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😡😡

[myriad*seller]

---

@sheeramazement wrote:

🤣Made me chuckle. Completely galling reading all the 

'you're a business seller' posts. Good luck to anyone finding 

what I sold elsewhere 🤣

---

The other websites you sell on will give your sales data to HMRC who will be able to collate ALL your online sales 

It's not just eBay who will be giving HMRC data, all online sales websites have to provide this data to HMRC, even places like OnlyFans! 

[luvvintagecharms]

That is the same way I feel. To me it seems more like a 'selling' tax than a buyers tax because I usually sell using 'the buy it now' option and feel now I will have to lower my prices to accommodate this new buyers tax or buyers might not wish to purchase at the increased costs.

[suelel1968]

That's how I understand it. 

I don't imagine many sellers put their prices down when fees were dropped so no need to put them up now. I will admit the 75p is a wounder on low priced items. I think realistically this evens things up between business and private sellers, to a degree anyway. 

Copying the newer, less successful competition seems a bit desperate though and really Ebay should control the narrative. I don't think it will be the last change this year. 

[myriad*seller]

---

@davidp9609 wrote:

I have sent the following email to ebay, I doubt it will have any affect, but feel free to copy, adapt and paste and send it if it helps you. Sadly this is the end of the road for me once the 4th of February arrives I will end selling on ebay. As a disabled person who is only able to work from home this is devastating as it served as a purpose to get up in the morning. 

Subject: Urgent: Unacceptable "Paid After Delivery" Policy for Private Sellers

Dear eBay Support,

I am writing to express my deep frustration and strong objection to the upcoming "paid after delivery" policy for private sellers, effective 4th February. This change is unworkable for my business and effectively forces me off your platform, leaving me with £1,000 worth of stock and no viable means to sell it.

I currently sell greeting cards at £2.95 with £0.99 postage, totaling £3.94. Under your new policy, the following costs would apply:

• Buyer Protection fee: £0.75 + 4% of the total (£3.94 x 4% = £0.16) = £0.91
• Tracked postage: £2.70
• Manufacturing cost: £0.70

This brings my total expenses to £4.31, exceeding the sale price. If I attempt to adjust my pricing to £5.70 to cover these costs, buyers will simply go elsewhere, as similar greeting cards are available in retail stores for £3.00.

Your policy to pay sellers only after delivery is also fundamentally unethical. As a business, I am expected to provide goods before receiving payment, assuming all the financial risk in the transaction. No credible business operates this way. My local supermarket, for instance, would never allow me to take similar goods home without paying for them upfront. This policy undermines the basic principles of fairness and trust in commerce, leaving sellers vulnerable to potential fraud, disputes, and loss.

Requiring tracked delivery further exacerbates the problem. The cost of tracking for low-value items like mine is prohibitively high and significantly reduces profitability. Without proof of delivery, I have no protection against fraudulent claims, creating an untenable situation for sellers.

The "paid after delivery" policy also creates significant cash flow problems, particularly for small sellers who rely on prompt payments to sustain their operations. eBay is placing all the financial burden on sellers while prioritizing buyer convenience and eBay’s profits.

I respectfully request that this matter be escalated to a senior manager, as this policy has severe implications for small sellers. I urge you to reconsider or amend the policy for low-cost items. Practical solutions could include:

1. Allowing upfront payments for items below a certain value.
2. Exempting private sellers from the tracked delivery requirement for low-cost goods.
3. Providing alternative measures to confirm delivery without the added expense of tracking.

If eBay cannot support small businesses like mine, you leave me no choice but to abandon your platform. Your policy does not reflect a marketplace that values its sellers, and it risks driving countless small businesses away.

I look forward to a prompt response and a resolution to this issue. I trust that a senior manager will address my concerns with the seriousness they deserve.

Sincerely

---

You are, by your own admission a SMALL BUSINESS

So you are illegally trading on a private seller account

You must register as a business seller to trade legally

The new fees do not apply to Business sellers!

