FUNDS HELD NEW EBAY POLICY! CLOSING ACCOUNT AFTER 19 YEARS!

[tricia-o]

Im absolutely furious! Ebay have changed their policy and are now refusing to pay monies (which belong to the buyer) until the item has been posted and received!!

I have been selling on Ebay for 19 years and this is how we are being treated?

I will NOT pack and post my valuable antiques until I have been paid! I have never heard anything so ridiculous! Can we not be trusted? Shame on you Ebay! You are the loser here! I have now cancelled all sales and 67 listings and I will find another platform to sell my antiques with someone that values me!!

[andha-21]

Same as before. Just putting it down on "paper"

So as eBay are saying to both sides that they control the process, they by default are involving themselves as a third party. Similar to a broker.

They guarantee refunds for buyers in certain scenarios and as long as sellers use their SD platform, the same.

If they control and guarantee they are part of the sales process. They forced themselves into it.

If they are part of the sales process all purchases directly involve a business so by default all sales do too.

If all purchases directly involve a business how is that not B2C?

& if that's right, then surely we have statutory rights.

It's like they created a snake biting its own tail.

[doumind_7]

Very good points. I would really love to see this tested in court. You know I really have no time for this holding on to your money for 14 days nonsense and compelling you to use "thier" postal option. You sell you get paid then you send. And postage has got nothing to do with eBay whatsoever.

[andha-21]

So after the above I'm wondering if the Vinted/BPF business method is not much more than psychological profiling. Knowing that they'll get nodding head, wood for the trees and people will miss/bypass the obvious.

That every private sale starts with a business to consumer transaction, the BPF service.

I wonder if it could be that simple. If it is, it's rather elegant. Seriously sneaky too.

[theelench]

Isn't this how corporate finance works these days  --  backwards?

First have a few private meetings with the major shareholders to establish how much they want to screw out of the customers this quarter /year.

Then raise prices / sack workers / reduce services to get the required amount to keep them happy?

The beat goes on and on, everyone gets poorer and not just in financial terms, except those raking in the dividends.

[simishoostore]

I changed from a business account because I am a new business trying to start up and have no savings or other income; the selling fees were taking so much I had nothing left.  Because I design clothes and it is print on demand; I have selected certain production companies for UK based Quality... a lot of these are expensive to start before I have even sat for hrs sorting and designing my brand and products. Also I have not had any funds to help with my website and I am having to do all that including advertising and paying monthly to the website company for allowing payments etc.  I told ebay all this and they have no problem me being a sole trader and new business; but now not only in the past have they held funds for two weeks when I have to find the money to get the items made to sell, they have now brought in klarna etc when I haven't authorised them to use these ways for buyers to pay. They haven't even warned us and spoke to us about the legistics of this... I went on today and they have put"pay in three instalments"! and vouchers with Klarna and £20-£30 off the selling price... I don't charge for uk delivery but have to pay for it myself to be delivered to the customer, I also have to pay some vat on the items regardless of needing or being required at the moment to have a tax code... I don't earn enough to do any taxes yet, its literally been 5 months and i am busting a gut to try and do it all. I have a rare neurological disorder which doesn't help. Some of my items I have to buy in the beginning between £20 and £200 before I have even put any mark up. Which I know I can't put a ridiculous amount, so on most items I am only making a profit of between £10 and £70 depending on what the item is. I can't afford EBay or any other platform to take so much off me when I only make that in the first place.

[simishoostore]

Hi Tricia, I love antiques and have sold a few of my moms Items, I have used free listing antique only sale sites... There are free ones and you may find you get more money or what the antiques are actually worth from those and not ebay. In the past I have tried to sell Items like that on Ebay and to be honest no one wants to pay the actual "what they are worth price" I am finding that with my bespoke designed Items as well... though I am testing what sells or has interest only been selling 5 months.... I feel for you though; the selling costs were too much for me and now Klarna and pay in instalments and holding funds which they have I don't know how they expect any new business to get off the ground and thrive. Which even though now private they still are offering vouchers, pay in instalments and money off with klarna. I already pay a lot for items to be made to sell; this is due to not being able to buy and sell or have items made in another country due to delivery costs and time scale....I am still trying and I have never run a business or sold Items like this before and every which way I turn...no one whats o support a starting and new business. I have no other income or savings and business fees were eating up all my profit; it just wasn't worth doing it. I completly understand why you want to take your business elsewhere. Please look into these free Antique auction and listing sites xx

[simishoostore]

Why is Paypal still an option for buyers on mine then? Also they have now put Klarna and have put discount vouchers and pay in instalments on my items when I can't afford them to do that or hold funds.

