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.

[bibsandbobsnoveltygifts]

I now buy all my postage direct from Royal mail online and update tracking on Ebay once I have the postage label , It Means I dont have to use the new pathetic simple delivery process and I also know the postage price is correct and Ebay dont get to take unnecessary postage costs from me.

[parsley2003]

That's what i do RM direct online have been for a couple of years now

[korendir1058]

There's only 1 thing worth doing with this company anymore and that's sending a complaint to the financial regulation authority or the finacial ombudsman. It won't change anything but I'll not be using ebay any longer as every single interaction I've had as a private occasssional seller over the last 2 years has been nothing but a complete and total pain in the neck on every level and primarily because of ebay staff who are incapable of telling the truth.

Let them ruin their business and reputation, they deserve it.

[dave_bz]

Trouble with that is eBay then have a case to refuse to step in and help with postage issues and refunds since you did not buy through them. They’ve done that to me a few times in the past

[parsley2003]

People have been doing that and i think that's why they are constantly changing things. Originally SD was to be compulsory for everything on 15th April, all had to be tracked and the lowest price available was LL at £2.75. 

[bibsandbobsnoveltygifts]

To be honest , couldnt care less ,all there new policies are making me less receptive , i am already winding down listings and when they are gone so am i , tracking i buy is on their system and i am sick of giving them extra money when there is no need. Their new postage system is shocking , you dont know how much weight you have purchased and cost is unknown until bought , most cases you are being charged more than the buyer has paid
Sent from my iPhone

[jow1995]

Try correctly upgrading to a business account, then the new rules will not apply but you will find the fees much higher!

[dave_bz]

And as a business seller you’re declaring that you’re selling for profits on everything and regardless of how much you sell you’ll be liable to send a tax return and have all your sales reported to HMRC either way. 

[trishthedish.0199]

I completely agree with you on every point. I only used Ebay (and have  used it for about 20 years) to sell on things, mostly clothes or bags that I found I could not return to shop or worn once for an event. The other stuff went to nearest charity shop. I have also bought from other ladies, clothes with labels still on, they have not worn, got some great buys that way, the system worked. I now have to see what strange amount Ebay has charged for an item, by adding buyers whatever, and update the amount downwards to take account of that. The postage system is now awful. Evri does not work in my area, and the labels are often wrong. I have taken to the post office and been told, it does not cover the weight or size and have had to pay again. This never happened before, often bought through Royal Mail website, could put in exact sizes and weights and would calucate accurately and print off, also the postie would collect for no extra cost. Living in a remote part of Scottish Highlands, this was excellant service. Sometimes took to the post office if going into town, 14 miles away. I used to sell things really quickly, as put very reasonable prices on things, just to recoup a few pounds and make sure they went to people who wanted them, but no sales at all now and going to take new things with tags to charity shop asap.

[nuggett46]

I am glad I looked at your post. I agree with virtually everything said. I came here to see what the reaction is to the lack of the ability to create a combined invoice with postage discount and saw right at the end of your post that you have picked up the same problem. I am not putting much up now because I have nearly cleared my long time collection, most of it not on eBay I might add, but had some auctions end yesterday and a buyer won 2, but there is now no option to send combined postage discount. I am in contact with the buyer, who had asked me about combined post before she had even put her bids on and I said of course no problem and to wait for my invoice, as I have always done. Now I cannot do that, so have told her to contact eBay and not to pay 2 delivery charges of £2.72. If eBay say that is the way it works, then I have said that she should cancel the transactions, I do not give a toss one way or the other, and I will do a new listing with both items combined for one price near to or slightly less than what she had placed as bids, as a Buy it Now with 1 post charge, and send her the item number for her to buy the coins she wants. eBay is rubbish now compared to what it used to be and they have put some pretty stupid rules into place in the past but the latest is the dumbest yet.

