Comments on: Sellers strike in protest at eBay changes http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html eBay & ecommerce made easy Thu, 24 May 2012 00:03:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tony http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4775 Tony Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:43:15 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4775 Ok we're going off on a tangent here, but I was trying to distinguish between business and private sales. In the UK you don't have to pay tax if you're selling a few unwanted presents or old items. If you purchased the items with the intention to sell them at a profit however, then you're a trader. However always check with the tax man to make sure you're not considered a trader. If you're making a shed load of money then there are other taxes you may be liable for even if you're not considered a trader. As for selling broken goods and laws on issues such as the buyer changing their mind, if you're selling via auction format listings, those laws don't always apply. Ok we’re going off on a tangent here, but I was trying to distinguish between business and private sales. In the UK you don’t have to pay tax if you’re selling a few unwanted presents or old items. If you purchased the items with the intention to sell them at a profit however, then you’re a trader. However always check with the tax man to make sure you’re not considered a trader. If you’re making a shed load of money then there are other taxes you may be liable for even if you’re not considered a trader.

As for selling broken goods and laws on issues such as the buyer changing their mind, if you’re selling via auction format listings, those laws don’t always apply.

]]> By: Sue Bailey http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4774 Sue Bailey Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:22:01 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4774 Oh, my apologies, I thought your point was that people who weren't making much money didn't have to pay tax. And that "hobby sellers" can sell broken goods so long as they don't say they're working. Oh, my apologies, I thought your point was that people who weren’t making much money didn’t have to pay tax. And that “hobby sellers” can sell broken goods so long as they don’t say they’re working.

]]> By: Tony http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4773 Tony Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:16:37 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4773 Err that was my point Sue, I said that that's probably why ebay strive for higher standards. Err that was my point Sue, I said that that’s probably why ebay strive for higher standards.

]]> By: Sue Bailey http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4772 Sue Bailey Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:02:25 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4772 If that's representative of "hobby sellers", I'm really not surprised at all that eBay are taking steps to tighten up standards on the site. If that’s representative of “hobby sellers”, I’m really not surprised at all that eBay are taking steps to tighten up standards on the site.

]]> By: Tony http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4771 Tony Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:45:20 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4771 Hobby sellers, people who do it for a bit of pocket money, whom HMRC aren't too bothered about as long as they really are only doing it for a bit of money. Consumer protection laws are different for private sales, obviously not in terms of misleading descriptions, but goods purchased from a private seller do not have to be free from faults, unless the description said they were working. Feedback blackmail is going to shift from being a buyer problem to being a seller problem. The buyer will from May hold all the aces, you'll have an empty hand and it's the smaller sellers who are going to be the victims of this extortion. Power sellers will brush it off. Yet the small guy, he's the one who will be worried. This is similar to the current situation, you don't get many power buyers, so a buyer has more to lose from bad feedback, hence the reason they are more likely to negotiate feedback. The fact that you leave feedback first is really irrelevant, because the next time the person buys, they still have their feedback rating to think of, it's designed to work that way. A poor system is a poor system, but ebay seem hell bent on making a poor system worse. Hobby sellers, people who do it for a bit of pocket money, whom HMRC aren’t too bothered about as long as they really are only doing it for a bit of money. Consumer protection laws are different for private sales, obviously not in terms of misleading descriptions, but goods purchased from a private seller do not have to be free from faults, unless the description said they were working.

Feedback blackmail is going to shift from being a buyer problem to being a seller problem. The buyer will from May hold all the aces, you’ll have an empty hand and it’s the smaller sellers who are going to be the victims of this extortion. Power sellers will brush it off. Yet the small guy, he’s the one who will be worried. This is similar to the current situation, you don’t get many power buyers, so a buyer has more to lose from bad feedback, hence the reason they are more likely to negotiate feedback.

The fact that you leave feedback first is really irrelevant, because the next time the person buys, they still have their feedback rating to think of, it’s designed to work that way.

A poor system is a poor system, but ebay seem hell bent on making a poor system worse.

