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 .

[andha-21]

Look up gov.uk pricing and see what they say.

Pricing has to be clear and there are multiple examples appearing in threads where it isn't. Including the infamous seller sends buyer an offer and the buyer gets 0.00% off and pays X amount more.

& yes, eBay.uk have to abide by those laws too because they have intentions to trade with habitual UK residents. That means UK consumer laws apply.

Also they may be dragging private sellers into the *bleep* with them as technically, even though it isn't our fault we're still party to it if we use it.

[*devils.advocate*]

Yes, the buyer (me) just has to wait to receive the item in the manner I have chosen and as described.

That's why it's simple for buyers.

[*devils.advocate*]

As a buyer, I have to see what I have to pay and it must be upfront - it just cannot be X more.

Not a mistake eBay, or any other site, will make.

And, as you know, I'm not an eBay cheerleader.

[andha-21]

They've already done x more. That's exactly what the infamous buyer to seller post is.

I'm just going to pin the bloody post now. Will be easier than trying to find it every time.

[andha-21]

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Existing-listings-after-February-4th-25/m-p/7758032#M...

message 47, page 3 on my phone

[*devils.advocate*]

The seller is pulling a fast one - they’ve worked out the calculation - very clever.

The original price is £13.20 (0% off)  and that is, ostensibly what they're still offering.

Add on the fee from the offer - do the calculation (with rounding up at each stage).

Absolutely sod all use to the buyer though - seller is naughty - and if I was the buyer, I'd be totally pee'd off.

[tpogodin]

@andha-21 wrote:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Existing-listings-after-February-4th-25/m-p/7758032#M...

message 47, page 3 on my phone

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That's my post and I think I need to clarify in relation to what you're discussing here, the main price element on the item listing page was displaying the correct amount a buyer would have to pay (£13.20). You can't buy something from an offer on the home page therefore even in this instance I don't think you could claim deception. The homepage link takes you to the listing and the listing takes you to checkout, two instances of where the price was showing correctly before money would be taken.

The offer diplaying on the home page was without the BPF and I believe it may have been issued while the inital roll out was still happening and therefore caught up in the mess. I doubt this is still happening, I've since had offers on my homepage that have displayed the price with the BPF and therefore the percentage reduction has been calculated correctly.

I just thought it was interesting (and worthy of criticism) how all the website elements were not working as planned and eBay made a mess of everything in those first few days. 

[papso22]

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@originsreborn wrote:

I asked this yesterday, but no one replied, so I'll try again:

"I could have sworn I read somewhere on here, that the BPF wouldn't show on Auctioned items until it came to checkout? ..It's showing on all my live items (listings renewing after Tue 11th)."

---

When a seller lists something for auction the BPF is automatically added to the start price.  As bidders bid, each bid includes the BPF, but it is not itemised until they get to checkout when it is shown as included in their winning bid.

[golden_syrup]

Here's a fun one.

I worked out that, for my item to appear as £215.00, I'd need to list it at £206.04.  Sure enough, the listing now says £215.00.

So I went into a private browser window and tried to check the item out as a guest. The price changed to £213.51.  I have no idea where that number came from, though it's suspiciously close to being plus 4% minus 75p.

What on earth is going on?  😓  And when are they going to change it back to something that humans can understand?

[leighbayuk]

As others have said, Offers are really funky now. In chat we agreed to do a deal at £20. Buyer makes the £20 offer, in the app this is shown as the £20 amount the person offered. The protection fee is then taken out of this offer, so the amount received is £18.54. However, if the seller makes the same £20 offer to a buyer, the fee is added on, making it £21.55. Nobody understands what the hell is going on.

[horace_batchelor]

Yes, the fees are, technically, charged to the buyers. But on low-cost items, a 75p + 4% fee will increase the cost of an item by a disproportionate amount. Sellers will have to reduce their asking prices by absorbing the BP fee to make their listings attractive. Ebay knew this when they axed sellers fees.

[madeat136]

I think some potential buyers think I am having a 50% off sale 🙄🤣Maybe a fee per package might have been better than per item ?Might have encouraged potential buyers to purchase more than 1 item , and with combined postage the hit a little less to take.Did Rachel Reeves take over ebay 😉Sent from my Galaxy

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I only post normal 2nd class RM post, that is what i state and that is what the buyer chooses to do if they want the item.  It has worked fine for me and for the buyer so far and if i cannot continue doing that i will not continue at all.  I am doing tracked (unless the item is worth it and i have few of those) and i am not messing around with any other means.  

[madeat136]

I agree with you .Tracked and untracked all arrive at the RM depot in the same sacks collected by the postie drivers.The only difference being is that tracked items will take priority over non tracked in the case of staff shortages etc ....Even non tracked items with RM have a compensation package factored into their postage costs anyway (upto £20 ) on large letters .Someone at Ebay towers needs to give their head a wobble .....Hope you (we) weather the storm !Sent from my Galaxy

[martinwh1]

That's a bit difficult when most of my items are £1.50 including postage

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[goodibags]

"for my item to appear as £215.00, I'd need to list it at £206.04.  Sure enough, the listing now says £215.00.

So I went into a private browser window and tried to check the item out as a guest. The price changed to £213.51.

What on earth is going on?"

There are THREE separate prices knocking about. In just 3 clicks you can see all of them.

1. The original seller price

2. The price the buyer sees (including BPFs)

3. The price with some of the fees but excluding the 20% VAT part, chargeable in the UK

For a good laugh try this. Log out, look up your own items for sale and you'll see they are inclusive of BPFs.

But the scrollable banner below will show you recommendations that have no fees added. It's as if Ebay knows you're in the UK and also hasn't a clue?

Even better, if you click on one of those items the price jumps to include the fees (from 1 to 2 above)

Click to add it to your basket and those fees lose their VAT (from 2 to 3 above) 

Login in to pay and the price miraculously jumps again (from 3 back to 2 above)

The whole thing is a soggy damp MESS! And a TRULY ABYSMAL buyer experience. No wonder sales have fallen off a cliff.

[andha-21]

Never tried it myself but can consumers buy from eBay without having an account?

A "guest" function as it were.

[papso22]

Yes they can.  There is even a published policy for buying as a guest.

It's not recommended if you do actually already have an ebay account though.

[blaizev]

Why has all mention of the buyers protection fee already disappeared from auctions? Now all items just appear more expensive with zero reason for why listed.

There is no reason why our auctions can't stay with the original price and then this 'fee' is added at checkout.

Oh no I know why it's because that would look bad for eBay wouldn't it? Amazon don't have a fee like that do they so that would hurt their image. No better to just screw over the sellers instead, they're only the lifeblood of their system afterall

[andha-21]

Thank you PAPSO.

So in the scenario I was replying to in goodibags post where someone that's not logged in sees 3 different prices if they follow the process through.

As they can still buy from eBay that puts this system firmly within the remit of authorities, probably Trading Standards in regards to unclear pricing.

I appreciate the help.