EBay plan to add fees for buyers - hurts businesses even further

[vintagefunk01]

From the sky news article here which is obviously a press release https://news.sky.com/story/ebay-selling-fees-are-scrapped-to-boost-to-reselling-13225638

It seems clear ebay is following in the footsteps of other selling marketplaces by adding fees for buyers in the early new year,  but since fees remain in place for business sellers adding another fee on top of this is another hit to our bottom line.

We will now be expected to absorb the buyers fee and our own business selling fee (and shop fees etc).

This seems crazy to me - although eBay say it'll be 'small' , if it's 8% like elsewhere that's a massive hit for us to take.  Yes it's for the buyers but we all know prices will drop because of it - for example a 350 item will now cost 379 to the buyer with an 8% fee that is currently used by another platform, so ofc sellers will drop the initial price so that the item actually sells and to offset this.

Fine for private sellers who have no fees to compensate, but insane for business sellers with hefty fvf and shop fees already 

[catboxes]

I read a different article about it this morning (can’t remember where) but it said the buyers fees will be if they buy from private sellers, so I’m hoping they don’t introduce a buyers fee if buying from a business seller which will hopefully encourage buyers to buy from businesses rather than private sellers 🤷‍♀️🤞

[reasonable-robert]

not on your bonaparte  i,d give up first

[dch2112011]

The reports across the internet concerning ebay is that buyers fees will be introduced early in 2025 for buyers from private selling accounts and that ebay shipping will be introduced to all private sellers, initially with an opt out but will be compulsory over time. 

Payment for private sellers will be held until customer confirms delivery from feb 2025

This is one of the articles from the Mirror although this one is not so succinct as others

ebay changes 

[vintique*violet]

The reports across the internet concerning ebay is that buyers fees will be introduced early in 2025 for buyers from private selling accounts and that ebay shipping will be introduced to all private sellers, initially with an opt out but will be compulsory over time. 

Payment for private sellers will be held until customer confirms delivery from feb 2025

No to buyers fee ( being as I buy more than I sell ) 

No to eBay shipping - Just does not work for me on many levels. 

No to held payments - imagine going into a store and saying I will be back after 48 hours to pay, just want to ensure ...... " the food doesn't give me tummy upset".. " the mower cuts like advertised"  " the paint actually paints 😉  or whatever ... Yes, I know this is for private sellers ( for now ) but there are businesses on here who actually fall short of providing a good item/service, so why penalise those whose accounts are above standard -  being dictated to by taking away our choice just does not sit right with me;  their " policies"  only serve the big boys - not what this platform was initially introduced as and not what eBay advertise. 

This is to " streamline" the platform to use A.I  for the system, we know it doesn't work, I currently have 3 items delivered and feedback received and yet still showing as " dispatched - delayed"  so with this newfangled " idea" it would leave me out of pocket five weeks and counting. I just do not need the stress of having to " fight" for what belongs to me! 

It all actually sickens me. 

[valueaddedresource]

@dch2112011  the Mirror article appears to have been a bit of a sloppy summary of a similar article in the Sun, and the article from the Sun itself had some errors or misunderstandings, so I wouldn't take what they said as gospel.

To my knowledge, there has been no official statement from eBay indicating buyer fees will only be assessed on purchases from private sellers, so honestly I'm not sure where the Sun got that from, especially since they acknowledge in the article that eBay declined to comment.

In fact, again to my knowledge, eBay has not released any details what so ever yet about what the buyer fees will look like, when they will apply, what amount they will be or anything else.

My guess is the Sun has simply taken the fact that the future buyer fees were announced along side fee-free private selling and assumed that means the buyer fees will be connected to/only apply to private sales but we know what happens when people assume. 😉

In my mind, only charging a buyer fee on items purchased from private sellers would be the most messy/confusing way they could possibly do it - but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't, because we all know eBay doesn't always do things in the most logical way.  😂

What would make more sense would be to have a buyer fee flat across the site, while lowering business seller fees to balance it out and keeping private selling fee-free.

Any way, we'll all (including the Sun) just have to wait for it all to shake out once eBay actually provides details - until then, it's just a guessing game.

