Please spread word of ebays manipulation and total control of our funds after a sale! Highlight their monopolizing of shipping options for sellers! Their removal of all ways to make formal complaints! There feedback system for sellers that has "one" positive button! Here is a form letter I have been using and feel free to use it or edit it for your own experience or if you see any inaccuracies. Send it Citizen Advice, CMA, Reddit, social media, BBC and all other media outlets!
> NAME
> ADDRESS
> POST CODE
> EMAIL
> DATE
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**Subject**: Restriction of Seller Autonomy and Potential Abuse of Market Position by eBay UK
To whom it may concern,
I am a UK-based seller on eBay and wish to raise a formal complaint concerning what I believe to be **anti-competitive practices** and **unfair restrictions on seller autonomy** imposed by eBay UK.
As of "ENTER DATE YOU STARTED HAVING ISSUES", eBay has removed the option for sellers like myself to **opt out of their proprietary shipping program**
This program forcibly overrides my own shipping preferences and compels me to use eBay as a freight broker—without meaningful consent, transparency, or control over the delivery process. Previously, sellers had the ability to disable such programs or choose direct services (e.g., Royal Mail, Evri, UPS) with full control over pricing, service tiers, and tracking. That ability has now been silently and irreversibly removed.
This situation raises several serious concerns:
1. **Loss of Commercial Autonomy**: I am unable to fulfil orders using carriers and service levels I trust and prefer. eBay’s system overrides this and masks actual shipping choices from buyers.
2. **Hidden Fees and Inflated Costs**: Buyers are charged inflated shipping rates, but I do not receive this money nor do I have clarity on how it is used or calculated.
3. **Forced Use of a Single Intermediary**: eBay inserts itself as a mandatory shipping broker, effectively **limiting my right to contract freely** with a third party courier. This could be seen as an abuse of market dominance under UK competition law.
4. **No Redress or Complaint Mechanism**: eBay offers no internal complaint route for challenging these policy-level impositions. Attempts to contact eBay UK support yield only generic responses or redirection to irrelevant help articles.
This is particularly damaging for small and individual sellers who rely on transparent, competitive shipping options to offer value and retain customers.
I believe this policy change may breach:
* **Consumer Rights Act 2015** – Unfair contract terms
* **Competition Act 1998** – Abuse of dominant position (Chapter II Prohibition)
* **Unfair Trading Regulations** – Lack of transparency and misleading omissions
I request that **this issue be investigated** by the relevant authorities and that pressure be applied to ensure eBay UK complies with fair competition and consumer protection standards. At minimum, sellers should have the ability to opt out of these shipping programs and regain control over how their items are delivered.
I am happy to provide screenshots, policy documentation, or further details on request.
Yours faithfully,
**YOUR NAME**
