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 

[tels_shop]

I have never seen a more blatant misuse of the phrase 'We wanted to share what this means for you and your buyers' and then go on to bullshyt the potential buyer by stating the clear opposite

'Added Protection'  means these highwaymen will give you an ice cream laced with poison.

Buyers WILL end up paying more (where there is little competition ) OR sellers will lose unless they use their heads to circumvent the process.

ALSO even MORE reason to insist on 'Cash on Collection' as collection in person can easily be denied esp if you let buyer take item without finding out the code that they get sent.

I have fortunately sold my most valuable items over the past 10 yrs (albeit with those fees) so I will either use Facebook Marketplace  - or the bin. (Where Ebay now belongs )

[lucy_farmer]

'How will Cash on Collection work for private sellers? '

CASH on collection is no longer allowed.

If you want (or need, 'cos item is huge or heavy)  to collect something , you will not be given the sellers address etc. until you have paid for the item through ebay's payment system.

But, if a buyer decides after collecting whatever it was, that they didn't want to buy it after all ( i.e. a not-as-described or buyers remorse) they can still get ebay to give them the 'return and refund'.

And it's the seller's responsibility to arranged to get the item back......... even if it's too huge or heavy to post. Which is why it was for *collection* in the first bloomin' place.

[leon9503]

"Now as a buyer, all ebay prices will go up...making ebay less competitive if at all. There's a price where you might as well spend a bit more and buy new."

Some prices on EB are a joke and cost more, on some occasions than the retailers prices, I recently bought a Midi Controller from Grabazon and it was £15 cheaper than EB's cheapest and EB's price was £15 more than the actual manufacturer!

[themartian82]

Ebay are clearly run by a bunch of Economyths  like Rachel Reeves. If I had such a platform with multi billion footfall, I'd get my money in via advertising. Ebay needs to make its money, there are people working to make this platform available, and credit to ebay, everytime I have needed to speak to somebody on the phone I have managed to.

But ebay needs to find a way to make its money and stick to it. Squeezing private sellers with huge fees, and now buyers with buying fees, essentially the very people at the heart of this platform is not the way to go. I have items listed for years that are not selling, thanks ebay for advertising it for free, but ebay has to date not made a penny from that item.

So I welcome ebay go heavy on advertising to make its money. Sourcing your money from Private Seller listings is not the way to go. 

[shobosanbon]

Yes they are.

[themartian82]

Appreciate the clarification. Ebay needs to explain themselves further why they see it fit to refund a buyer who collected an item. All items I have collected, I have asked for a demo that it works, or checked its in the condition advertised before I hand over collection code.

Ebay are essentially making a good case for Facebook Marketplace now.

[shobosanbon]

WRONG! Just got email confirming buyers fees! I won't be buying OR selling again on eBay, disjusting money grabbers!

[dch2112011]

---

@myriad*seller wrote:

This might work in the US, but the British won't put up with this! 

Very Churchill esque

"And we'll fight them with the butt ends of broken beer bottles because that's bloody well all we've got!"

---

[lucy_farmer]

'Ebay needs to explain themselves further why they see it fit to refund a buyer who collected an item.'

Yes it is pretty silly, but buyers can do very liitle wrong in ebay's eyes (after all without buyers there'd be no sellers and no ebay!)

I *used* to be puzzled about the stopping of Cash on Collection, because it  must have been put in place to stop fee-evasion, but for private sellers there were now no *fees* to evade.........

But know we can see it's to stop the 'buyers fee' being evaded. Because the buyer's fee will be coming from the seller one way or another!

[71camshaft]

THE BUYER WILL  NEED TO ABSORB THE PRICE HIKE DUMMY 

[themartian82]

Thanks. So let's say you are selling a £500 TV marked as 'for collection', advertised as £516.75 by ebay from their 4%/2% new buyer fee. An interest buyer message you that they want to see it before they buy it, a valid ask, they want to ensure it is as advertised for their peace of mind.

Ebay prevents you from messaging your address to them, so you/your buyer get nowhere. The buyer trusts you and buy the TV but does not pay, hoping this will show ebay they are genuinely interested. Do ebay now allow you to message them your address?

And if the buyer does come to check the TV and likes it, and make you a direct offer, and you can claim they didn't like the TV and cancel the ebay transaction...? 

Just an honest question, I'm not suggesting anybody evade any fees, of course I'm not....I'm not serioulsy!

[71camshaft]

Buyers will suffer most 

[71camshaft]

It's an obscene profit demand from greed buyers will suffer most . 

[wara_rat]

The 75p minimum addition will kill low value items. I sell a lot of cheap comics, but the postage has already snuck up to £2.10,. Having the basics cost £2.85 on an item that's worth a couple of quid is broken, and that's presuming its something you have lying around. If you have to buy stock that's not workable.

[gjwood84]

Surely once Evri/Hermes have your parcel you’ve sold they are then liable for that item if it’s covered under their insurance threshold.

So if the buyer claims it’s not been delivered Hermes have to give you a refund, not eBay.

I see this latest change causing huge problems for delivery companies, they will have to make sure they scan the items! Royal Mail often do not do it properly and the buyer can claim it’s not been delivered even though it has!

I don’t mind the 4% fee, the 75p fee will kill small sales from private sellers and the seller should be paid once it’s been dispatched not delivered. 

[the_bald_orc]

If you have to buy stock that's not workable.

If you have to buy stock to sell, then you're a business seller and the buyer protection fee doesn't apply to you.

[wara_rat]

Its buried in the 'Buyer protection' making it sound like a good thing. In the UK its 75p + 4% starts Feb 4.

[tels_shop]

Potential buyers will no longer be buyers so it will only affect sellers.
Buyers will simply go elsewhere.

Its like being charged purchase tax on top of purchase tax.

[buffster1963]

---

@wara_rat wrote:

The 75p minimum addition will kill low value items. I sell a lot of cheap comics, but the postage has already snuck up to £2.10,. Having the basics cost £2.85 on an item that's worth a couple of quid is broken, and that's presuming its something you have lying around. If you have to buy stock that's not workable.

---

This only applies to private sellers.private sellers do not buy stock, only business sellers need to do that. 

[71camshaft]

You obviously will need to raise your price to consumer