]]> By: Chris Dawson http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4770 Chris Dawson Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:34:46 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4770 Just to add to Sue I've been trying feedback first ever since I first started selling on ebay. You know I was so innocent, never occured to me the seller shouldn't leave it first and thankfully didn't have anyone to advise me otherwise. By the time people told me I was mad to leave feedback first I'd got used to it and just carried on regardless. Never done me any harm and for years has left me open to feedback extortion. Currently I'm still waiting for my first buyer to try blackmailing me, truth is that buyers are actually pretty much like sellers - in the main they're nice decent people :grin: Just to add to Sue I’ve been trying feedback first ever since I first started selling on ebay. You know I was so innocent, never occured to me the seller shouldn’t leave it first and thankfully didn’t have anyone to advise me otherwise. By the time people told me I was mad to leave feedback first I’d got used to it and just carried on regardless. Never done me any harm and for years has left me open to feedback extortion.

Currently I’m still waiting for my first buyer to try blackmailing me, truth is that buyers are actually pretty much like sellers – in the main they’re nice decent people :grin:

]]> By: Sue Bailey http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4769 Sue Bailey Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:27:24 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4769 Toby, I think you need to be more precise about "hobby sellers". There are different laws for people selling their own second-hand goods and traders selling new items. However, those who "don't make much profit" or who "are only doing it to earn some pocket money" or who "aren't powersellers" (all real excuses) if they are buying to sell, are still subject to the same laws as the rest of us. As for the feedback blackmail argument, I've been leaving feedback first for months now, and no one has tried to blackmail me. If sellers are so paranoid about buyers, they need to consider the reasons for that paranoia, I think. Toby, I think you need to be more precise about “hobby sellers”. There are different laws for people selling their own second-hand goods and traders selling new items. However, those who “don’t make much profit” or who “are only doing it to earn some pocket money” or who “aren’t powersellers” (all real excuses) if they are buying to sell, are still subject to the same laws as the rest of us.

As for the feedback blackmail argument, I’ve been leaving feedback first for months now, and no one has tried to blackmail me. If sellers are so paranoid about buyers, they need to consider the reasons for that paranoia, I think.

]]> By: Tony http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4768 Tony Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:02:53 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4768 First of all, there are different laws for hobby sellers and business. That's quite possibly why ebay reach for higher standards. As for the feedback protests. They are 100% justified for hobby sellers. Power sellers probably won't be too bothered. However those who strive for their precious 100% feedback are going to be wide open to blackmail. You don't prevent feedback blackmail by making it a one sided win win situation. The Ebay management are either very naive or they believe that allowing buyer feedback blackmail will increase revenue across the board and so it's acceptable. First of all, there are different laws for hobby sellers and business. That’s quite possibly why ebay reach for higher standards.

As for the feedback protests. They are 100% justified for hobby sellers. Power sellers probably won’t be too bothered. However those who strive for their precious 100% feedback are going to be wide open to blackmail.

You don’t prevent feedback blackmail by making it a one sided win win situation. The Ebay management are either very naive or they believe that allowing buyer feedback blackmail will increase revenue across the board and so it’s acceptable.

]]> By: Dave http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4767 Dave Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:52:56 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4767 Hmmm - EBAY changes may be having an effect - certainly on how sellers feel about ebay - you'd think they would try to build up sellers morale and good feelings about Ebay - a lot of good will to throw away. Anyway, yesterday Wed Feb20 ebay.com listing total = 12,926,407, currently Thurs Feb21 = 12,621,222, a drop of 305,185 listings or 2.36% - let's see what the rest of the week brings (I know my 60 or so formerly planned listings won't be there :+) Hmmm – EBAY changes may be having an effect – certainly on how sellers feel about ebay – you’d think they would try to build up sellers morale and good feelings about Ebay – a lot of good will to throw away. Anyway, yesterday Wed Feb20 ebay.com listing total = 12,926,407, currently Thurs Feb21 = 12,621,222, a drop of 305,185 listings or 2.36% – let’s see what the rest of the week brings (I know my 60 or so formerly planned listings won’t be there :+)

]]> By: Dave http://tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4766 Dave Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:50:49 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/2008/02/sellers-strike-in-protest-at-ebay-changes.html#comment-4766 As a seller I've sent EBAY a request to automate the giving of feedback to my buyers - as all the feedback to buyers is the same, why do I have to go through the step of giving it? It's more of a transaction count now, not feedback. As a seller I’ve sent EBAY a request to automate the giving of feedback to my buyers – as all the feedback to buyers is the same, why do I have to go through the step of giving it? It’s more of a transaction count now, not feedback.

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