eBay - No more Checks and Money Orders for you!

[GizmoDVD]

Just got an e-mail from eBay and listed under some of the "improvements" is this little nugget:

Driving more sales with a more consistent buyer experience
We're taking other steps to ensure buyers keep coming back to eBay:
No more checks and money orders

Beginning late October 2008, all items listed on eBay.com must be paid for using one of the following approved payment options:
Direct credit or debit card payment via a merchant credit card account
PayPal
ProPay
Payment on pick-up
Paper payment methods such as checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay.com.

By January 2009, all approved electronic payment methods will be integrated into eBay checkout. For example, buyers will be able to enter their credit card number directly into eBay checkout, and the payment will be routed to the seller's Internet merchant account or to their PayPal account.

Wow.

[btlives]

I noticed this also today. Sadly this is just the
continuation of making the site more like
Amazon. And less a auction site. They have
been pushing the smaller sellers more &
more off the site. Disappoints me.
But no surprise. I figured after they
implemented paypal required for Austrailia.
That USA was next.

ebay has forgotten who made them.

[stingermck]

Eh who wants to go the bank anyway? :)

Doesnt bother me since Ive been Paypal only for years, but I can see people grabbing torches over this.

[kevin75]

yeah, this won't affect me, but i can see how people would be angry over this. that, combined with their new 'maximum shipping charge' seems to be really bad. i don't really understand it totally, but it would seem that using a dvd as an example, you won't be able to mail it priority mail anymore because the max is $3.

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/MaxShipping/

[Al_Tahoe]

i don't really understand it totally, but it would seem that using a dvd as an example, you won't be able to mail it priority mail anymore because the max is $3.From your own link... Sellers are required to offer at least one shipping option within the maximum and may also offer other options above the maximums for expedited or international shipping.

[tofferman]

No surprise considering Ebay owns Paypal. Checks and money orders are a way for sellers to avoid additional fees on an auction. By stating "to ensure buyers keep coming back to Ebay" by eliminating checks and money orders is an oxymoronic statement. :down:

[Puzznic]

I have been annoyed at alot of the changes Ebay has made recently but it's really starting to get to me now. As soon as I have an alterantive, I am gone.

They wonder why the Amazon marketplace is taking their business, they sent all of the sellers over there with their moronic policies. Ebay needs to realize that the sellers are their customers and start catering to them. They pay the fees and they attract the customers.

They are trying to squeeze blood from a stone. They want sellers to charge lower and lower prices while paying higher and higher fees and shipping rates at the same time. It is a joke.

[UAIOE]

This means I'll never use Ebay again.

Sure a MO cost extra to buy and mail, but at least it was trackable and I didn't have to deal with any charge back nonsense.

I guess it doesn't matter that much considering I do most of my purchasing on Amazon. At least there I have a choice between new and used.

[MinLShaw]

It's disappointing, because I used to rank eBay as one of my favorite websites, and I bought and sold often. The rise in the last five years or so of buyers exploiting loopholes to get the item they wanted and to get their money back poisoned the enjoyment. eBay's absolutely asinine, anti-seller solutions have ensured that my eBaying days are over. I used to periodically purge as part of spring cleaning (and again in the fall), and while I never made a lot of money per item, they tended to add up. Plus, I was rid of things I didn't want or need anymore. Now, I guess it looks like I'll start trying to find new owners via forums (where there are less fees and more honor system), or start donating more stuff outright.

[Jackskeleton]

Yeah, I refuse to use paypal because of their terrible policy. Ebay used to be a great place to sell of extra junk and make a buck or two on the side. Not anymore. Especially after the last round of changes and now this?

[movieguru]

The maximum shipping costs may not be enough to cover the costs of shipping. $3.00 for DVD sales may be enough for a single movie if you use an envelope or recycled box; but not if you are using good quality shipping material. Also what if you are selling a huge boxed set like The Prisoner 40th Megaset? It will cost much more than $3.00 to ship it.

