Martin Lewis’ MSE has issued a warning to eBay shoppers (Image: ITVX)
Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert has issued a warning to anyone buying on popular online commerce website eBay.
The auction site recently scrapped listing fees for private sellers, making it totally free to list on and sell old unwanted items without having to give a cut to .
Unfortunately, though, the website is about to introduce new fees for buyers instead, has warned.
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From February 4 – less than a month away – will introduce a new ‘buyer protection fee’.
The fee will see a flat fee of 75p added to the cost of any item bought from a private seller (i.e. a regular person, not a business).
It will also charge 4% on the first £300 of an item’s cost, and 2% on the portion between £300 and £4,000 – a sort of ‘stamp duty’ for items bought on eBay.
It means that an item which used to cost 50p will now cost £1.27, an eyewatering 154% price increase.
An item which cost £20 would now cost £21.55 and an item previously costing £2,000 would now cost £2,046.
Ebay says the changes are for buyer protection, but Martin Lewis’ MSE said: “eBay’s marketing spin is you’ll now get ‘buyer protection’. However, the updates seem like no great shakes to us. Private sellers will soon get paid after delivery and customer support will be available 24/7 (previously just working hours).
It already has a Money Back Guarantee scheme, which covers you if you don’t receive something or it doesn’t match the listing. This is staying the same.
“The new fees mean buy an ice cream maker priced at £60 by the seller, and you’d fork out an extra £2.40, plus 75p. That’s a total of £3.15 more than you currently need to pay.
“On cheaper goods, the fees will sometimes more expensive than the item itself, eg, buy a hair bow for 50p and you’d pay 77p in fees.”
“Had your eye on something specific from a private seller? It could be worth buying before 4 Feb, when eBay will automatically add its cut to the price. (These sellers have ‘private’ next to their username.)”
Announcing the changes, said: “Discover the things you love, knowing we’ve got you covered with our new and existing protections. Starting in February 2025, we’re adding Buyer Protection to enhance your shopping experience. A fee is included when you purchase from private sellers.
“We’ve made it free to sell for private sellers, so it’s easier than ever for more sellers to bring you a wider variety of things you love. To support this change, we will charge a buyer fee to cover Buyer Protection services and ensure a trusted experience when purchasing items from private sellers.
“For listings by business sellers, Buyer Protection is added at no extra cost. Business sellers already pay transaction fees with each item that sells.
“Buyer Protection is included at no cost for purchases of listings from private sellers not registered in the UK.
“Buyer Protection excludes Vehicles, Classified Ads, and Property.”