eBay has lost its way.

[ady9701]

I don't care what you say , try and defend them. But eBay has  completely lost the plot  . It's all about how they can make more and more  money from us now. Which is ironic as no one seems to be able to sell anything on here anymore for any kind of a profit. In fact if you mention profit people act like you are a master criminal " what do you mean trying to make money ,no no we  can't have that !!! "  All the stuff I put on I watched most of it relist over and over and the items that  I did sell went for either the start bid or slightly over. When I first used eBay you could sell anything no problem with loads of watches and bids . It's absolute garbage now .   eBay has had its day unless they make some drastic changes . Sorry if the truth hurts all you hardened ebayers out there but there you go. Facebook market place from now on .I won't have to wait until someone somewhere decides my parcel has been delivered before I get my cash for a start.

[*vyolla*]

You have to do what's right for you.

Just keep your account open for buying, or just in case you change your mind and do have an item to sell that you decide may do better on eBay.

[moldosgifts]

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@ady9701 wrote:

I don't care what you say , try and defend them. But eBay has  completely lost the plot  . It's all about how they can make more and more  money from us now. Which is ironic as no one seems to be able to sell anything on here anymore for any kind of a profit. In fact if you mention profit people act like you are a master criminal " what do you mean trying to make money ,no no we  can't have that !!! "  All the stuff I put on I watched most of it relist over and over and the items that  I did sell went for either the start bid or slightly over. When I first used eBay you could sell anything no problem with loads of watches and bids . It's absolute garbage now .   eBay has had its day unless they make some drastic changes . Sorry if the truth hurts all you hardened ebayers out there but there you go. Facebook market place from now on .I won't have to wait until someone somewhere decides my parcel has been delivered before I get my cash for a start.

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Firstly agree eBay has lost the plot it all started with removing selling fees from private seller.

Then the massive influx of business using private account.

Then the introduction of SD why private sellers cannot be trusted to handle their own postage is beyond me.

Then to make up for the money lost by having no fees to private seller they introduce a buyer protection fee.

So am with you so far

Where i do not agree and i quote "Which is ironic as no one seems to be able to sell anything on here anymore for any kind of a profit. In fact if you mention profit people act like you are a master criminal " what do you mean trying to make money ,no no we  can't have that !!!"

If profit is a consideration for you that is a business concept and should not be the first consideration of a private seller , no one is saying you cannot make a profit on an item but that should not be the be all and end all of the sale you are supposed to be getting rid of you own bit and bobs so as long as you get a fair price that should be the main consideration.  Profit indicates you bought it to sell it.

But why your stating that is not clear as you are very much a private seller.

[ady9701]

Also since when did the buyer get to choose which postal service to use.  I sold some fell shoes and put Evri tracked as the postage and the guy chose Yodel. I sent them evri because the shop is literally 50 yards from my house . You get what you are given simple as that. What's next will they get to choose what you wrap it in ?

[ady9701]

Well you just proved my point.  Why else do you put things on eBay ? Are private sellers not allowed to make profit on their own personal items ? So if I  bought a model car  20 years ago for £10 and is now worth £50. What so I shouldnt sell it for £50 ? People sell second hand goods they bought years ago for profit all the time , cars , bikes , furniture all sold privately.

[department28]

It sounds like you must not have unselected 'Simple Delivery' - eBay's unpopular new postage system - for your buyer to have been able to select a different courier...

[moldosgifts]

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@ady9701 wrote:

Well you just proved my point.  Why else do you put things on eBay ? Are private sellers not allowed to make profit on their own personal items ? So if I  bought a model car  20 years ago for £10 and is now worth £50. What so I shouldnt sell it for £50 ? People sell second hand goods they bought years ago for profit all the time , cars , bikes , furniture all sold privately.

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Did i say you cannot make a profit NO, Read exactly what i said it should not be your first consideration getting your own property sold should be the consideration if it makes a profit because the value has risen bonus other wise it just turning into cash to buy something else for yourself,

[department28]

@ady9701 

'What's next will they get to choose what you wrap it in ?'