Magazines are limited to $4.00 as well. Magazines can't be shipped mediamail but can be shipped as Boung Printed Matter but Paypal does not integrate that option into their shipping process.

[reverie]

I haven't used eBay in awhile, and I did always use Paypal.. but all the recent changes make me want to use them less and less. I know one person who sells a lot on there but certainly will never use them again since he won't use Paypal. Poor eBay, doesn't know which way to jump..

[Josh-da-man]

That they're basically switching to PayPal-only sucks. Just seems like another money-grab on their part and doesn't benefit the buyers or sellers in any way.

I don't really have a problem with the idea of maximum shipping charges. I think that excessive shipping charges are something that's really getting out of hand.

A while back my girlfriend bought a PS2 game on eBay; the seller basically charged $12.00 for shipping and insurance; when the game arrived, it was shipped in plain manilla envelope for less than $2.00. And the $2.00 that went for insurance was "self insurance." Now, she went into the transaction knowing what the final bill would be and got a good deal on a brand new out-of-print game, but it's still kind of dodgy. There were quite a few negative feedbacks from people who ended up paying out the ass on shipping for multiple purchases who apparently didn't read the fine print.

I refuse to buy anything on eBay unless the shipping charges are stated up-front. There are quite a few sellers who want you to pay amounts upwards to $10 to ship a single DVD or CD. At that price point, they're just padding out the final price or trying to dodge eBay fees.

[MysteryX01]

I have been annoyed at alot of the changes Ebay has made recently but it's really starting to get to me now. As soon as I have an alterantive, I am gone.

Anybody care to offer up some good alternatives? Especially sites for used around the house kind of stuff. Collectibles too. It seems to me ebay doesn't want these kinds of auctions anymore, or auctions period.

I didn't like the feedback changes. I don't like the dropping of checks and money orders. I especially don't like them dictating maximum shipping costs. The star ratings are crap even though I'm close to five on all of them. Shipping is of course the lowest one as it probably is for every seller. Their best match and that new search experience is horrible. This is coming from the buying perspective and not selling. I've tried to like it, but I can't. I'm constantly opting out of it now.

If your a seller of fixed price new stuff, then good luck competing with buy.

I guess ebay acquired too much crap and now they are trying desperately to satisfy their shareholders.

Mystery

[MysteryX01]

The maximum shipping costs may not be enough to cover the costs of shipping. $3.00 for DVD sales may be enough for a single movie if you use an envelope or recycled box; but not if you are using good quality shipping material. Also what if you are selling a huge boxed set like The Prisoner 40th Megaset? It will cost much more than $3.00 to ship it.

Magazines are limited to $4.00 as well. Magazines can't be shipped mediamail but can be shipped as Boung Printed Matter but Paypal does not integrate that option into their shipping process.

I wonder if ebay/paypal is going let you go over the $3 mark when combining shipping? I would think they would have to or there is going to be some pissed off buyers.

Mystery

[GreenMonkey]

I've been doing all of my sales on Amazon marketplace lately. I'm only using ebay for computer hardware and the occasional item I don't want to upfront the shipping costs for (the only problem with Amazon). The flat shipping rates are kind of like ebay's new policy but you just have to adjust the price of the item if it's off kilter (I shipped seasons 1-9 of the Xfiles for $3. But I just adjusted the item price up $10).

I'm getting better money after fees on a lot of the items than ebay. I sold a few things like PS1 memory cards for $7-$8 that I couldn't give away on ebay.

The best part? No more emails. A few custom requests from folks like "please ship without invoice, it's a present" and that's about it. No more "Will you end the auction early for $X", "Will you ship to Nigeria", etc.

[achau9598]

As a seller, I am super-pissed about the no checks/money order BS. I was just on eBays support line trying to find out why items I am selling weren't showing up in searches.