[dch2112011]

I fear for genuine private sellers as yourself this is going to be a retrograde step compared to what you are used to -  free listings for delayed payment and eventually one source for postage purchases  chosen by the customer.

Thinking about it - if the customer is choosing and paying for the postage - that is one less hassle for the private seller  with a few exceptions for disabled or rural sellers potentially.

Buyer fees instead of sellers fees - depends on which side of the fence you are standing as to whether this could possibly be beneficial - the down side is  it might squeeze prices with customers expecting a discount equivalent to the fees ? 

Delayed payment until after delivery - it will be beneficial to buyers and sellers avoiding claims - it potentially will force buyers to buy tracked delivery , only when the changes are fully implemented will it be seen to work or not until then a lot of private sellers are going to be up in arms.

The best upside will be the negative affect it will have on traders using a private seller account and you may see some of them dissapearing or even legitimise themselves but the vast majority will persevere - I can't see the Chinese or non declared dishonest businesses changing anything but time will tell

For sure you will need to get weights, dimensions and packaging right on each listing before a buyer purchases otherwise it will be chaotic - payments will depend on swift delivery service by the carrier and correct scanning - good luck !

[signs_and_vintage]

But customers will just choose the cheapest each time (e.g. we-crush-Evri-parcel) in full knowledge that sellers will be responsible come rain or shine for the outcome. We do have lockers and we do have an evri shop if you need the label printer function, but its not worth the hastle for me. The shop is a nightmare to park near (typical local 60s/70s ped. shopping parade) and this time of year so are the lockers if I'm honest. Collect from mine is amazing, and it works.

It's a bit like those old dinosaur sellers who still say things like 'we strongly recommend you upgrade to SIGNED FOR delivery as we will not be responsible for damage or loss!!'. Yeah mate.

[dch2112011]

Nothing truer than that statement - cheapest rules - unless a seller can restrict the choice which I seem to remember was inferred way back when ebay delivery was introduced - so many choices in each delivery category ?

[johnwash1]

@dch2112011 

"...with a few exceptions for disabled or rural sellers potentially."

Gee, thanks for sidelining us.  And there was me thinking society was becoming more inclusive.

[leon9503]

---

@dch2112011 wrote:

I fear for genuine private sellers as yourself this is going to be a retrograde step compared to what you are used to -  free listings for delayed payment and eventually one source for postage purchases  chosen by the customer.

Thinking about it - if the customer is choosing and paying for the postage....

---

Personally, there's no chance I'd ever do that....

It's not my responsibilty as a buyer, it's up to the seller to make sure it's delivered properly [Legally 'In the hand'] and in time but as they have to rely on RM and other useless couriers it's not going to end well.

There will be plenty of people leaving, eBay is mostly dead anyway for some and just another nail in the coffin....

[dch2112011]

The way it works for buyers is  the buyer chooses the postal method and pays on behalf of the seller - so the seller retains responsibility for delivering - the added seller incentive is that their payment is held until delivery is confirmed - theoretically it should improve delivery time as sellers keen to receive their funds will have the incentive to post very quickly rather than wait until they have 'cleared funds before getting around to dispatching the order.  

It will also encourage sellers to dispatch same or following day rather than at their convenience some days after a buyer pays. 

[dch2112011]

Yep, ebay are being very tight lipped as to how disabled sellers are going to be assisted under the new to be introduced system.

My guess and it is just a guess is that the only solution will be to include collection from door by carriers in ebay delivery - it isn't yet ! 

whether this is possible or an option that can be added and paid for by the seller to avoid penalising buyers has not emerged anywhere from ebay - leaked or official

[leon9503]

That's not how RM works, it's the person who pays who is responsible and if there are any issues they will only talk to the person who pays for the service so the seller will have no say in the delivery and we all know the seller has no control whatsoever once it's posted and is at the mercy of the service provider, EB tries to ignore that and puts the onus, wrongly, on the seller as if they can do anything about it and EB delivery estimates are already a joke and discussed elsewhere on the forums.

As a buyer I'm not bothered about getting my items as quick a possible and most of my regular sellers don't need any incentive to post quickly as they already do, they get repeat business because they are efficient already.

