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😡😡

[akemp1]

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@jma2815 wrote:

I still can’t really believe ‘pay to buy’ has become a thing. 

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I feel the same and it's almost a civic duty for the proportion of us that care to redirect purchasing power to stamp it out. We live in a time of plenty where there is an abundance of sellers so there really is no need for buyers to put up with this nonsense.

[*devils.advocate*]

Don't get me wrong,  this, coupled with Simple Delivery (as I've said before), I think is a disaster in the making (especially the latter).

I've bought many an item from online shops.

I know they all have expenses and overheads - but not once have I questioned them about those.

Human nature yes, but bottom line, the price has to be right - that's human nature. 

If it's not right, who cares how it's made up?

[jma2815]

With this eBay thing I think part of the problem is that as much as many are saying ‘but sellers will lower their prices so it will be the same as before…’ in my category (second hand clothing) I’m 99% sure that they won’t. 

The same was said when ‘free to sell’ came in - ‘prices will drop because the private sellers pay no fees!’ I noticed that in fact they suddenly went up quite significantly and are still doing so and as a result I’ve bought a lot less on the site since September that I did previously. 

[chillem10]

If I sell for £100, eBay will add 75p plus £4 and list the item for £104.75p. My margins are already tight and to be competitive I would have to drop my price in order to sell it for a fair price. I would lose out so that my customers don’t and eBay will make the gain. Then when I buy (which I often do) I get hit again.
Sent from my iPhone

[akemp1]

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@*devils.advocate* wrote:

Don't get me wrong,  this, coupled with Simple Delivery, I think is a disaster in the making (especially the latter).

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if they do mandatory SD it would be so backwards I have no idea why buyers should need to select the carrier causing sellers to unnecessarily drive between loads of drop-off points each day. If anything it might even slow down dispatch times as some sellers might take the view that a nearby dropoff point they didn't want to use is so inconvenient they will go there in a few days time etc regardless of if it delays payment.

The worse thing is that the people running ebay probably look at their declining market share thinking it means they have to do these changes however painful without understanding that it's this kind of nonsense that has already caused people to move elsewhere.

The formula for success is staring them in the face - they just need to stick to core principles and simplify the business as much as possible to reduce costs to use their scale to be really economical with standard seller fees for everyone. Then they will get the market share back and be massively popular again.

[chillem10]

I agree, and as a seller I would also rather pay a seller’s fee. The only gripe I used to have with eBay over seller’s fees was that they would charge me 10% of what it cost me in postage, so that is a welcome change.
Sent from my iPhone

[jma2815]

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@*devils.advocate* wrote:

Don't get me wrong,  this, coupled with Simple Delivery (as I've said before), I think is a disaster in the making (especially the latter).

I've bought many an item from online shops.

I know they all have expenses and overheads - but not once have I questioned them about those.

Human nature yes, but bottom line, the price has to be right - that's human nature. 

If it's not right, who cares how it's made up?

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Well, I do. And so, it seems, do a few others on this thread.

Multiply that by the general population…quite a few?

[valueaddedresource]

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@*devils.advocate* wrote:

Don't get me wrong,  this, coupled with Simple Delivery, I think is a disaster in the making (especially the latter).

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if they do mandatory SD it would be so backwards I have no idea why buyers should need to select the carrier causing sellers to unnecessarily drive between loads of drop-off points each day. If anything it might even slow down dispatch times as some sellers might take the view that a nearby dropoff point they didn't want to use is so inconvenient they will go there in a few days time etc regardless of if it delays payment.

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@akemp1 just to be clear, from what I'm seeing, buyers don't actually select the carrier with Simple Delivery - they are only presented with the option for Standard or Express Tracked Delivery.

eBay will be the ones deciding which carrier and service to use depending on their own criteria:

More discussion on why that is here:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/If-the-Post-Office-is-your-be-all-and-end-all-for-sel... 

[twin--turbo]

Standard = Evri

Express = 48 Tracked 

Simple as that.

[insidethe93]

Do you know it's RM 48 Tracked because you've seen it stated in an eBay FAQ or an eBay email? - asking genuinely wanting to know, as I've read and re-read the FAQs keen to find such detail and I haven't found it.

I'd like Express to be Royal Mail 48 Tracked - more reliable than Evri in my personal experience.

But there are other "express" couriers. For instance, a large website I buy from offers Evri Standard (2-5 days) and Evri Next Day, with the latter "Available for the majority of postcodes in England and Wales, and selected postcodes in Scotland. Not currently available for Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly or Channel Islands. Orders must be placed before 2pm Mon-Fri to guarantee same day despatch...")

Whilst RM 48 Tracked does deliver to N. Ireland, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Channel Islands,  deliveries aren't "48 hours" but 2-5 days with delays due to no Saturday deliveries and, as also for other couriers, customs checks and any ferry delays.

[cm90691]

"If I sell for £100, eBay will add 75p plus £4 and list the item for £104.75p"

Although if you paid 10% sellers fees the item would cost the buyer £100 but you would only get £90.  I'm not concerned on fees for higher priced items, it's those of us who sell a lot of items under a fiver who will really get stung. 

[game_raid]

May I ask why you are concerned about margins and being competitive as a private seller?