😄 it wouldn't surprise me... especially if they could find a way of charging both buyer & seller for it...

[ile136yz]

eBay are sitting back & waiting for it to all settle down as they will write off their losses to Tax.

I think it is more serious as there has been too many changes that has left eBay with a bad outcome.

[trainofthought]

I trace my ebay activity 25 years so have seen many changes in terms of buying and selling and in my experience there's little we can do but see how most of these changes pan out. Most changes are largely irksome because they upset our familiarity with how to operate, but we adjust. Few changes have been beneficial and the majority haven't caused anything disastrous apart from making simple tasks more complicated (useless search system, cruddy item specifics when listing). 

I didn't think the free listings for private sellers was wise though it was celebrated at the time. How can you expect all this for nothing? That never really added up to a viable judgment by ebay. Though IF they had persevered with just this then I suspect private sellers' income would grow which would ultimately benefit all of ebay in the fly-wheel effect as had, apparently, proven successful in Germany. [Private sellers sell items to buy items on ebay = trade increases].

Even the restrictions on private listings is fair enough; there has to be a differential between private and business especially since the latter pay more to list which in itself seems the wrong way round.

But this BPF is unnecessary (Buyers already had the benefits of ebay protection beforehand for free) and a factor that will simply impact on trade. It also seems counter-intuitive to add BPF at the moment when we hear talk in the media and government about "cost of living crisis"; if this is the case then how lacking in business gumption to add an additional fee onto the buyers? If anything ebay should be adjusting to make buying and selling more favourable in times of hardship and in the same spirit it also seems like an own-goal to hinder private sellers' access to funds from sales for up to 2 weeks (pending delivery). ebay have interfered with the cash flow of buyers and sellers at perhaps the worst time economically and I certainly believe the changes introduced this month has had an immediate impact on sales for all types of seller.

From what I understand part of these current changes is ebay mirroring their competitors, such as Vinted, but what a shame that in their 30th year ebay follow a newcomer rather than find themselves as the pre-eminent online platform for sellers. 

I still have faith in ebay because ultimately they will know what their bottom-line is and if these changes reduce their income then they will revert back. If we fail then they fail. Alternatively this will just become the new normal for a decade and then in the year 2035 they'll cancel the BPF and add seller fees and then everyone will be outraged! 

Although I am watching Vinted with interest especially now that they're expanding their categories to areas that suit me better. 

[older_things]

@trainofthought  Perfectly put. 

[older_things]

I had two private accounts selling inherited postcards, something like 4k listings (ebay agent told me I wouldn't need a shop) .

I've just taken them all down and selling off in bulk now. Having to wait for feedback for my funds and the BPF and ruined what was a helpful money stream for me and my family. 

[millcottage]

I agree eBay had lost its appeal to me as a private seller.

Current listings are all now priced what I listed them for plus the buyers fee (+75p).

None will sell, but I can’t be bothered to end listings or change asking prices (aka lower them by 4% plus 75p).

I looked at a load of stuff I have to sell and would have normally listed them via the old 70% off selling weekends. But now I just can’t be bothered under the new regime where I don’t get paid for two weeks or sooner at the mercy of Royal Mail scanning it as delivered and sending info to eBay.

Also having to work out what price will appear as on listing once 4% plus 75p added.

I guessed the zero selling fees would have a sting in the tail when they announced them.

[abrahamtoast]

VERY FEW posters here have defended eBay over these latest changes. The changes are almost universally unpopular.

The furthest most of the more experienced posters will go, is to advise people to calm down, and don't throw your toys out of the pram. Take a step back if you like, but don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

There is no alternative marketplace which will give you the exposure eBay does, and, for all their faults, it is advantageous to have someone else dealing with the payments etc. I can see you sneering now, but wait until you hit a problem on one of the other marketplaces.

