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😡😡

[podlingsmum2007]

I won't be listing or buying then. Good riddance ebay 😉

[parsley2003]

I know i was joking

[barry.110]

Apologies if this has already been posted but with 28 pages of posts there are just to many to look through.

I just done a buy it now listing and when I was publishing the listing I got a message that said “'Buy it now' listings will renew automatically every month based on the listing terms at that time, until the item sells or the listing is ended. Fees may apply.”  Does this mean if they don’t sell and then get relisted next month the new Buyer Fee won’t be added?

[parsley2003]

They are adding the 4% and 75p to all current listings from 4th Feb even
those that have been on there for a long time

[sml192]

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@barry.110 wrote:

Apologies if this has already been posted but with 28 pages of posts there are just to many to look through.

I just done a buy it now listing and when I was publishing the listing I got a message that said “'Buy it now' listings will renew automatically every month based on the listing terms at that time, until the item sells or the listing is ended. Fees may apply.”  Does this mean if they don’t sell and then get relisted next month the new Buyer Fee won’t be added?

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It will be added to all existing 'Buy it Now' listings on 4th February:

What will happen to my existing listings?

For UK-based private sellers, the Buyer Protection fee will immediately be added to all existing Buy-It-Now listings (excluding Cars, Motorcycle & Vehicles, Classified Ads, and Property). The fee will be added to Auction and Buy-It-Now listings created on or after 4 February, 2025, including relisted listings.

Listings that are relisted or renewed on or after 4 February will be subject to the fee.

[cm90691]

So if you list on the 3rd February 'Buy it now', no fees will be added until it is relisted (a month later) in March - assuming it doesn't sell first?

If that's the case, my guess is that the ebay site will crash at the beginning of february with everyone frantic to get their listings done.

[buffster1963]

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@cm90691 wrote:

So if you list on the 3rd February 'Buy it now', no fees will be added until it is relisted (a month later) in March - assuming it doesn't sell first?

If that's the case, my guess is that the ebay site will crash at the beginning of february with everyone frantic to get their listings done.

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No, the fee will be added on the 4th February. 

[cm90691]

No, the fee will be added on the 4th February. 

That was my thought, but it's not what it actually says (although I think we need to assume that's the case. Either way, I'll be frantically listing for the next few days in the hope of selling a few items pre-fees):

 The fee will be added to Auction and Buy-It-Now listings created on or after 4 February, 2025, including relisted listings.

Listings that are relisted or renewed on or after 4 February will be subject to the fee.

[kempseykate]

Yes, you never can tell with ebay - they say one thing, but then explain that it meant something else.

[akemp1]

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@papso22 wrote:

I don't think they will do offers.

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There is always an ebay offer for buyers via TopCashBack. I always click through TCB before buying on ebay and never had a time when there was not at least 1% sometimes more on offer. Even if you forget due to a 'braino' you can click through shortly after completing checkout and it still tracks the transactions. Becomes payable quickly too.

[jonestim6]

What going to happen to international transactions?    I know this new

development is only for UK buyers but I sell postcards and currently eBay still take a fee international transactions which is fine.   
But there’s nothing about whether international buyers have to pay these fees on a UK item or how and when I’d get paid if I sell to someone abroad.    

Seriously considering leaving eBay after this starts!

[papso22]

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@papso22 wrote:

I don't think they will do offers.

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There is always an ebay offer for buyers via TopCashBack. I always click through TCB before buying on ebay and never had a time when there was not at least 1% sometimes more on offer. Even if you forget due to a 'braino' you can click through shortly after completing checkout and it still tracks the transactions. Becomes payable quickly too.

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That's not the offer I meant.  I don't think ebay will do offers on the buyer protection fee.

[cheshirevintage41]

I am as frustrated as everyone else! 

1) I am pretty sure it is NOT legal to hold funds in this manner

2) Did Ebay not read about the issue with ETSY and the turn around they had to make?

3) the email sent is not clear, who pays the 4% plus 75p? I think it is deducted from the SALE PRICE although being called a buyer fee (not a seller fee), in other words it will be deducted from YOUR £20!  very crafty! (I hope I am proved wrong!)

4) is 4% added to the postage costs ? how?

5) What are the acutual percentages as the email says upto 4%? and for higher value items?

6) What happens on non tracked, undeliverable, lost post etc? and sellers have to bank roll the cost of postage!

7) This is a way of contacting the BBC Faarea Masud reported on ETSY, the more people who raise these issues the better

You can also get in touch in the following ways:

Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

[papso22]

Emails never give the full story, you actually have to click on the links to the full publication to get that.

