Ebid is the best

[sanddancer]

My husband who stills sells on the dreaded greedy FEEBAY site has been informed he is blocked as a private seller and must register as a business????????????

WHY? Well maybe it is because he has listed lots of different items as well as those on behalf of family and friends. Feebay now have free listing days each month, he has listed about 325 items accumulated over the last twelve months. Of those items he may sell about five to ten, the rest wait until the next free listing day. He did a month ago sell a staggering 56 items or thereabouts many of which were other peoples goods. Suddenly this all constitute's him as a business. According to EU regulations, on-line auction sites must stop people selling huge volumes of items as this then puts them in the business bracket, or else listing a large number of items each month or two. Or is it as I suspect because he is not paying for listing the goods and only the final value fee?

Considering books for example. I worked for 40 years as a Nursery Nurse, Nanny and Childminder as well as having five of my own children I accumulated hundreds of books. We now are selling off these books and recent purchases that have been read. Do they think we are running a business because I am selling off these books? Handcrafted cards are a hobby of mine, started when I made them to sell on behalf of the school I was employed at, on retirement I was left with in excess of 300 cards and I have tried to sell them off, many with the money going to charity. Of course he has listed lots of other items, non of which are duplicates, as in clothes etc.

He also had on sale items which can also be found on this site, a risk I know but he still did it. His argument was well you hardly sell anything on Ebid but we have sold plenty on EBAY. I do not agree with him an prefer to stick to EBID, a much better site altogether. YES sales are still very slow considering how long I have been selling on here. But as I have said maybe it is because we have not kept up with regular listings.
He is disabled and is actually very ill and awaiting a kidney transplant operation and he sells on Ebay as a way of passing time as he cannot do much else.

So being loyal to the GREEDY FEEBAY SITE has resulted in him sitting not being able to sell. He has now promised to list on EBID, so watch this space. Everything I sell do come from my own home as well as one or two items from family and friends, apart from AVON which obviously I do buy, but as I am ill myself do not go around the doors anymore and I only have friends and relatives who buy, but I never reach a level where I actually make any money, and just keep it going to get what I want, extra I do sell on here just to keep my account with Avon open.

I would be interested to know what is constituted as a business and what is not? The same must apply to Car Boots, Market Stalls etc. You can spot the traders who sell large amounts of duplicated items etc. whereas the casual seller would sell a variety of goods. Traders sell very, very cheaply and casual seller's higher prices, that is how I judge it. ANY THOUGHTS ANYONE?

[astral276]

Depends on what definition of 'business' you want. There is the strict definition that goes something like:

A commercial activity engaged in as a means of livelihood or profit, or an entity which engages in such activities.

By that definition all of us selling here are operating as a business as we all hope to turn a profit - even if that profit is only on the value of second hand goods.

The more important, and less well defined, is when HM Revenue & Customs would deem us as running a business. There a lot is based on scale. Buy in (or manufacture) the odd few items to sell on and HMR&C are not really interested. Do it regularly or on a scale that would impact on the amount of tax you are liable to pay and they drop you a note asking how life is treating you and promise to keep in touch.

Whether an online seller, on sites such as eBid, declares themselves to be a business seller or not is irrelevant. If they can be shown to be operating in a way that would constituent a business then they are subject to any laws and regulations that apply to a business.

[TonyBridger]

I would be interested to know what is constituted as a business and what is not? The same must apply to Car Boots, Market Stalls etc. You can spot the traders who sell large amounts of duplicated items etc. whereas the casual seller would sell a variety of goods. Traders sell very, very cheaply and casual seller's higher prices, that is how I judge it. ANY THOUGHTS ANYONE?

In the UK anyone who buys or makes items to resale is classed as a business. You make cards to sell so you are running a business. You buy items from Avon to resale so are working as a self employed agent and are running a business.

The fact you may not be making any profit does not matter as you are still classed as running a business and must comply with the Distance Selling Regulations.

[sanddancer]

Thank you for your response. From what I can gather is, everyone without exception is a potential business by the very nature of selling on online auctions. The same has to be said of local newspapers who have FREE ads. I have used these free ads myself and if the items I have listed have not sold, I re-advertise them, until it was queried if I was a business, that is on only a handful of things. I AM NOT, I was only selling in my local paper items my family have grown out of or no longer want.

It seems in this country you cannot buy something and then sell it on after you have no further use for it, as you are then seen as running a business, rather than dumping it in the bin. As for charity shops I now very rarely if ever give to local charity shops, one reason being they often throw away huge volumes of goods they deem they cannot sell, including Brand New items????? I know people who have worked in these shops and have had this verified, and have also seen for myself goods being thrown away.

Why did these online auctions sites start??? Surely they were there originally for people to sell their unwanted goods, its seems as if it has been taken over by business people, not that I am complaining. Yes, everyone should pay taxes on business, but if the sellers are selling their unwanted goods they have already paid tax on, then it means the taxman can then tax them twice?? Not fair in my opinion. One of my sons worked for the Tax Office and I am well aware of the pitfalls and he has said it won't be long before everyone selling online will pay tax on the sale of their goods, wether bought to sell or no longer required as in the case of clothes, books etc. So everyone be aware it can mean things they sell!

In this country people have always sold things from home, how else did all the home grown cottage industries start. From potted plants, home made jam to knitted goods the list is endless. But frequently it was to make a little bit "pin money" and old fashioned term but still applies today. It is unfair that people cannot help themselves without the tax man or someone else wanting a chunk of the earnings. Something else to chew over!