Ebay asking me to register as buisness seller

Percy1983

It does seem I tick the boxes for potentially being a business yet they leave me alone, with that I can say I am legitimately a private seller, I just have an ebay box, everytime we get board of something it goes in the box and every few month or so I list everything in the box.

I am nearly out of items to sell now so it will slow down to ocasional items here and there eventually.

soolin

Crowqueen wrote: »

Percy - I think you still seem to be allowed to have a library of games, DVDs and CDs for private sale without issues. The problem with clothes sellers tends to be a range of sizes (family wardrobe clearout or yo-yo diets do happen) or a lot of BNWT items that the seller bought in one size but never got to wear. With a book-etc seller, it may be harder to judge whether they are a collection or not; at least I don't see too many book-sellers targetted; maybe Soo knows different.

Virtually all the book sellers I am aware of are registered as businesses, I did know of another wrongly registered (he outed himself on the Amazon boards) but books have all but died so most of us, business or private, have virtually give up trying to sell them.

MadelinesMum

Hi, it could be that listing lots of items in the same catergory flags you up for the dreaded business email.
I also worry about HMRC because surely, if you are a Business Seller on Ebay then the HMRC may invesigate you if you are not paying tax?

macfly

Unlikely. Unless you clearly are.

MadelinesMum

OK, but surely if you register as a business seller on ebay then you must consider yourself to be a business, otherwise you wouldn't do it. Therefore you are leaving yourself open to be probed by the HMRC?
I'm just be being paranoid, I expect.

theonlywayisup

MadelinesMum wrote: »

OK, but surely if you register as a business seller on ebay then you must consider yourself to be a business, otherwise you wouldn't do it. Therefore you are leaving yourself open to be probed by the HMRC?
I'm just be being paranoid, I expect.

If you pass your driving test, you are considered a driver. Doesn't mean you have to own a car.

You are NOT a business seller with HMRC unless you buy/make to sell.

You can be 'probed' by HMRC for less. As long as you can justify your actions, you will not have a problem.

soolin

I've seen people contacted by HMRC and/or by the benefits office even when they were selling on a private account on ebay and had never been asked to upgrade.

There seems ot be no natural link between the two.

Always_Harassed

stevew8975 wrote: »

Not quite true - the Final Value Fees are cheaper, and business sellers are also eligible for further discounts from the PS/TRS scheme.

Overall it is cheaper to be a business seller.

Can you explain the differences to me please. I got this email a few months ago and haven't listed since. Have sent a lot of stuff to charity and done a couple of car boots but still have quite a lot of good items that I would like to clear before a house move.

LittleTinker

asset2004 wrote: »

I was told by ebay to upgrade recently :mad: as I'd been listing a number of items in all sort of categories.
I was simply using ebay as a way to declutter. I am not running a business but with several family members deaths and also grown up children it was time to start clearing some space. 100 items are not a lot a month.
I appealed but ebay were not interested and just sent an automated email. :mad:
I have since open a new ebay account, with a new email address & new paypal address etc
As a non business I did not want to upgrade, especially when most of my items are selling at the opening bid, by being charged to list I would make no money and the time and effort to list and photograph items wouldn't add up.

HTH

If you have recieved an email asking you to upgrade in the past, your connection is noted by Ebay exactly because of this reason....that they know people will set up new accounts.
When they find it, and they most often do, you will find all accounts will be closed....Ebay and Paypal.

yeslek

kazwookie wrote: »

You only get 100 per month at 99p, that are FOC,the trick IMO is to list 90 at 99p and the rest at £1.01 on a free listing weekend!

101 at 99p triggers the ebay mail

but wouldnt you still have to pay listing fee's as its over £0.99, even on a free listing w/e?

soolin wrote: »

No it doesn't, this is not automatic.

I get emails several times a month from people being forced to upgrade, some have been using all their 100 free listings a month plus a lot more paid for ones and carried on for months without the upgrade email. Others received the email having listed considerably less than 100 items a month.

So far all the ones I am aware of have been 2nd hand clothes sellers, this is the first toy seller I've seen being forced to upgrade.

I believe there may be a small amount of truth in the theory that these free listing days are to weed out the people to upgrade.

I'd say so. I've jsut been stung on the last free listing w/e (Aug) and amd currently getting nowhere argueing with ebay that I'm not a seller.
I did take advantage of the free listing w/e and listed about 100+ odd item's that I'd not sold at car boot, inc VHS, CD's, clothes etc and they penalised me for it!!
I do not fit any of their term's ie I'm not buying to sell on but they will not exclude me. I even explained that I only listed so many item's to take advantage of the free listing w/e!
I've been trading on ebay for years in efforts to get rid of a LOT of old junk, pretty much all second hand (the odd item is an unwanted gift of course)

soolin wrote: »

If you ignore the email it simply blocks you from listing anymore, so your friend is obviously misunderstanding what is happening. There is no way of ignoring the email and carrying on. I am also not aware of anyone yet who has successfully appealed and been allowed to downgrade.

great
no hope for me then

who do ebay think they are TELLING me I'm a business....if car booting the odd w/e constitue's a business then my friend shouldnt be on dole either! (using the same silly logic)

payless wrote: »

To me: - 100 items a month seems a lot for any "private seller"

not if its the same 30 odd item's your relisting 3 times a month

eg I've been selling my beanie collection that started out at about 400 odd bears, now down to about 60. It's taken me 18 months of relisting to sell those as they tend to go in drib's and drab's, but ARE selling, albeit slowly

soolin wrote: »

You could look at it another way. If they go for opening bid you are getting 99p per item, from which you are paying FVFs paypal fees etc, so making virtually nothing. If you paid to list and put the starting price up a bit you could actually make some money rather than just doing all this for pennies.

thats IF they sell

refering back to my beanie eg (above) I've only sold maybe 4 for higher than starting bid so paying to list wouldnt be worth it

louie76 wrote: »

100 items a month is only alot because I declutter a collection of toys that have over 100 in the sets and I listed individually

Oh well I will just have to take it on the chin and carry on

Thanks everyone

thats exactly my problem.

I had big collections of toys, CD's, DVD's, VHS...then all the old clothes/shoes from over the years




after reading all posts, guess I just have to hold back on selling any clothes for now and hope to be the first exception