R.I.P eBay (UK) ------>> 19th Feb 2025

[yorkscollectables]

The introduction of the eBay Buyer Protection fee of 75p plus 4% of the value of goods,  effective from 19th February 2025 has effectively killed off eBay (UK).

Buyers have walked away and Private Sellers are now forced to drastically reduce their prices to try to compete with 'Business Sellers', who are not subject to the eBay Buyer Protection fees.

It's a great shame, and unless eBay's management team in San Jose, California see the error of their ways, and quickly, there will be nothing left to salvage from the wreckage !!

[wiltshire-stamps-and-coins]

Re your statement " but surely 'private' account with 1000 listings with brand new items and multiple quantities is definitely not private but business. eBay should have some system to check this." eBay have and are in the process of forcing all private sellers who are clearly business sellers to covert a business account. 

[brookysbooty]

I agree totally, so therefore why can eBay put a simple and straightforward policy that anything listed over a certain amount of items … say 150 items you will be forced to become a business seller Instead of the absolute chaos that is happening now. Fair and straightforward.

[tommystrezures]

Interesting post @jonatjonatjonat  the first couple of months of any year are always quieter months, generally for three reasons we found in my commercial days in the past;

1) Buyers will be still paying off debt from spending splurges in December for the holiday period, so there will be financial recovery

2) Following that spending and buying consumers are less likely to open their purses/wallets etc from the spending we used to call it consumer exhaustion, not sure thats the right phrase these days!

3) The weather and winter - January, February etc are the colder, wintery months, short days etc. so people are less inclined to shop. (that may not be true for everything) but people just get their basics etc.

[krafty-kreations]

 agree totally, so therefore why can eBay put a simple and straightforward policy that anything listed over a certain amount of items … say 150 items you will be forced to become a business seller Instead of the absolute chaos that is happening now. Fair and straightforward.

Collectors could have way more than 150 items 

Somebody selling their own possessions shouldn't have to register as a business no matter how many items they have!

Why can't eBay just not force the obvious business sellers to upgrade?

Why can't people just register correctly?

[abmedia2020]

Here's my chart for last year, if I choose 18mth then it doesn't show March to date.

March 24 was about 75% up on Feb 24. There's still time left for March but if it ends up being better than February then it'll be the biggest comeback since Lazarus.

When I'm not busy with sales, I list more stuff, and it's not helping.

[papso22]

---

@brookysbooty wrote:
I agree totally, so therefore why can eBay put a simple and straightforward policy that anything listed over a certain amount of items … say 150 items you will be forced to become a business seller Instead of the absolute chaos that is happening now. Fair and straightforward.

---

Because forcing a genuine private seller to use an ebay business account is also misrepresentation and comes with a host of potential tax issues for the private seller.

Genuine private sellers of collections such as stamps and postcards, are particularly susceptible to these recent changes, and would be hit if the free listing limits were reduced, but that might be a solution to the issue.   

[tommystrezures]

---

@papso22 wrote:

---

Genuine private sellers of collections such as stamps and postcards, are particularly susceptible to these recent changes, and would be hit if the free listing limits were reduced, but that might be a solution to the issue.   

---

Or perhaps if the seller had the choice eg they sell with a 5% sales fee (no concessions or offers) or keep the BPF.

In the example above a sales fee of 5% +say the old 30p would be far more beneficial (and simpler)

[brookysbooty]

Interesting January was a really good month for me got rid of lots had a good selling month February after all the chaos kicked in is dead

[brookysbooty]

I agree
It would be interesting to see a return of Lazarus 😂

[brookysbooty]

Absolutely 👍🏻

[theelench]

After 30+ years as self-employed the first thing I did on retirement was to ensure that all my income was covered by PAYE.   

I must say I've been surprised by several accounts by sellers who have been told by ebay that they must convert to a business account when, from their account of their selling activity, ebay's reasoning looks faulty and they should have stayed as a private seller. 

A person who had only ever sold a handful of items on a single account.  Another selling a stamp collection and told to convert only because of their sales volume.

I wonder if, having complied with ebay's demands, they have read what is required to be fully HMRC compliant?

I've wondered how they can be so happy to become a 'business' with all the book-keeping required to keep "Adequate Records" and the fines and penalties for not doing so?

I'll very likely stop selling on-line altogether when the new Reporting Rules become fully operational and it effectively becomes necessary for anyone selling their personal possessions on a regular basis to keep books at a business level.  Just in case HMRC questions whether or not that is what they are doing.  It will be for the seller to prove they are not trading and the only way to do that, that I can see, is to have the same accounts as a business. 

[brookysbooty]

I am with you 100% I am to bundling my items up and will be leaving eBay soon.

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[theelench]

Sadly that's not so easy to do if you're selling off a collection of vintage glass ☹️

[brookysbooty]

I’m so sorry I cannot believe it has come to this, I wish you all the best .

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I had a good jan and feb, much better than last year.  Depends on what you are selling, one of my relatives gave me another load of her cast offs and they have sold really well.   She yo yos between 18 -22, impulse buyer who rarely returns any items.   I do the work, she and the other family get the money!  I do find though that it is easier to sell larger sizes on here than small ones.  It also helps that no one is in a rush for the money so they can sit on here until they eventually sell or i get fed up and flog for a £1 on the car boot!

[yorkscollectables]

The thing I find most disconcerting about this eBay Community Forum discussion board, is that its the same names repeatedly attacking me and disagreeing with me, day after day from 6am til 8pm

This was never about Private Sellers v Business Sellers, its about how the introduction of the highly unpopular eBay Buyer Protection Fee has impacted all Sellers, with potential buyers no longer using eBay.

[brookysbooty]

Amen
We are all entitled to our opinion and we should respect each other’s opinions whether we agree or disagree.

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[papso22]

That's true but there are forum rules to follow and if they are broken the moderators will take action.

[brookysbooty]

Well, let’s make sure the rules were broken firstly and that it's not a personal attack on someone’s opinion, we are all upset and annoyed with eBay not each other.

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[abmedia2020]

---

@yorkscollectables wrote:

This was never about Private Sellers v Business Sellers, its about how the introduction of the highly unpopular eBay Buyer Protection Fee has impacted all Sellers, with potential buyers no longer using eBay.

From my own experience, I have to agree.