A looming fee for buyers on eBay has sparked a backlash - with some sellers expressing concerns that it will deter customers. The company claims the move aims to alleviate some financial burdens on sellers and potentially benefit shoppers by expanding the platform and increasing product offerings. But critics don't agree.
eBay describes the fees as "small", but the exact details remain unclear. However, discontent among eBay sellers is evident, with fears that they may have to absorb the fees themselves. One seller voiced their concerns on an eBay forum, stating: "We will now be expected to absorb the buyer's fee and our own business selling fee (and shop fees etc).
"This seems crazy to me - although eBay say it'll be 'small' , if it's 8% like elsewhere that's a massive hit for us to take. Yes it's for the buyers but we all know prices will drop because of it - for example a 350 item will now cost 379 to the buyer with an 8% fee that is currently used by another platform, so of course sellers will drop the initial price so that the item actually sells and to offset this." "Fine for private sellers who have no fees to compensate, but insane for business sellers with hefty final value fee and shop fees already," reports the Express .
The exact date of the change is yet to be confirmed. This follows the company's recent policy update in September, which saw private sellers exempted from fees on used clothing across most categories. In an internal message, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone .