ebay Buyer Protection fee 2025 (PPI Scandal)

[mitchiemasha]

They've branded this new fee as "buyer protection", surely that is a massive mistake. Remember PPI! Buyer Protection is misleading branding. If ebay refunded the buyer for lost, damaged items "Buyer Protection" would be true... but they don't, the seller does. The buyer is being forced to pay something they do not need when ebay names this fee as such.

If this new future automated system with "Simple Delivery" also automatically refunded the seller from the postal provider, when an item stayed stuck in transit (clearly undelivered), without the seller needing to make a complex claim with the postal provider... this would actually be amazing! However, that's never going to happen.

As for them switching the fee from the seller to the buyer, there might actually be some psychology behind people willing to pay a bit more for something, if they know that's a separate fee form the provider, not just an over priced item, like they know they're paying for additional service outside of the item.

[mitchiemasha]

If anyone stumbles on this! It's looking like that's how simple delivery will work. The seller won't be doing the refund, both parties are covered from the moment the parcel is scanned in, so ebay will be refunding from the provider, possibly. A lot to take in right now! More to read!!!

[sml192]

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@mitchiemasha wrote:

If anyone stumbles on this! It's looking like that's how simple delivery will work. The seller won't be doing the refund, both parties are covered from the moment the parcel is scanned in, so ebay will be refunding from the provider, possibly. A lot to take in right now! More to read!!!

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Yes that's exactly how 'Simple delivery' will work.  Sellers will be fully protected in terms of delivery against loss or damage during transit, late deliveries, and negative feedback relating to deliveries so if eBay are able to iron out the various impracticalities that people have raised it could actually be very beneficial. 

[troopster2525-per]

Not really beneficial is it if you sell items say...under £5 where they could go as a large letter which would cost £1.55 but so you get money for sales in 2 days as apposed to 14 days you then need to charge well over £1 more for tracked postage as well as the items price being inflated too...so posting of items will not be a issue as you will not be selling any items

[paulthewoodman92]

So given the plan of Ebays to implement this new pricing regime ..........here's my own plan . Use it yourself if it helps , together we are stronger .

1 . As a Private Seller :

Message/ email EBay customer services and advise them you are not happy as this will result in lower prices that you will suffer . Buyers will not accept a 10 to 15% increase in sales price for a benefit they already have .

As a private seller I will suffer that price drop or sale loss. 

I also do not intend to use Ebays delivery service , so will not be inputting other delivery services tracking detail for every item I sell . Not an I willing tho wait for payment on delivery , once sold I require access to MY cash.

As a result , unless they cancel this planned change by 31st January 2025 , I will " end " every single item for sale in my EBay account and take those sales elsewhere .

( you can relay at any point should you wish to later )

2. As a Buyer ( which most of us are also )

Email EBay   and confirm : 

I DO NOT require the additional guarantee on private seller purchases from 4th February 2025 .

I have sufficient cover from the existing arrangement and do not want or need the cost of cover.

Failure to Acton this may result in my claiming any such additional cost at some point in the future through litigation if necessary , as per PPI claims recently . Please acknowledge you have been advised by me as such .

Advise Citizens advise of the above also , they will pass to Trading Standards and should litigation follow , you have the chance to recoup losses.

If we do this in sufficient numbers , EBay will change their plans as they did in the USA , when customers withdrew in huge numbers , it's up to you , it's up to us . Copy and paste from here as you wish .

[motamedicraft]

My selling dropped to zero since adding buyer protection fee. I should search for other platforms now. 

[papso22]

Simple solution.  Upgrade your account to a business one to sell those brand new power tools.

[ross.a.b]

..........🤡

[vinylscot]

@paulthewoodman92  Genuine question - did something happen to change your mind about removing all your listings on 31st January?

I'm not aware of anything, but maybe I've missed something.

[pillarboxred]

In the Trump Republican era, corporations are going to be able to do what they want. I suppose the buyer protection fee is to pay the staff who handle claims as the AI implementation is currently very glitchy and eBay still needs human staff although the shareholders don't.

[pillarboxred]

It could be a good idea if it gives buyers a better sense of what they are getting in terms of service. We sellers are all individuals but consumers regard eBay as a shop and talk about what they found on eBay usually without identifying the vendor, sadly, so uniformity makes sense.

 They mostly no longer thank the seller nor leave feedback.

[japanesejunk]

broken britain innit 

[lucy_farmer]

'broken britain innit'

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Eh??

You are aware that ebay is an American Mega-corp...?

[japanesejunk]

To my knowledge this measure was only brought in for eBay UK, also, is joke.

[paulthewoodman92]

So to update my original post regarding these fees for buyers ( aka seller fees !! )

I've only just recognised today that my sale items that were on EBay pre 4th February , are in fact having the buyer free added to the price of my items ( didn't think this was happening until 4th March but hey ho )

The surprise to me comes because as I look at my items for sale ........   They all show the price I put them on EBay for. ...............however,  the buyer DOES NOT see my price and I do not see the price to them , as EBay hides it from me and they have address their new fee.

So all my prices that the buyer sees are 12.5% +  higher than what I see .

I didn't see that seemingly sneaky move in the information .

I have today ended 85% of my for sale items , as it makes no sense that they will sell ,

up yours EBay .

[techno_anorak]

Seriously, are you as a person selling stuff for money to people who pay you on trust and I. Good faith complaining that the people engaged in a financial transaction with you aren't saying 'thank you'? If so, get out of retail.

[forestfeline62]

some things won't be covered by some delivery companies ,I has a piece of jewellery go missing and when I put a claim in to Royal mail they said they don't cover jewellery so all I could claim was  the postage costs 

[tracefree_3]

From what I'm hearing , a number of MP's are already looking into this. We already know that under British Law you can't be forced to pay a buyer protection fee, because goods are already covered under the sales of goods acts. Anyone buying needs to keep proof of what you have bought and how much buyer protection fees you are charged because EBAY will be paying out multi millions in compensation. Sellers are also being forced to reduce prices or sell at a loss due to the fees so that could also be a collective lawsuit in the future. 

[kath3735_wxmjn]

no one is actually being 'forced' to reduce prices or sell at a loss (surely though that as private sellers there is no such thing as a loss?!).   I have not reduced any price because of BPF and as they are all family unwanted items i am not selling at a 'loss'

[alexis*27]

Not with private sellers. 

The buyer protection fee basically gives the buyer the same protections as if they were buying from a business.

Except eBay has done this for years in effect, for free. 

The only difference now is that it isn't free.