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.

[make-my-day-357]

Same here - I won't close my account straight away but it won't be getting that much use now.

I have a friend whom has been telling me for a few years now that eBay does not want small sellers,

I think he has finally been proved right.

[bill23h]

That link states that sellers will be forced to use Ebay's "simple delivery service".

Thats not what my email from Ebay says....

[twebb_666]

Thanks. Managed delivery doesn't seem to offer a collection service then? I
do my own postage via Royal Mail and manually add tracking references and
this works well for me. It means I can pay the day before for a collection
by a Postie who even brings me a sticky label. It's a nice arrangement that
I really don't want to lose, meaning I'll have to wait 14 days for payment
as the tracking is outside of 'managed shipping'. I think that's right?

[darthalba]

As he said sit on your money why would I sell something and wait 14 days to be paid

[vintique*violet]

For me as a buyer this is just a backdoor surcharge/money grab by ebay, its sneaky and underhanded. For that reason alone I won't pay it, this means I'll no longer be buying from private sellers.

Agreed...I have not purchased anything since the beginning of December - I am a private seller who has bought  more than sold over my 17yrs, and have " simply" stopped and shopped elsewhere ... Regarding selling, I have just sent two offers today,  and if unsold after the 4 day option, will remove and either  keep, gift or send to charity... I 'm not sending anymore offers, but maybe plan to list some items at 99pence for the fun of it 😉  If I cannot have my money for nearly 14 days then eBay can have their share of 99pence ... maybe a twisted way of thinking but wasn't that their ethos in the beginning for an online auction marketplace. I may even try a buy It now at 99pence.. I haven't before so unsure if this is possible - I enjoy packing and visiting the locals at my local  post office so will continue to do that for as long as I can using Royal Mail Tracked 48... My service doesn't change whether 99pence or 99 pounds! 

[golfballersuk]

You just have to wait 14 days i think it is from dispatch to get money for those items i believe. The buyers saying item hasnt arrived for untracked items though, before this and after this if a buyer claims not received and you cant prove they have then they get their money back regardless. 

[monkeys_brother]

I'm the same - although in my case, I won't be buying anything AT ALL. After fifteen years, I'm done with ebay.

[hobbit66]

Indeed same here. On principle I won't buy anything from ebay again !

No bargains and I wont be forced to buy from expensive business sellers

[radiordp]

Shame on you eBay... raising our hopes that seller fees would be removed and then ensuring all our listings get hiked up by 20% on an average on small sales of just £3 or £4

Furthermore shame on you again for holding up our payments when couriers fail to deliver as is so often the case nowadays and practically forcing us to use tracked services.

Imagine if you are selling a postcard for £1 and 85p second class postage, the total cost to the buyer will not be £1.85 but £2.64... clearly they are trying to remove these low value sales by private sellers.

As another seller said we really will have to start seriously considering whether to continue using eBay.

Great way to wish us all a Happy New Year with that miserable email. Thank you Ebay. 

[har_234653]

This is their typical devious rhetoric speak.

What this essentially means is that the seller will end up paying the fees.
Why?

Well because the market exists beyond the ebay platform, therefore all items sellers on ebay list will become 4% +75p more expensive than elsewhere.
If you wish to sell to an ebay buyer, then you must lower your selling price retrospectively.

See how it works. You the seller then are effectively covering the ebay 'buyer' fee with your loss.

Open your eyes people.

[kempseykate]

---

@golfballersuk wrote:

This buyer fee is basically a private selling fee masqueraded as a "buying fee". The only people it will affect is those who are using a private account to sell when they should be a business. 

I think its entirely fair that private sellers should not get their money til the item is delivered. The amount of private people ive bought items from for them not to post for a week using all the excuses in the world OR having a free loan for 3+ weeks because they set the dispatch to the longest period and then having to wait to open a case and escalate and never send the item. 

---

I bought an item 25 Nov, showed due for delivery 5-9th Dec. It was actually sent on 9th Dec and arrived on 17th.
This was from a BUSINESS seller.

[hobbit66]

As a private seller I can honestly say my service was far better than most of the business sellers I've dealt with in the past 🙂  Such a shame that I can't continue on ebay !

[vintique*violet]

As a private seller I can honestly say my service was far better than most of the business sellers I've dealt with in the past 🙂  Such a shame that I can't continue on ebay !

From my experience too ... I have been so disappointed many many times from purchases from business sellers - not just the item but the way it was packaged , delivery time etc...  

[k22blue]

If buyers pay through PayPal they get PayPal's buyer protection so why do they even need Ebay's buyer protection, as a private seller and buyer I will no longer be using Ebay, I don't believe sellers should wait for items to be delivered before receiving payment, the delivery service is out of our control, proof of posting should be enough, Facebook marketplace and Gumtree will be busy from February,

[tortoise52]

Yes I am off as well, been a member since it began and 100% positive feedback, but hahaha they just committed commercial suicide, keeping sellers money and relying on buyers to be honest about receiving the item is the end for me.

[sicro-80]

Most business sellers are either a fake company for money laundering, or they stole a whole HGV full of what you see getting sold.......I know this from experience. Private sellers are more honest.

[elizpo47]

It is going to affect all listings, current and new 😔

[hobbit66]

haha brilliant 🙂

[vintique*violet]

I have believed that money laundering has been going on for many years - it was particularly rampant during 2020... you can spot them a mile and yet eBay do nothing... 

[kawas67]

I agree, I've checked and 80% of my purchases are from private sellers and I'm not paying extra to line Ebay CO's pockets with my hard earned cash!!