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.

[five-in_five-out]

No, no, please don't leave. Register as a business seller then you have full control back of most things, especially postage. Honestly it's brilliant just like the old ebay.  business sellers pretending to be private are the one's damaging eBay not you. Ok it's 6.9% final value fee, but eh that's nothing for peace of mind. eBay look after business sellers, not FAKE private sellers, they know who they are and should upgrade or LEAVE, simple.

[five-in_five-out]

Hi millcottage, you're right it does look that way but that is the nature of the beast. Register as a business seller and all will become clear. Any more info just contact me.

[castellgwyn]

I am private and 25 years using ebay. I only sole items from our house or something i saw a small profit in. I never liked the way we had to use paypal and now this new simple delivery is ridiculous. I never use EVRI as thy frequently break items or lose them.

I can do without the hassle and tbh i cannot see me selling much worth my while so it can all go to charity

[five-in_five-out]

eBay know this, they will look at your account and see you mainly purchase items, so theoretically they will leave you alone. They can see what you have sold and what you have bought. They concentrate on what you sell and the cash you make, and then maybe inform HMRC of your dealings. However in your case you have nothing to worry about but there is a lot out there who will now be worried and so they should be, like I said it's game over for a lot of FAKE private sellers. eBay know who they are.

[millcottage]

Why would I want to do that?

I’m not a business, so why would I want to pay taxation on selling personal items?

Most of the coins have been sold at a loss anyway.

I have run businesses before in the past and you obviously keep accurate books/records for an accountant to submit for taxation purposes.

If I was planning to run a resale or other type of business on eBay I would register a business with companies house etc. and submit annual accounts.

Informing eBay you are a business when you are not is not a wise move and could cause issues in the future.

[tonynibbles]

FWIW they've obviously realised what a massive mess this whole debacle was, because the edit tools have now changed to allow custom postage, with courier selection (at least, this is my experience for oversized items in the past week).

Sloppy that they ever let that previous version ship to production, but at least is appears to be rectified to some degree.

[five-in_five-out]

You've missed the point here, registering as a business seller is not a business per se, you don't have to register with companies house, it's eBay's way of sorting the wheat from the chaff. I bet you where happy paying the 12% final valuation fee's in the old days, so why not now pay the 6.9%? 

Being a business seller on eBay is far simpler than private. Just remember, you are not a business on the eBay platform, just part of it.

HMRC would not come looking for small fry like you and I, and a lot of others. They want the lying business sellers faking it as private. And they will catch up with them, sooner than you think.

So don't worry, people like you are safe.

[mals-marvellous-motors-2]

I've been on to customer services again. Until earlier on this year I could offer combined shipping on my relatively low-priced items so customers could buy one or 20 items and still only pay one lot of Tracked48 shipping.  Increasingly buyers are asking me how do I combine my purchases to get combined shipping.  Short answer -they can't - thanks to eBay's absurd Simple Delivery. I either have to make a special listing afor a buyer or they have to buy items individually, each with its own shipping cost, and then I have to refund the difference. eBay doesn't care as they get the interest on the overpaid postage. I do care and so do my customers who are showing their thoughts by not buying my stuff. 

Next I discovered some of my listings have been overwritten by eBay to include Simple Delivery. This is outrageous.

1. It means I will have to amend all my items description as it no longer applies as I can't  offer combined shipping and haven't been able to do so for months.

2. What happens when one of my buyers wants to buy multiple items? Is eBay Simple Delivery going to refund overpaid shipping? No they are going to charge for each and every item. Is my stuff going to sell now? No. 

3. What happens to items under £10 being exempt? I'd say 90% of my listings are under £10 but eBay overwrote them with Simple Delivery regardless. When I tried to opt out of simple Delivery there was no option.

4. I never use Evri because they are no good. I don't trust them with my sales. I have experience of their shoddiness and inside info as my relative worked for them.

I think eBay has got a damned cheek taking away my shipping options. Particularly in the light of my listings almost all being under £10. I'm supposed to be able to opt out but I could not find an option. Ebay is broken and its not listening to its oldest and most experienced sellers. Ebay you're killing my ability to sell so tell me how that helps your profits?

I've complained via, I hope, the appropriate channel and will continue to do so until they either change or I give up.

[five-in_five-out]

Simple answer to your grievance, upgrade to a business account and all will be the same as before, sending invoices, combing postage etc, etc, etc.