So the sellers money is held to ransom while waiting for some delivery service to hopefully do their job properly, in time....Businesses can't run like that and making changes to a system that already works won't improve delivery times at all as the delivery services will always be poor, EB will never change that.

[*devils.advocate*]

the only solution will be to include collection from door by carriers in ebay delivery

And how will eBay know when to do that - or just include it for every listing?

How will the buyer know if the seller is disabled or is based in a rural area?

(How many times have sellers complained the buyer hasn't read the listing - so will they see the location and know where it is?)

This is all about money to eBay, nothing else - nothing else matters - and eBay don't care if they lose such sellers.

All-in-all, eBay have completely lost their way.

[dch2112011]

The way it will work is the postage paid by the buyer will come from the sellers overall funds ie purchase price plus postage paid by the customer - the purchase will come from ebay shipping - this makes the buyer of the postage either the seller or ebay depending on the carrier - either way the responsibility remains with the seller under any circumstance 

A lot of personal sellers wait until they receive funds in their bank before posting - this will end this practice which is wholly unfair to buyers.  Not all sellers do this but many do - unfortunately enough to cause a problem which drives buyers away from your sellers who do not do this.

It also will reduce the number of sellers trying to manipulate the edd by increasing handling time from 1 day to 5 days -  this practice deters buyers who in the majority are looking for 'quick delivery'  

[dch2112011]

It would have to be added as a seller option - at a postal cost  for either buyers or sellers  - which sellers could choose or not depending on their circumstances when listing - it could not be restricted to disabled or rural sellers it would need to be a choice for all private sellers 

This is a choice many sellers already employ at an extra cost 

[vintique*violet]

Actually eBay need to be extremely careful as they are discriminating against those with disabilities & rural areas.  Many whom have ( assuming) found a way that works best for them and if this is taken away then the Equalities Act comes into play. 

Ebay are not exempt from this " fall out" and need to address this important issue. 

As for all inclusive - its an anomalie. 

[*devils.advocate*]

This is a choice many sellers already employ

But, at least for the time being (beginning of 2025), it’ll only apply to private sellers - some of which are inexperienced drawn in by the “free to sell”).

And they will know how to pick what? - given eBay’s easy to use platform?

Surely the whole idea of this is to be eBay’s choice dependent on the info input by inexperienced sellers (if they know how to do so) - eBay’s choice, not the choice of (private) sellers?

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/ebay-only-giving-me-choice-of-parcel-force/m-p/772795...

OK, it was a Friday and maintenance day and it was Friday 13th, but it happened ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I decide on how i will post it and that is via RM everytime.  If a buyer is not happy with that then they need not buy from me!  In all the years i have been selling (and buying my own stuff) i have never had one parcel go missing.  I did have problem with one seller because they said RM and put the wrong price label on it but that was not RM fault.

[vintique*violet]

A lot of personal sellers wait until they receive funds in their bank before posting - this will end this practice which is wholly unfair to buyers.  Not all sellers do this but many do - unfortunately enough to cause a problem which drives buyers away from your sellers who do not do this.

Days gone by eBay warned every seller not to post until cleared funds received. How is it unfair to buyers for a seller to ensure payment is cleared before posting?  I certainly do not post until funds are cleared, which is usually within 1 - 3 days . 

How does it cause a problem to drive buyers away? 

It also will reduce the number of sellers trying to manipulate the edd by increasing handling time from 1 day to 5 days -  this practice deters buyers who in the majority are looking for 'quick delivery'  

Handling time is determined by the seller for what suits them. 

My handling time is 5 days, but usually post within 1 to 3 days  and state this on my listings - this suits me, firstly to cover any unforeseen issues ( health, weather etc)  and being as eBay E.D.D. are often  incorrect aids in not receiving a late delivery strike. Once it has left my hands, any days by the postal services are not in my control and it is unfair for anyone to be penalised by this. In no way is this manipulating the EDD nor can every seller offer same day or next day postage. I am confused as to how " increased handling time" deters buyers? Personally if there was an item I wanted and the seller was on holiday or handling was a week I would be happy to wait.