FAQs

• Why are you encouraging multiple-item listings?
  • As a seller, it's easier and cheaper for you to sell and manage multiple quantities of an identical product by using a single Buy It Now listing. From now on, using multiple-item listings means you pay just one insertion fee for all items in that listing, and reduces listing administration, compared to managing several single-item listings.
    
    Also, from 25th September, recent sales from a single listings will be included as one of the factors in sorting search results for Buy It Now items, so you'll get more prominence in search results if you use multiple-item listings correctly.
    
    Finally, it's easier for buyers to find the item that they want without searching from several duplicate listings.
    
    

• Will my SIF items automatically switch to BIN on 25th September?
  • SIF listings will be phased out on 25th September. If a seller sets up SIF listings before that date, and they are due to end after 25th September, they will appear as BIN listings in main search results.
    
    

• Will 30-day duration/Good ‘Til Cancelled/reduced Insertion Fee be available to Motor Dealers?
  • 30-day duration fixed-price listings, Good ‘Til Cancelled (GTC) and the subscription-based reduced insertion fees won’t be available for listings in the Vehicles category, but will be available for Parts & Accessories.
    
    That means 30 day/GTC and subscription based pricing is not available for Vehicles. However Featured First is available in Vehicles.
    
    

• Can you still edit your 30-day listings?
  • Here's a list of what can and can't be edited on a 30-day listing once you've put it on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie:
    
    
    • You can revise the price up or down, and add quantity.
    • You can add new features, such as Bold.
    • You won't be able to remove any features from Good 'Til Cancelled listings.
    • You won't be able to add Good 'Til Cancelled duration to an active listing. (Only Shop owners can use Good 'Til Cancelled.)

• What will happen to current fixed price listings (Buy It Now and Shop Inventory Format) from 25th September?

  • All fixed price listings will automatically convert to the new Buy It Now format with a new fees structure.

    Current BIN listings (3, 5, 7 or 10 day)

    • These will remain BIN listings with the same duration
    • To convert them to Good 'Til Cancelled (GTC), you should let the listings end naturally (or cancel them), revise the duration in the usual way (in the Sell Your Item form, or Selling Manager or Turbo Lister) and then relist them

    Current Shop Inventory Format ('SIF') (30 or 90 day)

    • 30 day SIF listings will convert to 30 day BIN listings
    • 90 day SIF listings will finish when the entire 90-day period has run out. There won't be any extra fees to pay beyond the normal Insertion Fees and Final Value Fees incurred

    SIF (Good 'Til Cancelled)

    • SIF GTC listings will convert to BIN GTC listings
    • They will automatically renew every 30 days at the new fees based on the Shop subscription level

• What will happen to existing Shop Inventory Format (SIF) listings below 99p?
  • For current 90 day SIF listings priced below 99p, these will convert to BIN listings and will run to the end of the listing duration naturally. Thereafter if a seller wants to relist these, they must set the Buy It Now (BIN) price at 99p or above.
    
    For Good 'Til Cancelled SIF listings priced below 99p, these will convert to BIN listings. In December any remaining BIN listings priced below 99p will be cancelled as the listing comes up for renewal. Thereafter if a seller wants to relist these, they must set the BIN price at 99p or above.
    
    We recommend that sellers adjust the price of their BIN listings to 99p or above as early as possible so that they can continue building the recent sales (popularity) score on their listings and avoid the need to cancel and relist.
    
    

• For sub-99p BIN listings, will sellers be able to revise these listings as normal post 25th September, e.g. revise quantity?
  • Yes sellers will be able to revise these listings post 25th September.

• What is happening to Shop Inventory Format?
  • After 25th September, all Buy It Now listings will appear in main search results, even if they are listed through a Shop. That means that Shop Inventory Format will end.
    
    

• Will the Best Match search results formula change for Buy it Now items?
  • Yes. The order of Buy It Now items in search results will be partly based on recent sales from that listing, which is why multiple-item listings are so important if you have lots of one item to sell.
    
    These listings will be mixed with Auction-format listings in search results, where Time Ending Soonest will continue to be an important factor.
    
    Alongside this, we will continue to monitor how search is working in each category to ensure that:
    
    
    1. Buyers can continue to find the items they want and from sellers they can trust.
    2. Sellers get fair visibility, with great sellers enjoying an advantage over sellers who don’t provide the service buyers expect.

• How will recent sales work with Best Match?
  • Recent sales, defined by how well a relevant listing is selling over the past 7 days, is one of several factors we'll take into account when a buyer searches for an item. Recent sales is a factor relevant only to Buy It Now listings.
    
