THE EBAY OF 2025 - WHAT TO EXPECT AS A SMALL PRIVATE SELLER - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO ?

[bittyboy101]

Just as the title says...

Apparently a few disturbing/concerning changes to eBay coming in January & February 2025... 

1) eBay Managed Shipping.

2) Payment Holds until delivery of a sold item has been confirmed.

So I'm a bit confused about number 1 - eBay's managed shipping... Not sure how this is going to work ? and whether it will be something like Packlink (only made compulsory instead of optional) ... or will it be like an "eBay Global Shipping program" type of setup where we send our sold items to eBay's 3rd party distributor and they then forward the item to the buyer by their default postal service ??... something tells me this could be Evri  (Hermes ! )  - Not happy or comfortable with this !  knowing Evri aren't always great !  😞

Moving on to number 2 - payment holds/delays until a sold items has been confirmed delivered (or 14 days have passed since buyer purchased the item and the buyer hasn't opened any cases during that time)... This can now be time consuming to get paid... Like eBay's new managed payments wasn't already slow enough !... now it's getting even slower !... not ideal if you've  got little money in the bank that week and have to 'find money upfront' to pay for posting sold items (this can get pretty expensive if 2 or 3 heavy items which cost £20 to post sell on eBay at the same time to different buyers)... Oh wait a moment... Conveniently eBay now does managed shipping and  they'll let you have an advance on your buyer's payment to cover shipping costs PROVIDING YOU BUY IT AT AN INFLATED RATE FROM EBAY ONLY !... How nice !  😞 

Now the debate of whether I should stay ? or go ?

I have always loved buying and selling on eBay for many years... Would it be worth carrying on with these new changes which are very worrying... or would it be better to do what the old saying says and QUIT WHILST YOU'RE AHEAD ???

All comments welcome - The good, the bad and the ugly - Let's know what you all think !

would a small private seller be skinned alive by the new 2025 eBay ? I wonder ! 🤔 🙄 😁   

[sml192]

Allowing the seller to decide whether or not to list with 'free shipping' would be of no benefit to eBay, so isn't going to happen.

If eBay did decide that there is a benefit to showing 'free shipping' on the listing then they would just build the cost of the cheapest postage option into the item price themselves  in the same way as they will be doing with the buyer protection fee. 

[kath3735_wxmjn]

so the CEOs declaration to the shareholders that it would be mandatory in the Q1 of 2025 is not a timescale then?

[valueaddedresource]

---

@sml192 wrote:

Allowing the seller to decide whether or not to list with 'free shipping' would be of no benefit to eBay, so isn't going to happen.

If eBay did decide that there is a benefit to showing 'free shipping' on the listing then they would just build the cost of the cheapest postage option into the item price themselves  in the same way as they will be doing with the buyer protection fee. 

---

@sml192 Bingo! Simple Delivery terms make it very clear that sellers will not have any input or control into what options are shown to the buyer - that's by design for the very clear reason you point out here which is that it's to eBay's benefit.

I have no idea why anyone would assume free shipping would somehow be an exception and eBay will still allow sellers to choose whether or not it's offered when the existing terms and policies for Simple Delivery explicitly say otherwise. 🤷‍

[sml192]

The CEO's declaration is nothing more than a proposed timescale.  It will always be subject to change or delays due to contractual reasons. 

[millcottage]

Maybe a message needs to go out to buyers on eBay to say that from the 4th of February many items will cost 4% more plus 75p.

Might trigger some sales before private sellers leave in their thousands 😀

[dch2112011]

ebay would still benefit from the fees on the inclusive free shipping price - the only reason for thinking that ebay will include some sort of structure for seller offering free shipping is that it has been one of ebay's biggest  wishes for sellers to include - stating it improves buyer experiance and increases sales - whether they have decided to drop this completely under  private sales or whether they will incorporate under the simple payment scheme hinted at in the loosely worded mumble about free listings - I have no idea

It would not surprise me if they included it as a buyer option for sellers willing to offer free shipping - they have something in mind to bother mentioning it at all but what or how they offer free shipping is all guesswork

[valueaddedresource]

---

@sml192 wrote:

The CEO's declaration is nothing more than a proposed timescale.  It will always be subject to change or delays due to contractual reasons. 

---

@sml192 It's true that the CEO's statements on the timing are not set in stone and are subject to change or delay.

But as I mentioned in other posts in this thread, given the fact that investors were already nervous about lower revenue from the fee changes and mandated Simple Delivery in Q1 2025 was included in that statement specifically to assuage those concerns - let's just say I believe eBay has some very strong incentives to meet the timescale given.

[tressygirl]

Hi @bittyboy101 

Your original question has started a great debate / discussion / query/  questions and answers! 😄 🤔

To answer your first question all those moons ago....  Should I stay or Should I go ?

In my humble opinion it boils down to a few questions one needs to ask oneself, 

1.  Am I happy to wait for 14 days if I have no tracking or tracking is slow to update to receive my payouts from sales?

2. Am I happy to use Simple Delivery,  be happy with the choice a buyer has to select ( presently) Evri or Royal Mail and to buy those labels from eBay, and not carry on as many do,  to support their little Post Offices, who are grateful for any business great or small to stay in business.

If yes to the above carry on,   Happy Selling! 😃

If no, then it's a farewell.  😐  Sadly me thinks from many!

