Is eBay actually dying? Or is it just private sellers that are suffering?

[simplybygone]

Ok I know I only sell a handful of things but I'm getting no views and few watchers. Things were much better a year or so ago. Are auctions falling out of favour?

[roberpalme_236]

Some of the biggest sellers on eBay are those selling low cost, high volume item, Music Magpie, World of Books for example.

[thepillenwerfer]

Yes, but they are Business Sellers so e-Bay get more from them in Fees.  Businesses are also more likely to know how things work than Private Sellers; they won't respond to somebody who says something hasn't arrived by saying "Well, I posted it.  If it's got lost that's your hard bun, mate" for instance.

[technthread]

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@happyshopper1982 wrote:

This can work both ways. I only ever promote my high competition items yet it frustrates the hell out of me when a none promoted item sells for double my price. I'm trying to offload a bunch of railway interest books and even though I'm selling every book at £10.99 (Dynamic promoted), SEO optimised, 4k images, of which I received about £5 after costs, buyers are still paying as much as £16-18 for the exact same books (none-promoted) taken with a potato camera and no doubt with longer despatch times and less favourable returns policy. That's one of my biggest irks with eBay, sellers who put next to zero effort in but getting sales because of the algorithm.

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If it makes you feel any better, searching the sold items list isn’t 100% reliable in the price that it displays. 

If the seller accepts an offer, sometimes it will show as sold with best offer accepted and sometimes it won’t. I’m not sure what the reason is, it seems random I see it on my own stuff all the time.

[suelel1968]

Yes, but they are Business Sellers so e-Bay get more from them in Fees.  Businesses are also more likely to know how things work than Private Sellers; they won't respond to somebody who says something hasn't arrived by saying "Well, I posted it.  If it's got lost that's your hard bun, mate" for instance.

I couldn't disagree more! I have had Business sellers, send items different to the item photographed (inferior quality) and they didn't respond.  Send a non working light and offer a partial refund. Send a bath plug that doesn't hold bath water  and tell me I ordered the wrong one, and don't ask ebay for a return, just write return to sender on it (Don't ever do that)

I've had lots of good experience too. More good than bad and I don't think private sellers come here to rip people off. It is big learning curve though and that is why we have feedback.

[happyshopper1982]

I think you're being hard on private sellers. With the algorithm there isn't much room for that kind of attitude. I personally offer 30 day returns (which I'm not obliged to offer), respond to almost all enquiries within a couple of hours unless it's in the middle of the night, same day despatch, very low defect/return rate, yet if I buyer opens a case (usually because they failed to read the description), my sales grind to a halt. I don't think private sellers can have the cavalier attitude you speak of and be successful as they get punished by the algorithm until it's resolved. Or at least that's my experience.

[roberpalme_236]

More fees in total made up of lots of small individual fees that still need administering just like fees collected from private sellers.

Business sellers more likely to know how things work than private sellers?

Take the large book sellers. A lot of them use stock photos, send items that don't match the picture, do not combine postage, send items in flimsy plastic packaging, use generic descriptions rather than describe the actual items they send  and can be very optimistic when describing the condition of the item.

Never had an issue with anything purchased from a private seller in the past, had quite a few issues with items from business seller over the years.

[johnwash1]

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@thepillenwerfer wrote:

Yes, but they are Business Sellers so e-Bay get more from them in Fees.  ...

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Do they though?  @roberpalme_236  specifically mentioned Music Magpie, World of Books.  I'd be astonished if they haven't cut some very attractive fee deal with ebay in return for volume.

[thepillenwerfer]

Being told "tough" form a Private Seller over an non-delivered item has happened to me several times.  One even said they couldn't refund me as they'd sent the item and had "pruf" [sic].  I got a refund via e-Bay.  Granted such people won't be around for long but they make work for e-Bay while they are here and cause reputational damage.  A least Simple Delivery stops this from happening at all now.

I agree very few Sellers, and Buyers, are dishonest but a larger minority don't know how e-Bay works or make stupid mistakes, like Sellers listing things as Used which should For Parts or Not Working and Buyers failing to read descriptions. 