Selling your own unwanted items margins shouldn't really come into this, most if not all private sellers are happy with getting a good price on their items they no longer need or use to raise some cash.

[cm90691]

"May I ask why you are concerned about margins and being competitive as a private seller?

Selling your own unwanted items margins shouldn't really come into this, most if not all private sellers are happy with getting a good price on their items they no longer need or use to raise some cash."

Of course margins come into this! What's the point of spending time listing and photographing an item, then packing and posting if there is no profit? Might as well put everything into a box and take to the tip/charity shop. And anything that isn't competitively priced isn't going to sell, so equally pointless. 

That said, I have in the past used ebay as "finding a good home" for items when clearing my parents house (freecycle a nightmare, charity shops often don't want to collect large pieces of furniture) so prepared to sell items at 99p just to get rid.

I think we would both agree that ebay should have dealt with those who actually run a business and who are disguised as private sellers many years ago, and maybe this is their move to encourage this. 

[chris-5643]

Haven't you answered your own question? Even private sellers don't relish making a huge loss on items.

Would you be happier if private sellers stick to terms such as "getting a good price" and "not worth the time and aggravation" etc rather than use terms such as "profit margins" and "net loss etc".

Unfortunately though, both private and business sellers are technically involved in commerce and are selling on the same platform, so you'll probably going to have your work cut out policing the language people use.

[game_raid]

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@cm90691 wrote:

Of course margins come into this! What's the point of spending time listing and photographing an item, then packing and posting if there is no profit? Might as well put everything into a box and take to the tip/charity shop. And anything that isn't competitively priced isn't going to sell, so equally pointless. 

So you only list an item that you can makes money on? Based on your theory every private seller never makes a loss on something because it's not worth their time to list an item unless they make a profit.

There is sellers out there that are more than happy to get rid of that old jumper that's been in the wardrobe for the last 2 years or a pair of shoes they have worn once and will never wear again, even if they can make a few  extra quid it is better than throwing it away or giving it to charity.

The reason private sellers use places such as eBay is too make some extra money on items they no longer need to pay bills, a holiday or replace old for new most know they won't get their money back even as much as they would like to.

I am a private seller also and I never even think about margins, I try and get a reasonable price if the market is paying more the happy days if not I take what I can and more often than not I will be taking a loss on something I bought 12 months ago.

I have just sold something which cost me over £600 5 years ago In the end I got £200 which I am more than happy with or based on your theory I should have sent this to a charity because I'm not making money and wasted my time even bother to list it?

I made an observation on why they are concerned about margins because I and many other private do not think about a margin when selling unwanted items.

Only a business cares about margins because if you don't work to a margin you will be out of business very quickly.

I think we would both agree that ebay should have dealt with those who actually run a business and who are disguised as private sellers many years ago, and maybe this is their move to encourage this. 

I totally agree and those abusing the system have and will continue to ruin it for the genuine private sellers.

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[kath3735_wxmjn]

I never even think in terms of profit margins or even profit.  In regards to my own items i cannot remember how much i paid for things but it would not have been much as i have bought from charity shops, e bay and car boots for years now, as i got older i resented paying for new clothes.  I love M & S, Roman and a couple of other brand labels but i do not love the prices!  You can get so much good quality stuff second hand which i am quite happy to do.   Maybe i bought something on a car boot 5 years ago for a £1 and sold it on here for £2, that would be a 'profit' but the biggest profit for me would be the five years of use.  I also know for sure that my relative would be making a 'loss' on many of the items i sell for them but quite honestly that does not bother me because if you will impulse buy new clothes and then decide you do not like them, they do not fit etc because you are a shopping fiend then it should be a good lesson in budgeting!!!

[insidethe93]

The charity British Heart Foundation accepts furniture e.g. beds, wardrobes, lounge suites (complete ones preferred).

They offer a free and nationwide free collection service https://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/book-furniture-collection-near-me

Expect to be asked to send photos. The final decision on collection is made by the driver, as BHF say they won't accept items they can't sell. BHF collects in my area, about 80 miles from the nearest BHF shop, on a specific day of the week, the most I've waited is a week.

They also accept electrical items.

Check BHF's website via the above link for details e.g. what can be donated, condition etc.

[insidethe93]

Sorry, I meant "80 miles" round trip!

[kempseykate]

I also don't think of 'margins' or 'profit' when selling. It would be too depressing if I did!

I remember packing up a collectable item we sold for 2.99, it had been bought for our collection back in the 80s for £16 (price sticker was on the base) - but £2.99 (less fees) did claw a little bit of our spend back, which wouldn't have happened if I had charity shopped (£0) or car booted (possibly 50p).

[game_raid]

Exactly, I have just lost over £400 on something I've sold, I had it for 5 years and had a great deal of use out of it and it has served me well and will serve the new owner well.

I would have loved to sold for £700 but it was never going to happen, the £200 I made will go on something else I need for the house, do I think I've wasted my time taking pics and listing? No I don't but I suppose I could have given it away to a charity shop for someone else to buy for £100 or whatever and resell.

I prefer to sell privately if I'm honest, there is a lot less research when I am pricing items up and certainly no margins to worry about.