New buyer fees confused ?

[jactac7]

Please could someone explain in simple terms how this new buyer fee thing works.

I'm a private seller who lists the usual used clothes, plus the odd bits & bobs that are no longer required or needed.

When this new buyer fee thing was announced I read the info that ebay released, and after reading it my take was that, if I list something for say  £2 as a bid or buy it now, ebay would then add their fees to that amount and the buyer would see the increased amount on the listing, but all my listings are still showing the same amount that I listed them for ?

Theres no added fees showing on the amount, at least not that I can see ?

I've asked a friend to look at my listings to see if they can see something different but apparently they are seeing what I'm seeing, the original amounts with no added fees ?

They've even clicked on one of my items to buy but the total amount stayed the same ?

Am I looking at this all wrong or just not getting it.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks.

[andha-21]

Sunday is my day. That's when auctions of the mega dealers in my field usually finish. If the market has changed since the "Update" that's where it will be easiest to see. They've got so many followers that their stuff usually sells above market price.

But from other items I've been watching it looks like they may be in for a serious hit. The market has taken a nosedive.

[myriad*seller]

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@jckl1957 wrote:

Listings with the new buyer's fee are showing it as a separate amount, like this, with a link to explain the new charge:

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Not on all of them, the ones I looked at did not have that text underneath

The fee breakdown was not visible until the last page until you click Buy on the listings I was looking at

Nothing on the listing page itself 

Listing is a mobile in the correct category from a private seller and shows the fee only on the last page just before you press the buy button. 

[faceache65]

Do you mean sellers should stop using free shipping. Have the postage as a separate fee like we did in the good old days before eBay started the fee on postage cost rip-off?

[jimthing]

Private sellers, likely yes. As the postage is not charged Ebay's 4%+75p buyers fee, unlike how it was when a seller fee existed. Hence your final price will be lower to buyers.

But it's up to the seller, obviously. 

[moldosgifts]

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@jactac7 wrote:

I new about it and it's implications, I just couldn't work out why my listings were still showing the original listed prices .

I'll be honest though, I didn't know it hadn't been rolled out across the board yet.

From what I can recall, the info ebay initially put out was that the BP fees would kick in from 4th Feb 2025 for ALL private listings. 

Have they put something else out saying it was going to be implemented in stages ? 

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It was very last minuet that change. Ver late on the night before so to speak.

[jactac7]

I didnt realise the BP fees were not on postage.

I mostly offer free postage,.  but thats a good idea to start putting the postage fees separate👍 .

It will at least save the buyer a little bit of money.

[jimthing]

The pricing bug remains. Oh Ebay, introduce a new fee system that confuses people, then make pricing errors that you take AGES so far to fix, so private sellers cannot even price our items how we may want to! 🙄

See here: 10

So infuriating! 

[kath3735_wxmjn]

the thing is though that we are all in the same position so the prices from private sellers will be much the same.  I am keeping my prices at what they are and see what happens, i will not be messing around working out all kinds of calculations to allow for buyers fees.  The thing about used clothes is that most people are usually looking for something pretty specific at a cheaper price than a new one and without the leg work of having to visit charity shops!  I know that is what i do and if i find something that i want another pound would not make a difference!  Just wish they would make a search engine that actually works!

[the-nutwood-collection]

Are the BP fees not on postage, or not on Simple Delivery postage?

Everything I've read leads me to believe that it's Simple Delivery postage that won't attract the 4%, postage charged by the seller will included in the sale price of the item and attract 4%.

A game of wait and see.

[jimthing]

Simple postage vs your own is irrelevant. 

Test it yourself... 

Just edit one of your current listings where the new buyer fee has been added (or create a new one). You'll notice the buyer protection fee amount in box just above it. Then set free shipping, then try charging an amount for shipping – the buyer fee figure will remain the same, as they only charge it on the Item Price. 

Hence breaking-out the shipping is desirable if you want to lower the final buyer price a bit. 

