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.

[goodibags]

That doesn't mean you shouldn't have another attempt. 😁

[*devils.advocate*]

It’s always expounded on these Boards that those, in this case, complaining about the end of private sellers represent only a fraction of sellers.

It’s the same in respect of buyers - there may be only a few of us posting but, if the above is true, private sellers should, indeed, be really worried about sales being slow.

My experience lately of purchasing from private sellers has been dreadful - complete opposite with properly registered business; excellent.

This is going to mean the end for many small private sellers - the way so many have acted on this Board in recent weeks, I’m left in little doubt that it could be the end for many - and, in some cases, deservedly so.

My sympathies only lie with those genuine private sellers who’ve been caught up in all this.

So, continue to attempt to “laugh” if you want - buyers might be cheerful of the fact that search might become less clogged - even if it still doesn’t work properly.

[theelench]

---

@*devils.advocate* wrote:

I'd go with the Business Seller every time at the moment - just look at so many of the posts on the Board at the moment.

So many new/newish sellers who haven't a clue what they're doing - and yes, that affects my view of existing private sellers I'm afraid- especially as there are so many chancers which colour my view of even genuine private sellers.

I know it shouldn't - but that's the way it is presently.

---

Yes, looking at many of the posts at the moment I see a lot of business sellers cheering from the side-lines as private sellers say they are ceasing to sell on ebay because of the latest restrictions --  and I do mean genuine private sellers.   Those who mostly sell second-hand cast offs or collectables and in no way compete with business sellers.

You say the large number of newish private sellers who don't know what they're doing affects your view of "existing private sellers" which sort of, grudgingly, acknowledges that the existing sellers do know what they're doing and are perfectly capable of selling to a high standard.  Often having proved that over many years.

Isn't that sort of irrational reaction called "prejudice".  I see a lot of that in many of the posts ATM.

Good luck with your "going with the business seller every time".  Your eyes will, I'm sure, be opened.

You'll soon realise how much extra you've paid by supporting them rather than buying from B&M shops or even on-line sites with lower fees.

You'll also have the opportunity to discover just how many "properly registered business sellers" are absolute rogues when it comes to how they deal with their buyers.

[*devils.advocate*]

Isn't that sort of irrational reaction called "prejudice".

Nope, it's called being careful.

Good luck with your "going with the business seller every time".

I used to be one so my eyes have been open for many, many years.

And where have I said I only buy from Business Sellers on eBay?

Many have their own site and are cheaper there.

And i repeat - my sympathies lie with genuine private sellers caught up in this but that does not mean I'll waste my time ploughing through eBay only listings hoping to find the good ones - when I know other business sellers exist to suit.

[incredible_how]

at the moment they are on post it notes!

I worked them out by starting a buy it now listing and putting in price, maybe you did that as you say trial and error!  It's a very low tech, slow way of doing it - I haven't completed the task yet but here are a few, if you are looking for 99p amounts the chart that has now been posted by others looks to be what you need

4.11 for £5; 5.08 for £6; 6.04 for £7; 8.92 for £10; 13.72 for £15; 37.77 for £40; 47.38 for £50

They have not been tested only the £5.08 for £6

So it is begining to look like a seller fee.

My father will probably do a couple of big job lot for postcards rather than smaller themed lots

[goodibags]

Yes, sales have definitely been slow. Except for some sellers who like to crow that business is booming like never before (but oddly don't service the hundreds of sales they made yesterday).

I agree that these changes have adversely impacted the buyer experience on Ebay and put many buyers off. Nobody likes prices that jump for no apparent reason or hidden charges, for starters.

But my experience of private sellers has been the complete opposite of yours. As well as being far cheaper their items are usually in much better well-cared for condition. The 'risk' as I see it is that the ad-hoc items I used to buy, like customised toy cars, will no longer be sold on this platform because the sellers themselves have been scared off it.

Ultimately, Fewer buyers = Fewer sales. Ebay has completely messed this up. It's no laughing matter for anyone. Except rival platforms?

[incredible_how]

Currently I'm still waiting for a refund from a business seller, who sent a return label and said I didn't need to initiate anything, the item arrived back with them a week ago Monday.
I buy mainly second hand/vintage including small items, I'll probably be buying postcards from business sellers now...and the less I sell (or if I sell for less) the less I buy from business sellers or private

[goodibags]

And many buyers will no longer be buying joblots because they'll know how excrutiatingly difficult it's going to be to sell on those items they don't want.

Again, fewer sales.

[incredible_how]

It is a problem if you are collector and buy a large lot for one item. I can see that more small items will be listed in bundles by private sellers. I'm doing it...

[angus69uk]

Further to my previous post on here earlier in the thread, I do feel there are plenty of points that don't seem to be noted by the contributors (obviously some have).

Firstly, and most importantly, from about October last year, all private sellers, as far as I can tell, have paid no fees to eBay. If that isn't an advantage to a private seller, I don't know what is. I am a private seller and have enjoyed the no fees situation but wasn't dumb enough to realise that it could not carry on for long.

The new fee structure, as far as I can tell, is designed to compete with other trading platforms - it might be right to do so but, as a private seller, I would much rather pay the fee within a listing I made, ie a listing fee or a final value fee, just like we used to. I don't expect to be able to have a wide audience of prospective buyers and not pay something towards that.

