Read your eBay update - They are going to force you to use their labels
Summary: The discussion revolves around the recent changes by eBay dictating that sellers are required to use eBay's labels. The initial post by elcamino59 highlights this new policy, and subsequent replies from various participants seem to express concern and share experiences related to the update. Multiple users, including onefootflipper and tsme35, engage in the conversation, indicating a significant impact on discussions about shipping processes and costs. The update appears to prompt a lively exchange of thoughts, with interactions featuring exchanges of views and questions seeking clarification on how these changes will affect sellers.
I offer free shipping on all my items. Most of them are small cards and documents which go into an envelope with an 82¢ stamp. I have rolls of stamps, and thousands of dollars in vintage stamps going back to the 1950’s I use on every envelope. This is all postage that is already bought and paid for, and allows me to sell my items cheaply. eBay is now going to generate the postage labels for me and automatically deduct it from my account? I have 49,000 items and none of them have the actual weight, just set to a default because it doesn’t matter if the postage was on my dime. I think my default is like 2lbs. This is going to get really interesting.
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@monroe67 this is from the new version - the sections for eBay Live and Shipping were not in the previous version.
sreu3058
·4 months agoFor smaller sellers, which I am sure there are a million in the USA who do not print their shipping labels from home, actually drive to their local post office if they make a sale, stand in line, and pay the counter rate, get a receipt, and manually input the tracking number,
does EBay think transitioning all these sellers (including me)
will be easy?
Personally, I think not.
We shall see.
monroe67
·4 months agoThe Shipping section can be found in the User Agreement (UA) under Item 14, Additional Terms.
Scroll through the Additional Terms to find the title Shipping.
I compared the language under Shipping in both the "new" UA that will be effective June 28, 2026,
and the current UA which became effective on February 20, 2026.
Those Shipping sections are identical. There is no change in these newer revisions.
Ever since at least February 20, 2026 and possibly earlier, eBay has been able to "force [sellers] to use their labels."
Hours of freak-out . . . . . . .
valueaddedresource
·4 months ago@monroe67 I have no idea what you are talking about.
This is Section 14 from the previous User Agreement effective February 2-, 2026 - you can clearly see that none of the *new* language being talked about here was in that version.
fm2000
·4 months agoTo me, it sounds like they might be rolling out (or at least considering rolling out) some kind negotiated shipping rate like Poshmark has. Or possibly "simple delivery" postage like eBay UK has. It might also have something indirectly to do with the USPS plan to eliminate ounce based rates under 1lb, but that is just a guess based on what I have been able to find.
On eBay UK, non-business sellers don't pay fees... unlike eBay in the US. eBay UK does differentiate between "hobby" sellers and "businesses"... unlike eBay in the US.
christworks
·4 months agoThis is my thinking as well. Not long ago, I made a comment that eBay will eventually have to go the way of Poshmark and Mercari in order to help get shipping costs under control. I don't like how Mercari does it, as you have to enter in too much data. On there I do free shipping and roll that into my item price. I then buy my labels from PirateShip.
On the other hand, I do like how Poshmark does it. I think it is a flat rate of $6.95 the buyer pays. For that you can ship up to a 5LB package. I don't think the dimensions matter. They also make it easy to upgrade to a 10LB label for $5 paid by the seller or 15LB label for $10 paid by the seller. If you know you are going to need an upgraded label, you just add that in to the price of the item. It is the same for every seller. It is easy to keep straight. Plus, free GA shipping supplies from USPS. If eBay went this route, I wouldn't be upset about it.
valueaddedresource
·4 months agoWhile we don't have a lot of details yet beyond what is in this user agreement update, it's worth noting that any changes eBay may be making to require label usage likely will not apply to all sellers.
First, some of those terms may refer to existing eBay Shipping programs like EIS and the mandatory shipping already in place for sneakers that go through authentication.
Second, if eBay plans to introduce managed shipping of some kind to the US, it will likely be as part of expanding recent fee-free consumer to consumer selling efforts like they have in Germany, UK and Australia, and if so it would not apply to all sellers.
If you aren't familiar with what eBay is doing in other countries, now might be a good time to look.
In the UK, they have Simple Delivery which is mandatory for most shipments from private sellers.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575
And in Australia, those who meet the criteria for "fee-free selling" will have to purchase labels from eBay - but if a seller doesn't want to do that, they can keep selling under "Pro Starter" and still pay standard selling fees but have the option to purchase their own labels.
https://pages.ebay.com.au/free-selling-is-coming/
I suspect the shipping section in the user update today is likely preparing for launching something similar in the US and if so, again it will likely only apply to those who qualify for whatever the US version will be.
TLDR: don't panic yet as this may ultimately not affect you.
decoacl
·4 months agoEbay must be enjoy instilling panic in their sellers. Their verbiage is so vague and ambiguous. IMO it sounds really authoritarian and we have no choice. Crap, with all this they should take pics and list for people. If they want that much control. I've been selling since 1999, and this is probably the last straw for me. If they force me to buy THEIR labels and ship at THEIR discretion, I'm done.
janet9988
·4 months agoSo if the seller offers free shipping and the buyer gets to choose between express or standard shipping
the seller just has to pay the cost??????
elcamino59
OP4 months agoYeah, the “may” part is the mystery, I agree with you. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up so none of us are caught off guard if we are charged $5.26 for a label for an item you sold for $4.99. The details definitely need to be shared with the selling community, because this has huge implications for us small item sellers. I also wonder what happens to those who have business accounts with major shippers with special discounts? The nefarious part in me thinks eBay sees a cash cow, charge you full price for the label, and they take the discount pricing as a profit.
tsme35
·4 months agoIt was posted on Value added resource eCommerce page today. Ebay is testing the US market, more like preparing, like they have set up for simple delivery in the UK and new policy for fee free shipping in Australia. I hope they don't, shipping is already too high and my business would have to compete with hobby sellers that don't pay fees.