[luvvintagecharms]

I think that a lot of sellers will have to absorb the fees themselves as they will end up having to reduce their items as they may not sell so well once the buyers tax is added.

[akemp1]

---

@hollyh321 wrote:

I’ve asked before, but not spotted any comment, but to me it seems ILLEGAL to keep my money for 2 weeks when the buyer has already given me feedback on day 3?

---

If you've agreed to ebay's t&cs by continuing to use the account then I don't see why it wouldn't be legal.

[myriad*seller]

Exactly

If you continue to use eBay to sell, then by doing so, you agree to the updated T&Cs, so of course they can hold your payments! 

if you do not agree to the new T&Cs your only option is to close your account

Nobody is forced to sell on eBay, it's not a charity, or government office designed to serve the people. It is a profit-making business with shareholders. 

You have the choice to agree to the Terms of the website and sell, or to not agree and close your account. 

[troopster2525-per]

i have removed the few things i had on sale. but this weekend i was actually going to try to list 400 to 500 items as i am selling my collection of badges and coasters. some would have been bundles as they were in the same type and category as to whats on the coaster but most were to be sold single.

now there is literally no point. the coasters and badges are not high value so most were to be sold for £3 which takes into account the prices i paid when i bought them over the last 5 years ( as i did go mad and buy loads in that space of time as they were a cheap hobbie really)

but if i charge £3 that means plus the 4% and 75p the buyer and others on ebay will actually see the price on the lisiting as  £3.87 which for someone cheap is alot and for me its not worth that much as if it was i would have listed them as that if this policy was not coming into place.....

whats worse is either way you wait till its delivered before even getting the money, if i use normal 2nd class which i would charge £1.80 as it pays for the tape and envelope and label i would print (think royal mail charge £1.55 for the actual delivery) i would not see the money for a full 2 weeks! but if i wanted the money in 2 days which will be the soonest you can get i would need tracked delivery cheapest of which will be 48hr tracked which is £2.70 but i would have to charge minimum £2.85 to recoup the cost of the envelope etc

this then makes a coaster or badge thats £3 actually fully cost £6.72! what a joke

its even worse when really the badges i may have to sell for £2.50 or £2

infact it will not make it worse because i am not selling them on here or anything else from today. i will be listing on facebook.

[bonniekelsie123]

When you send second class you still get a tracking number which should be marked as delivered. There is no tracking through the system though. This works most of the time. When it is not updated as delivered, then It is going to be very difficult now unless the buyer informs eBay it is delivered or leaves feedback.

[troopster2525-per]

What is even more vile of ebay is how they word things to make out we are all dumb and will not see the truth by when they give the example of....if the buyer sees something for £20 this will already include the fees.

they worded that to make it seem ok, when in reality that item will nodoubt want to be sold for £20 by the seller anyway and so the buyer will actually see... £21.55

i say this because with ebays wording and the buyer seeing the final price with fees in the £20 that means the seller will have had to list the item for £18.45....what a load of made up tosh

how often do people list something for that exact amount lol

[tressygirl]

I doubt the buyer ' informing eBay' ,  or leaving feedback will be sufficient. 

eBay are clearly stating , for this new system coming in, tracking has to show delivery for a payout to then be released after 48 hours.  Otherwise,  it's  14 day wait.

@bonniekelsie123 

[troopster2525-per]

Actually i think most of the time on ebay my 2nd class sent items do not show delivered. only twice its shown this on my other account and that is out of 52 sent items using 2nd class

[myriad*seller]

---

@troopster2525-per wrote:

What is even more vile of ebay is how they word things to make out we are all dumb and will not see the truth by when they give the example of....if the buyer sees something for £20 this will already include the fees.

they worded that to make it seem ok, when in reality that item will nodoubt want to be sold for £20 by the seller anyway and so the buyer will actually see... £21.55

i say this because with ebays wording and the buyer seeing the final price with fees in the £20 that means the seller will have had to list the item for £18.45....what a load of made up tosh

how often do people list something for that exact amount lol

---

Yes, the price the buyer sees will be what they pay, so to sell at £20 to the buyer you would have to list at £18.45, so yes the price WILL include the buyer fee, and the seller will get the sale price they wanted MINUS the buyer fee.

