Opinions on eBay removing fees for private sellers

[watches_to_be_watching]

Hello everyone, I've just checked my emails to see that eBay have completely scrapped fees for private sellers. I want to know what everyone thinks about this?

in my opinion this is unfair on business sellers as we will now be competing with traders who register as a private seller to avoid fees who can now offer lower pricing since they aren't paying nearly 20% in transaction fees.

I think they need to offer a fee reduction for business sellers also as we are hugely disadvantaged now. 

all they have offered for business sellers is:

Better protection against fraudulent returns:

Free 1:1 advice with Seller Clinics: 

let me know your thoughts everyone.

[ett1954]

"Better protection against fraudulent returns:"

In nearly 20 years of selling I have never had a fraudulent return ......... but I do have a lot of fraudulent competition.

[leadhills_scot]

After Christmas I'm closing down any stock remaining will go to charity shops. As for that stupid message there is NO benefit from my perspective for business sellers.

[equinox-electronics]

If done correctly i.e  ebay are more strict on what volumes private accounts can sell before needing to upgrade I'm all for it. But we all know that's not how ebay works...

[jow1995]

Just another kick in the teeth for genuine buisness sellers, obviously the platform is struggling as my sales are the lowest they have been in 15yrs. A big fee reduction for business sellers and doing away with promoted listings may of helped.

Hopefully Ebay will clamp down on the "hobby sellers" but time will tell.

[chrledd]

Have sold on ebay as a business for over 10 years - absolutely disgusted and gutted by the way we are being treated. So called 'private sellers' selling items at a considerably lower price than I am able to and making a higher profit. So unfair of ebay and hey never do anything about these people - how can a private seller have over 200 new with tags items for sale being continuously restocked??!!??

I have never sold on other platforms but am being forced into it now.

[*devils.advocate*]

Year after year, eBay have reported that buyer numbers have decreased - and this move is (allegedly) to encourage more people to sell their items so that they’ll become buyers and buy more from eBay (business) sellers.

Problem I see, in the short-term, is that for these (additional) new buyers to have extra money in the first place to buy something, they need to sell something first to get that money to become a buyer - and with the doom-and-gloom merchants at Westminster, energy bills rising etc, people will be pulling their belts just a bit tighter.

Search is bad enough, and with some categories already flooded, it won’t get any better - and I wonder how many of these new sellers’ items will be “streamlined” out of searches.

It was always “to many sellers and not enough buyers” - now, every Tom, Richard and Henrietta is going to add to the already too many sellers’ situation before they become buyers.

How long will it be before they’re going to be brassed off when they don’t sell anything?

And if they follow eBay’s advice and list at 99p, how long will it be before they’re going to be brassed off at so little return if they do actually sell something?

Not forgetting actually being worse off if they get a real or false INR or SNAD.

And eBay’s continued blind-eye treatment of “private sellers” is nothing short of pathetic - ostrich management.

In the short-term, this will affect small properly-registered businesses to a great extent and eBay, IMHO opinion, must think that there will be enough new seller-buyers to compensate for the goodly number of small businesses which will be lost.

I do hope that properly registered businesses spread their wings, if they haven’t already done so, and now explore all other avenues - isn’t that what has to happen?

And, ultimately, the number of buyers will just continue decreasing?

Apologies, a bit long.

[moldosgifts]

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@*devils.advocate* wrote:

And if they follow eBay’s advice and list at 99p, how long will it be before they’re going to be brassed off at so little return if they do actually sell something?

Advice it's imposed i sell silver findings some is sell by the single ebay put a red banner stopped me fmaking the listing live because i can sell for much less than 99p no you can only put 99p as the asking price.

So now they are dictating the selling price.

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[*devils.advocate*]

To list at less than 99p, you used to be able to adjust it by using the bulk edit function.

Rather than use (say) the ‘Buy it Now’ pricing, you used to be able to use a value function.

(I forget what it’s called, sorry, but it used to be the top one on the list)

It gave the choice of reducing the price by percentage or by monetary amount - and if you selected ‘reduce by’ the monetary amount, you could enter an amount (say 20p) and it would accept the listing price as 79p.

I don’t know if it still works or not - be interested to know if it still does.

[gold-heron]

It costs me a lot to sell on ebay as a business seller. The items I sell can be sold by private sellers. Not only is it now costly but also competition can sell with no fees. I think this signals the looming end for ebay.

[mike10010_11]

The scrapped selling fees were always leading to something, a SCAM. As of 4th February Ebay will be charging a 4 percent fee plus 75p on every item listed by a UK, private seller. If you're selling something for £15 on 3rd February, you will wake up on 4th February to find Ebay have inflated the price £16.35. Every item has a market value but Ebay have unilaterally decided that our items are under priced and, in this case, will be raising the sellers listing price by 10 and will be taking all of that 10 percent. They are calling this is the 'buyers protection scheme'.  There is literally no difference between the old Ebay protection scheme and the new. The only difference being is that tracked items will now only be paid out 2 days after proof of delivery and 14 days after non tracked items. This benefits absolutely no one, except eBay. It has already been proven that eBay earns interest whilst holding on to your money. This new system was proven to make millions in Germany. For Ebay to make millions then someone has to be losing millions. Ebay will still be promoting 'zero sellers fees' but this is a complete manipulation of the truth. In my opinion, these fees are suspicious, to say the least. 'Buyer protection' could be classed as an insurance. I could be wrong but isn't it against the law to charge an obligatory insurance fee?

