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.

[incredible_how]

If you buy postage online it comes with a delivery tracking number, and mostly (but not absolutely always) that works and the item will be listed as delivered

[maujohwai]

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@incredible_how wrote:

If you buy postage online it comes with a delivery tracking number, and mostly (but not absolutely always) that works and the item will be listed as delivered

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You only get proof of delivery if you pay for Tracked or Signed For, and the cost can be prohibitive for smaller or lighter cheaper items. For example, for a 1kg Small Parcel, Tracked 48 (the cheapest tracked option) only costs 14p more than 2nd Class, but for a 100g Large Letter, it costs an extra £1.15. And for a 100g Letter, such as stamps or a few postcards, 2nd Class Signed For (the cheapest option with proof of delivery) costs an extra £1.70.

[akemp1]

Last few days before we see the impact of the buyer tax. I've been pushing out some generous offers and buying up the last things I want from private sellers on my wishlist in preparation. End of an era. Bring back private seller fees.

[vinylscot]

This is incorrect. Proof of delivery and coverage for a value of up to £20.00 are included with all standard postage larger than small letter.

If you are only concerned with proof of delivery, and not coverage for the monetary value, then first or second class mail are absolutely enough. There is no need to pay for enhanced services.

eBay accepts the delivery scan as proof of delivery, and delivery is shown on Royal Mail's tracking. (Of course there are instances where a package may not have been scanned, but that's another matter.)

[jma2815]

Me too. I removed my last two listings and bought the magazines I fancied before they go up by almost a third. Once the three parcels are sent today have had their return window the account will be closed. 

To be clear I don’t agree with the buyer fee, but could have lived with it, SD - absolutely not. As the first change happens tomorrow and SD is coming in only a matter of weeks I feel like I’m done now. 

[incredible_how]

You definitely get a proof of delivery number when buying all mail online, which you can add into the tracking.

A long time back when buying parcel post over the counter there was a deliverly proof number, but not for large letter. Below is a scrennshot of an example. You can see that the number in the tracking is not a normal Tracked 24/48, this is bought online ordinary large letter. I only offer untracked postage when the items are under £20. 

But it isn't 100% accurate - I just did a look through a really busy period of 2 months, Nov & Dec in 2023, 67 items not tracked but with delivery number 51 items marked as delivered. I'd have bought online direct from Royal Mail and put in the number to tracking.

[tressygirl]

Have you seen the latest announcement today @incredible_how  ?

We’ve also heard your feedback and understand that shipping costs are particularly top of mind for low price items. When you’re selling a single item for £10 or less, and it’s sent untracked, funds will now be available 24 hours after you receive positive buyer feedback. This will be live by the end of February.

[jokers_toybox]

Ugh getting people to leave feedback will be the awkward part there!

[jow1995]

Maybe worth upgrading to business account with 22k of sales and over 7k of listings.  Looks like a full time job with those sort of figures!

The new rules will then not apply

[davebullock]

Just permanently ended 320 low cost items as no longer viable.

[a45heaven]

 available 24 hours after you receive positive buyer feedback.

I thought buyers feedback had been shelved as a trigger to releasing sellers funds?

Why not upon despatch ? Why 24 hours later? 

Feedback can never be viewed as a reliable mechanism, not even ebay take part in feedback on its own performance.

[lucy_farmer]

'I thought buyers feedback had been shelved as a trigger to releasing sellers funds?'

Hmmm.... yes. Ebay have always been of the 'feedback could have been left by mistake, so it's not proof of anything' school of thought. 

The fact that they've changed their tune on *this* point might just possibly  mean they could entertain changing their minds on some of the other worst sticking-points?? like SD

OK I'm being a bit over optimistic here! 😅

[m-bevis-1815]

I did speak to a real human in the chatbox thingy, and presented my
concerns about Simple Delivery, ie I have no printer and no smartphone, and
I want to keep my local post office in business.
Once the operator grasped the concept that 2 million or more people in the
UK don't have a smartphone so wouldn't know a QR code if fell on their
head, he said he would feedback those concerns.

So for people here, if you want to be heard, engage with a human on their
chat system. If enough file their problems with Simple Delivery, it might
forever be optional.

[johnwash1]

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@jow1995 wrote:

Maybe worth upgrading to business account with 22k of sales and over 7k of listings.  Looks like a full time job with those sort of figures!

...

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Or perhaps not.  Many of those listings have been relisting and relisting and relisting for years.  Create a few listings a day, price them unattractively, include things that nobody on the planet wants...  It's not hard to accumulate a lot of listings.

[lucy_farmer]

'......my concerns about Simple Delivery, ie I have no printer and no smartphone, and
I want to keep my local post office in business.......'

Ah, hello my long lost twin 😙

I shall take your advice and see if I can raise a reaction from a human!

[vintique*violet]

Starting from 4 February, UK-based private sellers will also be paid after item delivery. Funds will typically be available in your eBay balance two calendar days after delivery confirmation. Pending funds can also be used to buy postage labels and refund buyers.

We know it's important for you to get paid fast, so we recommend private sellers use a tracked delivery service, either through Simple Delivery or arranging for local collection, to get your funds as soon as possible. Using tracked delivery services can also provide a better customer experience for your shoppers, and for you, with sellers seeing a 50% decrease, on average, in buyer complaints and queries when using tracked delivery*.

We’ve also heard your feedback and understand that shipping costs are particularly top of mind for low price items. When you’re selling a single item for £10 or less, and it’s sent untracked, funds will now be available 24 hours after you receive positive buyer feedback. This will be live by the end of February.

Interesting that they can " release" funds after 24 hrs of buyers feedback, but 48hrs after delivery, for tracked mail? So if no feedback received then it is still 14 days for untracked mail. Why the change?  Why not release all,  as it was - it certainly does not show any loyalty to the sellers who have maintained good standing and responsible customer service and it certainly shows that ebay are not trusting of their private sellers and potential buyers will be aware of this. 

[maujohwai]

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@incredible_how wrote:

You definitely get a proof of delivery number when buying all mail online, which you can add into the tracking.

A long time back when buying parcel post over the counter there was a deliverly proof number, but not for large letter. Below is a scrennshot of an example. You can see that the number in the tracking is not a normal Tracked 24/48, this is bought online ordinary large letter. I only offer untracked postage when the items are under £20. 

But it isn't 100% accurate - I just did a look through a really busy period of 2 months, Nov & Dec in 2023, 67 items not tracked but with delivery number 51 items marked as delivered. I'd have bought online direct from Royal Mail and put in the number to tracking.

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Could you explain how that tracking works? There is an equivalent 12-digit number in my last order, which I sent by 2nd Class Large Letter, buying the postage direct online from Royal Mail, but I don't know where to use it.

Does the delivery postman scan every item for which postage was bought online? If so, it doesn't seem worth using a Tracked service.

[incredible_how]

Not sure how you get people to leave feedback! Possibly not even 50%

[goidor]

this is like news year eve waiting for the main event only to be a damp squid

anyone doing a count down or even staying up to see the disaster happen?

[suelel1968]

Postmen are supposed to scan large letters on delivery. They are not fully tracked but do update on ebay when delivered if scanned. Buy the postage via ebay and the tracking number is automatically populated on the item. You can make a claim with RM up to £20 for non delivery, damaged and extremely late delivery.  Simple delivery may make all of that irrelevant if it is not on the list to select from.