When I told them that i was unhappy with the payment change coming, they said "they were going to have alternatives to PayPal coming." I am sure those alternatives will have nothing to do with eBay's pockets ;)

Sadly, there is no alternative that gets the traffic that eBay does. I even tried eBid - figuring that the name would potentially bring in people as it was a very easy name. In over 4 months there I have sold ZERO items. Hundreds of views .. NO SALES. And that was even after I paid the $49.99 for no listing fees forever. It doesn't hurt for me to leave the items up there, but I certainly don't expect to ever see a sale from it.

And as for ProPay ... what a joke ...

For just the premium service (which is the lowest level to be able to accept eBay payments) it is $59.95 a year + 3.5% (plus $0.35) fee per transaction + $0.30 transfer fee to put it into your paypal account ...

[DVD Josh]

Well, I can tell you that I welcome this. I just bought an item from a MO only seller and not more than 24 hours later, got a payment "reminder". In 48, she's telling me she's going to relist. I don't know if she expected overnight mail for a $30 item, but at this point, I'm not sending a cent without an apology.

[Jeremy517]

I don't know if she expected overnight mail for a $30 item, but at this point, I'm not sending a cent without an apology.

She probably just expected an email that says "the money order is in the mail".

[big whoppa]

The money order thing won't make a difference to me. I put that as an option in my listings and no one showed any interest in using a money order or personal check. I really wouldn't be thrilled waiting to get it in the mail and waiting for it to clear anyhow.

I'm not liking the max shipping though. Some things will inevitably cost more to ship than the limits and then sellers will just have to add it onto the price of an item. Buyers have a right to complain about the high shipping that exists on ebay but speaking as a buyer and now seller, you have to consider the total costs. It may bother you that an ebay seller is charging more to ship but if the total is lower than someone who charges less to ship but more for the item, what's the problem here? It's a win/win for the buyer and seller. With the change, Ebay is the one who has most to gain since they get most of their money on the backend in final value fees (that the seller pays).

I use Amazon marketplace and while that is a simple alternative, I have issues with it. First of all, it doesn't get nearly the traffic. Also, they set max shipping on everything and usually it often underestimates it. All the listings are listed in ascending price order which is only good if you're a buyer. And worst, they take a big 15% for movies and most media which is a big chunk even compared to ebay and paypal.

[Wolf359]

Just a quick glance at the max shipping thing reveals how ridiculous it is. Why is the max shipping for a tiny UMD $5.00 while a DVD is $3.00?

[cerulean]

So, between the changes in payment methods and shipping maxiumums, no one noticed that ebay's final value fees on fixed price listings are going up, too?

[MysteryX01]

So, between the changes in payment methods and shipping maxiumums, no one noticed that ebay's final value fees on fixed price listings are going up, too?

Oh, but they gave you reduced up front fees on those fixed price listings. They are indeed a very generous company.

The book, music, movie and games fixed price sellers are really getting reamed here. Like I said previously, good luck competing with the likes of Buy and others.

Mystery

[That'sAllFolks]

The money order thing won't make a difference to me. I put that as an option in my listings and no one showed any interest in using a money order or personal check. I really wouldn't be thrilled waiting to get it in the mail and waiting for it to clear anyhow.

I'm not liking the max shipping though. Some things will inevitably cost more to ship than the limits and then sellers will just have to add it onto the price of an item. Buyers have a right to complain about the high shipping that exists on ebay but speaking as a buyer and now seller, you have to consider the total costs. It may bother you that an ebay seller is charging more to ship but if the total is lower than someone who charges less to ship but more for the item, what's the problem here? It's a win/win for the buyer and seller. With the change, Ebay is the one who has most to gain since they get most of their money on the backend in final value fees (that the seller pays).

I use Amazon marketplace and while that is a simple alternative, I have issues with it. First of all, it doesn't get nearly the traffic. Also, they set max shipping on everything and usually it often underestimates it. All the listings are listed in ascending price order which is only good if you're a buyer. And worst, they take a big 15% for movies and most media which is a big chunk even compared to ebay and paypal.