For example, if i purchase a used, plastic item for £1 and the same plastic item can be bought for £4.99  brand new with postage. I therefore would sell my used item for £3.99 with postage. The item cost £1, postage fees £1.55, jiffy bag (wholesale) £0.45, new ebay fees £0.91 totalling £3.91 leaving the seller with 8p. Ebay, for doing very little, will be earning 11 x times the sellers profit of 8p. Therfore, making my plastic item nothing more than land fill. This may seem petty but think of all the sellers in the same position. Which ever way you look at it, this IS a selling fee. Just remember too, on larger items, you will now be paying the 'buyers fee' and, if you wish to sell, you will probably have to absorb the 'buyers fee' to remain competitive. I can't speak for others but i know this will hit me hard with my small, low profit scheme i run from home.

[*vyolla*]

@mike10010_11 

Your items are relatively low value, so this will impact you, but as this update only affects private sellers I'd consider upgrading to a business account. 

[jow1995]

Have you considered becoming a business seller? that way the new rules will not apply.

[vintique*violet]

Not " proof of delivery" 

Considered successful delivery" 

There is a  difference and eBay have yet to clarify what they deem to be " considered successful delivery"...

Read up on the BFP FAQ for both buyers and sellers... 

Private sellers are being penalised and the BFP is to offset the " free to sell"... in the guise of a " protection" service.. which the buyer has no choice but to pay, one which as far as I can see only offers a 24/7 customer service... as the MGB covers most already... the many postal courier terms also covers parcels...and this system has worked for years... it is misleading and a stealth tax for eBay to make on not only the fee but the " holding" of sellers funds until 48hours or more AFTER a " considered successful delivery?" ... So sellers now have to incorporate this fee somehow... Buyers will probably be wary of purchases due to this " fee", and both are in the hands of a postal service of which many now cannot be bothered to actually delivery, by just placing parcels in the bin, by the bin, throwing over gates etc etc etc... 

Proof of delivery... tracking uploaded on system, a photo of a parcel on the doorstep... delivered.. 

Buyer says no parcel delivered... seller shows proof of delivery via the tracked/photo info... eBay sides with seller, buyer appeals as parcel not safely delivered " in hand" and was not on his doorstep... eBay backtrack refund buyer and seller is without item or funds..A True Story

How many unscrupulous buyers now will try this or a don't like it so will say not as described or whatever?  knowing that their money is not with the seller for up to 2 weeks or more? 

So this leaves  the seller to try and recoup by  what? claiming from the postal service? Well with Simple Delivery the seller pays  eBay for postage,  we will not have access to make a claim as not purchased direct  ... Sellers will be in the hands of an automated system  with the potential to be actually " giving items away for free!" 

Positives welcome 😉 

[c-foreman-2008]

Private sellers are often small-time sellers with just a few items a month or year. Probably these private sellers are on benefits as they don't make much from selling items. You cannot go onto a business account when on benefits, that is against the law, eBay must know this is the case. Private sellers will have to go elsewhere to sell now.

[vintique*violet]

Private sellers are often small-time sellers with just a few items a month or year. Probably these private sellers are on benefits as they don't make much from selling items. You cannot go onto a business account when on benefits, that is against the law, eBay must know this is the case. Private sellers will have to go elsewhere to sell now.

I am not aware that there is any  law to prevent anyone on benefits from opening an eBay " business" account...or any type of online marketplace account. It may come under "fraud"  for not declaring " additional income?" to HMRC, but  personal  tax implications or whether anyone is on benefits is no ones business,  including eBay. The whole exercise as I have said before is to garner your data and share amongst gov and corporate - there will be no privacy. 

If you are not trading and only selling your personal items, there is no requirement to register with HMRC for self employment or as a business. 

[aarbear1]

Don’t worry… they’re now stiffing private sellers too

[carmentran84]

Hi Mike, I totally agree, this is a total scam and a simple way for Ebay to make money while pretending they don't charge fees from private sellers, charging instead buyers. 

🤑🤑

[cellestinohernendes]

Nailed it.

Just another kick in the nuts.

[cellestinohernendes]

The only thing I’d add is that the buyer protection fee isn’t a charge to the buyer, it’s a charge to the seller.

to price competitively, you have to account for it and/or the buyer will simply make an offer at a value that takes the buyer protection fee out of the sellers pocket.

To top it all off, you then wait 2 days post delivery for your funds to clear.