Ebay announces major change to compete with Depop and Vinted

The auction site has been hit by online selling sites including Depop and Vinted which many people found cheaper to use

Ebay has scrapped fees for private sellers in nearly all categories, following the earlier introduction of free fashion selling this year. The change is a response to the growing competition from sites like Depop and Vinted which allow sellers to avoid final value or regulatory operating fees on most items, excluding vehicles such as cars and motorcycles.

The online marketplace noted that since removing seller fees for fashion items in April, there's been a significant increase in listings for popular clothing items, which also contributes to reducing landfill waste. Research commissioned by Ebay indicates that the UK could see a potential £9 billion in resale earnings from an estimated 294 million unused items nationwide, with half of the households valuing their unutilised goods between £50 and £300.

The survey of nearly 2,000 adults revealed that nearly one in four UK households (24%) possess items valued over £500, with adult clothing, DVDs, CDs, and tech gadgets topping the list of most commonly hoarded items. Ebay says that the additional fee removals are part of its commitment to offering a "more streamlined and safe" experience for its users.

Kirsty Keoghan, Ebay UK's general manager, commented: "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."

Last year, eBay's German site abolished selling fees, which resulted in the company attracting double the number of new sellers and re-engaging inactive ones. The growth was seen across almost all categories, with electronics and collectibles seeing a particular surge.