882486...

[five-in_five-out]

Then why don't you become a business seller? Life is so much simpler. eBay do not want private sellers that are in fact, like yourself  a business. Be fair to eBay and pay your due's. Remember it's their site and can do what they want that will never change, so stay private and suck up whatever difficulties they throw at you. It's going to get a lot worse for private sellers now. They will drive you out, and I with eBay.

[daveboy2008]

With a whole 208 feedbacks.....there's the voice of experience.......NOT.

[five-in_five-out]

LOL, I've been on eBay 20 years with different accounts young lad. Look at all of you masquerading as private sellers, when clearly you are NOT. eBay is out to fall the scamming private sellers and you all deserve it. I hope they make it even harder for Private come business seller, just be honest, it's so much simpler. Go into the real world of auctions if you dare and then look at the fees they charge, 25, 30%, so come on grow up and pay your dues it's that simple. eBay will eventually get rid of you all, especially those with high feedback, or bite the bullet when everyone catches up with you. You have been warned, not by me but eBay.

[five-in_five-out]

And just to point out to the GENUINE private sellers eBay will be ok with you, they look at feedback numbers those with 4000+ feedback are heavily watched by eBay and HMRC like daveboy2008, and many more with their sort of feedback, these are the sellers that eBay want rid of and I agree. They are not private account holders selling unwanted items, they are liars through and through and eBay know this, do you think they where born yesterday? Hope you all get a lovely big brown envelope on your doormat stamped HMRC. They are coming for you, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but they will clamp down on you, and rightly so. So think hard and have a lovely evening.

[castellgwyn]

Just had my camels back broken today. Ive been with ebay for 25 years and ive been stung over the postage system they use.

I cannot be bothered and am leaving.

[millcottage]

I agree some people are obviously business accounts and not selling personal items.

However it is easy to appear as business by selling a lot of one type of item.

Myself I accumulated over a 100+ signed pictures that used to be on my office wall at previous house and after house move they sat in a crate for 6 years. I decided to get rid and sold mainly autographed pictures on here for a while. 
Then in 2010 I started coin collecting, got serious in 2017 and then in 2024 decided to sell the lot (collecting got silly and costly with constant royal mint not for circulation releases). So for most of 2024 all I sold was coins (£8k worth).

Now I’m considering selling off my laurel and Hardy memorabilia. So if I do then for the whole of 2026 it will appear that’s all I’m selling (about 200 items).

After being a eBay user since October 2020 my feedback is 1800 plus now and will hit 2100 plus maybe next year, but I’m a private collector and not a business.

[maunsell2]

"they look at feedback numbers those with 4000+ feedback are heavily watched". My feedback is over 4000 but the bulk (in excess of 3000) is from purchasing items not selling.

If ebay doesn't want Private Sellers, then I conclude they also don't want those sellers as buyers.

I will also be leaving; returning to where I left in 2008 (Collectors Fairs, Car-Boots, Antique Fairs, & street markets).