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😡😡

[dala8593]

Spot on
Like you I mostly buy from private sellers like myself, I collect old vintage Sony equipment
I’ve also used eBay to sell unwanted inherited stuff & stuff I no longer use or can’t use due to heath issues
I’ve removed all my really cheap listings as it’s just not worth the bother so I want to wait 14 days or more for a few quid No

Sent from my iPhone

[fireofthephoenix]

I'm wondering if the API would still work and feed the ebay sale info into partner portals so you can just go to the partner portal and purchase postage directly without messing about with the simple postage rubbish.

At the moment, I have a button on my sales page saying 'get postage label' which takes me to the ebay rubbish but I ignore that and go to my RM portal and buy from there.

I have the ebay rubbish available to me but I don't use it so I'm not sure if I'm enrolled in simple delivery or not. how do you tell?

[papso22]

Genuine private sellers should not register as businesses.  Not least because that might cause issues with HMRC. 

The monthly charge is for a shop, they are not mandatory. 

[dala8593]

Ahh we have the same problem with the wardrobe now we are downsizing it’s suddenly a problem that’s been hidden for years 😏🙄 I’ve had little success selling cloths so it’s going to charity or the bin
EBay will not be with the bother for a few quid
Believe me when you downsize from a 4 bed house to a two bed bungalow ( which is only really a one bed ) it’s a problem 😳
Like most of a certain age we have inherited loads of stuff on top of our stuff
Dave
Sent from my iPhone

[dala8593]

Interesting question are there any benefits or disadvantages for doing so tax wise
Please let me know I’d be interested
Regards Dave
Sent from my iPhone

[chris-5643]

That's harder than you might think!

I've tried to do it in view of starting a new business selling online this
year - it's not easy.

[dala8593]

Really it just get worse and worse
I like to be fully in control of my post methods occasionally I’ve got it wrong but at least I can correct it before it’s become a problem the other end
I’ve only had two issues and that was these little corner drop off places that don’t except due to lack of storage space
Dave
Sent from my iPhone

[fireofthephoenix]

I'm not a tax expert but from my experience as a self-employed individual  elsewhere, I wouldn't expect so if you were registered as a sole trader. you still have to declare through self assessment and discount expenses.

The only time it gets more complicated is if you register as an LLC or other type of organisation and become liable for other payments and reporting processes

[vintique*violet]

potfp23 wrote... Wouldn't registering as a business seller remove some of those issues?

And open another can of worms... 

It seems to me eBay have moved far away from their own ethos for small  sellers offloading things they no longer need or want... after  all isn't that what eBay was initially founded upon? 

They are now a global enterprise tied with stakeholders capitalism. 

If you are unsure what "stakeholder capitalism" is - it is worth your time looking up and be prepared for the future. 

Edit to add ... plenty of links on google or  Duck Duck Go can be found to do some research... 

[insidethe93]

I leave seller feedback for what to me are very good reasons:

(a) it's polite and friendly to let the seller know the item's arrived and, depending, to recommend a good seller for potential buyers who might read the feedback (as I for one look at the feedback of a potential new seller)

(b) I know quickly which items are still en route to me by clicking "Awaiting Feedback" on my eBay page. Maybe generally buyers aren't aware of that useful tip. I found out only after reading it on the eBay discussion boards; I'm afraid I didn't note who said it.

[timfy2017]

You say 'Buyers already have adequate protection' but who is paying for that protection at the moment? Its business sellers and eBay themselves when in fact by law buyers purchasing from private accounts have no protection at all other than the protection that eBay provides and which eBay and business sellers are footing the bill for themselves.

[vintique*violet]

Genuine responsible private sellers look after their customers and provide a service which is often far superior than many business sellers, in turn customers return. 

[cessna152towser]

One of the good things with eBay was the £0.99 Auction start price facility.  As a seller I liked this as it attracted viewers who only then saw the added postage costs.   Likewise as a buyer I would be enticed to view and perhaps submit an offer.    Adding 75 pence plus 4% will mean the minimum auction start price will now double to £1.99 which will be less conducive to viewing by potential buyers.

[timfy2017]

😂🤣😂🤣if you want to believe that to make your self entitled argument that is fine by you 

[vintique*violet]

I speak from experience as a buyer not just a seller...Not self-entitlement, and not an argument - it is factual... I know of many small private sellers who are honourable and provide a fab service and of many business sellers who don't. 

[insidethe93]

As a buyer I totally agree it's disgraceful, dare I say unethical, for eBay to sit on a purchase payment. Normal postal times (nearly a week?) and delays play/pay into eBay's coffers.

Interest accumulated, no matter how small, should belong to the seller. I recently had an Evri delivery (non-eBay site) that took 3 weeks! Deliveries routinely take longer at certain times of year e.g. the run-up to Christmas.

A client's money held by certain kinds of businesses is held in a Client Account. Interest accrued belongs to the client. Such accounts are regulated by financial authorities and often also by a trade's equivalent of a guild. So the model already exists and eBay could copy it or follow the principle...if it so wished!

But I've not read anywhere that eBay will be adding even tiny compensation to the seller for eBay sitting on the seller's money, meaning that interest accrued goes to eBay. If I'm wrong, please post.

[bob.builder]

I am so confused. Next month I will have been fleeced as an ebay seller for 25 years. This has got to be the most confusing change they have ever made. Can some one please set me straight. I can see from reading posts on here I will have to use the ebay  simple postage system.

a) I usually send using royal mail 24 or 48hr bought through royal mail website. Will it cost me more for the same service using ebay postage?

b) I have my items collected by royal mail the next day. Will I still be able to do this?

c) Using ebay postage does the tracking automatically get updated with tracking number for the buyer and does it show as dispatched?

d) If answer to point 'c' is yes, what happens when I arrange royal mail to collect next working day, my item will be showing as shipped late and I will get a penalty strike on my account (ebay did this about a month back to me because I scanned it as dispatched and then postie didn't collect it so I got penalty for late dispatch. Apparently their system automtically checks when it has been dispatched if you add tracking number.

e) If i use ebay postage service can I still add a small amount on to postage cost to cover packing materials. The few items I sell are from my own collection and are still in original boxes which have to be protected in transit with lots of bubblewrap and flopak which isn't cheap.

Sorry for all the questions, but I did warn you I am confused. Get my pension in a few months and think it is heading towards time to quit ebay. I'm too old for this. Will send everything to an auction house and clear my collection.

[jckl1957]

You will not have to use Ebay postage.

Potentially, that may be a change for the future but it is not being made mandatory on 4th February.

Following a link from the email received yesterday, it states that you will be able to opt out of Simple Delivery when you create your listings.

Lots of members are stating it will be made mandatory.  Personally, I hope not.  Also, if they are going to force it upon sellers, I can't see why they have not done so now.

I will come back to add the link for you.

https://pages.ebay.co.uk/buyerprotection/?mkevt=1&mkpid=2&emsid=e99011.m2.l1&mkcid=27&bu=43051132061...

Go to Point 3, Simple Delivery and check the FAQs.  The link is from the email yesterday so not out of date information.

[paulthewoodman92]

Er , business seekers are not fitting the bill for my sales , or private sellers , your footing the bill only for your sales .No one needs to pay for it , if a transacting fails ,  the seller whoever they are,  repays their own customer. Sent from my Galaxy

[paulthewoodman92]

Good,  thanksSent from my Galaxy