eBay now takes 10% of your postal costs! Let's do something about it

damebigs

Hi all
I've been selling on eBay for a long time now, nearly a decade. It has been a useful tool, this I can not deny but I've managed to go grayer than Tony Blair during his tenure as Prime Minister of this nation.

Recently, eBay have decided to take 10% of sellers postal costs. This it is fair to say, is a down right liberty. However, I'm led to believe this is not legal and therefore I started a petition to investigate weather or not this is the case.

Please type into a search engine;

"Investigate if eBay's new policy of charging 10% for postage costs is legal"
and it will come up.

Unfortunately I can't put the direct link in here.
More importantly, please try and get as many people to sign this as possible. I'm sure some of you will work in the media, please spread the word among your colleagues.

Although my petition is quite focused in it's aims, it annoys me that a company allegedly not paying a fair share of tax in the UK, turns around and tries to demand a portion of money reserved for expenses.
I thank you

InsideInsurance

What a crock of rubbish, how on earth can it be a "tax"? Since when did eBay become a governmental body?

People for years used to abuse the system by lowering the price of the item and inflating the P&P. This was first partially managed by setting maximum P&P figures by category and so people started manipulating which category items were listed in. Now the playing field is levelled by simply charging it as a percentage of the total sale price.

It is certainly legal, if you dont like it, sell your products elsewhere

NeverInDebt

The only way ebay will change its mind is to stop using them, if enough people vote with their wallet and profits slump only then may they consider. Ebay are only interested in making money

DKLS

Wow a petition eh? that will have zero impact, it's ebay's playground and they can tweak their business model as they see fit.

So what if they lose a disgruntled few traders.

soolin

If it isn't legal then Amazon, who have been doing it for years, is in real trouble!

There are quite a few sellers who don't like the changes, some are happy of course as it reduces their fees. However I don't think yet another minuscule petition is going to help. The community boards have been rumbling with threads now for three months or so since it was announced and with no changes planned.

damebigs

It is not a crock at all. It is a charge on costs, costs that some of us have not been making money from yet we're accused of greed by those slow of mind.
As for it being legal and blah blah blah, PPI was once considered legal. Since then I accept NOTHING businesses say as a given. I agree with the chap who says vote with the feet.
eBay almost is a government department. Seems to decide how much tax it pays!

damebigs

Anyway, for those of you who DO want to do SOMETHING, don't lose faith. This petition has only been going just over a week and has more signatures than any other eBay related petition.

Search : "Investigate if eBay's new policy of charging 10% for postage costs is legal"

Get your friends to sign

InsideInsurance

damebigs wrote: »

It is a charge on costs, costs that some of us have not been making money from yet we're accused of greed by those slow of mind

Its a charge on a service, just as there is a charge on the service of the supply of the goods.

Do you really think that those who do free P&P actually do it for free? Sorry to burst your bubble but they just build it into the cost of the items. It doesnt matter what your strategy is - free P&P but inflated item price, P&P at cost and normal item price or inflated P&P and discounted item - each have their merits and appeal to certain demographics.

You now have an open field and those that prefer the free P&P undoubtably will think this is a great change where as those with inflated P&P probably dislike it. Its the rules, decide how you want to play them but a petition isnt a solution

BargainGalore

Your deluded if you think your petition will make any difference it will not

damebigs wrote: »

Anyway, for those of you who DO want to do SOMETHING, don't lose faith. This petition has only been going just over a week and has more signatures than any other eBay related petition.

Search : "Investigate if eBay's new policy of charging 10% for postage costs is legal"

Get your friends to sign

soolin

damebigs wrote: »

Anyway, for those of you who DO want to do SOMETHING, don't lose faith. This petition has only been going just over a week and has more signatures than any other eBay related petition.

Search : "Investigate if eBay's new policy of charging 10% for postage costs is legal"

Get your friends to sign

Why have you started a New petition when there have been plenty doing the rounds for the past few months? If you didn't find them it does rather show how little impact these have.

Also why are you targeting eBay, what about Amazon?

soolin

damebigs wrote: »

It is not a crock at all. It is a charge on costs, costs that some of us have not been making money from yet we're accused of greed by those slow of mind.
As for it being legal and blah blah blah, PPI was once considered legal. Since then I accept NOTHING businesses say as a given. I agree with the chap who says vote with the feet.
eBay almost is a government department. Seems to decide how much tax it pays!

Oh, and PPI is not illegal, the Mis selling of it is .