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."

[vinylscot]

I used to buy a lot from charity shops. I wasn't necessarily looking for "treasure", although I did have a few lucky finds. However, all the charity shops on my local high street are now charging silly prices, and are noticeably quiet almost all the time.

I had a word with the manager in one local shop (a charity I favour), and his answer was - "you should be happy to pay a little more as the money is going to charity". When I told him we should both be happy with our transaction, he just told me I didn't know what I was talking about.

I have since spoken to a number of members of staff there, who all tell me they are selling next to nothing these days; their stock simply gets rotated around their other stores, and the majority ends up in a skip.

It certainly put me off donating to them. The last time I gave them a bag of clothes, some of my jumpers were priced at more than I paid for them when they were new!

As a previous poster stated, they are relying on an outdated model, which doesn't work when people are a little short of cash - in such circumstances, they are less likely to donate and certainly less likely to buy at inflated prices.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

that is one of the problems now though, managers are paid employees and not volunteers.   They follow the top people who also get paid (generously in most cases)) so they have to charge high prices to raise the cash. 

[lighting_signs_and_vintage]

Had a friend who volunteered at a certain dog based charity, at their London head office.

This is the one that was controversial for having the £3000sq ft. HQ.

They were ordered around a bit but they thought 'hey ho, guess I'm doing good'.

Running and fetching cups of tea, collecting peoples lunch deliveries from the delivery drivers and bringing them up.

Later in the afternoon he was asked to 'sort out my jacket and umbrella will you?'.

A load of trustees had come back from a boozy lunch.

One of the less on-message employees said they'd all been out on the charity.

'Special occasion is it? Founders day?'

'No, it's Friday. Next one Wednesday'.

Think he lasted less than a week.

Search online for 'charity poor governance', you'll need a few days to get through it all.

[diana_stroud]

Although I think the post has run it's course, just a thought. Most of the 'rogue' private sellers on here seem to think that they aren't businesses as they have jobs and make extra money on the side. I wish eBay would put out a post/email to everyone that if you pay tax and 'trade' on the side, then you are liable for Tax from the HMRC. Just because it's not your main income doesn't make you a 'private' seller, just as people with second or third jobs have (or should) declare their income from other, maybe, part time jobs.

It would hopefully make the naive aware that they could be hit with a tax bill out of the blue as so many blatant 'business' sellers trading as 'private' have no idea that they are doing anything wrong, and that the deliberate 'chancers' will have no excuse when judgement day comes. God help the 'chancers' who do bits on multiple sites (they all have to provide the trading info), the chickens may be coming home to roost...

[the_book_seekers]

ebay supposedly has further measures to come next month in addition to this. I wonder if part of it has something to do with obtaining National Insurance Numbers which must be coming before the deadline to send our data to HMRC in January. 

[theelench]

I find it strange that I've heard nothing since collecting NINOs was announced along with the thresholds for reporting sales to HMRC, as a private seller I'm one of their prime targets.

It was assumed by most, including myself, that ebay would treat this as another excuse to hoover up more personal info. from everyone registered as a private seller.   But since ebay's announcement, apart from a couple of mentions by sellers opening new private accounts, there has been nothing since.

There has been even less on Ebid, no announcement at all from from their management and almost no discussion on their boards.

Could it be that the ebay announcement was up to their usual standard of opacity and there never was a plan to get every sellers NINO and they will only be asked for if the thresholds are exceeded?

If so I might be listing stuff on ebay for a while longer than I thought!!!!

[kempseykate]

I haven't been asked for mu NI number, and I have exceeded the limits. It seems that ebay are requesting the number from new/returning sellers when they exceed the limit, but are not bothering to gather regular sellers numbers until the last minute - when all the info being input at once will probably cause a major meltdown resulting in who knows what?

[papso22]

---

@kempseykate wrote:

I haven't been asked for mu NI number, and I have exceeded the limits. It seems that ebay are requesting the number from new/returning sellers when they exceed the limit, but are not bothering to gather regular sellers numbers until the last minute - when all the info being input at once will probably cause a major meltdown resulting in who knows what?

---

That is an absolute disaster waiting to happen!  There are also hefty fines if ebay don't have all the data and details they need by reporting day.

[lighting_signs_and_vintage]

Same here never been asked for NI number and wouldn't trust this lot with it, they are not getting I'm afraid, will happily call it a day if I'm forced. Even the bank account they have on file for me is a specially opened, Basic Bank Account that doesn't allow DDs greater than balance without fees for attempts to withdrawal money that isn't there (though the poor old bank has to send a LETTER each time...).

[lucy_farmer]

'Same here never been asked for NI number and wouldn't trust this lot with it, they are not getting I'm afraid, will happily call it a day if I'm forced...'

Me neither, me neither, same , and me too. 😄

Happy Christmas, signs_and_vintage!

[lighting_signs_and_vintage]

LOL yes Merry Christmas! I am literally sat here nannying a poorly timed update to complete them I'm shutting down for Xmas 😂

[the_book_seekers]

but are not bothering to gather regular sellers numbers until the last minute - when all the info being input at once will probably cause a major meltdown resulting in who knows what?

That's what worries me. On past performances it's hard to see this going smoothly.

[1956glyn]

I reluctantly donate to charity shops and even then are very very selective as to which one we donate to.

A while back we donated a large black bag of designer clothes all excellent condition etc.   We never saw any of them put out so a week later i asked the manager if there was an issue with our donation.   Her response was no it was brilliant.........the staff had all the clothes !!   That was not why we donated them 😞

 We always USED to gift aid BUT our local charity (no one else gets a look in around here)   spent 1.5 million on rebranding and wasted so much money that the locals were in uproar.     We always used to tell the charity to keep our money made from the Gift Aid scheme and it was usually a few hundred pounds.     We decided to show that we were frustrated at them wasting over 1 million pounds and just the one time decided to request our Gift Aid money be sent back to us.     The result was......because just the once we requested the money back in protest......they permanently kicked us off the scheme.

[lovelacelinenlife]

Made my day … 😃

[myriad*seller]

They are only gathering NI numbers from accounts opened in 2024 at the moment

They will request everyone else's NI numbers before the end of this calendar year

[vandross-mg]

Why is this the right direction? 

[*devils.advocate*]

Why would a genuine private seller need such a facility?

[vandross-mg]

If they want to sell multiple items In the same lot. For example: trading cards. 

[*devils.advocate*]

Why would a private seller have lots of the same items for sale?

Yes, sometimes/occasionally they will have - but to have so many, so often, to need such a facility?

In your case, for example, all the cards are different and should have their own separate listing anyway?

They should remove multi-variation listings as well.

IMHO, promotional tools should only be available to Business Sellers.

[vandross-mg]

Having lots of the same item to sell with trading cards is more common than you think because of the nature of how they are sold from the people who make the cards. 

If you were to buy 1 booster box from any of the popular trading card companies you will have at least 6 to 7 of the same card. 

Which means you will have many cards to upload with multiple each card. 

And that's just for 1 box.