The mention of "profit" which comes up from time to time is a red herring. Business sellers use the word in its purest sense - they buy for a pound, sell for a fiver, and make four pounds profit. Many private sellers drift into this - I bought this for a pound, sold it for a fiver, so I made four pounds profit - strictly speaking you didn't (if you're a genuine private seller); there is no connection between what you paid and what you sold it for, as it wasn't buying with the intention of selling it on. It's a minor semantic thing.

I'm not accusing you of this, but many "private" sellers give away their true business status by talking about profit, clients, stock, etc, when none of that should apply to genuine private sellers. That's why it attracts criticism, sometimes unwarranted.

I'm just carrying on, making the best of it. I don't expect eBay to change tack soon, but I wouldn't be surprised it these change are modified in some way in the future, in a way that tries to reflect well on eBay. Something along the lines of "due to the overwhelming success of our BPF, we are happy to inform you that we will be reducing the fixed element of the charge to 30p, with effect from...."

Similarly with Simple Delivery. That will be an unmitigated disaster if it is foisted on all private sellers in its current form. I'm sure there will be tweaks, adjustments, and improvements introduce before it is made compulsory. So I'm not going to get all worked up about that just yet, and I would suggest that there's not much point in anyone doing so at the moment.

[tressygirl]

@abrahamtoast  wrote:      Similarly with Simple Delivery. That will be an unmitigated disaster if it is foisted on all private sellers in its current form. I'm sure there will be tweaks, adjustments, and improvements introduce before it is made compulsory. So I'm not going to get all worked up about that just yet, and I would suggest that there's not much point in anyone doing so at the moment.

Yep,  bracing ourselves for that encounter.

Kevlar vests and hats,   at the ready . 😶

[department28]

...'I don't expect eBay to change tack soon, but I wouldn't be surprised it these change are modified in some way in the future, in a way that tries to reflect well on eBay. Something along the lines of "due to the overwhelming success of our BPF, we are happy to inform you that we will be reducing the fixed element of the charge to 30p, with effect from...."

😄

That is just the sort of ludicrous positive spin eBay would come up with, when/if they decide to modify this predictably very unpopular BPF.

...'Similarly with Simple Delivery. That will be an unmitigated disaster if it is foisted on all private sellers in its current form. I'm sure there will be tweaks, adjustments, and improvements introduced before it is made

compulsory.'

Yes indeed, they are already tweaking away.  But if eBay were really listening to the feedback they claim to 'value', they should be able to ensure any major changes will work properly, and be acceptable to users, before being rolled out. Then there would be less need for all this fiddling & tweaking & back-pedalling...

[kath3735_wxmjn]

A very sensible comment!   Like everyone else i do not like the changes, then again i was not in favour of the managed payments either but i have had no problems at all with it.  Will cope with the BPF waiting for payment but my line is the SD.  I am not getting worked up about it though because what is the point, they will only makes changes as they see fit, reasoned argument has more sway than some of the rantings you get on here.  My decision will be to leave when it comes in, whether i even attempt to find anywhere else is still up in the air.  Maybe it is a time to stop online and just concentrate on car booting, which is more fun even if by the end of the season putting things in and out of the car it gets really tedious!  If i cannot go to the post office and buy my label then i am going.  Cannot see them changing that one though, that is how they will be making their money.

[buffster1963]

I am like you. I do not like the changes but i am not going to get worked up about them and come here moaning every day about how Ebay have done me wrong. The changes will either work for me or they will not. 

[a1once]

I`m just carrying on, until the first time something goes wrong and can`t be resolved easily.

I appreciate the argument about Private or Business. I used to search for something and assume Private/Used would be cheaper than Business/New/Used. If a business had the item for a bit more money, then I would buy from the business and, hopefully, get a better deal and item. Maybe, though, if the Private sellers leave, people might stop searching on eBay altogether and that feed/pipeline may dry up.  Anyway, if I want a new item, I now go to the local supermarket or my Daughter gets it on Amazon for me. Delivered next day.

[nutrafituk]

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ebay-inc-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-results-...