While I don't get many M.O. I do get a few. It won't affect my business much, but there is ABOSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR IT. It has NOTHING to do with good customer service and EVERYTHING to do with more eBay profits.

With rising shipping costs and rising fuels costs the Max shipping thing is probably the stupidest thing I've seen. (Yeah, I can ship a MASH Martnies box set for 3.00.) I only charge 3.50 for shipping single DVDs and .85 for additional. The PO has raised rates every year for the last three years and they tell me another raise is coming in May 2009. They just want sellers to eat more and more of the cost. Aside from the negatives, they may think that lowering the P&H will make it more attractive to new buyers. That may be true, but like you said anybody that uses eBay on a regualar basis looks at the TOTAL COST. The "newness" of ebay was over years ago and they are trying to salvage a past fad. Yes, it was neat when it first started, but like everything buyers learned how to use it to get really cheap items and sellers tried to stay afloat by raising the price on items listed. I can't remember that last time one of my auctions had a bidding war on it.

You said eBay charges less than Amazon, but according to what I've read on the forums, even the FVF for auctions is going up to 12%. That means with paypal fees (2.9%) and the 12% for auctions and store listings, it is effectively 15%. Also, (from what I understand about marketplace), you don't pay a monthly store cost + cost / item to list.

Ebay has raised FVF on store listings for the last 2-3 years. I expect within a year (maybe 2), they will raise the fees to 15%. Whenever they give you anything they take back twice as much.

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

Oh, but they gave you reduced up front fees on those fixed price listings. They are indeed a very generous company.

The book, music, movie and games fixed price sellers are really getting reamed here. Like I said previously, good luck competing with the likes of Buy and others.

Mystery

Link to the new rates?

[MysteryX01]

Link to the new rates?

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Overview/


The most dynamic marketplace on the internet, indeed.

Mystery

[MinLShaw]

Paypal can't be used to pay for things like Playboys, which brings up another interesting point in regards to the effect of the new payment plan. I've still got some from ye olde bachelor days I've been meaning to sell. I was recently burned on eBay's fee structure on the last lot I ran; I don't know if there's any point in running them now, and I'm wondering if I'll even be able to run them after October.

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

15% up from 8.75% on dvd's up to $50. Wow Im done. I just got promoted to a bronze level power seller this month too. Im selling off what I got and thats it. Barely making any money as is

Right now I am listing hd-dvd for $6 plus $6 shipping. If I list and sell 10 in a month. That's $8.75 in ebay fees($.35 listing fee and $.525 commission each)

With the new system
Id have to list for $9 and charge $3 shipping
That's $13.50 in commission plus a nickel for the preloaded info.

$13.55 vs. $8.75(now)

[big whoppa]

You said eBay charges less than Amazon, but according to what I've read on the forums, even the FVF for auctions is going up to 12%. That means with paypal fees (2.9%) and the 12% for auctions and store listings, it is effectively 15%. Also, (from what I understand about marketplace), you don't pay a monthly store cost + cost / item to list.

Ebay has raised FVF on store listings for the last 2-3 years. I expect within a year (maybe 2), they will raise the fees to 15%. Whenever they give you anything they take back twice as much.

I haven't yet read about the increase in FVFs. I didn't know they were doing that. Ebay didn't broadcast it and it's hidden there. That's going to really hurt.

At Amazon, there are no fees to keep items listed but you do have to sell or log into your account periodically. Half.com is cheaper and more straight-forward (15% flat) than they are. But I've only sold one item there of all the things I've listed there.

Does anyone think have a listing active for 30 days really increase sales? As a buyer, what incentive do I have to buy the item now when I have a month to sit on it and forget about it?

[Trevor]

I agree that ebay is not a good place for occasional sellers anymore.

$3 does not cover the real cost of mailing out a DVD. Packing envelopes are about $1, printer costs, postage being more than $3 for heavier sets, gas to the Post Office, it all adds up.