[jonatjonatjonat]

PayPal used to be owned by eBay and was their payment provider (ie it handled the actual transactions). That is how longer the case but PayPal is still accepted as a method of payment, though eBay would have to now pay transaction fees to PayPal

klarna and other installment payments (including PayPal) have zero impact on when or how you get paid. You yourself dont get paid in instalments, you get the money upfront (or at least two days after delivery) still. It is klarna who handle the instalments from the customer and take on that line of credit.

[andha-21]

I'm not denying that. 

What I'm saying is that if every private sale transaction starts with a business to consumer transaction then surely the business transaction takes precedent. It's first and without it under the new system nothing else can proceed.

So to me, that looks like consumers may have statutory rights as they aren't buying directly from a private seller. So the counter arguments regarding lack of rights from private sales are null and void.

For me/you/any of us to buy from a private seller we have to pay eBay first for the BFP.  A service.

[simishoostore]

Ok well at least someone is kind enough to make that clear as Ebay haven't;
Thank you so much that has put my mind to rest a little at least. I was so
worried when I saw it. Could you tell me what about the Klarna discount
code on my items? because I was thinking I would have to put my items up to
cover the discounts they have applied....:)

[andha-21]

Actually I used the wrong choice of words in one area above. 

It's not first, it's at the same time but as they are mandating that we cannot buy from private sellers here without BFP, BFP becomes the main condition of sale and that is a business service.

Still leads back to my point above. I was just removing that counter.

[porte2425]

---

@simishoostore wrote:
Could you tell me what about the Klarna discount
code on my items? because I was thinking I would have to put my items up to
cover the discounts they have applied....:)

---

Payments on eBay are out of our control. By selling you’re agreeing to eBay providing those payment services. eBay will get a cut every time someone uses Klarna (i.e. credit) to pay. eBay would be running that promo in conjunction with Klarna (so they are offering the discount, not you) to encourage users to get used to credit – a big win for for everyone involved, except likely the buyer, who no doubt gets used to being in debt and it eventually comes back to bite them in the bum.

[jonatjonatjonat]

I haven't personally seen any (can you share a screenshot) but it sounds like an ebay funded coupon of some kind.

If its not an offer you've put in place - you can be pretty certain its ebay funded. So you'd still get the amount you listed it for.

[smashi26]

What's it got to do with you? Are you the Ebay police?

[doumind_7]

Possibly. This bloke is one of two or three I have some  suspicion of. 

Be wary.

[smashi26]

Do you have a shiny sheriff's badge with 'Ebay Shill' embossed on it?

[jonatjonatjonat]

The user did have a very professional logo with a date of establishment and was selling a lot of antiques which potentially indicated they were a business (particularly the date of establishment). If they were in fact a business seller -well, upgrading to a business would actually help with their issue.

They have since explained their position and I feel for them. I accept that I could have probably explained the line of questioning better!

To add. I myself am an occasional private seller, but have dealt with business selling in the past.

[jonatjonatjonat]

You say you don't charge for UK delivery and pay for it yourself. When you price your product - most businesses would build that delivery price into the product.

[simishoostore]

When I explained to eBay they were fine yes; also they do monitor my account especially when I list and they message me with listing issues. I don’t really care what people think; I would support a new sellers actions if they were like me and had no income, no savings and had to start a small business. I am selling as a business from my website listings; eBay are aware because I still have to set business rules and standards on my website. I only get 300 listings free a month, anything above that I pay for, I also pay to promote as usual but I don’t have a sellers shop so I don’t pay a monthly subscription; I have got round certain things due to not having to pay tax yet by UK law, as soon as I do I will have to become a legal business; which means tax codes etc. EBay know I am a sole trader so so much wishing my sellers rights I am allowed. If I make more money I would change back to have a shop front on eBay but at the moment I can’t afford to do that. 

[smashi26]

Are you proud of yourself doing your bit to help out a multi billion pound American organisation by playing armchair policeman? I'm sure Ebay are ever so grateful.