Do ebay want rid of private sellers?

[kh-216319]

Buyer protection fees policy seems unethical to me. Are ebay now able to earn interest on funds they withhold from private sellers? Are they earning off my money?

Buyer protection fees policy make private sellers uncompetitive. My sales are set to drop like a stone so I can only conclude ebay want rid of private sellers. Wasn't ebay founded on private sellers?

[myriad*seller · Accepted solution]

eBay do not get interest on funds held in the UK

There is no interest on digital money 

[kh-216319]

Thanks for the clarification.

[the-layer-laboratory]

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@myriad*seller wrote:

eBay do not get interest on funds held in the UK

There is no interest on digital money 

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Why do you believe that either of these statements are true?

Ebay policy states:

Funds received by [eBay] on your behalf represent an unsecured claim for payment against [eBay}, but do not constitute deposits. [eBay] may combine your funds with the funds of other [eBay] customers in pooled accounts and invest the funds. You do not have any ownership interest in these investments and any interest earned from these investments shall be retained by [eBay].

[myriad*seller]

Why do you believe they are false?

[the-layer-laboratory]

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@myriad*seller wrote:

Why do you believe they are false?

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Ebay policy states:

Funds received by [eBay] on your behalf represent an unsecured claim for payment against [eBay}, but do not constitute deposits. [eBay] may combine your funds with the funds of other [eBay] customers in pooled accounts and invest the funds. You do not have any ownership interest in these investments and any interest earned from these investments shall be retained by [eBay].

[asleepingdragon]

Who cares?  Aren't you all trying to make a few quid?

[kh-216319]

So funds leave a buyer's account and are held in limbo for possibly weeks and they're not earning interest for anybody? I found that almost impossible to believe in this economy.

[fatbobfan]

@myriad*seller 

@the-layer-laboratory is correct its a common business practice for all sorts of industries, online and third party providers, its world wide and with the monies involved on this platforms size, its a lot of money

[potfp23]

I don't think they necessarily want rid of private sellers - but i'm sure they want unregistered businesses masquerading as private sellers to register correctly and pay the correct fees.

[kh-216319]

That sounds fair enough but it should be clear who they are by the volumes they shift. I sell about 8 items a month.

[potfp23]

You're right - and it is often very obvious. Although it's not necessarily about how many things people sell but what they are selling as well.

I remember a long time ago when ebay used to message people who they thought were business sellers in order to encourage/force them into being correctly legally registered, but that seems to have stopped a long time ago.