Changes to your Multi-buy discount tool access - Private sellers can't offer multi-buy

[aksluk]

If adding one more fee wasn't enough they are now taking away multi-buy features from private sellers. 

"We’re writing to let you know about a change to our Multi-buy discount tool, which you’ve used in the last 6 months. As a reminder, the tool allows you to offer discounts based on the number of items a buyer selects from your listing. From 20 Jan 2025, Multi-buy will become exclusive to business sellers, and no longer be available to private sellers."

[*devils.advocate*]

A small step - but one in the right direction.

[myriad*seller]

FINALLY!! 

Excellent news! 

Now they need to remove multi variation listings from "private" sellers now too! 

[myriad*seller]

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@aksluk wrote:

If adding one more fee wasn't enough they are now taking away multi-buy features from private sellers. 

"We’re writing to let you know about a change to our Multi-buy discount tool, which you’ve used in the last 6 months. As a reminder, the tool allows you to offer discounts based on the number of items a buyer selects from your listing. From 20 Jan 2025, Multi-buy will become exclusive to business sellers, and no longer be available to private sellers."

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Why does this matter to you? You are a business seller, selling 167 brand new items? 

[krafty-kreations]

If adding one more fee wasn't enough they are now taking away multi-buy features from private sellers. 

They want to make life more difficult for obvious businesses selling on private accounts 

Not the only change coming either, wait till you are forced into simple delivery and your funds are held until delivery is confirmed.

I'd just upgrade 🙂 

[kath3735_wxmjn]

read the profile!   Since when did someone buy things for themselves, use them and then try to sell them as brand new????

[myriad*seller]

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Oh I did read the profile. Sarcasm doesn't come across well in text..... 

[asbtdistribution]

They need to cap quantities of the same product a private seller can sell.. Why would a private seller have dozens of the same items for sale 

[aksluk]

I'm both private and business seller. So it matters to e as private seller.

[*vyolla*]

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@aksluk wrote:

If adding one more fee wasn't enough they are now taking away multi-buy features from private sellers. 

"We’re writing to let you know about a change to our Multi-buy discount tool, which you’ve used in the last 6 months. As a reminder, the tool allows you to offer discounts based on the number of items a buyer selects from your listing. From 20 Jan 2025, Multi-buy will become exclusive to business sellers, and no longer be available to private sellers."

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Seems fair. 

Any kind of promotional tool/feature should only be available to business sellers, imo. 

Private sellers can just lower their prices if their items aren't shifting. 

[myriad*seller]

You seem to have forgotten to upgrade this account to business

You are selling multiple brand new items so this account should be business

eBay will send your sales data to HMRC come January and they may require you to complete a tax return for sales on this account  so it is best to get your house in order before that happens.

[myriad*seller]

This link gives info on the digital sales reporting legislation that eBay have to comply with, including sending HMRC all sales data from anyone who sells more than 30 items. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/regulatory/sales-reporting/uk-digital-sales-reporting?id=5454#:~.... 

[plpmr]

"If adding one more fee wasn't enough they are now taking away multi-buy features from private sellers"

The obvious way around this is for you to properly upgrade this account to a business account.

[johnwash1]

As a private seller I do occasionally have multiple identical items, particularly with small items like screws or transistors.  But I've never used these fancy features, and I don't see any need for them unless someone's running a business.

I just list a single one and wait for it to sell, then relist or sell similar.  Or I list a pack of 5 and also a single one, as separate listings, mentioning in each description that I list different quantities if someone wishes.  Though I can't recall anyone ever taking me up on that.

The change I'd like to see, on the whole site, not just for private sellers, is to get rid of those variation type listings.  I guess we all know the kind I mean.  You search for 'x',  using lowest price first.  You expect prices to be from a tenner upwards for an 'x'.  To your surprise you see a whole bunch of listings "from 0.99 to £27".  And the 99p version is a 2mm strip of 'x' as a sample.  The actual 'x' you want is being sold at £27 by that seller.  Useless.  Deceptive.  And, putting on my xenophobic hat, very often the Chinese sellers.

Anyhow, returning to the original question, I don't see a problem.  Lots else to fix on the site, like generating sales these days.  If I had more I wouldn't have time to spend in the forums.

[moldosgifts]

That post went well ,

All good news for me then again i am a business.

[abrahamtoast]

I agree that something needs done about misuse of multi-item listings, both by business sellers AND private sellers.

However, there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Used properly, multi-item listings can be a perfect fit for a private seller trying to shift a collection of very similar, but slightly different, items. I have a number of these listings running at the moment, offering buyers the choice of many different issues of various popular magazines.

Too many business sellers on here just want to tar all private sellers with the same brush, and don't stop to consider the circumstances. Many (possibly most) of us are just trying to shift unwanted items, and we really don't need the hostility.

[johnwash1]

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@abrahamtoast wrote:

I agree that something needs done about misuse of multi-item listings, both by business sellers AND private sellers.

However, there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Used properly, multi-item listings can be a perfect fit for a private seller trying to shift a collection of very similar, but slightly different, items. I have a number of these listings running at the moment, offering buyers the choice of many different issues of various popular magazines.

Too many business sellers on here just want to tar all private sellers with the same brush, and don't stop to consider the circumstances. Many (possibly most) of us are just trying to shift unwanted items, and we really don't need the hostility.

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Actually you raise a thought provoking point there.  This year I've been listing quite a number of very old magazines and couldn't be bothered to list them individually, so I did them in groups.  Would probably have been smarter if I'd used your way.

As for the hostility, I agree 100%.  Business sellers are rightly aggrieved, but they should be beating ebay to a pulp, not other sellers.

[lucy_farmer]

'.........mentioning in each description that I list different quantities if someone wishes...'

Yep .  I tend to just say 'got lots of these if you need 'em '.

Being a (genuine) private seller doesn't mean you've only ever got 1 screw left over at the end of a project!

And I'm with you on the 'Variation' type listing........ looking for a duvet cover and being thrown listings for a single pillow case isn't helpful.

But I am quite pleased to see ebay doing *something* to try and weed out  crooked 'private' sellers.

They've been ignoring the problem until now.

[2007dcase]

I got this email on my private ID as I'd used the feature in the last 6 months. If I'm reading it right private sellers can still have multi-item listings, they just won't be able to set up multi-buy discounts. I think it's a step in the right direction tbh

[vinylscot]

I fully understood that, but some of the earlier answers were suggesting that private sellers should not be allowed multi-variation listings at all. That's the unfounded hostility I'm referring to.