eBay not paying seller until delivered - 'New Buyer Protection' message

[elliott-grafix]

I'm a long standing private seller. The latest "New Buyer Protection Rules" Message States - "Seller paid after delivery: When buying from private sellers, funds only sent once item is delivered"

I know eBay have had this as an old rule to cater for new and/or troublesome eBayers but, if this is now applied across the board for all private sellers, it could be a real problem for us oldies with pristine records.

1) I sell many low value items which are only worthwhile and 'saleable' when postage is at its cheapest. I am happy to take the risk for loss or customer denial but the item is not tracked so no delivery is recorded.

2) I offer to Bundle Multibuys to save customer postage. Generally I just marked the extra items in the parcel as  'Dispatched'. Originally, the system would not allow me to copy the same Tracking number to multiple items. Therefore - No Delivery would be recorded on those. I have heard on the grapevine that that may have changed now but will need to try it out first to see if it works.

3) I have two eBay accounts and occasionally I have customers buying items from each site. I always used to bundle them (as above) and refund saved postage. I do know for a fact that you cannot copy over tracking numbers to different eBay account sales but I have been happy until now getting a messaged response from the buyer and just marking the item as 'Dispatched'. I gather that is now 'Out'.

4) Last year I had a total of 4 items (out of a 1000+) that were sent Royal Mail 48 hour tracked, purchased through eBay, successfully delivered and marked on the "Royal Mail" Tracking app as "Delivered" --- but --- remained marked as only "Dispatched" on the eBay records.

Can't say I fancy the prospect of having to chase eBay every time these occasional and expected hickups occur.

[tressygirl]

Unfortunately,  eBay Customer Services especially if you do not hit the Dublin centre,  can be  badly / wrongly informed.

See here the latest message from eBay:

We’ve also heard your feedback and understand that shipping costs are particularly top of mind for low price items. When you’re selling a single item for £10 or less, and it’s sent untracked, funds will now be available 24 hours after you receive positive buyer feedback. This will be live by the end of February.

I would suggest contacting eBay Customer Services again and relay this updated news from eBay,  but contact CS only very first thing in the morning tomorrow at 8 a.m. when the lines first open there's more chance of Dublin answering then.

This is the easiest and quickest way to contact eBay Customer Services, for a Call Back option.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

Lines open between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

As said,  I strongly, recommend contacting CS very first thing in the morning, when the lines first open,  as there's more chance of Dublin answering.

@oxrachael2012 

[tressygirl]

Ooops my sincerest apologies @oxrachael2012   !!!

Just read that news up date Again,  and it say to be rolled our by END of February!!

So I'm sorry your recently sold items yep,   you Are correct,  they  do not fall under this umbrella .... yet!

I had time to edit that news update on low value items in my post above,   but have left it,  perhaps others are not aware of this change.....  to come..... and it might help !  🤗

[oxrachael2012]

Thanks for the info @tressygirl.  Hopefully they will stick to this and roll it out.  I wasn't aware of that,  and it certainly wasn't mentioned in the 'conversation' I had with ebay this morning.   If that works, it will be ok.  If not, I will have to stop selling.

[tressygirl]

Keep checking the eBay News >>  Announcements tab top left of this forum page,  that's where that latest update is written,  and no doubt will show more updates / changes in the coming days / weeks ! 🤔

@oxrachael2012 

[oxrachael2012]

You are very well informed @tressygirl.   Thank you so much for all that information!

[tressygirl]

Awww,  ta,  it was nuffing !  @oxrachael2012   😊

[oxrachael2012]

Actually, if you don't pay for a 'tracked service' on RM, they don't automatically register a delivery.  The postperson has to scan and they often don't bother.  I have items which are still only marked as 'dispatched' by ebay from months ago.  One repeat buyer has 3 lots which 'haven't been delivered' - something to do with her address/postperson?  Also, on RM you put in the number and it says 'information will only be available when we attempt delivery' - even though I KNOW items have been delivered (this has happened with private items as well as those sold through ebay)  -  with this you wouldn't get paid on ebay because there's no proof of delivery.

[jckl1957]

You would get paid.

No tracking/proof of delivery, you will be paid 14 days after the transaction.

From the end of February, you will be paid 24 hours after receiving positive feedback for low value items (under £10).

[nickyniknaks]

I would like to clearly point out as stated with the eBay regulations… you DO NOT  have to sign up as a business account , you can run a business so to speak ie “resell goods for profit” using a personal account. The only people interested are HMRC and that your paying your correct taxes, ebay is just a selling platform which sole traders  / businesses / private one off sales etc….

[jckl1957]

Ebay are clear that there are specific conditions for sellers where they do need to have a business account.  See below.

If you are trading, then, according to UK law, you have to have your business details on your listings and you have to have an 'any reason' returns policy.  So, if you should have a business account but choose to sell unlawfully from a private account, you are depriving Ebay of their fees and denying your buyers their consumer rights.

That is not really a seller I would want to buy from.

Do I need a business account?

If you plan to sell casually, such as selling items you no longer want, a private account is the best option. 

If you want to sell large quantities, if you have items that you've made or bought to resell or if you already have a business outside of eBay, you’ll need to register a business account.

[lucy_farmer]

'.....you DO NOT  have to sign up as a business account ,....'

If you're running a business of *any* size (one-man-band in the spare bedroom or distribution warehouse sized) you do need to have a business account.

It's UK consumer Law, because UK consumer law requires that you have your business details and contact on your listings.

Ebay will *not* let private sellers show any contact details ( that makes 'off ebay' trading easy which avoids (what was) seller fees and (is now) buyer fees.

HMRC don't care what you call yourself or how you present yourself as long as you pay your taxes, true.

[thevintagemart]

It's not just about paying your taxes. A business has other obligations such as distance selling rules. These can not be enforced with a private account. So businesses operating from private accounts are breaking the law.  

[jckl1957]

That is precisely what @lucy_farmer and I said.

[thevintagemart]

True. My response should have been to the other poster. Nickynicknaks. 

[oxrachael2012]

Thanks!  It is a bit of a minefield!  Just when I thought (after 12 years), I'd got selling on ebay sussed, they go and change it all....

[bethanyboo2024]

Totally agree with you. Ive had a perfect 100% feedback ebay account for 22 years and now they hold into money. In other words, if the courier or RM mess up a delivery, WE suffer!! 😡😡

[thetimetower]

Royal mail 2nd class small letters have never shown as delivered since i've used it so yeh it be a headache for anyone using that.

[elliott-grafix]

If you happen to be close enough to a Royal Mail Sorting Office, I found a little trick to get many of my little untracked letters tracked and marked 'Delivered'.

I have alway taken my 48hr Tracked material there but then started to hand over my Untracked small items (most in A6 envelopes) as well. They were happy to scan those directly into their system and I find that a lot get fully tracked. Around a third of them.

This also reduces the risk of something going astray by skipping one stage in the postage process - I have lost £4 item in 2 years - Pretty good by my reckoning.

[bassy_was_here]

That's so right kawas67

This is all so wrong! 😡

[bigevilrobots]

I got really excited when eBay removed the selling fees as it felt they were matching the Vinted model. Having to rely on couriers and buyers before funds are released?? No thanks. Vinted have that model laid out much better than eBay. No more selling on eBay for me sadly.