Up until about October last year, we paid, within our fee structure, a fee to cover the buyer in the event of an issue. That was abolished and eBay have now introduced a similar protection that the buyer pays instead. Apart from the fact that it is both clumsy and unpopular with buyers and sellers alike, it is only a replacement and not an additional cost.

Apart from the clumsiness of the new system, I really don't see why sellers are so 'up in arms' for eBay charging such a fee.

For me, to conclude, I would much rather we reverted to the old charge system where, as a seller, we paid a fee to eBay for hosting our sales and that buyers could buy safe in the knowledge that the price they saw was the price they paid and that we didn't end up with strange amounts on sales.

Private sellers would be more in line with business sellers in terms of charges and, as ever, sellers with a good reputation would overall benefit over those who didn't do things right.

[lucy_farmer]

'Apart from the clumsiness of the new system, I really don't see why sellers are so 'up in arms' for eBay charging such a fee.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, yes 👍 about the 'clumsiness' of this. It's a horrible clunky mess to those of us who've never been on vin ted or wherever and got used to it.

But a lot of the 'up in arms' reaction is due to the buyers 'protection' feeling like such a sheer insult  that buyers have to be protected from us : private sellers only....

(Especially those of us who've been selling on ebay for years and years with no problems )

I know there *are* dodgy private sellers; but there are also grim business sellers.

The only problems I have had with ebay sellers in the past, have been from chinese tat sellers- all businesses!

(OK, serve me right for buying chinese tat in the first place... 😆)

[incredible_how]

It is more than clunky for small value items, it is very expensive (more expensive than when seller fees): postcards for example in the £1 to £3.00 range. If it were per invoice it might encourage multiple purchases especially if there is combined postage but it doesn't. 
There are a lot of people who sell baby/children's clothing as their children grow out of them and buy larger stuff and they are at very low prices.

[angus69uk]

I certainly do get where you are coming from, hence why I feel the charges should be back like they used to be, on the seller, and not on the buyer.

I do get the point made regarding purchasing multiple items and fees - I have never liked the 75p set fee (or however much it was previously) and I feel the percentage fee was better.

Selling small value items has always been an issue when it comes to charges as it is not unreasonable to expect a minimum charge. My small value items will likely be lumped together in order to get rid of them at a reasonable price but it isn't ideal.

[akemp1]

---

@angus69uk wrote:

For me, to conclude, I would much rather we reverted to the old charge system where, as a seller, we paid a fee to eBay for hosting our sales and that buyers could buy safe in the knowledge that the price they saw was the price they paid and that we didn't end up with strange amounts on sales.

---

+1 'bring back private seller fees' can't say it enough times.

As a compromise maybe ebay could offer private sellers the choice, at an account level, between the new ugly buyer tax being applied to their listings so that ebay can say 'selling is free' and paying seller fees to avoid their buyers being deterred and confused by seeing fees.

Ebay have already built most of the technology to support both ways of selling so it shouldn't be hard to let us choose.  As long as the fee was the same either way it shouldn't matter to them who pays. That way they can keep both types of private seller mindsets happy.

I had another buyer engage me via message to try negotiate a price and it was painful.

As a buyer and seller I continue to detest the new system of paying and it's certainly caused price inflation.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

i disagree with your comment about business sellers 'cheering', from what i have read and seen they are 'cheering' about the large amounts of pseudo private sellers who are on these threads doing the most complaining and saying they are leaving.  Do not blame them either.   Whilst i was looking for a new skirt the other day i came across a 'private' seller with over 1100 items of clothing of all shapes and sizes.  THAT was definitely not a private seller.

[akemp1]

---

@incredible_how wrote:

There are a lot of people who sell baby/children's clothing as their children grow out of them and buy larger stuff and they are at very low prices.

---

I've almost given up listing kids clothing now it was already hard to sell unless it's a higher end item. I did ok selling a couple of coats but most of the stuff my kids grow out of will be going to charity shops now.

[incredible_how]

My postcard & stamp buying habit will now benefit business sellers, unless private sellers are willing to take on a pick and mix capacity: relist a buyer selection as a bundle. 5 individual postard listings bundled together saves £3!

[akemp1]

---

@incredible_how wrote:

My postcard & stamp buying habit will now benefit business sellers, unless private sellers are willing to take on a pick and mix capacity: relist a buyer selection as a bundle. 5 individual postard listings bundled together saves £3!

---

If I was selling postcards then I would put a message at the bottom of all my listings to say something like "If you wish to buy multiple items then please message me the Item IDs before buying and I will create a combined listing for you to save on fees and postage" although it's a faff for all concerned.

I don't think there are any ebay rules stopping you from encouraging buyers to request combined listings?

[andha-21]

Directly no, indirectly possibly. They included a new clause regarding BPF in the terms and conditions part of which is along the lines of "any attempt to circumvent BPF fees can be met with reprisals".

I saw the original usage of that terminology in a direct post from eBay regarding a workaround that had been found. So whilst I think the intentions of that clause probably lie elsewhere the clause does still cover your idea.

It's why when this came up before on another thread I said we really need black and white clarification from eBay on this. Without it we're potentially in dangerous waters if we proceed.

[papso22]

I think if you removed the word 'fees' from the note that would be perfectly acceptable, and possibly acceptable even with fees in, as the buyer is not avoiding fees altogether, just reducing them. 

The downside for the buyer is that if there was something wrong with one of the items they would have to return all of them under the MBG.