    DSR ratings and other factors, such as relevance, are still important, and the 'Best Match' sort ranking for Buy It Now items is based on all factors, not just recent sales.
    
    

• I list lots of identical Buy It Now items in separate listings at ten minute intervals so that I’m always featured near the top of search results. Will changes to Best Match affect this?
  • Yes. Buy It Now items will now have a strong Best Match element based on recent sales. That is why listing identical items in multi-quantities on one listing will be the best way to get high placement in search results.
    
    Simply – the more items you sell from one listing, the higher that listing is likely to appear in search results.
    
    Time Ending Soonest will continue to be an important factor in how auction-format listings are ordered in search results, but not Buy It Now items.
    
    

• I’ve got a multiple-item listing running, but I need to change it. How will that affect the recent sales element of Best Match after 25th September?
  • Recent sales is relevant to your listing’s position in search results only if it is a Buy It Now listing.
    
    If you are simply relisting an item without changing any details, the listing's recent sales information will be the same, as long as you relist within 7 days of the listing closing.
    
    If you make any of the changes listed below, recent sales from your listing will be reset to zero. As recent sales is one of several factors in how we rank listings in search, your revised listing's appearance in search may be affected.
    
    
    • Increase in starting price
    • Change of listing title
    • Change of item condition
    • Change of category

• Can I pay to have my Buy It Now items show up on eBay.com, eBay.ca and other places?
  • No, from 25th September international visibility upgrade will only be available for auction items, until further notice.

• How many Featured First slots will be available to sellers?
  • Featured First is an upgrade that you can buy for your listing that puts your listing at the top of the first page of relevant search results. There are two Featured First placements at the top of search results, and the listings appearing in the slots will be picked randomly from all those that have bought the upgrade.
    
    The cost of Featured First depends on the format, duration and category of your listing.
    
    For the media category, these fees apply:
    
    7 days (Fixed Price only) - £11.95 (€14.99 on eBay.ie)
    30 days (Fixed Price only) - £35.95 (€44.99 on eBay.ie)
    Up to 10 days (Auction only) - £11.95 (€14.99 on eBay.ie)
    
    For all other categories, these fees apply:
    
    7 days (Fixed Price only) - £44.95 (€56.99 on eBay.ie)
    30 days (Fixed Price only) - £134.95 (€169.99 on eBay.ie)
    Up to 10 days (Auction only) - £44.95 (€56.99 on eBay.ie)
    
    
    You can buy Featured First for any number of listings, and buy it more than once for the same listing. For example, you could buy two seven-day slots in the course of a 30-day listing.
    
    You can add Featured First to a fixed price listing after it's started, if you'd like to promote your listing. If you choose to do this, you'll only be able to choose the 7-day option.
    
    

• How much will Featured First cost?
  • For the media category, these fees apply:
    
    7 days (Fixed Price only) - £11.95 (€14.99 on eBay.ie)
    30 days (Fixed Price only) - £35.95 (€44.99 on eBay.ie)
    Up to 10 days (Auction only) - £11.95 (€14.99 on eBay.ie)
    
    For all other categories, these fees apply:
    
    7 days (Fixed Price only) - £44.95 (€56.99 on eBay.ie)
    30 days (Fixed Price only) - £134.95 (€169.99 on eBay.ie)
    Up to 10 days (Auction only) - £44.95 (€56.99 on eBay.ie)
    
    

• How does Featured First work alongside Featured Plus?
  • Featured First doesn't appear after the first page.
    
    Featured Plus listings will feature on the page where the listing normally would have appeared. For example, if a listing without Featured Plus would have appeared on page 2 of search results, adding Featured Plus would make the listing appear at the top of page 2.
    
    

• Do I have to add Featured First at the start of a listing?
  • You can add Featured First to a Buy It Now listing after it's started, if you'd like to promote your listing. If you choose to do this, you'll only be able to choose the 7-day option.
    
    

• Can I turn off Featured First before the 7 or 30 days is up?
  • To remove Featured First from your listing you will need to end the listing, and remove the feature before you relist.
    
    

• Can anyone use Featured First?
  • No, you need to have a minimum 30-day-average DSR score of 4.4 across the four DSRs.
    
    

• When I relist/revise a listing, which changes will affect the recent sales score for that listing?
  • If you make any of these changes, they’ll will affect the recent sales (popularity) score:
    • increase in start price
    • change title
    • change an item condition
    • change in category

• Where will my items be seen elsewhere in Europe?
  • Across UK and Ireland, both Auction and Buy It Now listings will show up in normal search results.
    
    Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy will also have the new Buy It Now format in September. On those sites, a UK listing - regardless of format and whether or not the seller has a Shop - will appear in normal search results if:
    • the item is located in that country, and/or
    • the buyer chooses Europe (or worldwide).
    This is in contrast to the current situation on those sites, where buyers would have to search for both Europe (or worldwide) and SIF to see UK Shop Inventory. Hence for UK Shop sellers, visibility becomes less complex.
    
    On other European sites, Auctions from all UK sellers and Buy It Now listings from UK sellers without Shops follow the same rules as above. Buy It Now listings from UK sellers with Shops will show up in normal searches if the buyer chooses both Europe (or worldwide) and Shop Inventory Format.
    
    

• Can you explain how International Site Visibility (ISV) will work for US sellers wanting to list in the UK and UK sellers wanting to list in the US?

  • Auctions:

    • US Auctions (including Auction with Buy It Now) show up on the UK site if the US seller pays the International Site Visibility (ISV) fee.
    • UK Auctions (including Auction with Buy It Now) show up on the US site if the UK seller pays the ISV fee.

    Buy It Now:

    • US Buy It Now listings show up on the UK site if the US seller pays the ISV fee. US Shop listings show up on the UK site if the buyer selects worldwide.
    • UK Buy It Now listings aren’t eligible for the ISV.
    • Listings from UK sellers without Shops show up on the US site if the buyer selects worldwide.
    • Listings from UK sellers with Shops show up on the US site if the buyer selects worldwide and Shop Inventory Format.

    Auction with Buy It Now:

    • Auction with Buy It Now follows the same rules as Auction, so will still be eligible for the international site visibility fee. It will appear in the US and Canada as before if you select those countries.

• What is happening to Auction visibility once the new changes come into effect?
  • Auction-format listings will appear in search results alongside Buy It Now listings, ordered by Best Match. For Auction-format listings, ‘time ending soonest’ will remain the dominant Best Match factor in determining what order items appear in search results. Auction-format and Buy It Now listings from sellers with a Detailed Seller Rating score under 4.4 (based on a 30-day average) will be demoted in the search results, as has been the case since early 2008.

• Will subscribers to Shops on eBay sites other than eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie be able to list new-BIN format listings on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie, at the new fee rates based on their shop subscription level?
  If yes, will they have to meet the UK’s business registration and minimum DSR requirements per shop level in order to list at the new fee rates?
  If no, will there be reciprocal 'cannot list shop format' arrangements between eBay.co.uk eBay.ie and the other eBay sites, such that eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie shop subscribers will only be able to list shop-associated listings on the UK site?
  • Subscribers to Shops on eBay sites other than eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie will be able to list items in the BIN format in the UK. Their insertion fees will be the same as for non-shop owners, ie 40p (20p in Media) on eBay.co.uk.
    
    If subscribers to Shops on sites other than eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie want to list items in the BIN format in the UK with insertions fees of 20p, 5p or 1p (depending on shop level), they will have to open a shop on the UK site. In order to do so, they will have to meet the UK criteria to open a shop (for instance: business registration and DSR minimum for Featured and Anchor Shops)

• For sub-99p BIN listings, will these show in search in the same way as other listings post 25th September?
  • Yes these will show in search results in the same way as other listings post 25th September

• Will seller discounts change?
  • No, there will be no changes to the qualification criteria or level of discounts. Sellers can continue to get discounts of up to 40% on their final value fees dependant on the volume of items they sell and their service standards.

• Will you remove Shops who are providing bad buyer experiences?
  • To open or keep a Shop requires minimum DSR scores. We’ll review the status of shop owners on a regular basis and will downgrade/remove those falling below the necessary criteria, after a 60 day notice period as part of the Seller Non Performance policy.

• If my DSRs drop below the required 4.4 for a Featured shop, will I be moved to a Basic Shop immediately?
  • We’ll be checking Shops’ DSR performance regularly and taking action if they’re not meeting requirements. We’ll give you a period of time to make improvements before taking action.

Fees

• Why are my final value fees going up?
  • Whilst the majority of sellers will see their overall fees go down or stay the same on 25th September, we appreciate that some sellers will see their fees go up.
    
    This year we’re reducing the up-front cost and risk of listing on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie, so that the majority of fees are paid only when you successfully sell an item. That means our success as a company is even more closely tied to your selling success.
    
