eBay Scrapping Private Seller Fees

[Clockwork Cupcake]

I have both a computer case and a computer up for sale currently.

The case is in "Computers/Tablets & Networking > Computer Components & Parts > Computer Cases & Accessories" and I am able to use Simple Delivery.

The computer is in "Computers/Tablets & Networking > Desktops & All-in-Ones" and Simple Delivery is not available and you have to set your own postage.

I also have a motherboard bundle up for sale in "Computers/Tablets & Networking > Computer Components & Parts > Motherboard & CPU Combos" and for that I can choose either Simple Delivery or Custom postage. I notice that it seems to have deleted my postage options, though! And if I look at the listing as a potential buyer, the postage cost offered to the buyer is actually the same as what Simple Delivery would be. Sneaky!

edit: Another listing, for a pair of CPUs, has Custom postage and eBay hasn't deleted the free 2nd Class Postage off that listing. So I dunno.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Friday 9th May 17:29

[KTMsm]

Ah I'll try a different category but it's currently in the right one

On one of my other accounts I still haven't been forced into simple delivery but I have multiple accounts so that I can keep track of different businesses and private sales so I'd rather not mix things around

[981Boxess]

I am not much of a seller, just random bits I find at home from time, feedback 800 odd.

The constant changes with eBay have put me off using it now, so whatever they think they are gaining by all these changes is also costing them.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

981Boxess said:

I am not much of a seller, just random bits I find at home from time, feedback 800 odd.

The constant changes with eBay have put me off using it now, so whatever they think they are gaining by all these changes is also costing them.

Indeed.

Also, unless they have changed things again, if you allow International sales they will charge you (the seller) a fee if it sells to an international buyer. So I simply say all sales are UK-only. Well done, eBay!

[981Boxess]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

981Boxess said:

I am not much of a seller, just random bits I find at home from time, feedback 800 odd.

The constant changes with eBay have put me off using it now, so whatever they think they are gaining by all these changes is also costing them.

Indeed.

Also, unless they have changed things again, if you allow International sales they will charge you (the seller) a fee if it sells to an international buyer. So I simply say all sales are UK-only. Well done, eBay!

Plus there is no international tracking worth having so when something “doesn’t arrive” what then - so I knocked international on the head ages ago.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

981Boxess said:

Plus there is no international tracking worth having so when something “doesn’t arrive” what then - so I knocked international on the head ages ago.

Oh, even when I did allow international sales I never sent direct to the buyer. I would use the eBay Global Shipping Program. So long as it is tracked as far as eBay's UK GSP hub then that is sufficient - it's their problem then.

This actually happened to me once. I despatched an item, it arrived at the eBay GSP hub, but the buyer never got it - it got lost after clearing USA Customs. I had to advise the (really nice and friendly) buyer to raise a complaint with eBay and they held their hands up and refunded the buyer out of their pocket not mine. I made my sale but sadly the buyer didn't get his item but at least he wasn't out of pocket either.

[stinkyspanner]

Is there the option to add insurance with the simple postage? I sell things that occasionally warrant insurance which is an option if I get postage directly from the carrier..

[anonymoususer]

These categories are odd.
I listed several things and instead of the 2KG option being £3.44 it was £4.26. Put a different way if the buyer was paying it they would pay £3.44. If I was paying it myself it was £4.26p and the buyer would see "free postage"
Except it wasn't. When I went back into it it was £3.44p
Also I have to watch if I go back to edit a listing. It seems to change the simple dispatch to custom and when you click to save whatever changes you have made it says its incomplete as no postage option has been set.

Clearly they are altering things which affect other things.

[981Boxess]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

981Boxess said:

Plus there is no international tracking worth having so when something “doesn’t arrive” what then - so I knocked international on the head ages ago.

Oh, even when I did allow international sales I never sent direct to the buyer. I would use the eBay Global Shipping Program. So long as it is tracked as far as eBay's UK GSP hub then that is sufficient - it's their problem then.

Probably a better way of doing it, but for me it was easier to just do UK only.

Overall the hassle v reward ratio combined with them constantly changing how it works has killed off my enthusiasm for doing it.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

981Boxess said:

Probably a better way of doing it, but for me it was easier to just do UK only.

Overall the hassle v reward ratio combined with them constantly changing how it works has killed off my enthusiasm for doing it.

No, what I'm saying is that even with GSP you get charged a fee for an international sale, so all my listings are now UK-only.