[lucy_farmer]

' I am pretty sure it is NOT legal to hold funds in this manner'

I am pretty sure that ebay would never open themselves up to being sued. They are a Mega-Corp  with Mega-Lawyers.

And we have all 'agreed' to let ebay do whatever they want by agreeing with the latest T's and C's. (which you have 'agreed' to by simply using ebay- nothing more..)

[cm90691]

The main issue at the moment is that it isn't clear enough - we need to see some examples of how this will actually work. The 4% plus 75p CANNOT be deducted from the £20 you list at, as it would then be sellers fee and ebay would not be able to advertise "selling is free". (of course we know it's a sellers fee in disguise as buyers will want lower prices), For those of us who sell items under a tenner it's a lot higher than the old 10% sellers fee (which was lowered every fortnight to 70% or 80% reduced fees)

I think Etsy is an different matter as all sellers are business sellers so Etsy held onto large amounts of money which prevented sellers operating their businesses (since a large number are craftsmen). 

• Etsy accused of 'destroying' sellers by withholding money

On Monday, the BBC reported that hundreds of Etsy sellers had received an email from the website notifying them it was actioning its "reserve system".

Etsy told the BBC payment reserves were used to "keep the marketplace safe" and cover any potential refunds.

Dan, who sold made-to-order wood furniture told the BBC: "Etsy are holding around £7,000 of my money, leaving us to use credit cards and family loans to try and keep our business running and keep food on the table."

Ceramics seller Rachel Collyer said Etsy was holding £899 of her money, which meant she cannot afford to buy materials to keep producing.

[cessna152towser]

And we have all 'agreed' to let ebay do whatever they want by agreeing with the latest T's and C's. (which you have 'agreed' to by simply using ebay- nothing more..)
But we don't need to "agree" the new terms and conditions if we refuse to use eBay from 4th February.

[lucy_farmer]

'But we don't need to "agree" the new terms and conditions if we refuse to use eBay from 4th February.'

Absolutely.... we just need to never use ebay again.

I reckon ebay have done their sums, and worked out that they can re-coup any losses made by private sellers leaving, by having more private sellers joining ; lured in by the 'free to sell' advert.

.... and they won't know ebay in any other form than the way it is when they join, so that'll be the new normal.

[valueaddedresource]

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@papso22 wrote:

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@akemp1 wrote:

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@papso22 wrote:

I don't think they will do offers.

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There is always an ebay offer for buyers via TopCashBack. I always click through TCB before buying on ebay and never had a time when there was not at least 1% sometimes more on offer. Even if you forget due to a 'braino' you can click through shortly after completing checkout and it still tracks the transactions. Becomes payable quickly too.

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That's not the offer I meant.  I don't think ebay will do offers on the buyer protection fee.

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@papso22 this raises an interesting question - given that the buyer protection fee is going to simply be added into the item price, I'm not sure how they could *not* include it in offers and discounts. 🤔

Say for example if the seller's item price plus whatever eBay adds in for the buyer fee comes out to £100. If that buyer has a discount code or coupon (whether funded by the seller or by eBay) that is applicable to the sale for 10% off, they're going to expect that discount amount to equal £10 and if it doesn,'t there will likely be a lot of complaints, possibly even to government regulatory bodies who might have something to say about that kind of misleading advertising.

Sure, they could have something in the fine print that says it only applies to the item price, not fees, but since they theoretically won't be stating the fee separately, that could still be dodgy as far as compliance, in my opinion.

Personally I don't think it's likely eBay will run specific promotions that would apply only to the buyer fee amount like they did with seller fees because honestly, it's to eBay's benefit to try as much as possible not to remind buyers they are even paying a fee since it's tucked into the item price.

But I do think if they find that their fee plans aren't working and sales slow, they could absolutely ramp up their general discounting activities, which may have a similar effect in that if it applies to the total fee-inclusive item price, it's technically a discount on the buyer fee too.

That's all a guess based on what info we have so far, so maybe it won't work out that way but either way, I think it's just one more thing that could add more complexity to an already messy situation.

[papso22]

My ten pence worth is that they will continue to do vouchers and general discounts, the T&Cs for these will make it clear that the discount applies to the item value only and that the buyer protection fee (where applicable) will be charged on the discounted price. 

So the fee will still be 4% and 75p, but the %age fee will be reduced because the item value is reduced.

A fixed fee element will always skew the maths though.

What I don't think they will do is have an offer that says 'buyer protection fee only 2% for all purchases from private accounts this weekend'.