Selling second-hand online: fees, postage, photos and when HMRC cares
How to sell on Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace without losing money on fees or postage, and the tax rules for casual sellers
Clearing out a wardrobe or a loft can raise a few hundred pounds, but fees, postage and time can eat the profit if you pick the wrong platform for the item. This guide compares the three main routes, explains how to price and photograph so things actually sell, and clears up the tax question that worries casual sellers.
Which platform for which item
| Platform | Best for | Fee model | Postage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinted | Clothes, shoes, accessories, some homeware | Seller pays no fee; buyer pays a protection fee | Buyer pays, labels generated in app |
| eBay | Electronics, collectables, parts, anything with a searchable model number | Fee structure for private sellers has changed several times; check the current terms before listing | Seller sets or uses the platform's delivery service |
| Facebook Marketplace | Furniture, bikes, large items, anything local | Free for local collection | Usually collection only |
Fee structures change often. Check the platform's own fees page before you list rather than relying on what a friend paid last year.
Pricing that sells
Search sold listings, not live ones. A live price is what people are asking; a sold price is what buyers pay. Price a little under the typical sold price for a quick sale, or at it and wait.
- Bundle low-value items. Ten children's tops as one lot sells; ten separate £2 listings do not.
- Say "no offers" if you mean it. Otherwise expect messages at 60% of the price.
- Reduce after two weeks without interest rather than leaving it to rot.
Photos and descriptions
Natural light, plain background, item filling the frame. Include a photo of the label, the size, any flaw, and a measurement for clothes and furniture. Buyers return items that do not match the listing; they rarely return items whose flaws were shown.
Describe the condition honestly using the platform's grading. Put the brand, model, size and colour in the title because that is what search matches on.
Postage without losing money
- Weigh and measure before listing. A parcel a few grams over a band can double the cost.
- Use tracked services for anything worth over £20. An untracked item that "never arrived" is your loss.
- Keep proof of posting. It is your defence in a dispute.
- Reuse packaging. Boxes and mailing bags are a real cost on low-value items.
Safety
- Never post an item before the platform confirms payment. Emails claiming payment is "pending" are a classic scam.
- Keep all messages inside the platform. Requests to move to a messaging app or pay by bank transfer are red flags.
- For local sales, meet in daylight in a public place, or at a police station car park for higher-value items. Accept cash or an instant transfer you watch arrive.
- Do not give your address until a collection is agreed, and ask a friend to be present for furniture pickups.
When HMRC cares
Selling your own used possessions is not trading, and the money is not taxable. That covers old clothes, a bike you no longer ride and the sofa when you move. There is no limit.
HMRC becomes interested when you buy things in order to sell them, make things to sell, or sell regularly in a business-like way. Then the £1,000 trading allowance applies: up to £1,000 of income a year is tax-free with no need to register. Above that, you register for self-assessment and report the profit. The online deadline for 2025/26 is 31 January 2027.
Since January 2025, platforms must report sellers who exceed roughly 30 sales or about £1,700 in a year to HMRC. Being reported is not the same as owing tax; it just means HMRC can see the activity. If you are only clearing out, keep a note of what you sold and why, and there is nothing to pay.
One exception: a single personal item sold for more than £6,000, such as a painting or a watch, may have capital gains tax consequences. Cars are exempt.
Watch out for
- Returns. Business sellers must accept returns; private sellers generally do not have to, but platform buyer-protection rules often override that.
- Fee-free promotions that quietly end.
- Selling counterfeit goods, even unknowingly. Platforms remove listings and can close accounts.
Information only, not personal advice.