I know my answers to the above.

[vintique*violet]

Helpful post thank you @tressygirl

In answer - A big fat NO from me... so long, farewell, adieu 😉 

I wonder if many know of eBays history and their global " transactions" and what the platform of " sellers" ( us) have provided for  " investors" ... makes an interesting read , with timescales and with pictures 😉 

https://ww.ebayinc.com/company/our-history/.

Edit to add link as it wouldn't copy/paste. 

[buffster1963]

I could live with the payment holds easily enough but the managed delivery is a big no from me. 

[valueaddedresource]

---

@dch2112011 wrote:

ebay would still benefit from the fees on the inclusive free shipping price - the only reason for thinking that ebay will include some sort of structure for seller offering free shipping is that it has been one of ebay's biggest  wishes for sellers to include - stating it improves buyer experiance and increases sales - whether they have decided to drop this completely under  private sales or whether they will incorporate under the simple payment scheme hinted at in the loosely worded mumble about free listings - I have no idea

It would not surprise me if they included it as a buyer option for sellers willing to offer free shipping - they have something in mind to bother mentioning it at all but what or how they offer free shipping is all guesswork

---

@dch2112011  the current Simple Delivery terms do not preclude eBay from offering free shipping to buyers when/if they believe it would be of benefit whether because it provides a better buyer experience, increases sales or any of the other reasons you point out that eBay has said for years that free shipping should be offered.

None of the many reasons one could think of for why free shipping might be a good thing to offer to buyers are changing under Simple Delivery, the only thing that is changing is who gets to decide whether those reasons apply and make it worth offering free shipping on a specific item.

Without Simple Delivery, the seller gets to make that choice - with Simple Delivery, eBay makes that choice....it really is as simple as that.

It isn't that eBay is making a blanket decision to drop or integrate free shipping across the board on all Simple Delivery items as you suggest - it is that eBay is simply taking the seller out of that decision making loop and will instead be making their own judgements about what options are offered to buyers, completely dependent on eBay's own factors and criteria for deciding what is best on a per item/per buyer basis.

It would absolutely surprise me "if they included it as a buyer option for sellers willing to offer free shipping" since eBay has made it explicitly clear that their intention (and actual practice) with the Simple Delivery program is to cut sellers out of the decision making process entirely as far as what options are shown to the buyer.

Whether or not sellers are willing to offer free shipping will not even be a factor, just like whether or not sellers are willing to ship using Evri will be a factor. In both cases the seller will not have a say in the matter, period - eBay will make the decisions, the seller will be provided with a pre-paid label and that's that.

That is all very clearly stated in the current terms and conditions for Simple Delivery and I have no idea why anyone would assume eBay will make a radical departure from that once Simple Delivery becomes mandatory for private sales of eligible items.

[podlingsmum2007]

I am a bit concerned about simple delivery regarding what I read in a post here about the funds for the label being credited to and then deducted from the sellers account. Does this give ebay a sneaky way of charging 4% on the postage costs? If it is counted as income it will have an impact on keeping within tax rules of a private seller too.

[incredible_how]

If you are a new seller or iregular seller tebay already delay payment until item is shown to have arrived

[incredible_how]

I wondered that - looked at the terms and conditions and does seem to be 75p on each item, rather than each invoice, so yes make a new listing if someone wants to buy several items - not that that works for auctions...

[*maetrix*]

BIG QUESTION...

..has anybody who's bought/sold anything on ebay recently actually tried looking at the tracking statuses of their items?

Just had a look at a few purchases i've made in the last few weeks being delivered by different companies...the results are "interesting"...

1. Royal Mail - tracking says tracking will become available when they try and deliver it - item was bought on Xmas day and still no sign of it.

2. Whistl - item has been delivered but tracking says it's still in the depot.

3. Royal Mail - t shirt,was delivered 4 weeks ago - tracking still says undelivered.

4. Evri - item on it's way.

..there are more items (tracked) that were delivered weeks/months ago but tracking & ebay still says undelivered.

..this whole thing is going to be a nightmare for sellers AND ebay..I can see it coming. 

[pwyl4943]

I wonder what would happen if you say in the text all items sent second class, if you don't like it don't bid as it will not be sent. And if they bid and don't accept the terms you cancel the sale. As at the end of the day we own the item. For me I support the local post office and I really cant be bothered in using private collection companies as it will use up my time and I don't intend to wait for collection or drop in a box etc. The profit is to small for phaffing with different providers . Last we want is post offices to close as they provide a valuable service to the elderly  & community as a whole after the closure of village banks etc. I think ebay should perhaps look at the ethical picture. 

[incredible_how]

I would only use Royal mail, usually collection and Evri for large light items, collection, becuase where I live drop offs lockers ect are a long way away

[incredible_how]

As far as I can tell the only choice a customer would have would be economy standard or express and that al simple delivery transactions would be tracked.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/postage/simple-delivery

[incredible_how]

I live a long way from Evri drop off so only ever use with collection - good for very lightweight items that are too big for small parcel. I usually arrange collection with Royal Mail. If I had to use drop off it would be on manybe 2 set days a week.

I think the 75p per item is really steep and will reduce small items like stamps and postcards

[tressygirl]

---

@buffster1963 wrote:

I could live with the payment holds easily enough but the managed delivery is a big no from me. 

---

Snap !