So HOW is this a buyer fee then? It comes off what the seller receives for the item!! 

[hollyh321]

Gosh you sound indignant! I was only asking! I have no legal knowledge. As for your “nobody is forced to use eBay” rant… Do you really think that any of us need a sanctimonious telling off re that fact?
I’ve been here 20 years but of course I never realised that I wasn’t being forced to sell on eBay. Ebay is making billions in profits but needs just that bit more from me.

The 4% +75p probably seems like a pinprick to eBay accountants but actually represents the whole of some sellers profit/earnings.

The point of this thread is surely to indicate that many of us long term sellers of our low cost belongings will no longer find it worthwhile to use this platform. 
Either we won’t sell items, or we’ll make pennies for a lot of effort, or we’ll have to pay over the odds for low cost items we would sometimes buy from private sellers, or probably, choose not to buy on eBay anymore.

We may not be able to change anything but at least we can voice our disappointment. 
It’s clear that private sellers of low cost items are not valued or wanted. 

[troopster2525-per]

Exactly its not a buyers fee at all.

most people who sell on ebay check other same items and maybe try match or sell a bit lower price so they have more chance to sell. But the issue is buyers do this too and so all prices will to the buyer look more costly than what they want to pay for the items more so if its something low value. Either way the seller will lost out because they may have to take even more lower price than what they want or need or they just wont sell the item/s because they look too expensive.

its not like it is just the fees as now we have to consider the postage used and cost of that so we get the money and not have to wait 2 weeks.

It is EXACTLY what the government have gone and done with the new policy that will come into place in work places where companies will be charged more national insurance or tax where they will need to pay more per person who works for them from april.....the government said....oh but the normal working people will not be affected just the companies...which is a lie and even the companies have said it will affect workers as it means hours will be cut and jobs lost. and even some who pay over the minimum wage may have to reduce pay to the minimum wage.

[myriad*seller]

---

@hollyh321 wrote:

Gosh you sound indignant! I was only asking! I have no legal knowledge. As for your “nobody is forced to use eBay” rant… Do you really think that any of us need a sanctimonious telling off re that fact?
I’ve been here 20 years but of course I never realised that I wasn’t being forced to sell on eBay. Ebay is making billions in profits but needs just that bit more from me.

The 4% +75p probably seems like a pinprick to eBay accountants but actually represents the whole of some sellers profit/earnings.

The point of this thread is surely to indicate that many of us long term sellers of our low cost belongings will no longer find it worthwhile to use this platform. 
Either we won’t sell items, or we’ll make pennies for a lot of effort, or we’ll have to pay over the odds for low cost items we would sometimes buy from private sellers, or probably, choose not to buy on eBay anymore.

We may not be able to change anything but at least we can voice our disappointment. 
It’s clear that private sellers of low cost items are not valued or wanted. 

---

I wasn't  addressing your personally, I was speaking generally about the sellers who seem to think that eBay is a government institution or something and that somehow they have "rights" and that they can change how a business functions!

All the cries of "they can't do this! It must be illegal!! Can't someone do something"

The "entitled" sellers perhaps, that seem to think "someone should do something to stop this" as if eBay exists for them, rather than as a profit-making business that exists for it's shareholders.

That's the part that gets me. 

Sellers have no rights, it is a private American business. If they don't like it they can close their accounts. 

