I've been desperately trying to find some computer manuals from a seller that doesn't charge extra for Paypal, and just couldn't. In frustration I checked the eBay discussion board to see if there was anyone else with a comment about it and found that in fact, under eBay rules, you are allowed to charge extra for credit cards and Paypal if you and the buyer are in the UK!
quote:
Credit Card Surcharges
An eBay seller may charge a fee, often called a "surcharge", when accepting credit card payments, either directly or via third party payment mechanisms, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
both the eBay seller AND buyer are located in the UK (i.e. if the seller agrees to ship worldwide and the buyer is located outside the UK then the seller is not permitted to impose a surcharge);
the item's price is listed and paid in pounds sterling;
the surcharge imposed by the seller is no greater than is necessary to recover the direct charges incurred by the seller as a result of accepting that particular credit card payment (i.e. sellers may impose a fixed or variable fee, so long as the total fee charged to the buyer does not exceed the actual amount the seller incurs to receive the specific payment. Furthermore, sellers may not include any indirect costs, such as set up fees or withdrawal fees, when calculating the amount they may charge buyers); and
the seller clearly indicates in the item listing that he or she will impose a surcharge and the amount of it.
Any seller who lists an item on an eBay site other than eBay.co.uk, or who accepts payment denominated in U.S. dollars, may not charge the buyer a credit card surcharge. In the United States it is against the laws of many states, including California, and the United States' credit card association rules, for sellers to pass on credit card surcharges.
It looks like I've just got to put up with it. The books concerned are still a lot cheaper than they would be from Amazon, despite the surcharge, but it still annoys me!
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