Gloves off in pre-loved price war as eBay scraps private seller fees

eBay is second only to Amazon as the biggest online marketplace in the world.

Earlier this year, eBay UK abolished fees for private users selling pre-loved clothing, which, the company claims, drove a double-digit increase in listings for items including jeans, shirts, and dresses.

Now eBay has gone a step further by scrapping seller fees across almost all categories, with the change kicking in immediately.

The new policy means private sellers will no longer pay final value or regulatory fees, except for cars, motorcycles, and other large vehicles. However, business sellers on eBay will still have to pay fees.

Kirsty Keoghan, general manager of eBay UK, emphasised the benefits to buyers and sellers of the change: "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.

"If you sell anything on eBay as a private seller, you will not pay any fees. So, if you sell an item for £20 (€24), you will be able to pocket the £20 (€24)."

eBay's decision to scrap seller fees is seen by industry analysts as a strategic response to increased competition from younger,** more nimble resale platforms, such as Depop and Vinted.

Vinted, Lithuania's first "unicorn" company (a private startup with a valuation of at least $1bn - €906,000m), was founded by Milda Mitkute in 2008, who set up a website to clear her closet of unwanted clothes.

The company grew exponentially and now has 16 million UK users. Vinted, like many resale platforms, charges buyers rather than sellers. There are no fees for uploading or selling