Why I Left Etsy & eBay: The Anglia Market Story
Why I Walked Away from Etsy and eBay: The Real Story Behind Anglia Market
By Gjevat Kelmendi, Founder of Anglia Market
If you have ever tried to run an independent online business in the UK, you know the feeling of pure excitement when you make your first online sale. You poured your heart, time, and hard-earned money into sourcing or crafting something unique, and someone out there loved it enough to buy it.
For years, Etsy and eBay were the undisputed giants of the e-commerce world. They offered a simple promise: a massive ready-made audience and an easy way to build a business from home.
But for me—and for thousands of independent British sellers—that dream slowly turned into an expensive, frustrating headache.
I know, because I lived it on both sides.
Before I founded Anglia Market, I was an active seller on both Etsy and eBay. And just like many of you, I eventually walked away from both platforms out of sheer frustration.
The reason was simple:
I got tired of watching global corporations pocket my hard-earned profits through an endless maze of listing fees, insertion fees, transaction costs, and mandatory advertising. I realized that the system was fundamentally broken for independent UK merchants. So, instead of continuing to fund platforms that didn't put their sellers first, I decided to build a better, fairer alternative.
This is the story of why I left Etsy and eBay, and why I built a zero-listing-fee marketplace designed specifically to help independent UK businesses survive and thrive.
The Silent Profit Killers: What Etsy and eBay Don't Tell You
When you start out on Etsy or eBay, the individual fees seem small. But as your business grows and you list more products, the math changes rapidly. Here are the main reasons I had to pack up my shops and walk away:
1. The Trap of "Upfront" Listing and Insertion Fees
- Etsy charges $0.20 (about £0.16) for every single item you list on your shop, lasting only four months.
- eBay charges "insertion fees" once you pass a small monthly limit.
This is the ultimate financial trap for small businesses. If you have 100 unique items—different sizes, colors, or styles—you are forced to pay these platforms upfront money just to display your stock, before you have made a single penny.
If those items don’t sell? You still lose that money, and you have to pay again to renew them. I realized this was completely unfair. Why should a small business take 100% of the risk while the platform takes zero?
2. The Profit Squeeze (Fees on Fees)
Once you actually make a sale, the platforms take a massive cut of your hard-earned revenue.
- On Etsy, you pay a 6.5% transaction fee (which incredibly includes a fee on what you charge for shipping!), plus payment processing fees, and mandatory "Offsite Ads" fees that can take an extra 12% to 15% of your sale without your permission.
- On eBay, your final value fees can easily climb to 10%, 12%, or even 15% depending on the category, plus international fees and "promoted listing" fees just to get your products seen above big brand names.
By the time the dust settles, a huge chunk of your margin is gone. You are doing 100% of the customer service, packaging, and shipping, but global giants are taking a massive portion of the reward.
3. Squeezed Out by Mass-Produced Imports and Big Brands
- Etsy has become flooded with cheap, mass-produced factory items imported from overseas that bypass their handmade policies.
- eBay has shifted its focus heavily toward massive, multinational retail brands, pushing independent, local sellers and family-run shops to the bottom of the search results.
The Birth of Anglia Market: A Fairer Way to Buy and Sell in the UK
After leaving both platforms, I realized that complaining wouldn't solve the problem. UK independent sellers needed a dedicated space that treated them like partners, not cash cows.
I built Anglia Market to be that sanctuary.
When I designed Anglia Market, I took every single pain point I experienced as a seller on Etsy and eBay and eliminated it. Here is how we are doing things differently:
???? We Charge Zero Upfront Listing Fees
We believe you should never pay to display your hard work. On Anglia Market, listing products is 100% free. You can list 10 items or 1,000 items without ever receiving an upfront bill. We only make money when you make money—charging a simple, fair commission only on successful sales. This makes selling with us completely risk-free.
???????? We are 100% Focused on the United Kingdom
We don’t try to conquer the world. Anglia Market is dedicated exclusively to connecting independent UK merchants with conscious local shoppers in the home, garden, lifestyle, and gift niches. By keeping our platform local, we ensure our sellers aren’t drowned out by massive overseas factories or corporate giants.
???? We Offer Real, Human Support
We don't hide behind automated email bots or impossible-to-reach customer support centers. As an independent seller, you have a direct line to our team. We are here to help you set up, optimize your store, and grow your brand.
How to Protect Your Online Business in 2026
If you are currently feeling the strain of rising fees on Etsy or eBay, my advice as a former seller is simple: Don't let them hold your business hostage.
You don't have to delete your old accounts overnight, but you must start protecting your profit margins:
- List your products on Anglia Market for free.
- Offer better, fairer prices to your UK customers on Anglia Market because your selling costs are significantly lower here.
- Use your package inserts to invite your buyers to support your UK-focused shop directly on a fairer platform next time.
Join the Fairer UK Marketplace Movement
I spent thousands of pounds and years of my life navigating the online selling world. I built Anglia Market because I wanted to create the platform I wish had existed when I was starting out as a frustrated seller.
It is time to stop letting global platforms squeeze independent creators and local merchants. We have made it easier, safer, and completely free to list your products and connect with UK shoppers who love supporting local businesses.
Article by GJEVAT KELMENDI
Founder & CEO of Anglia Market
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