New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shipping
#1
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
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New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shipping
Got an email from eBay. The first announcement sounds great, even though I mostly do fixed value sales:
Starting April 19, you'll be able to list your items Auction-style FREE, at any start price, up to 50 listings a month. Plus you can add the Buy It Now option to these listings FREE to grab buyers in a hurry. Set the price you want and sell it fast! This is not a limited-time special but a change in eBay Standard fees to help you list more for FREE all the time?even those high ticket items! Pay only if your item sells.
Then they threw in the second announcement hoping we wouldn't notice how stupid and shitty it was.
Also, because we know buyers take into consideration the total cost of an item, also starting April 19, to encourage sellers to keep shipping costs low, the Final Value Fee will be applied to the total amount of the sale?including shipping.
I guess I won't offer the more expensive Priority or Express Shipping on items anymore since I'll get charged a higher fee! You also get penalized for selling heavier items. This is totally insane. I understand they're trying to stop the people that charge $20 shipping for a DVD, so their $1 price looks attractive, but this isn't the way to do it.
Starting April 19, you'll be able to list your items Auction-style FREE, at any start price, up to 50 listings a month. Plus you can add the Buy It Now option to these listings FREE to grab buyers in a hurry. Set the price you want and sell it fast! This is not a limited-time special but a change in eBay Standard fees to help you list more for FREE all the time?even those high ticket items! Pay only if your item sells.
Then they threw in the second announcement hoping we wouldn't notice how stupid and shitty it was.
Also, because we know buyers take into consideration the total cost of an item, also starting April 19, to encourage sellers to keep shipping costs low, the Final Value Fee will be applied to the total amount of the sale?including shipping.
I guess I won't offer the more expensive Priority or Express Shipping on items anymore since I'll get charged a higher fee! You also get penalized for selling heavier items. This is totally insane. I understand they're trying to stop the people that charge $20 shipping for a DVD, so their $1 price looks attractive, but this isn't the way to do it.
#3
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Wow. This isn't too bad for DVD sellers, but if you're selling statues or something.....man.
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
It's pretty much a wash.
On a $6 shipping fee you'll pay 54 cents in fees (final value fee of 9%) but you save 25 cents if the original listing price is under $10 or 50 cents if if the final value fee is $10 to $25.
What they are trying to stop are the sellers who really jack up their shipping price.
On a $6 shipping fee you'll pay 54 cents in fees (final value fee of 9%) but you save 25 cents if the original listing price is under $10 or 50 cents if if the final value fee is $10 to $25.
What they are trying to stop are the sellers who really jack up their shipping price.
#5
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Thread Starter
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
It's pretty much a wash.
On a $6 shipping fee you'll pay 54 cents in fees (final value fee of 9%) but you save 25 cents if the original listing price is under $10 or 50 cents if if the final value fee is $10 to $25.
What they are trying to stop are the sellers who really jack up their shipping price.
On a $6 shipping fee you'll pay 54 cents in fees (final value fee of 9%) but you save 25 cents if the original listing price is under $10 or 50 cents if if the final value fee is $10 to $25.
What they are trying to stop are the sellers who really jack up their shipping price.
#6
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
If you sell one dvd and they only let you charge $3 shipping, losing 27 cents on that 3 dollars will make it close to being a lose on the shipping cost. Some heavier dvds(multiple disc sets) run me very close to 3 dollars media mail.
#7
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Yeah no kidding. And that doesn't take into effect the cost of the actual packaging. Glad I rarely use ebay anymore.
#8
Suspended
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
That's just awesome.
Is eBay really trying to shut down?
I guess this helps against people who charge 1 penny and $5.99 to ship a simple power cable.
Is eBay really trying to shut down?
I guess this helps against people who charge 1 penny and $5.99 to ship a simple power cable.
#9
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
They are trying to be like Amazon (who charges a % of postage that the user designates), but Amazon DOES not charge a % of postage for media items. They do charge a .80/transaction fee. The .80 per transaction fee on Amazon is about the same as the paypal fee (depending on the amt of the transaction). When I first heard about this I began to be angry, but then remembered, I don't sell on eBay much anymore. I was surprised they found a way to raise fees since they are now MORE EXPENSIVE than Amazon, but their annual fuck-the-sellers fee hike is in full force.
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Yikes. I don't sell much on eBay anymore. I started my business on there, though.
I'd be suprised they they report another increase this year. People (including myself ... used to have 6600 listings ... 12000 feedback ... etc) really are going to give up on them. They've become very authoritarian and cocky about how they conduct business. Until a few months ago, I loved their format. But I just had to give it up and move into a better platform (specialized trade sites, my own website, etc.). They really did just turn into greedy dicks. They kept pulling and squeezing and it's just not worth it anymore. My eBay fees spiraled out of control, to where they were getting a bigger cut than I get ... heck, they've become our biggest monthly bill. They just can't keep squeezing people. They hit my nerve after 8 years. I just don't see it continuing on like this.
I'd be suprised they they report another increase this year. People (including myself ... used to have 6600 listings ... 12000 feedback ... etc) really are going to give up on them. They've become very authoritarian and cocky about how they conduct business. Until a few months ago, I loved their format. But I just had to give it up and move into a better platform (specialized trade sites, my own website, etc.). They really did just turn into greedy dicks. They kept pulling and squeezing and it's just not worth it anymore. My eBay fees spiraled out of control, to where they were getting a bigger cut than I get ... heck, they've become our biggest monthly bill. They just can't keep squeezing people. They hit my nerve after 8 years. I just don't see it continuing on like this.
