To think that eBay are taking the p*** now?!

[LaDeeDaDeeDumb]

So after all the messing around with the Buyer Protection Fee, trying to figure out what eBay is charging buyers on top of what I’ve set as the price…

I sold an item today and when I tried to get the buyer’s address to make a postage label using Royal Mail 48, I was stonewalled with a “generate your Evri label” message.

Apparently, despite me never agreeing to this, eBay have decided I am buying an Evri label. They would not give me the address to make a label any other way. They have already charged me for it out of the money paid by the buyer.

If I don’t want to use Evri (because I have had several bad experiences with them) I have to pay for the label, never use it, and wait for a refund.

How is this legal?

I was also then told there is no way to make a formal complaint. I can complain to an advisor and he will “pass on my comments”. He also told me several times if I didn’t buy the Evri label, my “account would be affected by late delivery rates” as I wouldn’t be able to mark my item as dispatched or enter any tracking details.

WTAF?

Does anyone know who my complaint should go to? Financial Ombudsman Service? Or someone else?

Sorry I can't comment on the EVRI thing, but I think eBay have lost the plot. I have gone from a very prolific buyer and seller, to literally never using it. And that happened in a fairly short space of time. They've not kept pace with other platforms and I think that both buyers and sellers have felt absolutely rinsed at various points.

My understanding is that, when you list an item, you specify which couriers you are prepared to use. The buyer then chooses the courier they want to use from that list.

I only ever specify Royal Mail, so buyers don't have the option of using Evri.

You can choose whether to allow Evri, Royal Mail or both when editing the listing. Too late now. Just send it and sort out your other listings so you use Royal Mail for them.

Ebay held my money when I sold a saddle for £350 for a month despite the buyer posting positive feedback within days.
I had been an ebay buyer and seller for almost 25 years at that point with 100% feedback over about 2000 items and transactions.
Trying to speak to a human is a complicated game of finding the hidden route to customer services who, when you eventually hunt them down, can’t help anyway.
That plus the bizarre pricing thanks to the buyer protection fee has finished ebay for me.
Vinted customer service is actually worse but their pricing and platform is easier to use and you get your money in a reasonable timescale.

Yes I agree with the annoying holding of funds etc.

Just to update: I did not select Evri as a possible courier, and neither did my buyer. It was eBay that decided I would be using Evri. It has never happened to me before so obviously some new nonsense to contend with!

I have made sure none of my listing specify Evri since having bad experiences with them and no compensation.

So annoyed with them. I would have cancelled the order but didn’t want to let the buyer down.

In my experience where it says purchase postage label you are able to edit the carrier and override what eBay have selected. I was able to do this what a buyer in Northern Ireland bought a low value item. Listing was showing evri as courier £2.94 but evri charge £5 plus to deliver to NI. I was able to change carrier to Royal Mail

You can't any more. They've changed it so that some listings you can only use their chosen courier.

I haven't listed anything new yet so the postage options look the same to me. I can just choose the way I want to send when I click purchase postage label. I will have to check what it is like.
I used to get payouts every day before so its annoying that I have to wait for payment. Most of the things I sell are large letter so I am not going to post tracked.
I would rather pay the selling the fee as before than have the buyers pay a fee.

Yes, I would rather pay the seller fee as before too. It’s so confusing trying to figure out what you’re actually saying to each other when it comes to offers.

My listing wasn’t any different to usual, and I certainly didn’t select Evri. It just stonewalled me out of nowhere saying the money had already been taken. I suppose I’ll get it refunded by the time I get the money for the sale (since it takes forever again) and it will be fine in the end.

But why should I have to pay for something I never agreed to and then wait for a refund? So presumptious, eBay!

Ebay are shite. Here's the direct number if anyone wants it...you do actually get to speak to a human..03453553229

I used to sell a a fair bit on there but the changes are annoying and I've lost interest.
By the time you've listed something, sold it, wrapped and sent it etc, only for the buyer to ask for a return because the blue dress isn't pink or the preloved shoes don't look new or whatever. Sell something then pay two lots of postage and still have the item.

Having said that, I bought something last week for a cheap price and loved it.

Despite the new complicated system I am still getting more sales on ebay than Vinted. I list the same product on both sites for the same price (mostly unwanted / outgrown clothes). I suspect many Vinted buyers are fed up of receiving items with holes in it etc so are slowly going back to ebay where they get better protection.

It takes several clicks but there is a way to select "custom postage" and you put in your own courier and cost instead of the default and you get the buyer address at checkout after this.

DH sold an alarm and various bits (window and door sensors, cameras, etc) and when the buyer received it he claimed it didn’t work (it did as we tested it before we sent it and after getting it back) then sent it back to the return address with no communication until we received it back. Then we realised he’d kept a part of it and when DH asked him he said oh yes I decided I wanted that bit. Despite us sending eBay screenshots of this conversation as they far as they were concerned the buyer had returned everything and he was refunded in full! Whilst we lost the postage fees and the part the buyer kept! Never again

@WhatICallMyUsername that is awful! We’ve had similar over the years to be honest!

I have ended up going back to them because they have the reach to the greatest number of buyers, but it’s getting less and less worth it!

Those who sell regularly in ebay, over 30 items per year, did you get an email asking for your NI no? Did you submit it?

Yes I submitted both NI to ebay and Vinted. I sell 1 or 2 items per month of old clothes my kids outgrow, less than £20 per month worth.

For me I make more money on mens clothes on Vinted and womens and kids on ebay. I list all my items on both.