Selling on eBay

Introduction eBay sellers source and sell new or second-hand goods on the eBay platform, using either auction-style or fixed-price listings. Sellers typically source items from wholesalers, charity shops, other eBay traders, suppliers of ex-catalogue or clearance stock and car boot sales, as well as from auctions and insolvency sales. Some sell items they have made themselves, such as handmade crafts and jewellery.

Many eBay traders start up as private sellers, offering their surplus household items, clothes or collectables for sale, and then develop their trading activity commercially as registered business sellers.

Trading issues

Sellers must register as an eBay business seller and confirm details about the way in which they will pay sellers' fees on the items they list and sell and must comply with eBay's Rules and Policies. Details about registering as a business seller are available at www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/signing-ebay-account/signing-ebay-account?id=4191.
Sellers can set up an eBay shop instead of listing items individually. There are three shop packages: Basic, Featured and Anchor, which provide different benefits and promotional opportunities.
Sellers are required to accept the terms of eBay's User Agreement, Money Back Guarantee Policy and User Privacy Notice.
Prohibited items, such as guns and weapons, lock-picking devices, medicines and medicinal products and stolen property cannot be sold on eBay. Restricted items can only be sold under certain conditions and include animals, plants and seeds, food and used cosmetics.
Sellers must comply with eBay's listing policies. The policies cover prohibited items that cannot be listed, actions that are not allowed, and prohibited actions on completion of a sale.
Fees payable by business sellers vary according to what is sold, how listings are set up and whether or not the seller has an eBay Shop. Business sellers who do not have an eBay Shop are charged a fee for each item they list (an insertion fee), regardless of whether it sells.
Sellers can buy and print Royal Mail postage labels on eBay Seller Hub. Courier delivery labels are available via Packlink, which arranges deliveries via myHermes, DPD, UPS, CollectPlus and UKMail.
Some sellers offer an option for customers to 'Click & Collect' at over 3,500 eBay collection point locations across the UK, such as Argos, Sainsbury's and CollectPlus. In order to be eligible, sellers must offer free delivery within five days by various carriers, including Royal Mail, Parcelforce and several courier firms specified by eBay.
eBay provides a number of online tools to help manage listings and stock.
Business sellers with an income of £1,001 or more who are regularly selling items via eBay with a view to making a profit must register for tax self-assessment with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and declare their income and expenses.