Does every UK eBay seller require a VAT number?

[boneyandstubs]

I am a UK individual who sells personal items every now and then, and haven't sold anything for about six years.  Tried to list an item today and it is telling me I need to enter my VAT number. EBay customer services tell me that everyone selling anything in the UK through eBay now need a VAT number. I find this a little hard to believe when I'm not a business and I will be way off any thresholds that would require me to register for VAT.

[btr.style]

Possibly your sales exceeded the VAT threshold when you were selling 6 years ago. 

Either you are lying about what customer support said or they have it seriously wrong. It just wouldn't make any sense for everyone to have to have a VAT number when they don't have to become VAT registered until their turnover is 85k (soon to be 90k). 

[papso22]

This is not the only thread where a customer service agent has said that sellers legally have to be VAT registered, regardless of turnover.  At least in that case the seller was actually a business account holder with £70,000 in sales. It's even more bizarre if it's the account the OP posted with that's been asked for a VAT number. 

dave@ebay Do you know what's going on here with this totally incorrect information coming from CS agents?