Ebay sellers have threatened to boycott the marketplace over its decision to end PayPal after almost two decades.
Under new rules that came into force for a number of sellers on May 31, monthly billing statements will no longer exist and sellers will have their fees automatically deducted straight after an item is sold.
Seller fees will also rise to 12.8% of the final amount including delivery, plus 30p in the UK.
The old system was 10% for eBay, plus PayPal's fees, plus 30p. The difference favours the new system to the tune of pennies for most transactions.
Sellers will also have to wait 48 hours before they can access their cash.
After that point, the money would be transferred straight to their bank account – eliminating the need for PayPal.
PayPal was acquired by eBay in its early days in 2002, and the two firms have worked in partnership ever since. However, the new rules will put an end to this nineteen-year partnership with customers gradually being rolled onto the new system.
Now some sellers have threatened to stop using the service over the move.
EBay's forum users have said they are reluctant to use the new system and give eBay direct debit access to their personal bank accounts.
Many are concerned that without PayPal acting as an intermediary Ebay, which is seen as largely bias towards customers regarding disputes, will now exert too much control over their sales.
Some have raised concerns that refunds could be automatically issued to buyers if there are any disputes, leaving them vulnerable to the increasing number of fraudsters.
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Ebay says it adheres to the same rules as other direct debit schemes, meaning customers will have advanced notice of how much is being taken out and will receive refunds for any fraudulent or incorrect payments.
Others have questioned the new payment system, which will replace PayPal’s fees with new Ebay fees, though it says the majority of sellers will be better off under new rules.
Prior to the changes sellers were charged 10% of the final sales price by Ebay, a further fee by PayPal plus a standard rate of 30p.
Under the new system sellers will pay 12.8% to Ebay plus 30p, but will no longer pay any extra fees to PayPal.
Ebay bought PayPal in 2002 and until 2015, the payment giant’s service were closely tied to Ebay’s platform.
But the new terms, effective from 1 June, say the new "managed payments" system is compulsory, and the company has the power to limit or remove listings from sellers who refuse to use it.
The move also means that buyers will automatically have access to every payment option available - including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayPal Credit.
The feature has been rolled out since about 2018, an eBay spokesperson said - with business sellers moving first. An estimated four million sellers are already using it.
The deadlines for all users are phased - so while many sellers are required to move to the new system from 1 June, others will receive a message from eBay in the coming weeks and months.
