Ebay's new buyer protection scam

[wayne15071965]

So I have been a seller on and off her since June 2001, Over the years I have sent items recorded delivery that either never turn up , or arrive with no notification of delivery.  Now someone wants to charge a buyer a fee for safe delivery, when they would have been charged that in the P&P cost.  Frankly it sounds more like a scam than customer service and Ebay are also trying to force us to use their shipping option, So much for free enterprise, sound like trying to get the monopoly on delivery as well.  As for hanging on the sellers cash til 2 days after delivery, really so post office goes on strike and you don't get paid, Think I may start looking to leave. So much for eBay's loyalty to us .

[skyedone]

RIght with you Wayne.

Been using it since 2003. This account since 08. 

May the last person turn out the lights. Ebay have lost my business.

[skyedone]

No, you really can't argue that. This is a drastic change to all private sales.

[game_raid]

It doesn't seem to have affected the OP, they still have 225 items listed, I guess they must be still looking for another platform.

[ijustwannabuysummat]

Hi do you use another platform?

[tressygirl]

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@myriad*seller wrote:

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@originsreborn wrote:

I mind waiting for payment. Why should I? And why should Ebay sit as this comfortable 'middle man' holding our money (between buyer & seller) and creaming the interest! Imagine what they must make on the millions of people who sell on Ebay?

You're right, it is definitely a 'choice'. And it is a choice that fewer people will make as a direct result of this rubbish.

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The "eBay makes lot of money in interest on our funds" myth has been debunked many times

There is no interest paid on digital money 

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Apparently , they do receive interest from money held now, it's all changed with this announcement:

You do not have any ownership interest in these investments and any interest earned from these investments will be retained by us. To the extent you may have any beneficial ownership in the interest or proceeds of these investments, your acceptance of these terms constitutes an assignment of any right, title or interest therein to us.

[ijustwannabuysummat]

Maybe we should add, 'ebay stealth tax added to price' on every listing 

[ir_welsh_dragon]

Why should the buyers pay this fee, I send my items Signed For or Tracked so they are already covered.... SCAM

[originsreborn]

Thanks for that. Confirmed my suspicions. I didn't work for 30 years in a commercial business environment without being able to scent a money making scam when I see one.

So, come on all you Guides/Mentors/Specialists, form an orderly queue and answer this one! 

[lucy_farmer]

'...able to scent a money making scam when I see one.'

We've all signed up to let ebay do whatever they flippin' well want with our money..... well, not 'signed' as such..not even needed to 'tick a box'.

We give ebay permission to do wotever  simply by using the site.

If we don't agree, we don't use it.

(I remember an experiment several years ago where a website was set up, purpoting to do something-or-other attractive. Within the enormously long T's and C's, the actual words  ' AGREE TO THE SACRIFICE OF YOUR FIRST BORN' were put in, and yep.... everybody signed up.

All the gumpf, legalities, T's and C's etc of the average website are not written to be understood by the average human being. We just 'sign' our souls away for the convenience of everything online...)

[papso22]

I use the 'first born' as an example in sessions I run on contract law, I also use Van Halen's brown M&Ms one:

https://www.safetydimensions.com.au/van-halen/

No-one should be surprised that I read all the T&Cs!

[skyedone]

That's very unhelpful Lucy, so your saying "put up or shut up" (our shops)... They can do whatever they want and we shouldn't complain, is that right?

They have massively shifted the ebay environment by withholding payment (in what other private market is that standard practice? It is RIDICULOUS to send out items without payment). Also setting up buyers fees, a shadow tax or tacit scam, giving private sellers a massive dilemma. My cultivated rating over near 20 years is my protection. We have every right to voice our issues after 2 decades and it is so unhelpful reading your "what do you expect" attitude 

[lucy_farmer]

'That's very unhelpful Lucy, so your saying "put up or shut up" (our shops)... They can do whatever they want and we shouldn't complain, is that right?'

We can complain all we like.

It won't make the blindest bit of difference.

