Buyer Protection Fees Calculator

[macbooksurfer]

There are loads of discussions on buyer protection fees over in the buying section of these forums, but I think they are just as relevant to sellers!

Let me provide an example, have sold a couple of high value phones recently and during the listing period, had buyers sending messages asking if I would be willing to sell for a certain price, lets say £800 for arguments sake.

So when I come to respond to them, there is no way to easily calculate what the buy it now price would need to be set to, especially if the buyer said they had a maximum budget of £800

So lets say I respond by saying yeah sure, and adjust the buy it now price to £800 and free postage.  Bearing in mind that the buyer has already stated that £800 is their maximum budget.

No sooner have you changed the buy it now price to £800 bangers, the buyer is instantly smacked in the face with the fecking buyer protection fees, immediately taking them over their budget!

So in essence if you'd already agreed to the buy it now price of £800, in order to meet the buyers strict budget, you would then have to calculate what figure to actually drop it to, to bring it in on budget, meaning you as the seller have essentially had to absorb the buyer protection fee!

Granted, this is an extreme example, but the point am trying to make, is there needs to be some kind of built in calculator you can use within eBay for sellers to quickly calculate such a scenario as described above!

[bojangled]

@macbooksurfer 

 Try this… 

ETA Wrote that in a hurry.

Above link is to an unofficial BPF calculator, note the disclaimer at the top.

Quite useful, but as OP says an official one would be better for Private Sellers.

Jo

[4_bathrooms]

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@macbooksurfer wrote:

Granted, this is an extreme example, but the point am trying to make, is there needs to be some kind of built in calculator you can use within eBay for sellers to quickly calculate such a scenario as described above!

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That calculator is incorrect for anything over £300. It is working out what the start price should be if the whole amount was subject to (800*1.04)+72p then it is showing the buyer fee based on the correct formula ((300*1.04)+(468.54*1.02))+72p. That is why it is suggesting a desired price of £790.63.  

[4_bathrooms]

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@4_bathrooms wrote:

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@macbooksurfer wrote:

Granted, this is an extreme example, but the point am trying to make, is there needs to be some kind of built in calculator you can use within eBay for sellers to quickly calculate such a scenario as described above!

---

That calculator is incorrect for anything over £300. It is working out what the start price should be if the whole amount was subject to (800*1.04)+72p then it is showing the buyer fee based on the correct formula ((300*1.04)+(468.54*1.02))+72p. That is why it is suggesting a desired price of £790.63.  

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If you want the amount shown to the buyer to be £800 you should enter £777.73:

(300*1.04)+(477.73*1.02)+72p = £800.

[bojangled]

@4_bathrooms 

Thanks for investigating it, had it bookmarked from a Reddit post.

GCE Maths B grade, so not my top subject.

Jo

[backfrombeyond]

I have had to make a calculator on a spreadsheet as it get's so confusing with offers and counter offers.

Bring back the seller fees and scrap the buyer protection, just because vinted is so successful, does eBay have to try and copy all their ideas?

[downsizingxs]

The dilemma also applies to sellers giving a buyer an offer - say for example the buyer wants £175. The buyer agrees to the amount but eBay deducts 4% etc. on its way back to the seller for approval! The seller ends up with an offer of £167.70 or thereabouts.

Unless the buyer themselves actually adds 4% + 30p to their offer it doesn't work.

CRAZY!

[daptaylor]

Absolutely agree.  I think this will be the downfall of eBay and I've been ebaying for over 20 years.  It's put me off as a seller as its ludicrous as I have 100% feedback so no-one needs a BPFee with me plus its time consuming and irritating trying to work out how much the buyer protection fee is for each item you are selling before listing.  As a buyer if someone has 100% feedback and is genuine I begrudge paying a buyer protection fee, it should be a choice not mandatory.  At the very least a calculation on eBay where you enter how much you want as a seller and it automatically deducts the BPF so you can list without working it out each time is needed.  Not good at all.