eBay customers will be hit by new fees when purchasing any item on the platform from next week. The company will introduce a Buyer Protection fee in the UK on February 4 which will take effect whenever a customer purchases something from a private seller. However, instead of being an additional fee added after checkout, the fee will instead be included in the price of the item.
Furthermore, when a customer purchases an item from a business through the platform, Buyer Protection will be automatically applied at no extra cost. For buyers, the fee will be up to 4 per cent of the item price plus an additional flat rate of 75p.
It comes after eBay dropped selling fees last October which allowed sellers to retain more earning from their sales made on the paltform. Similar buyer fees were adopted by Depop and Vinted with the latter offering free listing and selling but adds a buyer protection fee which ranges between 3 per cent and 8 per cent plus a fixed amount of 30p to 80p.
Meanwhile, Depop scrapped its 10 per cent fee on new listings last year, instead implementing a marketplace fee aimed at British buyers. The fee, which is capped at 5 per cent, costs an extra £1, however, sellers still face a payment processing charge.
How will Buyer Protection work?
Buyer Protection is a service adopted by a number of online market and financial platforms that helps protect customers from financial loss when they don’t receive an item they’ve ordered and paid for. It can also provide protection for damaged items and incorrect charges coming from the order.
For eBay, the Buyer Protection will allow customers to have access to 24/7 customers support which includes speaking to support by phone or though an online chat. Furthermore, payments will be issued to sellers only after the order has been sent and successfully delivered.
eBay clarified that the money will be made available in a seller’s balance account two days after a delivery has been confirmed to be completed. Because of this, sellers are advised to use tracked delivery services through the company’s own Simple Delivery or organising a local collection.
Customers will also be protected by eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee which is especially helpful for those collecting items of high value. The guarantee allows experts to verify the authenticity of an item free of charge while carrying out inspections of the item.