First my apologies to the powers that be. Apparently I posted this on the wrong board, so I repeat it here to ensure it reaches the "proper" audience.
I am trying to discern the rationale for the implementation of ebay's new BPF policy which seems to involve:
- a requirement to rid ebay of private sellers – especially those who specialise in low volume, low value commodities,
- an opportunity to increase the cash flowing through the system, to hold on to, and benefit from, funds rightfully belonging belonging to sellers, for up to two weeks,
- an attempt to nudge businesses currently registered as “private”, to reregister as businesses,
- all of the above.
Trying to discourage the low volume/low vale private seller is a denial of its own origin. Such sellers, with their, often loyal, buyers, are the foundation for the success of ebay as a marketplace and should not be abandoned.
Holding on to funds unnecessarily was a commercial trick used in the past by all banks and financial institutions that was discredited by law long ago - which is why CHAPS payments (for example) now take 24 hours instead of up to 10 days.
Moving businesses registered as “private” on to business accounts is a legitimate aspiration, but surely can be managed in a more subtle, less confrontational way.
Buyers from registered Business sellers are exempted from this tax. Does this mean such sellers are less likely to deliberately try to defraud a buyer and/or that business sellers are less likely to be subjected to fraudulent claims?
Now buyers are from private sellers are being made to pay a fee protecting their payments (with the inevitable effect on total cost of their purchases - hugely exaggerated on low cost items), but do they actually get any extra protection on payment of this fee. My experience suggests up to 4/4/25, buyers were automatically refunded for all reported non-receipt or damaged goods with no opportunity for sellers to dispute potentially fraudulent claims.
There is a huge amount of dissent (and minimal approval) on the community pages, which in all probability reflects a small proportion of the overall dissatisfaction out there. Is ebay monitoring and listening to what is being said? Will there be any reaction?
I suspect not.