If eBay put that surcharge on the buyer instead then I'd probably allow international sales again.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

anonymoususer said:

These categories are odd.
I listed several things and instead of the 2KG option being £3.44 it was £4.26. Put a different way if the buyer was paying it they would pay £3.44. If I was paying it myself it was £4.26p and the buyer would see "free postage"
Except it wasn't. When I went back into it it was £3.44p
Also I have to watch if I go back to edit a listing. It seems to change the simple dispatch to custom and when you click to save whatever changes you have made it says its incomplete as no postage option has been set.

Clearly they are altering things which affect other things.

Yes, I noticed that too. If you select Simple Delivery and then go back and edit your listing, it is now Custom postage but with no postage options. That's what it turned out to be when I said in my previous post that there were no postage options but it was charging a potential buyer Simple delivery rates.

It's all a bit of a mess isn't it

[Tisy]

This deliberate pricing lie / blatant manipulation of the listing model really fking boils my piss as it makes sorting by price completely pointless. I've reported several and Ebay simply doesn't care.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205408650785

Why not go the whole hog and listing everything for 1p by having a fake option for an "extra bag" and setting that as default option? It's not just Ebay either as they do the same on Amazon.

[anonymoususer]

Tisy said:

This deliberate pricing lie / blatant manipulation of the listing model really fking boils my piss as it makes sorting by price completely pointless. I've reported several and Ebay simply doesn't care.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205408650785

Why not go the whole hog and listing everything for 1p by having a fake option for an "extra bag" and setting that as default option? It's not just Ebay either as they do the same on Amazon.

It's often used with cables and skewers the listings.
I tend to look at lowest price incl p+p . And it just adds an extra layer of unecessary faff

[KTMsm]

Tisy said:

This deliberate pricing lie / blatant manipulation of the listing model really fking boils my piss as it makes sorting by price completely pointless. I've reported several and Ebay simply doesn't care.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205408650785

Why not go the whole hog and listing everything for 1p by having a fake option for an "extra bag" and setting that as default option? It's not just Ebay either as they do the same on Amazon.

Because they don't want educated buyers

They want the morons who just use the search by "relevance"

The same as AutoTrader

Where "relevance" actually means sellers who have paid to push their overpriced listings to the top

[Glassman]

Glassman said:

I'm currently waiting for an item I paid for on a 'buy it now' sale. A week later, the seller sent me a message saying he cannot locate the item and will have a proper look by Friday (tomorrow). Fair enough, I'm in no hurry. Meanwhile, eBay have emailed me to leave him feedback.

He couldn't find the item and duly issued me a refund although I did have to chase. It all went through eBay.

I'm being asked to provide feedback.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Tisy said:

This deliberate pricing lie / blatant manipulation of the listing model really fking boils my piss as it makes sorting by price completely pointless. I've reported several and Ebay simply doesn't care.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205408650785

Why not go the whole hog and listing everything for 1p by having a fake option for an "extra bag" and setting that as default option? It's not just Ebay either as they do the same on Amazon.

This is not limited to eBay, and it's also not specific to private selling on eBay, so I'm not sure why you chose this thread to have your little rant.

[Jamescrs]

981Boxess said:

I am not much of a seller, just random bits I find at home from time, feedback 800 odd.

The constant changes with eBay have put me off using it now, so whatever they think they are gaining by all these changes is also costing them.

Same here, I used to be very busy on eBay buying and selling feedback of around 1300 I think. I’ve pretty much given up on it now, I’m finding somethings I want are now the same price on eBay as they are on Amazon so may as well use Amazon for the fast delivery option.

I have nothing for sale on eBay now and no plans to list anything

[S6PNJ]

And another thing eBay has 'broken'... With their buyers fee, it seems that a well known sniping tool included this in the bid, so when I thought I was bidding a price, the sniping tool included it in my overall bid - so I lost the item for the sake of a few quid! Dammit! Assuming the next highest bidder wasn't higher than the actual bid I wanted...

[Clockwork Cupcake]

S6PNJ said:

And another thing eBay has 'broken'... With their buyers fee, it seems that a well known sniping tool included this in the bid, so when I thought I was bidding a price, the sniping tool included it in my overall bid - so I lost the item for the sake of a few quid! Dammit! Assuming the next highest bidder wasn't higher than the actual bid I wanted...

In fairness, it's the max price you are prepared to pay, plus postage, so it makes sense that the max price includes the Buyer's Fee

But I can see how this might be annoying and/or open to debate.

[S6PNJ]

I thought (though it might be sniping tool dependant) that it was only the bid price and not postage.

Having just checked my sniping tool (Gixen) I think it is just the bid price as it didn't include this in my bid price.