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 .

[gee.force]

I agree. I am not a business. I am simply, as you say, clearing out! 

[frizztops0]

Totally agree. Ebay are just making it so difficult for private sellers. I sell low cost items of jewellery...I will likely lose sales. 

[buffster1963]

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@frizztops0 wrote:

Totally agree. Ebay are just making it so difficult for private sellers. I sell low cost items of jewellery...I will likely lose sales. 

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You have some beautiful earrings but you are not a private seller, this should not affect you. 

[vintique*violet]

Until they find it is far more time consuming, soul destroying, money robbing, greedy and restrictive,  distrustful platform! 

[darthalba]

Buyers wont buy from private sellers as items will cost too much and business sellers will be able to sell cheaper, 

[darthalba]

People use eBay for cheap deals - there will be no longer cheap deals from Private sellers to buyers wont use eBay thats a given.  Less are now and its not because of Vinted or Amazon its because of the likes of Teemu and other Chinese market places where you can get anything for buttons 

[asleepingdragon]

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@darthalba wrote:

People use eBay for cheap deals - there will be no longer cheap deals from Private sellers to buyers wont use eBay thats a given.  Less are now and its not because of Vinted or Amazon its because of the likes of Teemu and other Chinese market places where you can get anything for buttons 

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Wrong.  I use eBay to buy everyday things I don't want to have to visit bricks and mortar  shops for and other things I want to collect, regardless of the price.   Sometimes, shock horror, I buy at higher prices because something that has caught my eye is more appealing to me on that listing than on cheaper ones for the same item.

You have no Idea why buyers on eBay choose to buy the listings they do.  I'm getting really tired of sellers, who it appears haven't even read the new terms and conditions, flailing around on here after reading no more than the subject header in an email.

[the_new_wigan_stamp_man]

Just one question - IS IT LEGAL under UK Law ?

[jckl1957]

I haven't seen this suggested in many (any?) posts, but private sellers could always drop their prices.

Selling fees were nearly 14% + 30p per transaction.

With the new buyer's fee of 4% + 75p, for cheap items, private sellers could easily reduce the price by 50p. 

On more expensive items, sellers could cover the buyer's fee by starting sales at a lower price and still be receiving more money than they would have when we had to pay fees.

Example for a £5 item:

Seller's fee 70p + 30p  Seller receives £4

Buyer's fee 20p + 75p  (So drop your price by £1 and receive £4.05, buyer pays under £5 )

a £100 item:

Seller's fee £14 + 30p  Seller receives £85.70

Buyer's fee £4 + 75p  (So drop your price to £95; you receive £10 more than you would have previously and the buyer pays under £100)

[jckl1957]

When you buy or sell on Ebay, you agree to all of the terms and conditions in their User Agreement.

Nobody has to sell on Ebay.

[roo_roo]

That was exacting my point when I spoke to eBay a few times. They didn't care and just said that they are not forcing private sellers to reduce their prices but I explained that indirectly they are. When I asked them it says up to 4%. How will I know? Will it show me the final selling price? They said it wouldn't because only the buyer will see that. So we are forced to drop our prices and we will still not know if we are in line with business sellers. After 21 years, I'm leaving

[papso22]

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@roo_roo wrote:

That was exacting my point when I spoke to eBay a few times. They didn't care and just said that they are not forcing private sellers to reduce their prices but I explained that indirectly they are. When I asked them it says up to 4%. How will I know? Will it show me the final selling price? They said it wouldn't because only the buyer will see that. So we are forced to drop our prices and we will still not know if we are in line with business sellers. After 21 years, I'm leaving

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They are obviously not forcing private sellers to reduce their prices in the same way that they didn't force private sellers to reduce them when they offered thm any of the fee promotions, or when they dropped basic fees altogether.

Why should you be in line with business sellers?  Genuine private sellers have an entirely different 'financial model' and reason for selling, and usually sell other types of things to business accounts.

However I can see why you might think you are in competition with business accounts that also sell brand new hair dyes.

[roo_roo]

Once Simple Delivery becomes mandatory for private sales of eligible items, there will no longer be any such thing as "seller-offered free shipping" on those listings - eBay will be taking over control of which shipping methods are displayed to buyers and at what cost.

https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-simple-delivery-managed-shipping/

Free shipping may still be offered occasionally or on a promotional basis, but that will be completely up to eBay and sellers will have no say in the matter.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

that is true but i will still be leaving as i have no intention of having e bay/buyer dictate how i post.  I will be keeping my prices as they are and if someone wants them at that + their fee then that is fine.   I reduce them as and when i want anyway.   Keeping my money for two weeks is not a problem for me (most of it will be going to my relatives anyway) it is not essential to my daily living costs.  However as i say SD will be the end.

[game_raid]

It shouldn't really affect you because on first glance you look like a business, I maybe wrong.

Maybe a private seller does have 100s of henna dye laying about.

[papso22]

On another post they talk about 'stock'.

Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck?

[game_raid]

It is quite worrying that they you do not think they're a business, I really hope they are registered as self employed because the HMRC will have a field day ripping their finances apart if not.

A 4% fee on eBay will be the least of their worries.

[ile136yz]

my understanding is with Simple Delivery the Buyer purchases the label & the Seller download the label to send the item out.

So, if the item is lost or damaged the Buyer claims not delivered or not as described as damaged because they have paid the Buyer's fees.    BUT    how does the Seller claim the loss or damaged from the Courier if the seller did not purchase the postage label (the Buyer will have this paperwork not the seller).

[game_raid]

You no longer have to claim, it will be eBay that is refunding. 

This will save so much hassle dealing with couriers who sometimes won't payout for 30 days.

We use eBay fulfillment and I guess it will be pretty much the same set up, a case willl still be opened but it gets referred pretty much instantly to cs to resolve, we never have to do anything.

I don't think as bad as people are trying to make out, I spoke to CS and they said I can still use RM if I wish as a private seller and they use the same algorithm that determines GSP prices so they know what the shipping will be on items.

It will bring a lot more sellers in because I know the newer sellers can struggle when it comes to shipping and what service to use, now everything will be done for them.

[ett1954]

"BUT    how does the Seller claim the loss or damaged from the Courier if the seller did not purchase the postage label (the Buyer will have this paperwork not the seller)." - The seller doesn't claim; the contract will be between eBay and the postal service / courier as in Simple Delivery the buyer is purchasing the postal service from eBay.  Any such case will be down to eBay to resolve financially - hence the buyer protection fee; this is what the fee is for.