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 !!

[vinylscot]

Another meaningless post from you. Yes, many people have stated their sales have declined since the advent of BPF. 

But, and I accept this is unprovable, there may be many more whose sales have increased. These people do not tend to post on boards such as this, which are, by their nature, heavily populated by unhappy individuals. 

[jonatjonatjonat]

But, and I accept this is unprovable, there may be many more whose sales have increased

no if you say the word FACT just before or after that statement, it becomes completely true

[lucy_farmer]

'which are, by their nature, heavily populated by unhappy individuals. '

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Indeed.  A bit like Crustpilot.

[andha-21]

@jonatjonatjonat 

Now why did you have to go and say something like that?

Next thing we know ebay will be using it;

FACT all of our selling tools normally work perfectly and if you want honest and useful advice you will find none better than our illustrious CS team.

[lucy_farmer]

'....if you want honest and useful advice you will find none better than our illustrious CS team.'

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oh stop it andha... or I'll have to borrow a needle and thread for my split sides.....

😂😂

[theelench]

You dismiss her reply as "meaningless" when it's demonstrably true  --  there are many sellers saying that their sales have declined.  There are many more saying that they're buying less, which backs up what she says.

Then go on to counter it with complete speculation and no evidence at all that there may be others whose sales have increased.

Which is the more meaningless the one with the evidence that we can all see or the one which has none ?

[a380spotter]

..Trumpian!

😞

[a380spotter]

2-tier eBay 

😞

[a380spotter]

..true, BUT if you take the commerce out of ecommerce what you got left?

[*devils.advocate*]

............... e?                       

[bzmotman]

"Then go on to counter it with complete speculation and no evidence at all that there may be others whose sales have increased."

If you check several hundred messages ago you will find that I gave my figures for the last few weeks where I gave the percentage increase week by week since the start of BPF. I don't claim that the same applies across any other category but I stick by those figures. Plenty of sellers bemoan a downturn in sales but don't provide their figures.

I don't doubt that the business sellers pretending to be private sellers could well be suffering but to be honest since they attempt to defraud their buyers of their Consumer Rights & have been able to undercut the genuine business sellers through avoiding Ebay fees I have zero sympathy for them.

Genuine private sellers need to understand that nothing in life is free. So free listing has to be paid for by someone and up to now that has the Business seller. I fail to see why we should effectively subsidise our competitors. As for the argument that private sellers then use the sale proceeds to buy from on Ebay I would like to see something other than the anecdotal evidence so far provided.

I don't particularly like BPF but it is the route Ebay have chosen so sellers can adapt or stop selling.

[sapres-92]

i agree its not fair on the genuine private sellers but i have noticed it has forced the private sellers who have had 1000s of sales over the years to actually move to a business, so in a good way its a good move when some sellers out there are making 1000s per month and still trying to  say they are just selling privately, i hope the the tax office catches up with these shops eventually!!

[vinylscot]

There is no evidence, either way, which is the point I was making. There are suggestions, that is all.

I suspect, when figures do emerge, that there will be little change in the overall size of "the pie". Admittedly, eBay is now taking a very small part of that "pie", but it is very possible that the distribution of sales has altered, with as many users (admittedly, principally businesses) actually selling more than before.

I don't doubt that many private sellers are experiencing a downturn, particularly those selling low-cost items, and I do believe something should be done to ease that issue, but overall we have seen very little evidence of it having a wider effect.

[theelench]

I don't doubt your figures but you are a business seller so un-affected by the changes to private seller's prices and don't have the BPF shown to your buyers at checkout.

It is private sellers and "private" sellers that are complaining as both are being hit.

I have no sympathy for "private" sellers either, but a great deal of sympathy for genuine private sellers who are struggling with these measures in addition to the other ways that ebay has already limited their sales.

I, like most private sellers, do understand that nothing's free.  The vast majority accepted that they had to pay the fees that ebay levied and in no way tried to avoid them.  We did not ask for "Free to Sell" or ebay's attempted claw-back of the BPF.

