eBay appearing to condone trading on private accounts

[vinylscot]

I posted about this on another thread this morning, but I think it's important, and deserves its own thread.

The most common topic of "conversation" on these threads has consistently been the business/private divide, and the long held belief that, if you are trading, at any level at all, you should be operating a business account.

However, Eve Williams, eBay's UK "General Manager" appeared to contradict that understanding in a recent announcement which appeared in my seller hub yesterday.

Welcoming a proposal to increase the traders allowance to £3k over the next few years, Williams stated 

       “...hopefully we will help these side hustles grow into fully fledged small businesses”.

If that's not an (admittedly unsaid) OK for small traders to use private accounts, I don't know what is. Perhaps she could explain exactly what a "fully fledged small business" is. Where is the dividing line?

I think she needs to issue a further statement, either clarifying that all those who are trading must use a business account, or clarifying precisely where eBay considers the line should be drawn, for eBay account purposes.

It was a monumentally stupid thing to say, compounded by broadcasting it to so many members.

[chris.n7]

I mean to me that sounds like they want private sellers to convert to business accounts.

Part of why they've introduced all these changes to make being a private seller way less appealing.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Well, at the risk of being a negative Nelly, my view is that recycling by reselling doesn't necessarily reduce imports or help save the planet.

Person A buys tat from China and wears it once.  Lists it on a platform.  It sells to Person B.  Tat is placed in a plastic envelope, Person A drives to InPost or the post office and deposits it.  Tat goes on a journey to Person B, creating carbon emissions, and clogging up the traffic with big transit vans.

Person A buys more tat with the money they received.  Wears it once.  Lists it on a platform ....

Person B wears Person A's tat once, lists it on a platform ....

Eventually, it makes its way into landfill in an unfortunate third-world country.

What Person A should do is buy a quality item and wear until it's threadbare.  My summer and winter business suits lasted for years.  Every year, on the change in the seasons, I'd unzip the coat bag, get out the suits, give them a turn in the tumble dryer, and wear them all season.

That's recycling!

Mind you, as a female techie in a male dominated world, there was no chance of anyone in the office saying ' You wore that last year'.