[troopster2525-per]

Yet you made a post doing all the same moaning but from a buyers side lol which has the same amount of protections as sellers and no one is forcing you to stay on ebay and buy things are they lol.

so really you need to take what you wrote and apply it to yourself too surely lol and stop the moaning. you can not complain about sellers moaning when you are doing the same

[troopster2525-per]

They are literally making posts doing the same type of complaining or moaning when noone is forcing them to stay on ebay as a buyer either 

[akemp1]

---

@myriad*seller wrote:

---

Sellers have no rights, it is a private American business. If they don't like it they can close their accounts. 

---

To be fair ebay is a publicly owned business (on the nasdaq, owned by our pension schemes, etc)  and ebay does have some short term obligations to sellers under the t&cs but you are right there are no long term obligations as the t&cs can be varied with notice.

I think the problem people are coming to terms with is that it suits ebay to present itself as a community, with forums such as this, part of everyday life, somewhere you build a reputation via feedback, completely normal default way of selling stuff, etc then acts like this without any public consultation in ways that are too overbearing to go under the radar.

[papso22]

---

@davidp9609 wrote:

I have sent the following email to ebay, I doubt it will have any affect, but feel free to copy, adapt and paste and send it if it helps you. Sadly this is the end of the road for me once the 4th of February arrives I will end selling on ebay. As a disabled person who is only able to work from home this is devastating as it served as a purpose to get up in the morning. 

Subject: Urgent: Unacceptable "Paid After Delivery" Policy for Private Sellers

Dear eBay Support,

I am writing to express my deep frustration and strong objection to the upcoming "paid after delivery" policy for private sellers, effective 4th February. This change is unworkable for my business and effectively forces me off your platform, leaving me with £1,000 worth of stock and no viable means to sell it.

I currently sell greeting cards at £2.95 with £0.99 postage, totaling £3.94. Under your new policy, the following costs would apply:

• Buyer Protection fee: £0.75 + 4% of the total (£3.94 x 4% = £0.16) = £0.91
• Tracked postage: £2.70
• Manufacturing cost: £0.70

This brings my total expenses to £4.31, exceeding the sale price. If I attempt to adjust my pricing to £5.70 to cover these costs, buyers will simply go elsewhere, as similar greeting cards are available in retail stores for £3.00.

Your policy to pay sellers only after delivery is also fundamentally unethical. As a business, I am expected to provide goods before receiving payment, assuming all the financial risk in the transaction. No credible business operates this way. My local supermarket, for instance, would never allow me to take similar goods home without paying for them upfront. This policy undermines the basic principles of fairness and trust in commerce, leaving sellers vulnerable to potential fraud, disputes, and loss.

Requiring tracked delivery further exacerbates the problem. The cost of tracking for low-value items like mine is prohibitively high and significantly reduces profitability. Without proof of delivery, I have no protection against fraudulent claims, creating an untenable situation for sellers.

The "paid after delivery" policy also creates significant cash flow problems, particularly for small sellers who rely on prompt payments to sustain their operations. eBay is placing all the financial burden on sellers while prioritizing buyer convenience and eBay’s profits.

I respectfully request that this matter be escalated to a senior manager, as this policy has severe implications for small sellers. I urge you to reconsider or amend the policy for low-cost items. Practical solutions could include:

1. Allowing upfront payments for items below a certain value.
2. Exempting private sellers from the tracked delivery requirement for low-cost goods.
3. Providing alternative measures to confirm delivery without the added expense of tracking.

If eBay cannot support small businesses like mine, you leave me no choice but to abandon your platform. Your policy does not reflect a marketplace that values its sellers, and it risks driving countless small businesses away.

I look forward to a prompt response and a resolution to this issue. I trust that a senior manager will address my concerns with the seriousness they deserve.

Sincerely

---

Your complaint to ebay describes your business, stock, and profits, you have just exposed yourself as a business seller illegally using a private ebay account, avoiding fees and misleading buyers.

Was that really your intention?

Simple solution, upgrade to a business account and trade legally.