Online retailer eBay has scrapped fees for private sellers across almost all of its categories.
The move means UK sellers no longer have to pay final value or regulatory operating fees on items except for cars, motorcycles and other vehicles.
The site removed selling fees on all fashion items in April this year to compete with competitors such as Depop or Vinted, ideal for any eco-conscious fashionistas looking to clear out their closets.
Previously, the online marketplace had charged 13.22% fees for individual sellers, plus 30p on all items.
Meanwhile, Depop dropped its seller fees in March, and Vinted never had any listing fees.
Ditching these extra charges has already led to a double-digit increase in listings for popular items such as jeans, shirts, and dresses while keeping items out of landfills, according to the site.
eBay said the further dropping of fees was an effort to provide users with a ‘more streamlined and safe’ platform.
A survey for eBay suggested an estimated 294 million unused items across the UK could generate £9 billion in resale income, with half of households (50%) valuing their unused items at between £50 and £300.
Nearly a quarter of UK households (24%) are sitting on items worth over £500, with the most commonly unused items including adult clothing (44%), DVDs and CDs (33%) and technology items (27%), the poll found.
The majority of people (56%) sell items they no longer use to make money, with almost half (47%) finding it more sustainable than throwing them away, 55% wanting to clear space in their home and 23% selling items to fund new items.
Kirsty Keoghan, eBay’s UK general manager said: ‘eBay is constantly improving the marketplace experience in order to deliver on what our customers want.
‘Removing selling fees across categories is designed to give buyers access to greater breadth and depth of inventory while creating a simplified and streamlined experience for sellers.’
Last year, eBay’s Germany site dropped selling fees, which resulted in the company attracting twice as many new sellers as before, while also luring back inactive sellers, it said.
The growth was seen across almost all categories, but especially in electronics and collectables.
The site is also introducing several features which aim to ‘simplify’ the platform and will add ‘Simple Delivery’ across its categories. This offers sellers a tracked and fully covered delivery, prepaid by the buyer for a ‘simple and secure’ shopping experience.
In addition, ‘eBay Local’ is a new feature that allows shoppers to locate items in their vicinity for collection in person, all under the protection of eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. The feature also increases the visibility of sellers’ listings to local buyers and provides a secure payment process.
Starting in mid-October, eBay Balance will also give sellers the flexibility to use their earnings for shopping on eBay, promoting their listings, purchasing delivery labels or withdrawing available funds.
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