[lucy_farmer]

If you're selling within 'Simple Delivery': *you* do not deal with postage costs at all.

The postage is paid for by the buyer , and paid directly to ebay. Not the seller.

Ebay send the seller a postage label.

Therefore, any %'s are only attached to the price of the item.

[wintersdawn1]

In the past it was possible for a seller to over inflate the postage cost and keep the item price low to avoid fees but I assume that will not be possible with the new changes as Ebay will provide the postage cost depending on the item's weight/measurements.

[sml192]

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@wintersdawn1 wrote:

In the past it was possible for a seller to over inflate the postage cost and keep the item price low to avoid fees but I assume that will not be possible with the new changes as Ebay will provide the postage cost depending on the item's weight/measurements.

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Yes, that will be one of the main reasons why eBay will want to make Simple Delivery mandatory for all eligible items sold by private sellers. 

[the-nutwood-collection]

I'm aware that Simple Delivery doesn't attract the 4%.  It's the seller postage charge on the listing that I'm curious about.

If it's not included in the 4% calculation, then there's going to be an awful lot of listings where the item's £1 and the postage is £10.  Just like the olden days, before eBay included the cost of postage in the fees calculation.

Of course, if SD is mandated for all private sellers, then the issue doesn't arise.  However, based on eBay's spectacular fail with imposing the 4% on all private sellers on February 4, mandatory SD may be kicked into the long grass and stay there for months.

Also, if SD is mandated, then there's going to be a lot of egg timers weighing more than 21 kilos.  I guess eBay can set a bot running to identify these listings but, if it's the same bot that can't identify obvious business sellers masquerading as private, then it won't find very many.

[lucy_farmer]

'....mandatory SD may be kicked into the long grass and stay there for months....'

Oh I hope so!.... otherwise I shall be one of the ones who have to stop selling 🙁.

Or possibly start selling '21kg egg timers' 😈

[myriad*seller]

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@the-nutwood-collection wrote:

I'm aware that Simple Delivery doesn't attract the 4%.  It's the seller postage charge on the listing that I'm curious about.

If it's not included in the 4% calculation, then there's going to be an awful lot of listings where the item's £1 and the postage is £10.  Just like the olden days, before eBay included the cost of postage in the fees calculation.

Of course, if SD is mandated for all private sellers, then the issue doesn't arise.  However, based on eBay's spectacular fail with imposing the 4% on all private sellers on February 4, mandatory SD may be kicked into the long grass and stay there for months.

Also, if SD is mandated, then there's going to be a lot of egg timers weighing more than 21 kilos.  I guess eBay can set a bot running to identify these listings but, if it's the same bot that can't identify obvious business sellers masquerading as private, then it won't find very many.

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The *buyer* chooses the postage cost, eBay sells the buyer a postage label suitable for the size and weight of the parcel

The seller would get £1 in your example

Literally £1 

Why would the seller bother to sell an item to get £1? Inflate the postage all you like but the seller still only gets £1

None of the P&P money goes to the seller

The seller is only sent the item price, nothing else.

Postage is paid to eBay, not the seller. 

[the-nutwood-collection]

Postage is paid to eBay when SD is rolled out to private sellers, but my example is the situation pre-SD, i.e. now. 

[poshboutique2]

The fees have definitely been added to private sellers' electronic items but eBay are hiding the buyer protection fee by simply amending the price of the item are they allowed to do that? At least VInted show the buyer protection fee as separate

[maarsy]

i think it could scare off potential buyers if in the past they knuw odd numbers meant sold from abroad

[bit_of_a_mug]

As a buyer, I've seen many prices on items I'm looking at go up overnight.  Low cost items have gone up by a huge percentage.  It says that the buyer protection is free.  But I understand that I have to pay these fees to have buyer protection!  I've generally been buying from private sellers with excellent reviews.  Surely that gives a level of reassure for free.