When eBay announced that they were (mostly) dropping fees for private sellers, I wondered how this would impact their bottom line.
It seems that they have it sorted. Basically, from next month, private sellers will have a fee added to any price they set.
"Im a private seller. What does this mean for me?
While listing, you'll see that a Buyer Protection fee will be added to the listing price. You'll be able to review your listing price, the Buyer Protection fee, and the total item price the buyer will see before completing your listing.
The Buyer Protection fee will be calculated as:
A flat fee of £0.75 per item, and 4% of the item price up to £300, and 2% of any portion of the item price from £300 to £4,000"
So, overall, instead of taking their cut from what a seller receives, they grab it before they get their hands on it. :-(
Chris