Ebay's new Buyers' protection fee from the 4th Feb

[rsbrickshop]

I'm a private seller. Items I sell are between £2.90 - £10. Is It just me or will ebay's new Buyers' protection fee from the 4th Feb make it near impossible to sell competitively. A few months ago Ebay got rid of Sellers' fees for private sellers, which was a welcome move. But this new change and getting rid of multi-buy discount for private sellers will make it worse than it was with the original fees.

[jow1995]

with over 5k of sales, you must be buying more clothes than my wife! takes some doing

[gblcfc]

a link to the announcement from ebay was posted on this thread on Monday

ebay confirmed it to me when I spoke with them on Monday

So it's a fact Mr 'Mentor'

[vinylscot]

Could you please point us to this further announcement. There are many threads on this topic, and you are the only poster who has seen this announcement about February 6th.

[ruby*ryan]

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@papso22 wrote:

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@gblcfc wrote:

Its been put back to the 6th

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Where have you got that from?

If you don't know it for a fact please don't post it.

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To be fair, there is so much misinformation that comes from CS Chat (and other dubious sources) that gets quoted, and things getting passed on like Chinese Whispers, then it gets repeated and becomes 'fact'.

What would have helped is a CLEAR announcement entitled 'Important Update to BPF'. I have to admit, I didn't realise that there was an announcement about the delay in roll-out, or feedback left being acceptable under £10 in an announcement that was labelled 'Buyer Protection, Pokémon Day, VAT invoices & other launches landing this February' with an accompanying picture of Pokémon cards.  I thought I had already had all the info about BPF, have no need of info about VAT invoices and no interest in Pokémon cards, so I didn't look. It was only when another poster shared the info on here that I went in to read it. 

[gblcfc]

Thanks for adding to the debate with your insight

[gblcfc]

The announcement has since been amended back to the 4th but none of my listings have changed so it seems that the Categories are being phased in despite what I was told by ebay

It is proving increasingly difficult not to view ebay as incompetent

[game_raid]

Why would it affect you? You don't sell electronics.

I am certain the announcement said the 4th when I read it, are you saying it was the 6th then they changed it to the 4th?

[vinylscot]

Is it not more likely that you simply mis-read the date on the announcement? There is so much noise around this that we would have heard from dozens of gloating individuals if eBay went back on their commitment yet again. Yet you are the only one who noticed.

[gblcfc]

Yes it did say the 6th and when I spoke to ebay they confirmed it 

My main reason for contacting them was to discover what the plan was for rolling out the Categories (other than Motors/Classified which has always been excluded) - I was told that the new system would apply to all Categories on the 6th

[gblcfc]

I am 100% confident that it was the 6th

As an aside I have checked some 'Private' Electronics listings - no mention of any BPF

[game_raid]

I think you misread, eBay made the post at 12:55 and I created a post at 13:40, CS also gave you the wrong information if they said the 6th.

I can't see them adding the 4th then the 6th then changing back, they aren't that unprofessional but I do sometimes wonder.

[gblcfc]

I know what I read - why would I contact CS to check otherwise? Its hard enough communicating with them as the best of times so I seek to avoid having to do so.

Anyway, its the 4th today and no listings have changed - so what is happening?

[doumind_7]

Going off line for a bit , too many e-mails. Over 100 today! Wife to look after.

[valueaddedresource]

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@gblcfc wrote:

Yes it did say the 6th and when I spoke to ebay they confirmed it 

My main reason for contacting them was to discover what the plan was for rolling out the Categories (other than Motors/Classified which has always been excluded) - I was told that the new system would apply to all Categories on the 6th

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@gblcfc  normally when posts are edited (even ones made by official eBay accounts here), they show a record of that edit.

For example, the weekly chat thread shows the date the thread was originally created (usually the day before the chat when it is still locked to replies) and then shows "edited" and the edit date when they update the post to unlock it to open the chat.

You can see that announcement post has no record of an edit.

That would tend to back up the other members here suggesting the more likely scenario is that you read it wrong or simply misunderstood.

Edit to add I'm in the US, so that's why the time zone display may be different but the point about no record of an edit still stands. 😉

[vinylscot]

By the way @gblcfc , if you did mis-read, that's OK. It happens. The post above about edits is correct. It never said 6th, and I have no idea why the eBay rep would have agreed with you, although many of them will just tell you what you want to hear just to get you off the phone.

There is a trouble-maker on another thread who is claiming that the announcement now states 10th February. This too is wrong.

[gblcfc]

So why did ebay CS confirm it?  She had to go away 4 times to 'check' the information

The time on the 'Announcement' is currently showing as posted at 12.54pm on the 3rd not 07.54 am so its clearly been amended or more likely replaced.

Anyway today is the 4th - noticed any changes yet?

[vintique*violet]

I thought the 10th February is for Simple Delivery pricing changes, not BPF which apparently is being phased in for electronics before including other categories.

[vintique*violet]

I think they are including the BPF in the electronics category first before including others. 

[gblcfc]

ebay Customer Services say not

[vinylscot]

You didn't bother to read @valueaddedresource 's post, did you?

He's in the United States. That's why the time shows differently. He explained that in his post.

I have no idea why eBay agreed with your wrong information, but, unfortunately, that's very often what they do.