Buyer Protection Fees UK 2025 + consumer rights

[tulipsorange12]

This appalling decision by eBay to charge buyers for sales from private sellers at a flat rate of 75p and 4% of the sale price means they are actually charging more than the fees that private sellers were paying -  a cynical greed driven motive.  They think people are stupid. Under UK consumer law is it legal to charge an insurance fee for buyer protection? And is it legal to charge that only for sales from private sellers. What do consumer watchdogs make of these plans. How do we complain to eBay? 

[papso22]

No it does not apply to auctions with bids already.

[milltown_music]

I think some sellers are making some ££ through postage if that is the case. I am selling my rather large music collection and 7" singles for example are dispatched via Royal Mail Tracked 48 (£2.70) with 50p to cover the packaging (I buy new packaging from defendapak), so I ask £3.20.

It also means that my funds are available much sooner, 2 days after delivery, rather than having to wait a bloody fortnight!

[musician-songwriter]

I've been using ebay since 2006 but now I've had enough.  I'm out of here 

[kh-216319]

That isn't even half the problem. ebay are probably earning interest on our withheld funds too. They obviously want rid of private sellers.

[angelasusan1951]

I totally agree with the last statement it is true the amount of interest holding our payments will be thousands of ponds we are covered via the postage label so why pay another 

[papso22]

I think someone worked out that Ebay's interest earned on a normal sort of private seller's sales was about £5 a year, and was very much less than they took in seller fees.

[vinylmad2023]

Whatever the rationale / goal / objective - be that gaining interest or a system snag, it is just plainly wrong and my current experience shows ebay are not following their own published guidance about payouts...that or there is a need to clearly update their own guidance on what constitutes as tracking and funds becoming available. I also note from many other users comments on these threads that my experience is not unique to me. For example,

I've received funds for items I sent RM Tracked 48hrs, 2days after delivery was confirmed by tracking - as should be the case/as advertised.

HOWEVER, for items I've sent RM 2nd Class Large Letter, purchased through ebay with the generic tracking number uploaded (which only confirms delivery if the postie scans it on arrival)...I have three items that have been scanned on delivery and marked on ebay/my orders page as 'delivered' and x1 'Funds available in ebay balance 15th Feb' and other x2 with same message for 16th Feb...but neither have appeared in my funds to withdraw, with my balance still showing as £0.00, but I can see funds 'still pending' in my account! So either the 2-day post tracked delivery 'funds released' rule only applies to TRACKED services (RM24/48 etc) and not other forms of tracking delivery, or the system isn't working.

On top of this, last week I processed a refund for a buyer for (combined postage) about 10mins after they purchased and noticed the refund came out of my 'available funds' instead of 'pending funds', so i no longer keep any £ in my ebay balance and immediately withdraw it, as ebay should deduct the refund from the pending funds on the sale/order they are holding back. Because of this I now withdraw all my £ when its immediately available rather than allow ebay to hold it for longer than necessary and accrue even more interest for themselves!

Clear concise explanations and clarity is required if they hope to maintain any trust in the platform moving forward.

[desmie101]

I've just come across this, a seller offered to adjust a price down to £40 for me, but it said £42.32. I think this is a bad move of eBay's to be honest. I used to spend as well as sell a lot of things on eBay, but stopped selling sometime ago now. This sort of charge is enough to stop me buying as much now as well. Wrong move in my opinion. 

[angelasusan1951]

I had an offer for £15 when I went to accept it it was down to £13.45 eBay had taken the protection fee from me it is shameful of ebay I both sell and buy but I will not be buying anymore until they get rid of this eligal fee con

[vonchief]

You make items to sell, you should do the right thing and register as a business account on ebay and pay fees.

"An eBay seller must register as a business if, for example, they sell items they have bought to resell, they make items in order to sell them, or if they buy items for their business."

[xti_nott]

i am interested what are the buyers getting in return of this protection fee? in case the buyer felt betrayed, they had alot of power in the past to get the cost reimbursed by just complaining.

will ebay reimburse them ? or still the seller? in whihc case this is just money in the pocket for ebay similar to a selling tax they used to charge in the past

[forestfeline62]

 The buyers protection fee gives buyers the oppurtunity to use ,wear damage what they have bought and they can send it back ,sellers don't get the chance to challenge the return ,once buyers start a return through ebay they get their money back once the seller has received the item back ,even if they send your item back damaged or an empty package or a different item  , this fee is a way that opens the way for lots of scams, and ebay don't have to deal with buyer complaints they just refund the buyer no help for the sellers . 

[buffster1963]

Thats no different to how it is now though. Buyers have always abused the returns process, especially from sellers who do not accept returns. 

[forestfeline62]

 private sellers only have 300 listings allowance a month now and get charged 35p for every item listed over the 300 allowance .

[xti_nott]

where the buyer gets the money back? from seller or ebay ? if from ebay, would then ebay chase the seller for the money? 

[vintique*violet]

That is per month - I have never needed that amount as a private seller, not even 50... I think there have been a few times listing around 30 items at one go, and most of them were re-lists... because no visibility, means no sales. 

C'est La Vie 😐

[prettyunique1]

I complained tonight to customer services and said I want to make a official complaint about BPF and making me wait nearly a week to be paid. The more complaints they receive the faster they may get rid of it. I also asked for a button that said "item received" so a buyer can mark it themselves 

[papso22]

They should have told you that your customers should not be paying these fees, and you should not be subject to the payment holds.

A few clicks would sort that out.

[randybullcow]

As a private seller, who's mainly doing this for practical, more than financial reasons, this new tax is still crippling my sales and have  already have noticed a considerable drop-off in my transactions because of it.

If it's for the protection of buyers, why aren't sellers protected too against fraud, where buyers can falsely claim an item hasn't arrived for example.

eBay need to SERIOUSLY reconsider this blatant money-grab.

[specialk1937]

Corporate Greed!