Delivery for business sellers.

[thistle_seeds]

Can anyone please tell me if business sellers have to use simple delivery or is it still just private sellers that have to do so.

[moldosgifts · Accepted solution]

No it is just for private sellers.

[darrent1000]

Is simple delivery actually unavailable for business accounts?  I know most hate it, but as a new business seller I just want to know all of my options.

[61stephenuk]

Simple delivery is only for private sellers, business sellers cannot use it as stated by moldosgifts

[darrent1000]

Thanks for the info.  The "upgrade" to eBay business gets worse the more I try to use it.  Previously I could sell a £99 smart watch, pay around 4% fee, £3.38 delivery and come out with £92.60.  If the item got lost eBay dealt with refunding the buyer and I still got the £92.60.  Now, because of no simple delivery I'd need to pay £11 for special delivery just to cover the stock cost if a parcel lost.  But with a 12.9% transaction fee and 36p listing fee that would make every sale a loss.  So to keep a small profit I'd just have to risk losing money when a parcel is lost.  I mean I knew it wouldn't actually be an upgrade, but this is insane.

[pegr-834437]

The big mistake you've made is seen it as an upgrade, its not an upgrade its a legal requirement. If you trade as a business on a private account you are defrauding customers and not giving them their consumer rights, whilst its 100% the fault of the seller who decides or doesnt gather enough knowledge to know they are trading illegally and defrauding customers eBay has made it an economical benefit to do so and in my opinion not clamped down enough on it. 

Most will be trading legally in terms of HMRC though as they are the ones who do more than eBay especially now with the reporting rules.

In your case could you not be trading legally on a business account and send them via Tracked 48/24, you wont be covered for the full cost you sell at but you will be covered for most of your purchase price.

The most annoying thing is the illegally trading accounts are bringing prices down so its not competitive for businesses, if they are not paying 10% in fees they can undercut reduce their prices by 10% meaning now when you look to move to a business account its not economically viable. 

[darrent1000]

I didn't see it as an upgrade.  I realise exactly what it is for and I was being sarcastic because eBay keep calling it an upgrade.  Also you're talking nonsense claiming that a customer is being defrauded if a private seller sells for profit on eBay.  eBay have a forced 30 day full refund policy that in reality is for any reason, that is beyond any legal requirements of the UK.  I know since I've been forced, on rare occasions, to take back previously brand new sealed items that have been opened and used  25 days after delivery.  No law in the UK would require that. 

[darrent1000]

eBay Business is still financially viable btw.  But it's unlikely to be worth it when other platforms offer either more possible profit or similar profit per item without allowing buyers to hold you to ransom.

[papso22]

"eBay have a forced 30 day full refund policy that in reality is for any reason, that is beyond any legal requirements of the UK".  

Actually they don't.  They allow private accounts to refuse change of mind returns and many buyers have lost out as a result.  If the accounts were properly registered then the seller would have had to accept the change of mind return.   Or course buyers who use a different reason for the return will be supported by ebay to get a refund, even if it's actually a change of mind disguised as something else.

I agree that private accounts have to abide by the money back guarantee, which gives buyers more protection than the law requires, but that is a condition of selling on ebay.

[darrent1000]

Yes "in reality" it is a 30 day return for any reason and everyone knows it. It doesn't matter that "defective" and "not as described" aren't technically supposed to be used for change of mind.  eBay in their own actions treat them as if they are.  Because they always refund the buyer no matter what the seller says. 

[pegr-834437]

How am I talking nonsense? When a business operates on a private account the buyer is charged a BPF which they are only charged because the business is operating illegally on said account. If they were on a business account they wouldnt be charged this so you are defrauding them out of that money by operating illegally if you are a business on a private account. I'm using the term you to mean those doing this not specifically you.

You have never once been forced to do anything on eBay, you signed up to use the site knowing their T&C's, you may not like them but you signed up knowing them, you can close your account and sell on other platforms at any time but nobody is forcing you to do anything, you have agreed.

[wgwillia]

That's Ebay for you good old Ebay

[darrent1000]

The BPF comes off the total price of the item.  No different than the transaction fee for business sellers.  The idea that it's extra for the buyer to pay in comparison to a business seller is silly.  If a private seller sells an item for £100, a 4% BPF fee comes off that and the seller receives £96.  If a business seller sells the same item for £100, a 6.9% transaction fee is paid for that item and the seller is left with £93.10. The buyer still pays the same amount, and no matter how the fee is paid (at sale or later) it still comes off the final money the seller gets from the sale.  You can argue that the business seller is being ripped off and I'd agree.  But the idea that the customer buying from the private seller has been "defrauded" because they've somehow paid an extra fee they wouldn't have paid with the business seller is just plainly not true.

Also no people sign up and agree to take back returns for defective or not as described items up to 30 days.  They do not actually agree to take returns for any reason.  But eBay do actually enforce that even though it's not within their policy.  So yes they do force people.  To the point where if a buyer returns an item that is fully as described and fully working that they have opened and used for weeks eBay will forcibly take money from your bank account if you refuse to refund.  Which is why, as I said, eBay's standard 30 day return is in reality far more protective than standard UK consumer rights distance selling law.  So no buyers aren't defrauded by private sellers either via consumer rights or the BPF.  Business sellers are being ripped off, but in that case yes they do agree to insane fees and no protection from loss.  In that particular instance I am not saying I have been forced and I may very well go elsewhere.  Or simply sell less items here.

[pegr-834437]

Once again you are wrong, the buyer pays the Buyer Protection Fee and if they were to purchase from a correctly registered business they do not pay it, the price is broken down at checkout and clearly shows they (the buyer) is paying the fee not the seller if buying from a private seller. Any business is defrauding if they are on a private account. I'm not sure why so many people fight this claim when its black and white, maybe they are feeling bad and dont want to be seen as acting illegally but who knows.

You agree to eBays T&C's which will state that if a buyer believes its INAD they have the right to return, yes its open to discussion if buyers misuse this, if you feel you have been a victim of this you can open a case with eBay and have the return fee back to you, but as eBay do not see the item before or after its sent they can not judge it. You agree to it though when you sign up.

So in short buyers are defrauded when buying from a business on a private account and you (as we all have) sign up to use the site and follow their T&C's, you may think they are unfair and if you do you can either challenge them or just not use the site, but the law is pretty straightforward on being a business on a private account that is illegal and defrauds customers.