This is going to mean the end for many small private sellers. "Buyer Protection Fee"

[vinylscot]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/paying-items/buyer-protection?id=5594

75p plus 4% buyers fee, so something which was priced at £5 will be £5.95 in February.

[bojangled]

@sweetcharity.2013 I would hope so, it does suggest that there is a breakdown as prospective buyers bid. I think they would have to be transparent on this.

[dantwocats]

yes just as i was saying to ebay but customer services was saying no ? but has to add on to your price  ? did see this somewhere.

[eddery]

Sounds like customer services understand this less than we do! If you look at their example, the maths works if you are selling for, and receiving, £18.51 which then attracts buyer commission of 75p+74p=1.49 hence the buyer sees a total price of £20

If you do sell and receive £20, the buyer commission is 75p+80p so the buyer is charged 1.55 and will therefore see an asking price of 21.55

CS either misunderstand or are lying to you

[eddery]

That's the pity - yes they will take longer to sell. I'm nearing the end of my days and hopefully can clear my ridiculously big collection before I check out! I'll just have to continue to put up with the wife moaning about the room it takes for longer than I hoped. Otherwise I'll be wading through it and rooting out more candidates for charity shops so they can benefit rather than the grandsons.

[hobbit66]

Well I don't know how many would feel the same, but on a matter of principle alone, I will not pay a fee for the privilege of purchasing something, so for me shopping on ebay is over 😞

[akemp1]

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@hobbit66 wrote:

Well I don't know how many would feel the same, but on a matter of principle alone, I will not pay a fee for the privilege of purchasing something, so for me shopping on ebay is over 😞

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You can always buy from business sellers to avoid the fee. I agree it's counter intuitive. Ebay have been lecturing us for years to offer free postage so buyers see a single price without the postage cost being a barrier to the sale and now they go and add a new unnecessary barrier fee. It's similar with some of the takeaway or ticketing websites adding service fees it's just not the right way to present the price if you want someone to buy something. Buyers already have enough to worry about that might stop a sale without making it harder. 

[sweetcharity.2013]

"You can always buy from business sellers to avoid the fee."

Unfortunately you can't always buy from business sellers. I would estimate at least 80% of what I buy is from Private sellers having a clear out. Soon it will be priced too high + extra postage (possibly) & I doubt sellers will be thinking to reduce their price on an initial listing they'll want to recoup as much as possible, like anyone.

[game_raid]

You will not even see the fee, nothing is changing for the buyer well except you get a bit more protection what this is anyone's guess, you decide on the item that is the best value for your money from either a business or private seller.

Some private sellers may absorb the fee some may not, the same as it was before when eBay offered 80% discount on fees some sellers reduced their price a lot didn't. The same as soon as fee free selling come in some reduced price some haven't.

[hobbit66]

I may not see the fee, but I now know it's there and for me that's a no no !

How ridiculous to have to pay a fee to buy something

[pitstop.pippa]

Well it's obvious what happened after ebay implemented the free selling pitch: they miscalculated the amount of sellers who were happy to leave their money in their account to earn interest for ebay. So now it gets to languish for longer before the seller scoops it out! It's such a backward move though. Without selling fees I was happier to lower some prices/accept offers and had started to change my listings so the postage price was at cost rather than with the extra I'd previously added on to cover what was taken by ebay in their postage fee snatch - so a win-win for everyone if other sellers were also doing the same. Now - if I've understood this right - my prices will have extra charges added to them and at the same time I shall be changing all postage to tracked to ensure I get my money in a timely manner.  After that, it'll be a downward spiral of buyers going elsewhere (not just for me) and ebay finding their coffers have even less on which to earn interest. Anyone still left selling on ebay will undoubtedly then face reinstatement of higher fees to compensate!

[kawas67]

I've messaged all the businesses and charities I've bought from this year saying I will no longer be buying through ebay weather business or private as i do not want an imposed tax placed on my purchase from private sellers with the assumption im paying for safety!!!!

[bojangled]

@pitstop.pippa 

Just want to put my head above the parapet here. eBay did make it public in October last year that a buyers fee would be implemented in Q1 along with Simple Delivery. 
I appreciate that it probably wasn’t on many private sellers radar, but the information and announcement was out there. 

I do feel for the genuine private sellers, but got to adapt and change or move on. 
Jo

[kawas67]

I've just looked through my purchases for the last 6 months and a majority have been from private sellers, why should I be taxed for this?

[**incy**]

It would be £18.75

[bill23h]

It will certainly kill the market in small, inexpensive collectables. I use ebay mostly for selling and buying stamps, postcards, CDs, magazines. Mostly priced at £1 - £3.  I will now be taxed 79p on each £1 item I buy, as will my buyers. Totally unworkable. 

Buy one £10 item, the tax is £1.15.

Buy ten £1 items in the same order, the tax is £7.90. 

I won't buy or sell many small items that way.

[pipsand77]

eBay moving the goal posts on almost a monthly basis - firstly it was splitting from paypal with the 'benefit' you would as a seller get your money straight away that didn't last long as once interest rates went up eBay calculated they could make a lot of dosh by banking the money and making you withdraw it in the hope that many would let it sit there earning interest for eBay. Now no payment until the item is delivered so adding on a few more days to hang on to your money they have banked. As for the 75p fee and the 4% just a rip off. Technically paid by the buyer (for protection they already have) but as many have noted the seller will need to absorb it by lowering prices to remain competitive.     

[kawas67]

I agree, the 99p bargains are gone for ever!

[tsdragon63]

Watch out , I have just seen on another thread that eBay want to bring in managed shipping which appears to be compulsory but you may not have that option to use Royal Mail.

With this and the new fees they are bringing in for buyers (just fees by stealth, I only sell very low priced items but it will almost double the cost to the buyers) I think I am going to pull all my items at the end of their listings and look at other avenues of selling my downsizing stash.

[jazz_monkey]

Another little gem in the small print (Buyer Protection FAQ )

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Buyer Protection is included at no cost for purchases of listings from private sellers not registered in the UK.

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[magik-limbo]

ebay moving the goal posts yet again to the detriment of small private sellers who hardly sell anything to begin with. When you have to rely on the good will of buyers to say they have actually received what they purchased before sellers have their funds released, then this is just ebay wanting their fees before they offered free listings...will 100% stick to facebook once this happens.