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.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I agree with your comment but would add that even when told politely and helpfully (i know, not all the time!) they just bad mouth the person saying it - which usually indicates to me that they know exactly what they are doing is against the T & Cs and they just do not care.

[the_book_seekers]

I completed one of ebay's how are we doing 4 minute surveys yesterday. I'd stopped doing them, but thought what the hell. It took me 40 minutes and my answers were all about businesses on private accounts, BPF and how ebay's approach to the whole issue is wrong. It'll probably earn me a trip into the naughty corner for a while.

[sammylou40]

I’ve never been sent one of those 

would love to fill one in!!!

[sammylou40]

Agree.   I’ve been buying items from a favourite seller for quite a while and had items on my watch list. I got a whole load of offers today, complete with the BPFs.  They’re quite obviously nothing but a business 

I always get offers, nothing new there. 
and we have always had a friendly relationship 

but I don’t want to pay BPFs from a business 

they don’t have a website 

so…..  I can choose not to buy any more 

point out they should register as a business 

or ignore it and carry on as normal 

but that’s part of the reason why my sales have dropped off so I’m pretty annoyed 😡😡

[kath3735_wxmjn]

but did you feel better for getting it off your chest????

[the_book_seekers]

Not that I think ebay will take a blind bit of notice.  There was a question as to whether I thought ebay provided all that was needed for me to comply with the regulatory side of selling. That was a red rag to a bull. 

[lucy_farmer]

'So…..  I can choose not to buy any more 

point out they should register as a business 

or ignore it and carry on as normal'

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Oh yes. The dilemma!

One of my 'favourite sellers' is a private seller who really *shouldn't* be.

(gotta be honest, I only really noticed this a few months ago when 'free to sell' and then BPF, made it more important to see who was doing what...)

She sells some rocks that are so far up my street, they're parked on my drive..... and I haven't seen earrings and pendants quite like these anywhere else. So what to do?

If I tell her she's a wrong 'un, I run the risk of being blocked 😧

Or I could just be a coward and carry on as normal.

Or I could try and crush my addiction and just not look at her listings anymore 😮 (that'd be better for my bank balance mind you....🤔)

Difficult.

[dch2112011]

Keep buying - as long as you accept that they might not accept returns, it is the seller's responsibility not the buyer's - just don't get caught out and post on the forum how you have been conned ! 

Hopefully ebay will get their house in order and you can offer them tea and sympathy in exchange for a hefty discount when they launch their business account !

[krafty-kreations]

Same. 

So I may see you in the naughty corner!! 

[sammylou40]

For me it’s a seller who has a range of clothing I love.  They own a shop. Every new season they get sent one of every single item in the whole range ( a sample) , which they pay for, and which they then sell online ,obviously at a discount , as they can’t sell samples in store.  They’re purely for use for stock ordering. 
so obviously a business!!!

i benefit as I get new season clothes at a discount 

but definitely no returns 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[johnwash1]

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@sammylou40 wrote:

For me it’s a seller who has a range of clothing I love.  They own a shop. Every new season they get sent one of every single item in the whole range ( a sample) , which they pay for, and which they then sell online ,obviously at a discount , as they can’t sell samples in store.  They’re purely for use for stock ordering. 
so obviously a business!!!

i benefit as I get new season clothes at a discount 

but definitely no returns 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

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Are you sure there's no returns?  I'm decluttering, a private seller, but I offer returns.  Indeed I don't see why any private seller wouldn't.  As a seller would you rather have a change of mind return with the buyer paying the return postage, or a buyer who dreams up a reason to return at my expense?

And as for the buyers here having second thoughts about buying from sellers who masquerade as private... provided they're decent about accepting returns, why do you care?  It's an entirely artificial problem created by ebay's insane differences in charging sellers.  Why not charge every seller the same way?  Would that be so difficult?

[buffster1963]

I have always offered returns as a private seller. Only once as anyone opened a return, and then they changed their mind and never sent it back anyway. 

[theelench]

As a private seller of glass I've always offered "returns accepted" both here and on ebid.  I'd much rather accept a return than have the buyer break the item to get a refund.

[sammylou40]

Absolutely.  I agree with you 

but there’s no return 

[johnwash1]

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@sammylou40 wrote:

Absolutely.  I agree with you 

but there’s no return 

---

Yet.  I'm sure this favourite seller of yours will start accepting change of mind returns after you've wanted to send some things back and used INAD to get your return at their expense!

No seller on ebay with a grain of sense forbids returns.  Even private sellers who are just doing a bit of weekend clearing out to afford a pizza and beer.

[sammylou40]

You’re right. But in this case the returns shouldn’t be at my expense as it’s a business 

and there we are, right back at the beginning of the conversation 😂😂. one of the reasons for the BPFs.  Businesses using private accounts 

[johnwash1]

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@sammylou40 wrote:

You’re right. But in this case the returns shouldn’t be at my expense as it’s a business 

and there we are, right back at the beginning of the conversation 😂😂. one of the reasons for the BPFs.  Businesses using private accounts 

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I don't know how it works with businesses.  Correct me if I'm wrong, I've always assumed it's the same for businesses as for private, i.e. that the seller has to pay the return postage if it's an INAD claim, but the buyer has to pay if they change their mind.

Reason for BPF?  I don't have an insight into ebay's thinking, probably just as well, because I wouldn't relish viewing sewage either.  But my bet is that their thinking is still the same as it's always been, i.e. they don't give a damn about how people trade, as long as they get their pound of flesh.  A year ago they saw Vinted eating their lunch, they didn't have any creative thinking on how to fight back, so they decided to switch to a buyer fee, thinking that it would be the one thing that would turn the game around.  They couldn't switch overnight.  Hence first intro free to sell, capitalise on it with tv ads to suck in new sellers, then after a few months get back the revenue by doing a buyer fee.

In short, a very poor analysis of the situation, resulting in a badly implemented strategy.  This is ebay.  Am I surprised?