Upcoming ‘Buyer Protection Fees’

[lady4838]

I’m a member for 14 years - I have today complained fiercely to EBay with regards to 4% + 75p charge on each item purchased as we all know this is a Back Door way of recovering the Seller Fees which were scrapped recently - Buyers already have adequate protection - as to payment 2 days after delivery - we’re at the mercy of Royal Mail to scan all  items when collected (not guaranteed) 😡

 Fellow  members I urge you to let your disproval known - SHAME ON YOU Ebay😡😡

[nv_266]

The fees (especially the 75p one) will make it completely unrealistic for buyers to buy low cost items (such as most of mine are as a private seller), so that's it for me at the end of the month. Hopefully buyers realise that and buy a lot this month.

[tackle3d]

Well we knew it was to good to be true. Times are tough for people here in the UK and this extra fee for them may not sound a lot but it could be enough to put off many people hitting that BUY button.

Yes the fee is soaked up by the seller, however, many of us will reduce the item price a little to soak up the extra for the buyer, so, yes we do pay (IN A WAY) and for our kindness we then have to ship the product before we have the money and then wait for almost a week to be paid. How nice of us taking a hit and all the risk.

Thanks eBay. I will be making my customers aware that it is eBay who have created the price increase on my shop front and that I can only apologize for their greed.

Unbelievable!

[stimpson_jc]

I remember the days when sellers could give the buyer bad feedback, then they stopped it and turned on them ever since, taking more & more rights away from them every time they come up with a new bad idea.

It's time some other company just replicated the old ebay.

I've never understood why ebay can't just open branches everywhere for people to give them the items in person for ebay to pack & post themselves, that would be genuine buyer protection... not this. 

[asleepingdragon]

Years ago eBay used to claim they didn't get interest on held payments.  Whether it was true then or true now, who knows.

[asleepingdragon]

Which means higher postage as well.  

If you all stop selling in protest I could save a lot of money in 2025.  I only buy nowadays... I'd miss the odd stuff I find and can't do without on here though I must admit.  But it's a stupid decision.  If they needed the fees they shouldn't have done away with them.

[stimpson_jc]

Royal Fail don't even update the tracking to show its delivered on quite a few things if you pay extra for tracked and half of these parcels they're just leaving outside doors. As for Airmail these days it's quite hard to get proof of delivery even after paying for tracked & signed. Only about half I send ever show up as delivered even in the EU. For America it's quite good, but the rest of the world it's useless, and as for South America or China, you're lucky to get any proof of delivery.

[asleepingdragon]

As a buyer only I'd be happy with a system where I could mark as arrived somewhere on the site so sellers got paid.  I tend to leave feedback in batches but I could mark as arrived when I hide the order in My eBay.  That would be sensible.  Won't happen though, for that reason, I expect.

[stimpson_jc]

And Aliexpress. I got stuff from them which was supposed to be delivered by Evri, who have dodgy delivery men who either stole the parcels because the tracking was all over the place making no sense, or left outside in the street for someone else to steal, then its a nightmare trying to get Evri to look into it and at the end of the day after months of chasing them up no one knows what to do about it or who owes who money because Evri still claim they have the parcel. The same delivery man was still working for them 6 months later, possibly he still is... and probably can't speak a word of English.

[johnbradburn]

We had a several parcels go missing supposedly delivered - so I sent my self one and guess what was 'delivered' at same time driver was outside our house (for the timing)  but it never showed up - once I had the proof and video the driver was tackled and we never saw him again - new guy is excellent and very helpful.

[stimpson_jc]

I kind of hope everyone quits ebay and another company with common sense comes along fast to replace them. It can't be that complicated.

[dyingcult]

They had great buyer protection on here already  on here not sure how you can frame adding a buyer fee as more protection for buyers, but private sellers will lose out in every dispute

[lucy_farmer]

'Not sure how you can frame adding a buyer fee as more protection for buyers, but private sellers will lose out in every dispute'

Well, it's just a brilliant example of Business Bullsh** Double speak. 

People do degrees in this gas-lighting 'communication' method at university...........

Learn to explain that black is actually white.... and get run-over on the next pedestrian crossing.

(thank you, D. Adams 😘)

[johnbradburn]

You are spot on how can adding fees be described as not adding fees is pure genius (if we were all thick which judging from so many comments in such a short space of time we are not!). 

I was trying to see when they dropped the fees they are now craftily reintroducing - actually how long before they realised their business models was not working. 

This is one huge problem for Ebay now - can't see them backing down ?

[spaceman369]

I can’t see them backing down unfortunately, not unless all of us mere minnows just boycott them.

Amongst the fees that aren’t fees, that are fees, I just cannot get my head around the 14 day wait period for non tracked / non scanned tracked items. Ridiculous! 

[aand2136-voqfz8yx]

Strange decision. It does seem to follow the Vinted idea of fees. I used to buy on Vinted, but closed my account a few months ago. Throughout my time on there, there were low cost items I wanted to buy, but didn't because of the buyer fee of x% plus 75p; no doubt that will no happen with e-Bay items, so I will inevitably buy less on e-Bay than I had done previously. The extortionate postage costs were also off-putting.

In the past I have bought many things on e-Bay as it's more convenient than retail stores, but as retail store prices will now be more competitive, especially for low cost odd-and-ends, that is where I will do my shopping.

Looking at it postively, retail shopping may start to boom again

[tackle3d]

2025 for me now will be trying to direct more sales to my site and away from eBay. One thing with my site is no fees so cheaper all round.

I agree that eBay will not back down on this, I just think they need to rethink the payment side of it.  Why do they expect us to send free stuff! Have they had SO MANY reports of failed deliveries? How do they benefit from this!

Unfortunately they have the buttons to play with and we just have to adjust, not like it, just adjust.

[9700chrisk]

It is very frustrating as royal mail only seem to scan 60% of items at delivery point. Which was the whole idea of going over to QR codes on stamps and postage lables. Oh well wont be seling much on eBay from the 4th of Feb. They have realy shot themselves in the foot with this one.

[leighbayuk]

If we now have to pay a fee for the things we buy, does that mean an end to the advertised junk that gets injected into my account pages?

[millcottage]

I have some Gold sovereigns that are worth more than standard value for such a coin due to them being Australian mint and from 1860’s.

For one that would sell as ‘sovereign value’ for approx £520’ish at the moment on eBay I expect to get £650 for.

So any potential buyer will pay an extra 4%  that is £26 plus 75p as a buyers tax.

Like all gold coins I have sold (some for £1700) I post Royal Mail special delivery fully insured.

What extra cover does the buyer get in for the 4%?

As it’s free selling the only thing I can think of is to offer the buyer a 4% refund maybe once they have got sovereign and look at it as a 4% selling fee.

For buying I will just use Amazon. Why would I want to pay 4% extra?

These changes are mad  at best and will destroy eBay (RIP).

[johnwash1]

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@spaceman369 wrote:

The lady I spoke to had to put me on hold to read the email I was on about as she’d not yet seen it and she didn’t have the info I needed either so escalated it to manager level - waiting on a callback now……. Absolutely ridiculous. You’d think eBay would have given detailed briefings to all staff so they can at least respond to callers. 21 years here, and I’m beyond frustrated. Selling non tracked items now is almost impossible, especially if they are under £10. I don’t know how you get paid for your item if not sent tracked as you’re waiting on the buyer to say they have received it or leave feedback?  

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If I were a betting man I reckon it would be safe to reckon your follow-up call won't happen.  Never has with the promises I've had, it's just the easiest way to get you off the phone.  I hope I'm wrong.