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 !!

[kath3735_wxmjn]

made a pigs ear of that comment - obviously should read as 'maybe because the people (not moans).  Does not mean they agree with it but just are not interested in complaining on here.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

and that is the problem with 'some' people on here,  always have to overstate the case.  Yes, some buyers undoubtedly will be put off buying but others are still doing it, hence my 18 sales since it started.  The word some in @papso22  comment was therefore correct and you were wrong because not all buyers have gone.

[abmedia2020]

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@kath3735_wxmjn wrote:

you were wrong because not all buyers have gone.

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I know, I'm only teasing, I've too much time on my hands since sales have effectively died. 😀

EDIT

I made one sale overnight and and now that's showing "Cancellation requested"

Guess I asked for that one 😂

[sdjwales]

"The number of people visiting eBay (UK) and then buying from Sellers on this platform has dropped off a cliff, and it has to be down to the eBay Buyer Protection Fee"

Asserted without evidence, and dismissed in the same manner.

Remember when you....I mean yorks made that claim then posted evidence that the opposite was true?

[lovethebeach33]

I dont recall seeing that posting from the OP maybe you should enlighten everybody

[lovethebeach33]

The latest  website traffic data for the month of February 2025 undoubtedly shows a very steep decline in visitor numbers  to eBay (UK) and that does coincide with the eBay surcharge / Buyer Protection Fee being brought in.

[1956glyn]

Why are you using 2 ids and giving yourself kudos?

[lovethebeach33]

The stats don't lie:

210 million visitors to eBay (UK) in January 2025

versus

181 million visitors to eBay (UK) in February 2025

that's a decline of almost 14% and 29 million less visits since the Buyer Protection Fee came in

[*devils.advocate*]

So approx 6.77m per day in January (31 days)

Approx 6.5 m per day in February (28 days)

Yes, less visited but hardly a cliff?

How about a comparison to previous yers - what is that like?

Genuinely interested.

[andha-21]

So the 2 different accounts say the same things, use the same website to back up their claims but are obviously different people ..

I wonder if they have a "Ron" hiding in the background in case they need backup.

[lovethebeach33]

So for Feb 2025 there has been a marked decline of 29 million less visitors to eBay (UK) since the Buyer Protection Fee came in, in early February 2025.

This confirms exactly what eBay Sellers have been saying:

Lower visitor numbers caused by the Buyer Protection Fee have hit their Sales volumes and Auction Sellers are getting  less bids and ending up with lower prices.

So the OP was correct

[*devils.advocate*]

..... a marked decline of 29 million less visitors .....

Not on the figures you have selectively chosen to suit your narrative.

At least use figures properly.

How about previous years - you should be able to produce a comparison.

You're a very agreeable person - at least with yourself.

[papso22]

As you are so good at statistics could you please provide a link to the analysis that proves how visitor numbers convert to sales?

Also, as you are aware, the BPF was introduced gradually during February with many categories only being affected towards the end of the month.

A better comparison would be March 2025 versus March 2024.

[jonatjonatjonat]

its only steep because of the values of the limited y axis in that graph AND as I have previously said amazon and many others are down if you compare Jan to Feb.
So is it BPF, or is it generally the fact customers are shopping less online because oh I don't know, January is higher due to the prevalence of january sales.

All you can state as a FACT is there were less visits in February vs January. That doesn't necessarily mean spend was less of course.

Tell you what does look to be a fact - postcard sales are on a downward trend over the last three years. sales on the search term tvs is up

tvs search associated salespostcard search associated sales

[lovethebeach33]

and yet plenty of other eBay users are all saying the same thing - that they've experienced declining sales or they are buying less since the Buyer Protection Fee was brought in.

coincidence ??         I think not

anyway, it's been an absolute pleasure pointing these things out and the very fact that YOU lot don't like it, makes it even better.

[*devils.advocate*]

As a buyer, if anything reduces prices, I’m all for it - especially given the current economic situation of chaos and uncertainty.

And if it forces some sellers to other sites, then they’ll find they’ve possibly just as much competition there and their level of sales could just be the same as here?

I’ve always got the impression, from the comments on the Boards, that many eBay (private) sellers think that their competition is only from other eBay sellers - nah, they’re in competition with every other site.

If I can find the same thing cheaper elsewhere, I’ll buy elsewhere - or if it’s better quality for the same price, again, I’ll buy elsewhere.

Price is king - maybe many sellers really need to look at their prices and maybe many (private) sellers have too high an expectation?

And if it causes pain to the pseudo-private chancers - good.

Maybe things have come home to roost?

And I can't say it's been a pleasure.

[probi9246]

Thankfully for me I've other avenues to sell my items, I can make more at one local fair than I can make on eBay in one or two months. Albeit I'm bringing a lot more stock to local fairs than I list on here. I'm also going to list a couple of hundred items on another site that I might have otherwise listed on here.

I've also been spending a lot less on here than I previously have, so I think people in general are being more careful with their money, and not spending it on things like collectibles and hobby interest items unless it's something they really want.

Although like I said this doesn't seem to be the case when I'm selling locally. I think the downturn in sales in down to a whole host of things not just limited to the BPF, but also to promoted listings and the convoluted changes they keep introducing to the site every couple of months.

[probi9246]

You make a good point, the first thing I do when I want a particular item is shop around. I'll buy it where I'm getting the best deal, and things like the condition of it plays a factor if it's second hand. However I constantly see people buying items on eBay that they literally could have gotten on other sites for half the price or less in the same condition. People clearly aren't as savvy as I give them credit for.

[rog_911]

I've enjoyed selling things I no longer needed on Ebay for the last 20+ years.  I also bought from many private sellers.

Now I avoid selling as Ebay inflates MY selling price. 

I also now mostly buy from business sellers.

It's a very unsatisfactory way of buying and selling.

[delantha]

Yes and it would be different if the protection fee was refunded after the item was delivered and the buyer happy with their purchase. That might make things different.  NO FEE TO POST well now there actually is . Instead of calling it a fee it is now call BUYER PROTECTION FEE. What a load of bull *bleep*. According to EBAY It also won't be applied to listings from private sellers not based in the UK, and excludes vehicles, classified ads and property. Well UK ebayers. Aren't we special.