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.

[bill23h]

They didn't even have to be bargains! An old postcard at £1 is worth just that, but it was a fun place to trade with other collectors to fill gaps in collections or whatever, and the buying and selling balanced out more or less.

Looks like another of life's small pleasures snuffed out by greedy corporations.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

ok, i have just had my laugh of the day!  E bay using the words 'we're making it simple and transparent so buyer always now etc'   When have  e bay ever made anything simple and transparent.  Just look on these threads at how we are all reading the same thing but in different ways. 

[pitstop.pippa]

A lot of us are in the same boat. It's the sheer greed that makes it all so very depressing. I get that ebay is a business but surely it makes sense to implement changes that encourage site users, not drive them away. Everyone is being squeezed for every last drop of blood (money) these days 😞 Those small sales might seem paltry to some people but for others who are struggling to make ends meet, they are vital. Same for buyers; not everyone can afford the big bucks new products and we need to do more to encourage a circular economy so people choose to buy used items - which they won't if they feel they're being penalised for the sake of someone else's ever expanding profits. Site fees have risen so much in the last few years, it's even hard to make ground rent at car boots if you're only selling small collectibles and second hand books!

[pipsand77]

eBay have been trying to edge out Royal Mail for sometime - I'm guess they have a deal with other delivery companies? If Royal Mail management wasn't so incompetent (and more) they would years ago have introduced their own eBay like platform.

[jazz_monkey]

Seller FAQ states untracked items will be paid after 14 days if there is no confirmation from the buyer.

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• For untracked deliveries, or tracked deliveries with no delivery confirmation signal, funds will be available 14 days from the order date.

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Annoying, but probably fine for low value items. They certainly need to communicate this better rather than bury it in the FAQ.

[bill23h]

Thing is, I didn't really object to the seller's fees. Ebay provided a service to me, and I didn't mind paying a small fee for my benefit.

But taxing the buyer is outrageous. And to dress it up as a 'protection fee' is insulting, a) because it isn't, is it?, and we all know it, and b) my buyers don't need 'protecting' from me. I have 14 years with 100% positives. 

Even just a percentage would be liveable with, but the flat 75p on sales of 99p isn't.

[pitstop.pippa]

Hear hear!

[vintique*violet]

I do not need this type of " incentive" when I have been providing an above standard service with 100% feedback for the past 17years! 

I disagree totally and will not be a part of eBays shenanigans whereby they are penalising genuine private sellers who have seen fit to organise and conduct their account how  they can manage it  best for themselves and their customers...and with integrity!   

Ebay have totally ignored individuals circumstances, many of whom are now at a disadvantage due to their personal circumstances,  whether it be a disability or living in a more rural area, or just trying to keep up with the economy, and by doing so have brought about the most disingenuous greedy online marketplace ever in my opinion! 

We are NOT their employees nor are we Robots!

Edit... spelling

[myriad*seller]

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@kawas67 wrote:

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!!!!

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Why did you do that? 

Business sellers and charities (which also sell on business accounts) are unaffected by the changes

The "tax" is only for items you buy from Private sellers, not from Businesses or Charities, their fees remain unaffected. 

[myriad*seller]

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@bill23h wrote:

Thing is, I didn't really object to the seller's fees. Ebay provided a service to me, and I didn't mind paying a small fee for my benefit.

But taxing the buyer is outrageous. And to dress it up as a 'protection fee' is insulting, a) because it isn't, is it?, and we all know it, and b) my buyers don't need 'protecting' from me. I have 14 years with 100% positives. 

Even just a percentage would be liveable with, but the flat 75p on sales of 99p isn't.

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Taxing buyers has been common practice for decades at real auction houses, so 

Seller pays a fee to list

Buyer pays a fee (buyer premium) and additional VAT on top of their bid value. 

Seems eBay decided to become more like long-standing bricks and mortar auction houses and impose a buyer fee on sales too. 

[derpybay]

The V site is buy it now only. The distinction between who pays the fees is essentially cosmetic on a fixed price, it makes sellers feel better, and plays a small psychological trick on the buyer, but ultimately they see how much the total is before they commit to pay.

Ebay still has auctions, just barely and clearly at this point grudgingly, but they have them, and that's a whole different kettle of fish. 

I use 3rd party sniping tools, who knows how that's going to work.

[sicro-80]

It's pure greed and after seven years I will be closing my account.

[incredible_how]

I'm assuming we are back to having fees on postage, the 4%.
I rather hoped they would decide they could make a bit of money from sellers money staying in their coffers and not introduce the buyer fees. Yes I was selling things for less and postage was at cost.

[sicro-80]

It's damn capitalism is what it is. I will be closing my account of 7 years.

[myriad*seller]

They have added profit into the postage labels you will need to buy in future

They are cheaper if you don't buy your postage on eBay 

[akemp1]

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@myriad*seller wrote:

---

---

Taxing buyers has been common practice for decades at real auction houses, so 

Seller pays a fee to list

Buyer pays a fee (buyer premium) and additional VAT on top of their bid value. 

Seems eBay decided to become more like long-standing bricks and mortar auction houses and impose a buyer fee on sales too. 

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I buy as much as I sell on ebay and whichever hat I wear it feels wrong. Bring back seller fees.

[tsdragon63]

If they bring back sellers fees, how about they make it fair, before if I sold an item for 99p after the fees I get 39p I'd love it if they were more like our auction house and only a small flat rate fee for items up to £6
Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[golfballersuk]

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. 

[pitstop.pippa]

What I'm wondering is how this buyer's protection fee is going to impact income tax liability? Will it be clear when ebay submits information for tax purposes that the price an item sells has an added fee over and above the price stated by the seller? For example, if I was lucky enough to sell 1000 of my £1 items with the buyer protection fee of 79p added to each would it show up as £1000 or £1790 as taxable income????

[sicro-80]

you are the problem, fake business