But now that ebay has belatedly decided to at least make it look like it's trying to tackle the problem of business sellers mis-representing themselves it has chosen to do so in a way that further dis-advantages genuine private sellers.  Don't forget about the compulsory Payment Holds that we are now subject to that will hit private sellers harder than businesses pretending to be private sellers as they are likely to have the resources to weather the holds.

As for evidence that private sellers re-cycle their "earnings" through ebay, that is something that has become apparent over the longer term and as their numbers have fallen.  Ebay has seen the number of Active Buyers falling over the years and this has coincided with more business sellers saying that their sales have fallen.

[theelench]

Well I'd say that the many hundreds of complaints are more than just 'suggestions'.

I'd also go along with the idea that the distribution of sales has altered in favour of properly registered business, at least temporarily.

But at what cost?  Like so many of ebay's changes this will hit private sellers hardest.  Pretend private sellers will likely have the resources and inclination to get around the Holds and either take the hit of reducing their prices to factor in the BPF and make their prices look 'normal' again.

I doubt that this will reduce registered business sellers problems of being undercut by very much.  It will result in another swathe of private sellers leaving.  Ebay is hoping they will be replaced by an influx of new sellers, drawn in by Free to Sell.  But how long are they likely to stay when they realise that if they want to sell they have to promote their ads.? 

That's not free to sell and although it might put the clock back by giving private seller numbers a temporary boost, they won't hang around long when it becomes clear to them.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

but according to you you are not selling on here so how would you know what is actually happening to 'your' sales.  Mine have been really good but i also understand that some types of sellers have not been so lucky.  Then again most of the ones complaining are the pseudo business sellers anyway so quite honestly i do not care about them.   It is also well known that the negatives in life spend more time being just that (and whining about it aloud and to anyone who will listen) than the positives who will try to find ways to improve their lot.  

[bzmotman]

"I don't doubt your figures but you are a business seller so un-affected by the changes to private seller's prices and don't have the BPF shown to your buyers at checkout."

Some private sellers reduced their prices when the selling fees were abolished & undercut Business sellers whilst others simply pocketed the extra profit. Those that didn't cut their prices can now do so to remain competitive. Those that did cut now have to decide whether to switch to a basic Business account with no subscription & 30p per listings [less than 4% + 75p [72p in reality] or decide its not worth selling the very low price items - I have 1 competitor who currently has auctions starting at 50p with 2nd cl post at 1p.

"Don't forget about the compulsory Payment Holds that we are now subject to that will hit private sellers harder.."

Are lengthy Holds in place if Tracked or Simple Deklivery is used? Really Holds should be thought of as the same as doing a week/months work for an employer before you get paid.

[abmedia2020]

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@theelench wrote:

 but you are a business seller so un-affected by the changes to private seller's prices 

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No, if the buyers go elsewhere then everyone is affected.

[vinylscot]

I agree with most of what you are saying, but where do you get your "many hundreds of complaints"?

I do also have a private account, selling my own collection of books, comics and football programmes, admittedly not at the really low prices where BPF has the greatest effect. I can honestly say I have seen no drop in either the number or the total value of my sales (small that they may be, barely £100 a month recently, but consistently around that amount.).

As @kath3735_wxmjn has stated, and you yourself have been at pains to emphasise often, you are no longer a seller on eBay. You are not therefore speaking from a position of experience.

As I have repeatedly said, I don't doubt the BPF has hit some individual sellers. However, as to its overall effect, at the moment all we have is hearsay; there has been no actual evidence.

[game_raid]

I would say buyers are going back to the business sellers with brand new items who have a returns policy, transparent tracking and are priced similar to these so called private sellers with 100s of similar new items to ourselves but refuse to lower prices, it's funny how fake these private sellers are the ones mostly complaining but prefer to come on here and complain with claims that eBay is finished because they can't get a sale.

All they need to do is change their account status and maybe they would see some growth, the only problem is there is fees to pay.

I guess you could say things have levelled up now, Q4 we were down similar to what we are up now, considering we're in the worst quarter for sales people are still spending money if items are at the right price.

FWIW we never put our store in holiday mode and there has been no major video game releases so far this year, our stock is pretty similar all year

Our recent sold items do not show accurate figures because we have private listings activated.