I'm the same sort of ebayer as you are ; one account, 20yrs , half buying and half selling. Which was exactly the sort of user that ebay was originally set up for- members to buy and sell *to and from each other*. But that world has long gone.

 The modern tech world, that ebay are a part of, is a collection of giant, global mega-corps who look after the shareholders and stuff the little guys who pay their bills  (that's us...)

I've been 'old woman shouting at clouds' for a long time, wanting things to go back to the way they were. But I know they're not going to.

You may consider me pessimistic and unhelpful.... I consider myself realistic (if a little depressed!)

[jckl1957]

I am a twenty year user of Ebay as well.

There is nothing wrong with voicing your opinion however, it is correct that you agree to all of the terms in the User Agreement simply by using the site.

When Ebay brought in managed payments, there was uproar but the site survived and it will survive these changes.

Prices will be a little higher but, compared to another site (begins with E and ends with Y) Ebay will still be very competitive.  I look at that other site to get an idea of how I should price my items and quite often chuckle at how expensive/ridiculous the prices are.

Sellers of clothes may want to move to Vinted (who charge a buyer's fee and have the equivalent of Simple Delivery) but will find their items sell for much less than on Ebay.

Last time I sold some gold jewellery at a 'bricks & mortar' auction house, I paid a hefty commission and had to wait FIVE WEEKS for payment.

And, I have almost always sent items before I got paid; my items usually end on a weekend, I post on a Monday and used to get weekly payments on a Tuesday. And, remember, private sellers still have free listings and no Final Value Fees.

Ebay is a business.  Businesses exist to make money

So, I can live with the changes and plan to carry on selling.

[skyedone]

No that is not correct jckl1957 , I do not accept these terms and I have withdrawn my items for sale and will no longer use the site. I have found alternatives and certain items I will stop selling. I won't be strong armed and then have apparent ebay devotees try to convince me all is fine and well. It isn't, and I am certain this is going to destroy private selling on ebay; people will either convert to business selling or leave. I am saddened to read those that seem quite happy and content about this.

jckl1957 you chose to withhold your own payments and let them sit with ebay therefore, that is a misleading comparison. You now have no choice.

Good luck to you all with these quite appalling changes. Sorry you can't see it for what it is.

[jckl1957]

I am not sure which part is 'not correct'.

I have re-read my post and every paragraph is factual and true.

Which part is incorrect?

This is from Ebay:

This User Agreement is effective upon acceptance for those users who accept it through registration of an eBay account, and from 4 February 2025 for existing users. The previous amendment to this User Agreement was effective for all users on 3 June 2024.

The rest is all my own experience.

[skyedone]

You said "it is correct that you agree to all of the terms in the User Agreement simply by using the site." But you left out the main point of this community post: the fact that they have just changed their terms (or how they are implemented), and I do not accept and will no longer use ebay as a result.

I hope this makes sense, and I wish you well with what I think are terrible changes to private selling. I see you don't see it that way, and that is up to you.

[lucy_farmer]

'....and then have apparent ebay devotees try to convince me all is fine and well.....'

 I am very far from being an ebay 'fanboi'.

I will *also* have to stop selling on ebay as a result of some of the upcoming changes. (my stop-line will be the introduction of compulsory 'Simple' delivery, which will make selling almost impossible for me to deal with)

The only difference between me and thee, is that I'm further along the 'stages of Grief' with this than you are.... I'm at the 'depression/acceptance' stage and you're still in the 'anger/bargaining' stage!

[wara_rat]

Seems like the fee is coming straight off your listing so if you sell an item for £20 you won't actualy get £20. *bleep* does a buyer need protecting from anyway? If they are unhappy ebsy just force the refund already.

[jma2815]

In a few short weeks you’ll be sending by whatever label the buyer has provided so Car boot now is probably a good idea. 

I’d do it but I live in the North of Scotland, car-boot isn’t a ‘thing’. 

[jma2815]

You just sold your print of traction engines to a retired employee of the National Railway Museum. 

Who needs to stop coming here 🫣