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]

I think this approach is inevitable given the high item fees. I've added a note to some listings that I'm happy to oblige in making up a job lot if a buyer wants more than one similar item. To keep all selling options open.

It's more work for the seller and does not guarantee a sale but I genuinely think Ebay would rather have those items sell than sit there for months on end. Or ultimately disappear from view. 

The BPF-avoidance warning was more about habitually wandering off to *other* sites, rather than multiple buys.

[andha-21]

"The BPF-avoidance warning was more about habitually wandering off to *other* sites, rather than multiple buys."

Where have eBay actually said that? 

If they haven't, why not?

It's not like it would be that hard for them to allow for the above. A few words joined together. I bet they have someone that could accomplish that.

& this isn't the first time these questions have been asked. So time shouldn't really a factor. Unless 100wpm means monthly where they are.

[goodibags]

I think the warning about BPF avoidance appeared in a thread about an apparent 'loophole' someone had discovered. Whereas the idea of bundling together items into a custom bundle has been around for a long time. It makes sense to do this, both as a buyer and a seller. On top of which it's practically impossible to police. Nobody can stop you from putting up 4 items for sale or 7 as you choose. 

I was roundly scolded by other sellers for daring to list the same item on its own AND inside a collection. Really, at the same time! Even when the chances of selling it once were tiny, never mind twice to different buyers overnight. 

Maybe Ebay is testing our collective resourcefulness? It's not the first time it has done. 😁

[akemp1]

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@papso22 wrote:

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. 

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Yes probably best to just mention the postage saving opportunity and if they save buyer fees that's an unspoken bonus for those in the know. Buyers that regularly collect stuff on ebay tend to learn how to buy efficiently after a while and should understand why a combined listing is being suggested.

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.

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Good point, although probably the pros still outweigh the cons for both buyer and seller but then if the buyer wants the individual returnable items there's nothing stopping them buying via multiple listings and requesting total for combined postage.

Under the new delayed payment system I am reluctant to suggest to buyers that I will partial refund them the difference in postage anymore now things need to be the right values before they pay.

[incredible_how]

Some sellers have already been doing this (pre BPF) to offer combined postage, sometimes a discount, not quite sure why they found it easier. 

[incredible_how]

There would still be the 4% on all of it and one 75p, so no not getting around paying all of the fees

[andha-21]

I used to, mainly because they removed the invoice system from the app. It became the easiest way to combine postage or one of the easier ways. The other being refunding afterwards.

I could still access the invoice system via the browser site but that's a pita to use on my phone.

Talking pre BPF that is. I haven't sold anything since this started. Stopped all my listings.

[andha-21]

Yes, but there are examples that have been posted here where eBay have been charging the full fees for every item a buyer bought from the same seller. % + 75p. So the above scenario does take a fair portion of that away from them.

& that's why I think there is an inherent risk in doing it now. Especially as the new legal clause definitely covers it, even if, as I said before, it was not it's primary intention.

My reading of eBay is that they are prepared to do pretty much anything to get money. They don't really have the kind, understanding vibe to them.

[maujohwai]

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@papso22 wrote:

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. 

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The note referred to is "any attempt to circumvent BPF fees can be met with reprisals". Does the presence or absence of "fees" (or "fee") make any difference? It is simply redundant, since "BPF" stands for "Buyer Protection fee" (as Ebay spell it) anyway. "BPF fee" is like "PIN number".

[goodibags]

The note being referred to was adding some text in the item description, along the lines of -

"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"

Apparently, a reduction in postage costs is still a perfectly valid reason for creating a combined listing, but reducing the buyer's fee burden somewhat less so.

[andha-21]

marco@ebay 

Any chance you can help get clarification with the above?

We want to know if combining orders is still allowed, specifically due to the terms and conditions update regarding BPF fees.

If we combine now eBay lose some of their fees which means we would be in violation of that policy.

[incredible_how]

Ah yes, I remember someone saying she couldn't find a way of sending new invoice via app

[incredible_how]

If they were not in one listing then yes there would be a charge for every item

[andha-21]

There actually wasn't a way at one point I tried. Spoke to CS at the time via chat and they gave me an external link to use.

Not sure if they ever added it back. I stopped looking for it and just handled things myself in the aforementioned ways.

[akemp1]

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@goodibags wrote:

I was roundly scolded by other sellers for daring to list the same item on its own AND inside a collection. Really, at the same time! Even when the chances of selling it once were tiny, never mind twice to different buyers overnight. 

I'm with the other sellers on this issue as I'd rather avoid the risk of one or more person(s) trying to buy the same item twice. It's the same problem when people also list an item on other platforms. Even if the risk is small it's not worth the difficultly and potential buyer disappointment that could happen if it sells twice. Also it might send the wrong message to buyers that I'm the kind of person that would put my own interests ahead of theirs.

[marco@ebay]

Hi andha-21, thanks for your question.

Yes, you can still combine orders no problem, and that wouldn't be considered as fee avoidance. However, please note that we have an ongoing issue with invoices that we are aware of and currently trying to fix. So, if you try to send an invoice to combine an order, it might not work for the moment.

Thank you,

Marco

[incredible_how]

how would combined orders, for, say, 6 items (6 seperate listings) that you then combine postage for, reduce to Buyer Protection Fee? Some sellers using the app seem to have just made custom listings of several items because they couldn't do a combined invoice,  (pre BPF).

[akemp1]

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@maujohwai wrote:

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The note referred to is "any attempt to circumvent BPF fees can be met with reprisals".

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In the old gangster films townsfolk had to pay unnecessary protection to avoid reprisals.

[akemp1]

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@incredible_how wrote:

Some sellers have already been doing this (pre BPF) to offer combined postage, sometimes a discount, not quite sure why they found it easier. 

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I've found that was helpful to say that on listings that are likely to sell to international buyers as I don't think it's possible to offer a combined postage discount on ebay global shipping if bought as 2 listings. I used to basically say at the end of the description that for multiple items to a UK delivery address I would refund the excess postage and if it was an international delivery address please contact me for a combined listing. Now it's simpler I guess it would just need a combined listing every time "to save postage costs".

[akemp1]

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@incredible_how wrote:

how would combined orders, for, say, 6 items (6 seperate listings) that you then combine postage for, reduce to Buyer Protection Fee? Some sellers using the app seem to have just made custom listings of several items because they couldn't do a combined invoice,  (pre BPF).

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It would only reduce the BPF if you created a new combined listing not a combined invoice for multiple listings. It's a faff on either Mobile or PC as you have to screenshot or download the best photos from each listing to create the new one (as I would have already deleted the original photos from my device) and then copy any relevant text across.

Sometimes I am lazy or busy doing something else and just end one listing and edit the price of another but that's not fair on anyone as there isn't the clarity on what items are being purchased etc and it leaves a wrong sold items listing.