Fee Changes have KILLED Private buying & Selling

[sewbeck]

As a buyer and seller on here for 22 years, I'd like to congratulate the people who came up with this buyer protection scam. Let me refresh you with the original announcement and I Quote:

"At the end of 2024, we changed our fee structure, making it free to sell for private sellers. We know that fees are one of the biggest barriers to selling and we've seen a great reaction to the change, with an increase in the number of new sellers coming to eBay to list and sell. "

Totally agree with this part.

" As well as being a positive change for our private sellers, it’s also great news for buyers, as it means more of the things they love - and it's always good news for business sellers when there are more buyers on the platform. "

Agreed again, Completely as the seller's fee was an issue for years especially when they added the extra fee for postage costs too. True some sellers were charging too much postage, but the simple solution for that was not to purchase anything from them.

"Starting from 4 February, Buyer Protection will be live to give buyers more peace of mind when shopping on ebay.co.uk. To minimise any potential disruption on our platform"

This is where it started going downhill fast. If like me as a buyer and seller, sending items sold or bought tracked through whichever service you use, why do you need the extra buyer protection? You are already protected through E-Bay's money back guarantee.

"By removing barriers for private sellers and making it free to sell and simpler to list, we’ve seen many more sellers join the platform to bring buyers the unique inventory that they love. Buyer Protection is the next step, to ensure they keep coming back."

Wrong on so many levels, for example the ability for a seller to send a combined invoice to a buyer who has bought multiple items from them has disappeared. It seems with the conversations I've recently had with the unhelpful customer service, that the buyers are expected to pay the total amount so E-Bay can maximise their fee, and hope that the seller will be kind enough to issue a partial refund for the difference, I don't know about you but that seems like a massive barrier for private sellers and buyers alike.

"As part of Buyer Protection, starting from 4 February, a fee will be included in the item price when purchasing from private sellers, paid for by the buyer to eBay. Buyers will only ever pay what they see, so there are no surprises at checkout. "

Wrong, The fee will be ON the item price which is 4% + 75p PER ITEM. So no wonder E-Bay have removed the combined tool, otherwise they would lose out on the fee.

"Starting from 4 February, UK-based private sellers will also be paid after item delivery. Funds will typically be available in your eBay balance two calendar days after delivery confirmation.

OK I don't agree with this method but it's not a big issue, Unless the service you've used doesn't update their system to say it's been delivered. So you've sent the items tracked, paid for that service, and E-Bay will only pay out if they have a complete turnaround. If not they withhold money your owed until they decide to pay it out.

"Using tracked delivery services can also provide a better customer experience for your shoppers, and for you, with sellers seeing a 50% decrease, on average, in buyer complaints and queries when using tracked delivery."

I personally only send items I sell tracked, No exceptions, and I've received items that were listed as tracked but they weren't, especially from business's who have never provided a tracking number.

In Conclusion, I'd like to say that my recent experience's buying and selling since these changes have not been great, and nobody from E-Bay is communicating with private sellers or buyers about the many many complaints since the changes.

In the last 31 days my sales numbers are down 20% and I've bought multiple items from a private seller who I have bought from before these changes and they can't send a combined invoice like before because the option has been removed.

So Congratulations E-Bay, for a Quick Buck, you've KILLED Private Buying & Selling on this platform, and unless you reset to the system before this buyer protection racket was applied, then you are going to see your revenue from private buyers decline drastically if it isn't already.

This is just my opinion, you will have yours but I think I speak for many private buyers & sellers that expressed the same opinion.

[dianej9334]

I’m a private seller.  The majority of my items are buy-it-now for £10 and I have reduced them to £9 to accommodate the buyer’s protection fee, but the buyer sees £9 plus £1.08, does not know that I have reduced the  price and is not happy to pay extra for something they already had before.  Previously they paid £10 and eBay took their fee from my funds and everyone was happy.  Now buyers are not buying, sellers are not selling and eBay gets nothing, so everyone is unhappy.  Except eBay do not seem to realise what a mess they have made, or don’t care if they have an ulterior motive, i.e. to get rid of private sellers.

[wintersdawn1]

Ebay have definitely gone off the rails by letting their greed lead the way in every decision they make:

• Buyer Protection Fee - a total lie, they are just pocketing the money
• Holding private sellers money - earning interest/investing
• Simple Delivery - once mandatory ebay will make money on every postage label for every item sold
• Hiding listings - ebay are hiding sellers listings so they have to pay to make them visible again
• Disabling the invoice facility - buyers are forced to pay BPF on each item so no combining orders now.

All we can hope is that these blatantly greed-fuelled decisions will come back to bite them hard, showing them that you can't show such contempt for your customers by doing what your dirty greedy hands want without inevitably paying a heavy price. 

[goldenwolfman]

Well, they are not getting any income from me now - and I've cut my purchases as well - so it will effect them both ways. I've left !

I do also question the legality of the BPF - buyers were already protected and so now they are paying again for it .. and its not even Obey thats providing the protection. Reality is, its the seller enforced to do so regardless, by the Obey rules that were again already in place to make it happen.