Simple, but you will pay a 6.9% final fee, that's a lot less stressful.

Stay private and put it with it. there is nothing else you can do.

eBay hold all the cards not you, sorry.

[edwardian-dreams]

Even if under £10 You can only opt out if it’s a large letter up to 100g and in certain categories unfortunately 

people use this  workaround , you could  try it , but it seems too work for some but not for others 

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/how-do-you-list-anything-bigger-than-61cm/m-p/7882449

[five-in_five-out]

It looks like you are a business seller to me and eBay.

What do you expect eBay to do, they are fed up with this malarkey, business posing as private.

Your feedback gives it away, most items are new. Looks like you've made a rod for your own back,

No offense but don't complain if eBay are making selling difficult for you and many more.

Go business, it's way less stressful, unless you like stress in your life, carry on.

ebay will not change these policies, so get used to it.

They run the platform, no one else. What they say goes. Live with it.

[edwardian-dreams]

If eBay are making life difficult for business sellers listing as private ones then genuine private sellers are collateral damage then ?

[technthread]

I know the video game consoles category is around the 6-7% mark and NFT’s are even lower but most sellers are paying a lot more than 6.9%

The jewellery sellers fees are well over 13% (excluding a few sub categories), even if they are top rated and that’s just the FVF. 

[five-in_five-out]

Not necessarily, ebay will look at individual accounts and take action.

But sometimes that's the nature of the beast, some genuine private sellers will suffer for the behaviour of the FAKE private sellers. Ebay will put in force a new algorithm to force these sellers of the platform. And good riddance. Like everything in life be fair. Where would you be without ebay? Cold mornings on a field with your clapped out van hoping for a few sales? Ebay have given everyone a golden opportunity to sell items they no longer want. Or FAKE sellers buying new to sell for profit, or worse drop shippers!

ebay's new algorithm will take into account the feedback for purchased items and sold items. If the majority of your feedback is made up from sales as a private seller you are in bother my friend.

It's coming, and don't say ebay did not warn you.

[edwardian-dreams]

What are you talking about?

there’s a difference between genuine and non genuine private sellers 

simple delivery , IF it was introduced to root out the un genuine ,  which is a bit conspiratorial imo, will also affect the genuine 

or is it throw out the baby with the bath water ?

not saying everything SD is bad but it’s not good enough an it’s too draconian whoever is using it 

[lucy_farmer]

'Register as a business seller then you have full control back of most things, especially postage.'

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Presenting yourself as a business , when you're not one, could end up causing you problems. 

OK, it's not as immoral as a business presenting themselves as private, but it's still a lie.

Buraucracy and officialdom in all it's myriad guises do not like 'alternative facts'.  I wouldn't look forward to the stress and misery of upsetting HMRC/Trading Standards etc

[five-in_five-out]

Sorry, you missed my point. Firstly do you know how an algorithm works?

Let me explain, you buy and sell on ebay, the new ALG will look at the sold items in particular and monies made from those transactions from the private seller. If this exceeds the ALG's inputted parameters that account will be flagged to ebay for further investigation.

Genuine private sellers do not have 4000+ feedback from sales unless they are a business. Are you with me so far?

If the 4000+ feedback are mostly bought items the ALG will leave that account alone.

Its purpose is to weed out the liars on the platform pretending to be legit and will force an upgrade to business or close your account, that simple.

ebay can and will do what it see's fit no one else.

Can you understand a bit more clearly now? Have a nice evening.

[squirrelz14]

I keep seeing people - on this and other threads - suggesting that if private sellers don't like Stupid Delivery, they should change to a Business Account.

I may be missing something here, but doesn't a Business Account require a monthly fee?

Sales for many of us this year, just selling family stuff, have been atrocious. Why should we shell out for a Business Account, fees for which would probably swallow up any small amount we did manage to make?

[edwardian-dreams]

Your point is about bogus private sellers

mine was about simple delivery

somewhere The two points got mixed up

i thought you had meant that eBay is using simple delivery to root out those sellers

whiich can’t be true

enjoy your evening too!

[five-in_five-out]

Wow, doesn't anyone read? There is NO monthly fee becoming a business seller unless you have a shop or similar. You only pay a FVF on a completed sale 6.9%+ the insertion fee £0.36 pence.

It's well worth it to stop all the hassle.

So no you only pay when you sell, like the old days, are you with me?