eBay will charge a ‘buyer protection fee’ which will be included in the price of the item you’re buying from February 6 – here is what you need to know
eBay buyers face paying new charges when purchasing items from private sellers from this week.
eBay will charge a “buyer protection fee” which will be included in the price of the item you’re buying from February 6. This includes a flat fee of 75p per item, plus 4% of the cost up to £300, then 2% of the cost between £300 and £4,000. You don’t pay any additional fees above £4,000 – meaning the most you’ll be charged is £86.75.
eBay says the fee will be included in the price you see on the listing page, and the postage cost won’t be taken into account when it calculates how much you need to pay. For example, if the seller lists an item for £20, you’ll pay £21.55 with the fees included.
An item that has been listed for £500 will cost buyers £516.75 with the new fees. The shake-up does not affect cars, motorcycles and vehicles, or property and classified listings, which is where the buyer and seller agree the transaction outside of eBay.
Anyone buying items from a business seller will get “buyer protection” without any charges being added to the item price. eBay will refund the new fees if you need to return your item. Vinted and Depop have both introduced buyer fees in recent years. Another major change eBay is introducing, is delaying when private sellers receive payment until the item has been delivered.
It comes after eBay removed all selling fees in October. This means sellers keep more of the cash they make through the website, as they no longer pay final value fees, regulatory operating fees, or an insertion fee when they sell on eBay.
eBay says the move will help households as research conducted by the company found that half of British households have unused items in their home worth between £50 and £300. Nearly a quarter are believed to be sitting on items worth over £500.
The site removed selling fees on all fashion items last year. There are still fees when selling cars, motorcycles and other vehicles on eBay. eBay has also introduced a new “eBay balance” feature which, instead of withdrawing their cash into their bank account, it gives sellers the option to use to money they make to shop on eBay, promote their listings, purchase delivery labels or withdraw cash if they want to do so.