    We did this in February for sellers who use auction-format and Buy It Now listings.
    
    We are continuing with this policy by making the Gallery feature free to everyone, and by also enabling sellers who have lots of fixed-price items to be able to list them with reduced risk.
    
    eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie remains the cheapest way to reach millions of buyers on the internet.
    
    

• Why aren’t you reducing insertion fees for auction-format listings?
  • We are committed to lowering Insertion Fees for all sellers on the site and reducing up front risk when selling so that the majority of fees are success based.
    
    Earlier this year we reduced insertion fees for auction-style and Buy It Now listings. We are also making the Gallery feature free, creating an up front saving of 15p on every listing.
    
    The price changes announced today are designed to help sellers take better advantage of the demand for fixed price items on the site, alongside auction sales.
    
    

• How will the listing fee for an Auction with BIN be priced?
  • Listing fees for an Auction with a BIN option will be the same as today, i.e. the Insertion Fee (£0.10 to £1.30, depending on the Auction starting price) plus the cost of the BIN option (£0.05 to £0.25, depending on the BIN price).

Search results

• Will search results now mainly feature Buy It Now listings?
  • No. The changes to search on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie that we’re making and have recently made mean that buyers will see search results that are relevant, that feature a mix of Buy It Now and Auction-format listings and for Buy It Now items, they will also see listings that are popular with other buyers.
    
    Sellers who provide good service reflected in high detailed seller ratings will continue to enjoy an advantage over sellers with poor service records (as reflected in low DSR ratings), whose listings will be demoted in search results.
    
    

• Where will my auction-format listings show in the search results?
  • Auction-format listings will appear in search results alongside Buy It Now listings, ordered by Best Match.
    
    For Auction-format listings, ‘time ending soonest’ will remain one of the dominant Best Match factors in determining what order items appear in search results
    
    For Buy It Now listings, recent sales will be an important factor in Best Match results.
    
    Auction-format and Buy It Now listings from sellers with a Detailed Seller Rating score under 4.4 (based on a 30-day average) will be demoted in the search results, as has been the case since early 2008.
    
    

• I don’t have multiple quantities of items to list as I sell unique items. How do I get to the top of search results past the Buy It Now listings with high recent sales?
  • Recent sales only applies to Buy It Now listings.
    
    If your items are unique, you’re unlikely to be competing directly against listings containing multiple quantities of identical, high-selling items.
    
    If you only have one item to sell, and your item is something that is common and available from sellers who can sell in multi-quantities, then we’d suggest:
    
    1. Use the auction format, since we’ve ensured that auctions get good visibility alongside Buy It Nows.
    2. Pay for the ‘featured first’ upgrade.
    
    Also make sure you price competitively and use item specifics as they will help once users refine their search and get to your item.
    
    

Selling strategy

• Should I sell my stuff in Buy It Now or auction format?
  • There are no hard and fast rules to what works best and different sellers will have different selling strategies.
    
    Given the changes we’re making to how Buy It Now sales work, the following may be useful:
    
    Buy It Now works well for items:
    
    
    • that have a clear and competitive market value
    • are commodities readily available elsewhere
    • where you have multiple quantities to sell at a good price.
    Benefits:
    
    
    • You know how much you’re going to get for the item when it sells
      Greater convenience for your buyers and you
    Auction-format listings works well for items:
    
    
    • where you are unsure about the price, eg. A collectible or used item, or are willing to let the market decide
    • that are highly sought after
    • that are a one-off or rare
    Benefits:
    
    
    • A chance to get more than you expected
    • More fun for your buyers and you

PayPal protection

• What is changing to buyer protection with PayPal on eBay.co.uk?
  • Starting in October, eBay.co.uk buyers will receive protection for the full value of their purchases (including postage) if something goes wrong. PayPal will remove the limit for buyer protection claims (currently at £500 for trusted sellers, £150 for all other listings).

• What is changing about seller protection with PayPal on eBay.co.uk?
  • eBay.co.uk sellers will continue to be protected against fraudulent payments and item not received claims, with the following improvements:
    
    
    • No more confirmed address. Sellers can post to whichever address the buyer provides them for the eBay sale through PayPal, whether it is confirmed or not.
    • No more coverage limit. The coverage payout limit under the Seller Protection Policy is £3,250 per year. We are removing this limit to cover all eligible claims.
    • Coverage in more places around the world. Coverage is now extended to the 190 countries supported by PayPal, so sellers can post to customers wherever they are and feel safe.