[dave_bz]

The more changes come in, the more I’m convinced that eBay is in the hands of extremely incompetent management honestly. None of these changes make any sense for their business or for their customers and they must think we’re pathetically stupid to think we’d be convinced it’s currently “free to sell”. All they have done is made it vastly and unnecessarily more complicated to work out what the fee is. When buyers make an offer they even see a different amount to the seller now.

Complete and utter incompetence when there was nothing wrong with it to begin with.

[dave_bz]

By “more” you mean “less” right? 😂

[johnwash1]

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@dave_bz wrote:

By “more” you mean “less” right? 😂

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I think he meant it's MORE convenient now, in the sense that having had sales fall off a cliff, there's so much less work packing parcels and we can get on with real life (and moaning here of course!).  That's how I see it anyhow.

[department28]

 'All they have done is made it vastly and unnecessarily more complicated to work out what the fee is. When buyers make an offer they even see a different amount to the seller now.'

Yes, this situation where if the buyer makes the offer it includes the fee, but if the seller makes the offer, it doesn't, is utterly ridiculous. I think that is the right way round... 🤔 but whatever it is, no-one likes being unsure what the final price of an item will be, so I would imagine this has put a lot of sellers off offering offers...

The odd prices on items still look 'odd' to me... shopping on eBay has not been the same since this BPF farce.

[trishthedish.0199]

Yes, one buyer recently put offer to me, very strange amount,not sure how much of this was ebay adding to her amount offered or taking away, yes they had changed it. We agreed new amount, but in the end ebay changed that again, so both agreed to go with it! Just not sure where you are. Also a very odd rule that you accept an offer (which to me is a bidding thing I keep my word on) and then another buyer can nip in with purchasing at full price or another higher offer, because the first buyer did not pay for immediately. Could not understand this until looked at new rules, which took an age in itself. The buyer I agreed price with, went to front door before she was able to pay, another offer came in, slightly higher, which Ebay accepted on my behalf! Looking at rules, the item is still listed as for sale, until the buyer actually pays, even if agreed on an offer. The buyer was furious with me, looked like I had double backed and gone for a higher offer, only a few pounds more, which I would not have done. I contacted ebay but they were not interested, this is the way it now works, but had to apologise to the first buyer who really wanted the dress at that price we agreed. Not a good feeling for either of us. I am waiting for several listings to sell or time out in a few days and then taking down any not sold and taking to charity shop. This is what I will do from now on, charity shop, not trying to sell, a waste of time and effort for a few pounds and feeling awful at the end of it.

[davidsoldstuff_uk]

I recently bought an acoustic guitar. I found the one I wanted on eBay - then tracked down the sellers bricks and mortar shop and bought it direct, saving myself over £30. 

I’ve also given up on eBay - used to sell 2 or 3 items a week and then nothing - not even views. Oh well - time to move on.

[dave_bz]

2025 seems to be a year of awakening. So many companies and industries I respected are becoming too greedy and blind. I feel like I’m leaving a lot of stuff behind that no longer serves me. EBay will be one of those things sadly. 

[namelesspromotions]

I was quoting ebay themselves who claimed that the BPF has made buying and selling MORE CONVENIENT(!)

However I'm aware that sarcasm doesn't always translate over text - my sales have dropped 75% since the new year. 

[namelesspromotions]

I didn't mean that way but you make a good point..

[johnwash1]

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@namelesspromotions wrote:

I was quoting ebay themselves who claimed that the BPF has made buying and selling MORE CONVENIENT(!)

However I'm aware that sarcasm doesn't always translate over text - my sales have dropped 75% since the new year. 

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If only there were a way of indicating sarcasm!  /s

I suspect you may see what I did there!  Picking up all these new Internet conventions gets harder every year.  And that certainly doesn't warrant a '/s' after it.  Ian Hislop on HIGNFY does quite a good spoof of how some of us feel!  🙂

There should also be an icon for appending to announcements using NewSpeak and marketing BS.  Certain companies would need it very very frequently.