Why do people ask you to add Paypal fees?

Just wondering why people ask for you to cover the fees when buying nappies?

As far as I can see it (and my brain is quite frazzled at the mo due to a teething toddler and baby in my womb!), you're just reversing the process.

So:

If no-one asked you to cover the fees, then you would pay the fees when selling and the person buying would not.

But when that person bought nappies for themselves, they would not pay fees and the person they were buying off would.

You, yourself wouldn't pay the fees when buying nappies. So it's swings and roundabouts.

So this process of asking people to cover fees has just swapped the fee payer from the seller to the buyer, you still pay the fees yourself when buying nappies cos it seems everyone asks for them to be paid, so you're not saving anything if you're buying and selling nappies on here. Does that make sense?

And we all get the convenience of using Paypal and having instant funds so it just seems a little unfair. It seems like it would only benefit people who only sell on this site and never/rarely buy, doesn't seem fair when they're getting the benefits of Paypal for their transactions.

I think what it boils down to is that people have a certain amount in their mind that they would like to get for selling something (doesn't just have to be nappies) and so they set a price and then add postage costs and fees to that to give the overall price.

It is much simpler to enter an all inclusive price and many people do, but if for example someone is selling a few things together then the postage and fee costs actually go down so the buyer saves money if these costs are added separately

Also, some people only sell used nappies and don't buy them from classifieds, and some only buy but don't sell. If people want to buy nappies from me that's fine, but if they want to pay via paypal (their choice) then they have to pay for the convenience

Yeah, I understand the postage costs but Paypal fees wouldn't go down if you bought multiple items would they, i thought it was a fixed percentage?

But, Choccylisa, you get the benefit of having instant funds too, I suppose I should ask people if I can just transfer money into their accounts, but then you'd have to be happy giving a stranger your acc details and waiting up to 3 days for money so would be much more incovenient for you xx

Paypal fees are higher for multiple small amounts compared to one amount for the same total due to a fixed minimum fee

The thing with paypal is actually that the buyer is getting the advantage of protection so you could argue that you are paying for that benefit - there is really no risk in someone giving their bank details to someone, no more so than would by giving someone a cheque with the same details on

ETA. Not that I am encouraging anyone to ask for or offer to make a bank transfer for something - paypal really is the best thing at the moment to ensure buyer protection

Pp fees are a fixed amount plus a percentage.. So you would save a small amount and then you've a combined postage charge. I do prefer to see it all listed and if I'm buying more than one thing it annoys me a little if they're all inclusive prices and no discount is given to allow for the reduced post/fees.

I wouldn't do a bank transfer unless I absolutely trust the other person. I do that with some retailers and regularly with a woolly wahm.

If you do a Bank transfer and the items goes missing or there is a dispute , I don't think there is anything you can really do. Where as with paypal you can.
I guess if your happy to sell something and cover the paypal fees thats your prerogative , if your a regular seller those fees will keep adding up!

I generally think of what I'd like to recieve for an item and then add on £2 for postage and fees, and give a total price, sometimes it works out better for me, sometimes for the buyer, you choose when buying an item whether to pay the total price, including the fees, ulitmately that is your descion. What a person asks for their item is their choice, whether that be including or excluding fees.

Do you not think when someone lists something on ebay they think well I will lose x amount on fees so I will put the BIN price up by x amount, and even shops, I'm sure they bump up their prices to allow for fees too, just because you don't see the extra because it isn't seperate from the price of the item doesn't mean it hasn't already been added into the total.

It's not really an unreasonable request and no one is forcing anyone to buy anything. Also people often negotiate on price anyway meaning they end up with less then they had first hoped, and while you may think it's unfair, do you think it's fair on someone selling something to have to cover the fees when it's really the buyer than gets all the protection

The buyer may well say that they're paying the fees, but as I see it I'm paying the fees as a seller. If I ask for £5 for example, I don't get £5, i get £4.63. So my options are to say buyer add fees or else just ask for a reasonable amount and expect fees to be deducted. i can't be bothered to work it out for everyone, so i usually as for an inclusive round number price. If I so desperately want my £5, then i'll set my all-inclusive price at £5.38, then I get the right amount. I can't be bothered faffing for a few pence.

At the end of the day, it's up to the buyer if they're happy with the price being asked, whether that's inclusive or exclusive of fees. If you think £5.38 is too much and that a nappy is only worth £5, then don't buy it.