As for certain volume Sellers getting special deals I don't have access to the necessary information so can't comment on it.

[1956glyn]

I hope you watched he programme last night about estate agents

[4minutemile]

The private sellers are the beating heart of ebay. When they're leaving the sinking ship it's because it's really sinking.

[sianchris]

Apparently not, Im just using a stock of old yarn ive accumulated / inherited over the years & lace from my old stock so repurposing what i need to off load, i thought i had become a business many years ago when i sold antiques because i wasnt sure where i stood, i even registered to declare everything with HMRC although they told me i wasnt earning enough & didnt have to file any more tax returns. I always thought it odd i didnt have to display my address & it wasnt until later i realised i had only changed to business with paypal & not ebay, i also rang ebay (back in the day when there was a direct number) & they said i was fine because i wasnt buying stock to make stuff & my income wouldnt cover their fees so i left it at that.

[ruby*ryan]

I wouldn't take tax/business advice from ebay!

It's fairly simple, if you are buying/making/growing to sell you are a business sellers, should be registered as such on ebay (to be legally compliant) and declaring to HMRC. I was a very small business a few years back, selling on ebay. I declared to HMRC, but never had to pay tax due to the fact I didn't earn enough - they never told me not to bother in the future though!

[jckl1957]

Ebay Customer Services staff overseas don't realistically have any knowledge of UK consumer and tax laws.

If you sell more than 30 items in a year, Ebay have to report your sales to HMRC and they can then decide if you are trading and liable to pay any tax.

UK business sellers have to display their address when they sell online and have to accept returns, which I can see you do.

Better to refer to Ebay's UK Help pages for accurate information.  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/selling/start-selling/create-ebay-business-account

 

Do I need a business account?

If you plan to sell casually, such as selling items you no longer want, a private account is the best option. 

If you want to sell large quantities, if you have items that you've made or bought to resell or if you already have a business outside of eBay, you’ll need to register a business account.

[theelench]

I think that might have changed since when you were a business then.  I was self-employed for 30 years and submitted a Self Assessment Return each year.  Two years after all my income became PAYE ('22 -'23?) I got a letter from HMRC telling me that unless my circumstances changed in the future, I was no longer required to complete the annual self-assessment.  I keep it in a very safe place  --  just in case... 

[sianchris]

I missed that bit out, they did say i didnt have to bother with returns again unless i went over the thresh hold. & yes, i do agree with you about ebay advice now but i didnt know they could get things so wrong until i started reading these boards once simple delivery kicked in lol

[sianchris]

Ive no idea who i spoke to as far as uk or international, i think it was a Chinese lady & on a 0800 freephone number, 
Thank you for the info

[vinylscot]

You mention " lace from my old stock"

Private sellers don't have stock. Business sellers do.

You can't just discontinue a business than sell its stock as a private seller. By selling it, you are continuing the business.

[sianchris]

Its not exactly my old stock per se, its a massive pile my old neighbour gave me years ago from when she had a dress shop.
Apologies to the starter of this thread, i didnt mean to hijack it into a discussion over my business / private selling lol

[happyshopper1982]

I also have one of these letters as I registered self employed when made redundant. Purely because my father died and it wasn't practical for me to claim to be a job seeker while caring for my mother. It was only with the benefit of hindsight that I should have rinsed the free 3/6 months(?) JSA and then registered as a carer for my mother. Unfortunately all I have to show for my honesty is a big fat hole in my NI contributions in the two years I was an unregistered and unpaid carer for my mother. So I don't have too much sympathy with HMRC as I saved the taxpayer a fortune in care fees.

[theelench]

So far as I'm aware you can still 'buy back' those years if you need them towards your State Pension's minimum contribution of 35(?) fully paid-up years with Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).

If you do need them it's better to do it sooner rather than later as the cost increases with every passing year.

Having said that, do check with DWP first.  These days it's very possible that the goal posts are moved whenever who is Chancellor needs more cash, nothing can be relied on any more.