Hummmm... well they do!!!
eBay has adopted the following surcharging policy in the interests of ensuring that all buyers receive clear and accurate pricing information when trading on eBay.co.uk. This surcharge policy applies only to items listed on eBay.co.uk.
eBay prohibits surcharging by sellers except where described below. Surcharging occurs when sellers pass the charges they incur for using eBay or third party services such as payment services onto buyers.
Specific examples are explained below for your guidance:
1. Electronic Money Services: Sellers who accept electronic money services as a means of payment for an item purchased on eBay, may not impose a surcharge.
Electronic money services include, but are not limited to, services such as PayPal, Nochex, FastPay or Moneybookers.
Credit and Debit Card Payments: Surcharging is permitted where sellers accept credit or debit cards as a means of payment for an item purchased on eBay. Such sellers will have merchant accounts with a bank or credit card company.
These sellers may not pass on to the buyer a charge greater than the amount of the commission payable by the seller to the bank processing that credit or debit card payment. In other words, sellers may recoup the charges incurred as a direct consequence of accepting the credit or debit card, but no more.
2. Cheques and Money Order: Sellers may not charge buyers an additional fee for their use of ordinary forms of payment, including acceptance of cheques and money orders.
3. eBay Fees: Sellers may not pass onto buyers any eBay selling fees including but not limited to listing fees, listing enhancement fees and final value fees.
Exceptions to the Surcharge Policy
Please note that under English law, sellers have a legal right to pass onto the buyer the charges incurred for a credit or debit card transaction. However, this right does not apply to electronic money services. Where a credit or debit card is used to purchase electronic money to fund a transaction made via an electronic money service such as the ones listed above, this is not a credit or debit card transaction, but an electronic money service transaction.