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 .

[papso22]

I don't agree it's a scam but I do agree that this offer business needs sorting out.  

[strontiumdogma]

Oh, and then there's VAT on top, so the £20 item inflated to £21.27 is actually £21.52.

[tpogodin]

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@papso22 wrote:

The price a buyer sees is the price they pay, unless the seller sends them an offer, when the BPF seems to be added to that offer.

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Until they get to checkout, see the breakdown and realise they could have got it cheaper, eBay attracts a thrifty customer base after all who are not going to take kindly to fee based inflation. I don't know much about ecommerce psychology but putting doubt in a customers mind at checkout, the very last step, is really bad form imo.

[martinwh1]

I wouldn't consider 75p + 4% to be a result. I'm mainly selling my stamp collection most of my items are BIN £1.50 including postage - at £2.25 they simply would not sell. There will be lots of sellers in the same position not just in the categories in which I sell, in fact pretty well anyone selling items below £5.

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[martinwh1]

It's a scam because it doesn't offer any more protection than the buyer already had. It's just a buyer's fee and that's what it should be called

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[tpogodin]

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@martinwh1 wrote:
I wouldn't consider 75p + 4% to be a result. 

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Yeh that's fair, under a certain amount you'd be worse off. Even so what we have now is objectively worse because it also includes additional friction with the sale that wasn't there when the fee was on the seller side.

[wara_rat]

It seems they are forgetting a lot of people do this as part of there hobby, unloading spares and making a few quid to buy what they need. I've taken down my items at less than £4 and started making small bundles but so far had zero success with this approach. By the way it seems to work out at slightly more than 75+4%, I think they are adding VAT.

[capt_rico]

So i just listed a messenger bag, asking £30.00 plus postage.   Its showing £30 on Ebay.    Wheres the BPF at?  Can someone look at item 335811295239 and see what it shows?    Are some items exempt from the fee? 🤔

[tpogodin]

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@capt_rico wrote:

So i just listed a messenger bag, asking £30.00 plus postage.   Its showing £30 on Ebay.    Wheres the BPF at?  Can someone look at item 335811295239 and see what it shows?    Are some items exempt from the fee? 🤔

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 BPF is not applied to the Fashion category yet is my guess.  

[shaddow1000]

Nope - just got scammed! Bought some electronics second-hand from a private seller for £41.99, but after payment, I noticed on the order page they'd sneaked in a £2 "buyer protection" fee, bringing it to £43.99. Checked the original listing again - absolutely nothing about this hidden fee.

This is the complete opposite of transparency. As someone who periodically sells musical gear I don't need anymore (usually a few grand's worth during my selling frenzies), I'm fed up. Between eBay's general fees, the tax on those fees, and now the pressure to absorb this new charge to stay competitive - not to mention having to completely trust buyers to get paid - it's becoming a real headache.

Feels like a monopoly squeezing a captive market. I know everyone says "I hate eBay" while still having 20 items listed, but I'm actually making the switch. Setting up on Reverb for my next studio clear-out session.

[shaddow1000]

yes - they will be as they need to add VAT to a fee or 'professional service'   so you're right it's even worse than it appears at first glance

[papso22]

The BPF includes VAT, it is not added on.

[capt_rico]

Yup. I noticed the 2£ add on to the BPF too.  When you check out it ups the price for some reason without explanation. *bleep* is that?    So there is .75 and BPF and a mystery £2 fee.   Buyers are just going to go somewhere else at this rate.   Ebay will just be for business accounts for new items.  Pity. 

[papso22]

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@capt_rico wrote:

Yup. I noticed the 2£ add on to the BPF too.  When you check out it ups the price for some reason without explanation. *bleep* is that?    So there is .75 and BPF and a mystery £2 fee.   Buyers are just going to go somewhere else at this rate.   Ebay will just be for business accounts for new items.  Pity. 

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Can you provide an example?

[capt_rico]

Heres an example. 

[dogrobinsnest]

business accounts Need Buyers if many stop visiting ebay site as they will then lets see LOL

[shaddow1000]

the original listing showed the item at 41.99 here's the order summary.  I know this is not how it's supposed to work but this is what happened to me today :

1 item£43.99

Postage£3.39

VAT *£0.40

Order total£47.78

[dogrobinsnest]

Ebay need to remember its takes a hell of a long time to build a customer base , to loose it take no time at all.

[1964pickup]

Absolutely

[papso22]

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@shaddow1000 wrote:

the original listing showed the item at 41.99 here's the order summary.  I know this is not how it's supposed to work but this is what happened to me today :

1 item£43.99

Postage£3.39

VAT *£0.40

Order total£47.78

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You are right, that doesn't make sense.  Have you asked ebay CS?