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😡😡

[vjbuystuff]

misread your post.  new items yes, registered sellers can be individuals \ sole traders as well as companies.

certain used items do appear, ive not worked out or looked in detail as for used stuff i prefer eBay, and most of my stuff is used \ mine for my hobby.

so i end up selling any new unboxed surplus i have \ buy, on eBay, but, until now Amazon looked unattractive, and, I don't want to run both.

[studiomaster_uk]

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@edwardian-dreams wrote:

EBay are copying the vinted system 

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Doesn't make sense for the many selling all kinds of things besides 'used' clothes (which I understand is Vinted's raison d'être).

[studiomaster_uk]

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@wilth3505_gtnhsdglsn wrote:

Thing about Vinted is that all postage is tracked so there is no cheap postal option. It makes it quite expensive to buy unless you are buying several items from the same seller.

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Quite so. Not only are they asking buyers to 'suck up' these fees but they are also asking them to swallow the additional cost of tracked shipping (for those not using ebay postage labels and willing to rely on postal scanning, which doesn't always happen... besides, where departure scanning is concerned, it's restrictive due to post office hours and locations.)

So, say, a £2 item, + packaging & sent 2nd class large letter, would currently cost buyer, say, £4 but in Feb. upping to tracked shipment, plus the fees, the same item could end up costing the buyer around £6.25.  As a buyer I'd be questioning if that purchase was still financially attractive.

More importantly, regardless of how one reasons this, it is inflationary.

Allow me to highlight that: Inflationary.

[studiomaster_uk]

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@spaceman369 wrote:

14 days to wait is ridiculous unless they force (I can’t see how) the buyer to tick a big blue box to say “item received” unlocking your funds in 2 days.

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Given that the 'return' window runs for 30 days after receipt there would seem to be little incentive for any buyer to mark an item as received but instead just wait the 14 days until it is deemed to be so.

[tressygirl]

A buyer cannot mark an item as received,  they can only leave feedback,  which  is not mandatory and will not count anyway,  when this new system comes into play.

It is only tracking showing delivery which will release your payout sooner,  that is,  2 days after tracking has shown delivery.  If there's no tracking,  then payouts are held for 14 days.

@studiomaster_uk 

[akemp1]

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@geosacha007 wrote:

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@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?

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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.

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Someone pointed out that under UK law it is illegal for ebay to hold on to seller's funds and use those funds to make money e.g. via interest. Yet this does seem to be their stated aim.

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I've not seen anyone provide a reference for the relevant part of UK law to support such a suggestion.

[papso22]

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@vjbuystuff wrote:

it sounds odd, but, its not.  it very much depends on what is being sold.  i frequently buy stuff from actual auctions, usually company liquidations or stock clearances from AV kit hire companies etc. 

sometimes i end up with new boxed items (if im hiring a van to collect large stuff like projectors for a stage show im doing, i might as well add others items yo help me pay for the van hire).  

i have found that such items sell for higher prices than my listings on Amazon, and, the Amazon method is "drop the stuff to there warehouse and walk away'.  fees are normally 10%, plus £25 pm membership.    they store it, pack it, send it.  

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I didn't think Amazon was an outlet for private sellers?

[papso22]

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@geosacha007 wrote:

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@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?

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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.

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Someone pointed out that under UK law it is illegal for ebay to hold on to seller's funds and use those funds to make money e.g. via interest. Yet this does seem to be their stated aim.

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I don't think anyone has actually pointed out that it's illegal, they simply quoted some regulations that may apply.

 Do you really think ebay won't have gone through the legalities with many lawyers before introducing this system?

[twin--turbo]

On the point of postage cost. 

We don'y actualy know what the costs are as thery , as far as I can tell, have not been published. 

They will have brokered a deal with RM/EvRI .    The Buyer Protection is the insurance so RM/EVRI would not perhaps need to provide this, so the postage charged to Ebay should be less.  Ebay will be counting on saving up the 4% + 75p ( or is it 75p + 4%? ) in their own indemnity fund. 

I guess one minor bonus, if an item is "Return To Sender" , I will not be out of pocket for the postage. 

[twin--turbo]

Yet another point on Simple Delivery,  

"After selecting the Simple Delivery option, we'll recommend the weight and dimensions of your parcel. Make sure to check that our recommendation is the accurate size for your item to avoid any issues later with the carrier. If we can't predict your package's dimensions, you'll be asked to enter the size and weight of your item."

The item is not packed till it's sold, I am not about to go packing stuff and leaving it on a shelf for a year.

Simple answer as I posted earlier is to make everything 21KG or dimensionaly 250cm Voluime. 

[rikk-003]

and the buyers now ???

[insidethe93]

I notice that "recommend" effectively means "command".

[johnwash1]

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@twin--turbo wrote:

Yet another point on Simple Delivery,  

"After selecting the Simple Delivery option, we'll recommend the weight and dimensions of your parcel. Make sure to check that our recommendation is the accurate size for your item to avoid any issues later with the carrier. If we can't predict your package's dimensions, you'll be asked to enter the size and weight of your item."

The item is not packed till it's sold, I am not about to go packing stuff and leaving it on a shelf for a year.

Simple answer as I posted earlier is to make everything 21KG or dimensionaly 250cm Voluime. 

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If ebay see a lot of that you don't think they'll clamp down by setting limits in certain categories?

[lucy_farmer]

'I notice that "recommend" effectively means "command".'

Well, if you use the 'recommended' size/weight info, if that's  *not correct* and the buyer has to pay more to actually receive their parcel, ebay will pay the extra, outstanding  postal cost.

If you use *your own* size/weight info and it's wrong, *you* have to pay any extra outstanding postage.

So it's a good idea to get within ebay's sizing if at all possible!

[insidethe93]

Thanks for explaining. I'm becoming aware of the hoops eBay makes sellers jump through, and so many hoops!

[cm90691]

Pleased that Martin's Money Tips featured ebay this week and pointed out that if you buy an item for 50p you will actually get charged £1.27. The buyers fees (which offer the buyer no more protection than they have already) are simply a way of charging more sellers fees (as the seller will only get the 50p) - on low-priced items the fee is well above the old 10% ebay fee. I am now rushing to get low-priced items listed and sold before the deadline. After 20 years, I think I am finally finished with ebay. Shame on you ebay - what a sly underhand move.

[anglez]

After 25+ years with Ebay, I can no longer see a future. Selling small value items will not attract any buyers. I have already registered with other sites, so it will be goodby in February!

[parsley2003]

I don't know what to do now sell single postcards mostly so now i'm having to take them all off to put in sets because if someone buys 10 single ones where i will combine postage Ebay will add £10 on nearly, 75p for every single listing . Trying to change postage is a nightmare different weights are different prices all over the world Have put £5 for Europe large letter 250g and £6 for row and all the Europe countries are coming up as £6 

20 years and treated like this. As what they add on won't be shown separately it will look like we are stealing and then get a load of abuse. I will have to put it on every listing now my price and what they are adding. Plus all the listing that have been on there for ages that go round and round will get this added to them 4th Feb not just new ones

[parsley2003]

Proof of postage hasn't counted for a long time they want everything tracked now. Like send a £2 postcard to Spain and they have to pay £8 for tracking. It's all for the buyer and we get treated like dirt. Recently when i had a problem i was congratulated on being with Ebay for 20 years. Haha. I won't be buying on here now because i won't be selling much if at all so they lose both ways

[parsley2003]

Oh the buyer can speak to a real person 24/7 (they had to make something as an excuse for this mess) strange that i usually get some ignorant robot if it's a seller problem