Changes to private selling - less free listings etc.

[lostloads-2]

Changes to private selling on eBay

We want to let you know about some upcoming changes to seller fees and to payment options when selling locally. These will be effective from 1 October 2024.

Free listing allowance change
Currently, private sellers can list up to 1,000 items a month for free on eBay. From 1 October, this will decrease to 300 listings per month. After you've used your monthly allocation of 300 free listings, you'll be charged 35p for each new listing created.

International fee change
If your registered address is in the UK, we charge an international fee when the delivery address for the item is outside the UK.

Until now this fee has varied by region. Starting from 1 October there will be a flat rate of 3% across all shipping regions. This will be calculated on the total amount of the sale which includes the item price, any handling charges, postage, and any applicable taxes.

Removing cash on pickup for local listings
Many sellers offer free collection in person, especially for large items which may be difficult to post. As we continue to make sure eBay is a safe and secure place to sell your items, we will be removing the option for buyers to pay with cash for items from 1 October. Instead, all payments for local items will go through the site - with a simple digital confirmation on collection - to ensure that you get paid securely and promptly by buyers.

[gileroz09]

Moneysavingexpert.com states:

Remember that for private sellers (NOT business sellers) automatically relisted listings do not come off of the free allowance. That means if on the 1st October you list 300 listings as BINs and 50 sell, then the 250 will auto renew and you still have your 300 new listings for November. 

[thetimetower]

Hopefully means all the businesses registered as private sellers will stop undercutting me by huge amounts now.

[leon9503]

"....to ensure that you get paid securely and promptly by buyers."

😂

Absolute nonsense, there's nothing more secure than cash in ones hand and nothing more prompt than when they pick it up....It's laughable and easy to workaround as believe it or not there are other places to sell stuff that won't end up like Grabazon, a marketplace for overpriced junk.

As a seller I've already stopped using it apart from 2 items which are just floating around doing nothing and will soon be ended and I'm sure this will see the end of other private sellers using it.

The only thing you'll be able you buy on EB in the future will be tumbleweed....😁

[cra2992]

Saw this - had an email from ebay about it.

I'm not sure I can get too excited about the reduction in free listings, though it does strike me as ebay trying to up revenue which I understand is falling, and typically increasing costs to customers to compensate for falling income isn't a successful business model. I'm a private seller, selling probably a lot more stuff than I normally would at the moment as I'm downsizing; but I struggle to get up to 100 listings, let alone 300, just because of the time and effort needed and the amount I want to list at any one time. My only worry is if re-listings count as new; I tend to stop listings auto-renewing as it's often not convenient, so a re-listing to me will look like a new listing to ebay.

The end of cash for collection items will be a problem for me, as most of the things I want to list would be collection only. I'm lucky in that the audience for what I'm selling are normally reasonably sensible and don't tend to be scammers, but cash protects me against irrational buyers while giving buyers the opportunity to examine the goods before buying; and viewing the item then paying cash is normal to my buyers. I'm anxious enough anyway about being scammed for the high value, bulky items I'm selling, which limits what I list, and ebay is becoming more difficult for my buyers to find and buy items the way they want; I'll think about it, but this is likely to mean I'll stop listing completely.

I'm also not sure I buy the "make sure eBay is a safe and secure place to sell your items ... ensure that you get paid securely and promptly by buyers" argument. It might get me paid a bit sooner, but not in a way that matters, and it makes things potentially less secure for me.

[papso22]

I don't think any seller buys Ebay's spin for removing cash on collection which quite frankly insults our intelligence seeing as how it is the opposite of true. 

[cra2992]

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@papso22 wrote:

I don't think any seller buys Ebay's spin for removing cash on collection which quite frankly insults our intelligence seeing as how it is the opposite of true. 

---

Yes, ebay have considerable form for dressing up self-serving or perverse policy decisions as supporting customers

[carolfirstborn]

Hi, I have only just seen this information about private sellers free listings being reduced from 1,000 to 300.  I pay for a basic shop and therefore get 1,000 plus 100.  I use them all!!!  I guess everybody knows sales have been fairly abominable since Covid, so I just do NOT understand why Ebay would do this.  Plus I never got any notification so I have little time to reduce my listings.  BUT I am an oldie, this is my world, my hobby, I can't use any of the ebay tools cos I don't have IT Smarts, and to make it worse I got 7 call backs about this from ebay telephone customer service today...from Berlin...ALL OF THEM either hung up after saying hello many times as if they couldn't hear me, or a couple said they could hear me but actually couldn't reply to anything because couldnt hear me well enough.  This happens every time Berlin calls.  I just want to find out what my options are, because all the listing fees shown on ebay are for 'present terms' so I just need help to understand the situation.   I mean they say automatically renewed items don't count...so what does that really mean. Help.  

[carolfirstborn]

PS. can anybody give me the situation for basic shop sellers???

[tommystrezures]

It means you are incorrectly registered and not entitled to free listings. YOu are clearly a business on ebay and should thus be correctly registered with 1000+ listings, and 10K+ sold.

Its very quick and easy to do via your account settings.

[cobwebcottage]

It may be a hobby for you but having over 1000 brand new items listed means that you are trading as an unregistered business.

Why you beleive that you are a private seller beggars belief. You need to upgrade your account to a business seller and then pay for a featured shop which will give you 1500 listings plus 600 auctions.

On your listings you state  'It is a legal requirement for me to state that they are not to be considered as being given as a substitute for traditional medical treatment.'

It is also a legal requirement to abide by Consumer Law.

[thetimetower]

Not going to lie, a bit of me is shocked at just how many people are trading as private sellers. I really hope this actually helps those of us registered correctly to make more sales. That may sound selfish and maybe it is but i wasnt aware just how cheap private sellers where able to list. I'm actually even more shocked at how many come on these boards and throw the toys out over injustice, only to get angry when everyone repeats the same "you're obviously a business trading illegally" narrative. 

[bettysbargainshop24]

It's illegal to use a private seller account if you are a sole trader/ltd company?

[tommystrezures]

You have a bigger problem you need to deal with first that you are breaching the No item lstiings policy. You are not allowed place holder ads.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I am a private seller and could not agree with you more!  The worst complainers are the ones who are doing the most whining.  I sell on e bay and car boot as a hobby/pastime but for all my family and i have never listed more than 90 most of which are used with only the occasional new item.  i just cannot be bothered with all the messing.  I also do not whine when there is no promotion as it is not an entitlement.  My listings stay on regardless.  

[carolfirstborn]

It's not



Sent from my Galaxy

[carolfirstborn]

I have no idea what that means?? Please explain



Sent from my Galaxy

[carolfirstborn]

Can someone explain. Currently if you look on ebay help..it says private sellers get no listings free..basic shop 250 listings free. None if these are correct..where can we find the true figures 🤔  and where ARE the figures for 1st October on?  PLEASE 

[the_book_seekers]

Where are you looking? The ebay talks about listing allocations on the Fees pages. I've just had a look at the Fees for private sellers page and it still shows the 1000 per month limit. This will obviously change in October to 300. 

[61stephenuk]

It is

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-policies/business-seller-policy?id=4710

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

[thetimetower]

Not illegal to use but if youre running a business, private sellers don't have to comply with consumer law (ie don't have to accept refunds etc)