DROP IN SALES SINCE NEW BUYER PROTECTION 4TH FEB 2025

[lo.maggi]

Has anyone else noticed lack of sales since the buyer protection update 4th february 2025. I used to sell quite a lot and virtually sold nothing since 4th Feb. Can anyone else relate to this and what can we do?

[papso22]

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@andha-21 wrote:

Believe it or not, I'm not actually being nasty. I actually quite enjoy Papso's posting style. Sharp and abrupt.

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One of my early performance reviews at work included the comment "does not suffer fools gladly".  I have aimed to live up to that ever since!

[hayes1645]

I also do not suffer fools gladly but like to treat others as I would like
them to treat me. No need to lose your own standards and sink to others
levels. Stay strong and good and right.

[andha-21]

So how do you reconcile that with eBay?

[papso22]

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@andha-21 wrote:

So how do you reconcile that with eBay?

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I can't. 

[lucy_farmer]

'So how do you reconcile that with eBay?'

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😂😂😂  👍

[lucy_farmer]

'I totally understand your point but just to mention that I am registered self-employed, I declare all ebay earnings on my tax return, I pay my taxes so I am within the law.'

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I have no doubt that you are well within the law as far as HMRC goes, submitting your returns, paying  your taxes  etc. And HMRC, doubtless, wouldn't have any reason to come after you.

But it's not HMRC, or ebay (or even us nosy parkers on the boards!) who get to decide who is a business and who isn't.

That is down to UK Consumer law.

And, by their rules, anybody who buys or makes or grows things to sell on, is a business.

And, as such, has to follow online selling legistlation; a part of which, for example, is the rule to have your contact details/address on display on your listings.

And ebay, very firmly, will not allow private sellers to have any contact details at all visible.

Business selling, in accordance with the law, is not at all compatible with an ebay private account ☹️

I don't think a business account is that expensive, especially if you don't have an ebay 'shop'; it may be worth your while looking into it.

[valleyrc1]

How are sales, now, OP? Look pretty healthy to me?

[valleyrc1]

How are your sales, now?

[valleyrc1]

How are sales, now? Seems to be doing ok looking at your completed listings?

[twin--turbo]

Law does not say you must have an ebay business account, but you must if trading adhear to business law. 

Ebay could fix this whole grey area with a cuttover rate business account.

small business does not sudenly spring from nothing to worthwhile proffit, yet the leap from private to business ebay account does not account for growing an idea. 

ebay should mimic all private fee structure into a new "STARTUP" structure with a capped turnover vs fees incentive.

Most startups have no beef with the distance selling regs, but don't generate enough volume to offset good sales against bad. 

Esentialy ebay is missing the critical point about supporting new micro business.  

[malivoire2013]

Exactly right! Couldn’t understand why my sales have suddenly dropped to almost zero - asked the question on line and here is the reason.

[1geedee]

The biggest issue i have as a private seller with this latest  Ebay "Financial shuffle" is when i now list something at an attractive starting price, lets say £100, they now turn my price into an unattractive cost of £104.78. They also make the buy it now price cost look pretty weird too resulting in my listings are now sending potential buyers away puzzled at such a stupid price. The cost has a huge influence on a potential sale and now this has been ruined.

We were all excited at this advertising slogans stating "Its now free to sell" and yes it is but i think the small print should've stated "Ebay will now manipulate your listings to seem less attractive to potential buyers so you might not sell as quickly as before, if at all".

'Buyers Protection fee' is just another avenue to gain bigger revenues than the previous set up. FACT!

[soo9159]

I have noticed a decline , but I suppose given commercial sellers were paying final value fees we got away with it for a couple of months , inevitably our prices have gone up without adjustment however it’s most telling on very low value items , I sell a sample , or did , for 99p including post , so genuine sample , now that reflects as £1.75 .

Is it a case of wait for people to adjust , we are now on a more level playing field with commercial sellers which I’m sure they are happy with , will eBay lose overall revenue as a result of drop in sales would be interesting to know .

[valleyrc1]

Something probably unrelated, but I've seen happen before.

My impressions and views have been pretty consistent all month and picked up at the weekend, but seemingly took a sharp drop, today.

But when I checked, I realized the impressions count is freezing up intermittently.

I've had this issue before a few times. It seems like an error in reporting rather than a true reflection.

Usually, even on a slow day, if you refresh the advertising page, the count goes up continually, but at the moment it will persist at the same figure for some time before resuming, again.

At the moment, it only seems to stop for a minute or so, tops, but if you imagine that on and off over the course of a day, it gives a really warped impression of what's actually going on.

A few times in the past it has stopped for longer periods up to tens of minutes.

I guessing this isn't going to effect everyone, but perhaps people who's statistics are being dealt with by a particular cluster or what have you.

[valleyrc1]

An example of this happening before:



Sometimes, the figures bump up to normal a day or so later, but not always.

Not directly related to this topic, but I always like to mention when I see it, in case anyone else is getting it and is freaking out.

[the_book_seekers]

 we are now on a more level playing field with commercial sellers which I’m sure they are happy with 

Not really. It is still cheaper for business sellers to use private accounts with 300 free listings rolling over every month, fee free selling and avoiding the rules, regulations and expense involved in selling to the EU under GPSR. If 300 listings isn't enough another account can be opened.  ebay's regulations have made it a little more awkward for these sellers, but in no way is the playing field anywhere near levelling up. 

[vintique*violet]

The "level playing field" would have been keeping ebay as intended which was for private sellers selling off their unwanted items, which many did starting at an auction whereby people could get bargains or be surprised when an item of " value" soared - it was fun, amiable, user friendly and an excellent community... of course there were non payers etc but they were dealt with without barely any interference/assistance  from eBay... Many as "hobby sellers" found their niche and the opportunity to build a " brand" so to speak as their business increased, as they perhaps hoped or intended. 

The introduction for businesses on the platform made significant changes to the overall feel and with that came "bigger" businesses and foreign  international sellers like china etc which increased probably more than a 1000 fold and shaped the platform, which is why we are seeing it as it is today... It is overwhelming, the searches do not work and flooded with non UK sellers who " pretend" and are not even registered correctly. 

If eBay wanted to offer a business marketplace they would have done better to have a separate platform and leave the private sellers  alone with the platform as intended... Private individuals selling off their " tat"  built eBay and as the CEO stated ( not verbatim) it is those private sellers who are the highest with their purchasing power... and it appears now that those sellers are being "penalised" for staying loyal... in my opinion. 

[andha-21]

I agree with most of that.

I'd just add that if there are many others like me out there, genuine collector/hobbyists that sell so they can buy different pieces for their collections then they really have burnt their bridges.

Once we stop selling our money dries up and bang goes our purchases. But that may have been an auction, that means we aren't adding our bids to it, meaning the market values can fall and that will end up hurting the businesses too.

They've committed corporate suicide and seem too stubborn to recognize it.

[vintique*violet]

Agreed -  there are probably far more "reasons" people could add , sadly eBay doesn't appear to care what they have done/doing and their focus on stakeholders and profit or the next corporate takeover to  "corner" the market seems to be the road they have taken without reservation. 

I wonder if they truly do understand their "customers?" 

[snowgeese2007]

Hi 

I like what you are saying. After suffering ill health during the last 2 years I developed more serious selling and was building steady sales. As you have said people have remained loyal to Ebay but just over a few weeks peoples earnings / livelihoods have been seriously affected.  I have lowered my prices today but have resigned myself to moving on from Ebay.