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.

[papso22]

---

@gblcfc wrote:
There is no legal requirement to do this - even ebay do not require it - neither do HMRC

Are you a 'Business Seller' and what do you sell please?

---

Ebay does require it, check out their policies, and it's the only way a business seller can comply with consumer law.

It has nothing to do with HMRC.

[gblcfc]

What has nothing to do with HMRC?

[papso22]

---

@gblcfc wrote:
What has nothing to do with HMRC?

---

Whether or not you have an ebay business account. 

[seedbankers]

Brilliant, it coincides with snowdrop season! What a bummer!

[mr_aitch]

@gblcfc wrote:
What has nothing to do with HMRC?

"Whether or not you have an ebay business account. "

Further to this and comments from other users on this thread ... I could be wrong but I think having an ebay business account has always been of interest to HMRC, especially if you are trading, especially if you are making a profit, especially if you don't declare any profit on your self assessment tax return. Regardless of whether it was or wasn't of interest to HMRC in the past, I'm pretty sure it will be of interest to HMRC in the future. Also of interest will be private seller's accounts who are really business traders; whether people choose to describe trading as a hobby doesn't really matter, and trying to convince HMRC that you that the 11000 items you have listed have come from your 'personal collection' is going to be an interesting conversation. 

[christiesmusicstore]

I have collected records since i was 12.  I am now 70 and decided that now I have to let them go as storage and ill health are a problem.   I do not buy other collections.  I am only selling my records and cd’s.

[seedbankers]

This is a clever way to make us buy stamps via ebay dedicated system.

[gblcfc]

I already buy my stamps through ebay because it prints a label

I have often wondered how much Royal Mail kick back to ebay for the volume

[books-of-lore]

your still better off than business sellers keep in mind even for the basic account they have to pay £33 a month even if they dont sell anything then when we do its  12.5% on postage and what we sold 

[the-navigator]

I presume you mean the ‘postage, I think it’s the only way now as they need ‘tracked’ confirmation of your delivery, so you can get paid ~

Sent from my iPad

----x--O--x----

[papso22]

---

@books-of-lore wrote:

your still better off than business sellers keep in mind even for the basic account they have to pay £33 a month even if they dont sell anything then when we do its  12.5% on postage and what we sold 

---

There is no automatic monthly charge for having a business account; that would be a shop subscription and  voluntary.

[gblcfc]

I pay for a shop

I think that you are missing the point about this whole issue

[books-of-lore]

i think if you put an item on for £10 ebay will list it as £11.15 you still get your £10 who ever buys it pays the £1.15 fees

[kath3735_wxmjn]

confirmation of delivery just means you get paid quicker, you still get paid if it is not marked as delivered after 14 days.

[papso22]

---

@the-navigator wrote:
I presume you mean the ‘postage, I think it’s the only way now as they need ‘tracked’ confirmation of your delivery, so you can get paid ~

Sent from my iPad

----x--O--x----

---

No it's not the only way.  You will get paid after 14 days if the item was not tracked, or the tracking doesn't yet show delivery.

[mr_aitch]

"I do not buy other collections.  I am only selling my records and cd’s."

I did exactly the same; I sold circa 100 vinyl albums that had been sat in the loft for 20 years. These were my personal possessions or "chattels" in HMRC language. Selling chattels for less than £6000 is not taxable as far as I am aware. You seem to have 3900 items listed for sale. That's quite a collection.

[papso22]

---

@mr_aitch wrote:

@gblcfc wrote:
What has nothing to do with HMRC?

"Whether or not you have an ebay business account. "

Further to this and comments from other users on this thread ... I could be wrong but I think having an ebay business account has always been of interest to HMRC, especially if you are trading, especially if you are making a profit, especially if you don't declare any profit on your self assessment tax return. Regardless of whether it was or wasn't of interest to HMRC in the past, I'm pretty sure it will be of interest to HMRC in the future. Also of interest will be private seller's accounts who are really business traders; whether people choose to describe trading as a hobby doesn't really matter, and trying to convince HMRC that you that the 11000 items you have listed have come from your 'personal collection' is going to be an interesting conversation. 

---

Being of interest to HMRC and HMRC having any input/influence on what type of ebay account you have are different things.

They will definitely be surprised if there are ebay business account holders that are not paying tax, but will not take private account status into account if the type of activity on that account meets the badges of trade.   I highly doubt whether they will tell those accounts to register as businesses.  

[the-navigator]

No, no, and no again, it will be sold for £10.00, you get £8.85. (10.00 minus 1.15) ~

Sent from my iPad

----x--O--x----

[the-navigator]

Thank you for sorting me out on that point ~

Sent from my iPad

----x--O--x----

[the-layer-laboratory]

---

@the-navigator wrote:
No, no, and no again, it will be sold for £10.00, you get £8.85. (10.00 minus 1.15) ~

Sent from my iPad

----x--O--x----

---

Your example cannot be correct. The maths do not work.

What did the seller of this theoretical item specify as their selling price in the listing flow? It will make a big difference after 4th Feb.