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*]

So, eBay should give all Private Sellers, without exception, those privileges which should be reserved for Business Sellers just because it suits who ………………?

And amongst all the genuine Private Sellers on eBay, how miniscule the amount of those genuine Private Sellers will be “inconvenienced” by this?

[vandross-mg]

I think you will find (maybe you won't as you don't seem to want to learn anything) that it will effect many people.

Goodbye

[*devils.advocate*]

There's no need to insult - when you do that, you lose.

We will agree to disagree.

[rainbowchazer]

Bah! My most successful listing was a multibuy.

[vandross-mg]

Yes I do lose because of this change, same goes for every other private seller who did multibuy discounts.

Because the private account listings will be put at the bottom of every search result as the price doesn't compete because they can't do discounts. 

[bestbargainsuk]

Yet another reason to abondon eBay and go to Amazon!

[jonatjonatjonat]

Well you could register as the business seller you almost certainly are and get multibuy back.

[goodibags]

Why would any sane and rational person who is NOT running a business ever want to upgrade to a business account? This tediously disingenuous Ebay sales pitch is deliberately to make money from everyone, even those that can't afford it. It's less 'nudge' and more blatant SHOVE.

Remember, EVERYBODY has a £1000 trading on Ebay tax allowance. Specifically for selling the things you yourself made or may have bought to sell on. There's nothing remotely ILLEGAL or 'dodgy' about doing this. Up to the £1K limit, obviously. And your own personal possessions can be sold tax free.

Beyond that, HMRC may or may not be interested. By law Ebay is already reporting sales volumes to them.

[jonatjonatjonat]

Thanks for the response. Do you think the person I replied to might be a business or not? I only have to look at the last years sales in ebays research tool of their top two items to see if there is anything above the £1,000 as well.

"Business sellers are required to follow all government regulations, including registering as a business on eBay, and providing contact information and a return policy. 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."

My point for that seller in particular is they shouldn't gripe about losing multibuy offerings when if they were registered correctly - they'd have what they want. I do understand it causes issues for some private sellers - ie trading card sellers.

[goodibags]

That £1000 allowance is obviously NET of postage costs, which Ebay unhelpfully bundles into their reporting totals.

One 'benefit' of Simple Delivery (possibly the only one?) when that starts is that Ebay reporting will finally be accurate!

[jonatjonatjonat]

Thats OK - they're doing free delivery

[goodibags]

I've seen a surreal number of sellers on here being bullied into 'starting a business', often on sales of £100 in 3 months or listing 6 items of personal camera equipment. It's madness.

Regarding making things or buying to sell Ebay may have its 'house' rules (aka the money grab)  but there's nothing inherently illegal about doing it, within reason.

[goodibags]

I always split out postage costs but Ebay still pretends that they are 'income' for me.

[jonatjonatjonat]

Aye - but this seller doesn't have delivery separate. They are selling the product as free delivery. So thats the product price. They are definitely doing over £1,000. Not that that actually matters anyway.

Look - its a Monday morning and I'm done with this thread now. You're almost certainly wrong on the particular seller I responded to but go ahead and believe what you want.

[goodibags]

I was generalising anyway, and there IS way too much baiting.

Luckily, the trading allowance is a matter of FACT, not belief. 😁

[ruby*ryan]

@goodibags wrote:

I always split out postage costs but Ebay still pretends that they are 'income' for me.

---

As private sellers can't claim expenses, unfortunately postage costs are included in their sales total.
The same with the £1,000 trading allowance, it's total income and includes postage costs.

As for Simple Delivery, I'm pretty sure I read on a help page, or possibly on the weekly chat that the cost of the postage label will be included on your sales totals, and this will be the total sent to HMRC.

[myriad*seller]

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@bestbargainsuk wrote:

Yet another reason to abondon eBay and go to Amazon!

---

I don't think Amazon do private sellers...

[andha-21]

Considering the company they are in "Parasite"seems a tad harsh.

eBay's entire business model/method being parasitic in nature.

They only thrive when they have something to feed on.

[goodibags]

Yes, but the reports ARE net of Ebay fees (when we had them), so Ebay is not being consistent in removing some fees but not others.

Like seller fees, postage costs are NOT income, so should absolutely not be reported as if they were. I sell a lot of low value items sent as small parcels, so I'm aware that the totals are plain wrong.

I was hoping Simple Delivery would finally address this problem but if it isn't then I can't think of ANY benefit to it. ☹️

[myriad*seller]

They are not income they are GROSS TURNOVER

You have a threshold of £1000 Gross Turnover (not income) before you need to contact HMRC

Postage costs ARE included