#11
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Do they really have enough big power sellers to keep them going after they squeeze out every little guy? Wasn't this site supposed to be like a big flea market where you could find almost anything? To me it seems like a Walmart, I might find a deal, but I know I can find most of the stuff anywhere.
#12
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
This is complete bullshit. Between paypal and ebay there's almost nothing left after a sale. If they wanted to combat people making their profits in shipping than they should have applied this rule to when you set your own shipping but if you use their calculated shipping feature I don't see how they have a right to take a percentage of our shipping costs.
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
This doesn't really surprise me. They've been taking 60 cents out of the shipping and handling on Half.com (in addition to their 15% commission) for years, even though they don't ship or handle anything.
I keep waiting for Google to start an auction site, but that doesn't seem likely.
I keep waiting for Google to start an auction site, but that doesn't seem likely.
#14
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
This doesn't really surprise me. They've been taking 60 cents out of the shipping and handling on Half.com (in addition to their 15% commission) for years, even though they don't ship or handle anything.
I keep waiting for Google to start an auction site, but that doesn't seem likely.
I keep waiting for Google to start an auction site, but that doesn't seem likely.
#15
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
I would settle for pretty much anybody starting a decent auction site to compete with ebay. I've been selling on there for the past week for the first time in years and I'm stunned at how much of my money they're getting.
#16
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
I think Amazon charges even more than Ebay. But, lately I prefer to sell my Blu-rays & Videogames there because alot of Ebay buyers think it is a layaway service. At least selling on Amazon I get the money when the transaction happens, and don't have to continuously follow up with people who do not pay in a timely manner.
#17
DVD Talk Hero
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
I think Amazon charges even more than Ebay. But, lately I prefer to sell my Blu-rays & Videogames there because alot of Ebay buyers think it is a layaway service. At least selling on Amazon I get the money when the transaction happens, and don't have to continuously follow up with people who do not pay in a timely manner.
#18
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Or at least give the Seller the option of requiring it, like they do with Buy it Now with the Power Sellers. I have two things that sold early last week and neither one of them is paid for yet, and the buyers have never contacted me. Fun! I think it will be a long time before I bother with Ebay after this.
#19
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
Or at least give the Seller the option of requiring it, like they do with Buy it Now with the Power Sellers. I have two things that sold early last week and neither one of them is paid for yet, and the buyers have never contacted me. Fun! I think it will be a long time before I bother with Ebay after this.
#20
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
The only thing I use eBay for anymore is to figure out how to price things I'm selling on Amazon or elsewhere. Once in a great while I buy things from eBay sellers, but the process is so cumbersome and there are so many other sources for the same stuff that it's really not competitive any more. Still fun to look at weirdo stuff there, though.
#21
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
This is definitely going to get rid of sellers selling a $30 item for $1.00 and charging $29.99 for s/h. Unfortunately, even though those people are in the minority, it will hurt the majority. Luckily, I offer free shipping on 99% of my listings there, so I won't be affected.
#22
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
The big problem is they have also brought in the big sellers and dvd prices suck from a seller standpoint.
#23
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Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
#24
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
You can't charge $20 shipping for a dvd, the most you can charge is $3. They changed the rules a while ago to stop people from overcharging shipping on media items. I guess that wasn't enough for them.
#25
Re: New eBay seller policies - Auction listings now free & Final Fee includes shippin
It used to be cheaper on eBay, but that's changed. Overall, it's actually cheaper to sell on Amazon (for someone with a store). The paypal fees could be likened to the .80 Amazon charges for media items. At around $12 selling price these are the same, < eBay is a little cheaper, > Amazon becomes cheaper. For products less than $50. > $50 it becomes murky because eBay has graduated rates whereas Amazon charges a flat %15.
But then you have to take into account the store fees. eBay is $50 + .05/item per month. Amazon is a flat 39.99. If you list 1000 items, eBay monthly fees would be $100 as opposed to Amazon's $40. That does not even include FVF for what you sell.
It gets complicated because EVERY YEAR eBay raises one fee, decreases another with the net result of ALWAYS SCREWING THE SELLER. I don't know of anytime Amazon has changed their fee structure, but it is frustrating selling on eBay, not knowing what the hell they are going to do to screw you. They don't give a shit about their sellers and make it hard as hell to deal with them if you have a problem.
The only advantage with eBay is that you seem to get better prices for CDs (what I primarily sold) because each listing is independent, whereas on Amazon you must be around the lowest price to sell. CD prices on Amazon are lower than eBay and there is not as much foreign traffic. They have become so greedy that it is frustrating in dealing with them. I sell occasionally on eBay (with free listing day), but I'll be damned if I'll start a store with them.
But then you have to take into account the store fees. eBay is $50 + .05/item per month. Amazon is a flat 39.99. If you list 1000 items, eBay monthly fees would be $100 as opposed to Amazon's $40. That does not even include FVF for what you sell.
It gets complicated because EVERY YEAR eBay raises one fee, decreases another with the net result of ALWAYS SCREWING THE SELLER. I don't know of anytime Amazon has changed their fee structure, but it is frustrating selling on eBay, not knowing what the hell they are going to do to screw you. They don't give a shit about their sellers and make it hard as hell to deal with them if you have a problem.
The only advantage with eBay is that you seem to get better prices for CDs (what I primarily sold) because each listing is independent, whereas on Amazon you must be around the lowest price to sell. CD prices on Amazon are lower than eBay and there is not as much foreign traffic. They have become so greedy that it is frustrating in dealing with them. I sell occasionally on eBay (with free listing day), but I'll be damned if I'll start a store with them.