I have my shipping selected for a reason, been selling for 20 yrs, don't need ebay to pick one for me. I don't do overnight, FedEx drop off won't take my fishing rods and UPS is 15 miles away.
"May" means its in the works, wouldn't be surprised the board lights up when ebay drops the new changes on a few sellers like they do with new changes.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoThey pay fees, just like the rest of us.
tsme35
·4 months agoUK private sellers first 300 listings are free, pay no final value fees or regulatory operating fees when items sells except if they sell in motor category, auto relist does not count towards the 300
monroe67
·4 months ago"UK private sellers first 300 listings are free, pay no final value fees or regulatory operating fees when items sells except if they sell in motor category, auto relist does not count towards the 300 "
OK, yes, I will believe you.
Apparently being a "private seller" on eBay's United Kingdom site is a great way to sell old stuff from around your castle -- or maybe just your cottage -- without paying final value fees or regulatory operating fees to eBay.
However.
These Community Forums are on eBay.com, eBay's site for sellers and buyers who are in the United States of America.
In places like Los Angeles, in California, or Miami, in Florida, or even just in little old Hillsboro, in Missouri.
So your comments about what eBay private sellers in Liverpool pay really don't help worried American eBay sellers.
tsme35
·4 months agoI was just answering to a reply, I bet UK and Australia ebay did a User Agreement update prior to changing theirs but is USA changing, DON'T KNOW. I never said it was in the user agreement and as of now ebay doesn't separate either for the USA. Ebay hasn't released much detail for the change but I'd rather be prepared then surprised.
As for me, the 3-4 shipping rate increases a year are putting me out of business, after 20 yrs, I'm hanging up my hat and live off disability. I'll make more money and won't work 7 days a week.
monroe67
·4 months ago"I hope they don't, shipping is already too high and my business would have to compete with hobby sellers that don't pay fees."
Please show the rest of us precisely where in eBay's User Agreement it states that, as you say, "hobby sellers . . . don't pay [eBay] fees."
You can't. Because that statement is not true. ALL eBay sellers pay fees.
Additionally: eBay, at least in the United States, does not differentiate in any way between "hobby sellers" and people who are successfully operating small businesses out of their basement or garage or spare bedroom(s) or storage units.
decoacl
·4 months agoWhat is a "hobby seller that doesn't pay fees"?
OK disregard that. Looks like rules for UK WAY different than for the US. Imagine how many more sellers we'd have if ebay allowed that in the US. It got crazy enough after covid.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoOk, I found it, it is in the current user agreement however it literally says nothing at all about what this might apply to. My off hand guess is that it is going to be for things that get sent to the authentication center and likely nothing else.
Hijacking the entire shipping of the website would result in utter chaos.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoHowever if they do force everyone into using their shipping at their arbitrary rates, keep all the money and STILL charge commission and promoted listing fees on that shipping then that might be the thing that kills ebay for most sellers.
tsme35
·4 months agoHere's the story from value added resource:
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-user-agreement-june-2026/
elcamino59
OP4 months agoI opened up your link, and may have found a work around. This was in there. So if I set my weights of all my items to 850lbs, it will automatically disqualify it!!
12345jamesstamps
·4 months agoCan you imagine the nightmare of combined shipping as to the buyer wanting / asking....sounds like the company wants every item purchased separately...thus .40 fee per sale...
bgt_masters_of_tiki_d
·4 months agoThese terms include, among other important provisions:
You also acknowledge and agree that should the buyer request a return, you may be responsible for refunding the buyer any outbound delivery costs (including for express delivery) for the label eBay provided to you, and that the outbound delivery costs will be deducted from your account to execute the refund.
If you declare the size and weight of your item at listing, you will be responsible for ensuring you declare this correctly.
If you have under-declared the size or weight of your item and additional delivery costs are due to eBay, the additional delivery costs (including any applicable administration or other fees) will be deducted from your account and paid to eBay as set forth in eBay's Payments Terms of Use.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoWhere are you seeing this at? I have no emails or messages with this in it.
turtles-trading-post
·4 months agoI want "eBay Free Shipping" to be where they come to your house, pick up that refrigerator and deliver it to the opposite coast for you free of charge! 😁
sreu3058
·4 months agoWhat if EBay offers overnight shipping but I’ve got a hot date and can’t get to the post office in time?
Hmmm….
monroe67
·4 months agoFirst of all, I'm not sure where your quote is from. Is it part of the new User Agreement revisions?
I think I have a little more research to do . . . . . .
I think, however, that you are not reading carefully, starting with "eBay may add certain delivery options . . . ."
"May" is not definitive, but is more permissive, indicating more of a possibility than a certainty.
Further on in that quote, it says:
"For listings that are eligible, you may see a simplified listing flow where eBay will require you to (i) list with eBay shipping as the delivery method and (ii) ship your item using the shipping label eBay provided to you."
There's that word again: "may". It still means it is possible that eBay might -- may -- put those restrictions on the shipping provisions in your listings.
Even then, those restrictions might -- may -- not apply to all of your listings. eBay might put those restrictions on "listings that are eligible."
This statement gives eBay options which eBay believes could "help improve both the seller and the buyer experience for selecting a delivery label."
Don't forget that this is eBay's site.
eBay owns and operates this playground. As such, they are absolutely allowed to set the rules and regulations.
I don't believe the sky is falling quite yet.
12345jamesstamps
·4 months agoI think you might have read it wrong.
There are too many of us who do not use eBay shipping labels.