Not only that they are they ripping off the buyers by making them pay 75p on every individual purchase. Nothing cheap here anymore and in short Obey don't care - they care neither for the sellers or the buyers, they just want the money, which will eventually evaporate and then they'll see the error of their ways! 

[sebastian4ever]

I totally agree with all of the above. 

FeeBay officially sucks and should be boycotted along with Tesla, Starlink and all other USA products.

[paulh5038]

"So Congratulations E-Bay, for a Quick Buck, you've KILLED Private Buying & Selling on this platform, and unless you reset to the system before this buyer protection racket was applied, then you are going to see your revenue from private buyers decline drastically if it isn't already."

Ditto.  Sales have plummeted.  Weekends used to be busy and I'd have a few sales during the week, but now a big fat nothing.  I've put it down to the newly introduced BPF which has upped the price of my listings thereby making them less competitive.  Ebay should have kept the original listing fee and not added this destructive BPF, which, incidentally, has always been there.  Apart from being a private seller, I'm also a buyer, and my buying habits have changed as a result of the BPF.  For example, on two occasions last week I was going to purchase vitamins from eBay but the BPF had increased the prices, so what did I do?  Yes, I shopped around and found the same or similar products cheaper at Amazon.  If my consumer behaviour is typical of the way most consumers behave (re: look for the cheapest price) then you are surely right when you say that revenue from private sellers (and buyers) will "decline drastically".

[parsley2003]

I have refunded £20 in overpaid postage today all taken from my available balance leaving -£2.09. I have relisted a few to check on the SD and medium parcel is over £10 because they miss out the 10kg and go from 2kg to 15kg. The prices are totally wrong and the buyer will be charged £4.27 for 2kg med parcel when it is actually £5.35 unless they are quoting Evri which i cannot use anyway. There is no way that i could use this method i can see buyers leaving neg feedback even if we explain that we have no control over the postage. My buyer today thanked me for going to the trouble of doing multiple refunds which did not worry me too much as i do this all the time invoicing wasn't available on the app for a long time, but the future is very grim

[wintersdawn1]

Probably a forlorn hope but maybe ebay will have picked up on the universally negative feedback about simple delivery and keep it optional. 

However, the reason they may make it mandatory is with channelling all postage through them, as the buyer will purchase the postage from them, they will make money on each postage label and can't really see them being to hold back when their very impetus for existing is to endlessly feed their greed.

I know ebay are a business and with any business it is natural to want or need to make money, but ebay have put making money so far ahead of anything else, that any form of customer consideration is gone.   

[department28]

I do wonder why eBay have rolled out three major changes - Simple Delivery, Payment Holds and the BPF - within such a sort space of time. Perhaps they think it's smarter to introduce several really unpopular things at once, get all the complaining over with... and hope the dust will settle?

I'm not sure the dust will settle, as far as the BPF is concerned. It's giving with one hand - with 'free to sell' for private sellers, then taking with the other - except the Brazen Profiteering Fee is taking a lot more than the old selling fees, especially from those trying to sell low value items.

With sales down, and many sellers disheartened enough to call it a day, maybe eBay will find what they're gaining on the swings, they will lose on the roundabouts? 🤔

[goldenwolfman]

I believe this whole issue is a streamlining issue, deliberately orchestrated to get rid of low value item sales and listings while at the same time getting rid of anyone who wants to sell them. Add to that they also want to increase revenues - they have watched Vinted, stealing their market, first with clothing which I question if they’ll get back, AND taking fees off delivery right in front of Obeys very greedy eyes. NOW Vinted are looking enviously at everything else Obey has, seen them talking about collectibles like stamps and postcards - so they could be next? Well this world beating auction site is under assault and despite all the defensive cries of its ‘blue chip’ worth billions, - at the moment, is my response. The bigger you are…, the higher you climb… 

Less listings require less effort, less staff- less costs and higher value sales equals more profit. All round Obey needs more money or you’ll soon see how blue chip they are. The bubble with these large companies is bursting, world economies prove it - even Nissan is in the sediment, US can’t even afford to keep open Yosemite LOL - how long before we start to see major things fall. Meanwhile world leaders fiddle, talk utter carp and it’s only a matter of time. My advice get your money out now, look after it and found the best way to ‘invest’ (i use that word lightly!) it. 

If you still sell here, it’s desperation, best of luck you are going to need it - meanwhile defenders of the faith will be along shortly to say we’re a very small minority. LOVL . 

Meanwhile back to Trustpilot where  Obey ratings re now 1.2 out of 5 on ever rising revues. Just think on….

[department28]

'I believe this whole issue is a streamlining issue, deliberately orchestrated to get rid of low value item sales and listings while at the same time getting rid of anyone who wants to sell them.'

With the impact this is having on low value sellers, what other conclusion is there? eBay will have been well aware that private sellers wanting to sell 99p items, will find it almost impossible to sell at £1.75 (+ tracked postage, which many sellers feel obliged to use now.)

Such a shame - it is the wide variety of small sellers & choice of interesting/quirky items that made eBay such a great place to buy & sell. Seems those days are pretty much over.