Add in the higher seller fees, and the paypal fees, and I could see myself actually losing money on the $1-$20 DVDs I planned on selling someday.

Sellers should be able to charge a S&H fee that covers all packaging, postage, ebay and paypal fee costs. Then set the auction at the lowest price you'd be willing to part with the item.

[DVD Polizei]

I told eBay to go fuck themselves. After I got screwed over by selling expensive hardware to a "powerseller" and PayPal sided with them even though I had the evidence to prove otherwise, this just finalizes my decision.

If you're a seller, lookout. Scams and fraud are going to skyrocket and you, the seller, are going to pay dearly.

PayPal has even told me they don't look at the evidence--took about 4 different reps to say this directly. They are simply implementing a new plan where the buyer is given more weight if they complain and the seller has no recourse. Basically, the seller just crosses their fingers and HOPES and PRAYS the buyer will keep the item. Fuck that. I don't need that shit. In addition, just imagine all the fees eBay keeps in the process of these types of transactions. Not to mention the shipping fees which also must be refunded to the buyer, even if your ad said otherwise. Whatever you place in your eBay ad these days doesn't mean shit. PayPal and eBay override any kind of "Shipping Fees Not Refundable" policy.

And another thing about selling. Buyers are no longer saying "I never received it". They are using PayPal's own vague policy of "Significantly different than described" in order to get their money back. Impulsive buyers are using this policy, wreaking havoc amongst the selling community. Sorry, but I'm not a retail chain who sells stuff, just to get it returned on an impulsive purchase. If you want it and buy it, you keep it. If you didn't want it in the first place, you should have purchased from Walmart.

eBay was supposed to be a place where you bought stuff which was mostly used. You took a chance at buying this stuff, but that's what the fucking rating system was for. Now, the rating system is just a joke, and the implied disclaimer of buying a used item is no longer valid. If you sell a used item, eBay and PayPal consider you selling that item in new condition, and if the buyer objects, you're fucked.

[troystiffler]

And another thing about selling. Buyers are no longer saying "I never received it". They are using PayPal's own vague policy of "Significantly different than described" in order to get their money back. Impulsive buyers are using this policy, wreaking havoc amongst the selling community. Sorry, but I'm not a retail chain who sells stuff, just to get it returned on an impulsive purchase. If you want it and buy it, you keep it. If you didn't want it in the first place, you should have purchased from Walmart.

eBay was supposed to be a place where you bought stuff which was mostly used. You took a chance at buying this stuff, but that's what the fucking rating system was for. Now, the rating system is just a joke, and the implied disclaimer of buying a used item is no longer valid. If you sell a used item, eBay and PayPal consider you selling that item in new condition, and if the buyer objects, you're fucked.

I agree with what you're saying. But first, this rarely ever occurs. It just sucks so much when it does occur, that it really gets people down. You've got to understand that for every 1000 sales that go through eBay, only a few have that sort of issue.

Secondly, all it takes is a blunt statement to deter the deadbeats. You gotta just be very blunt and try to cover everything. Next time you sell something, say something like...

...
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call/email me.

"This item is USED. It is in 'used condition'. When purchasing, please understand that this item is used. I have tested it to the best of my abilities. And I am describing the item to the best of my abilities. If you have any questions, please ask BEFORE purchasing the item.

The item is AS PICTURED. It includes all/only the items pictured. I take the best pictures that I can. What you see is what you get.

I do not cater to 'impulse buyers' who are going to buy the item and ask to return it afterwards. Please view the pictures and understand exactly what you are bidding. on. If you buy, it's yours. If you want to 'test stuff out', you should go to a retail store and purchase the item there.

I offer only a non-DOA warranty - with no sort of extended warranty. You must contact me within 3-days of the delivery date if you have any issues. When the order arrives, you need to check it out immediately and make sure that it works and you're okay with it.

Whenever possible, serial #'s, etc are recorded. I will not issue a refund if the item returned does not match the item shipped.

I do not appreciate people who open PayPal's "Item Significantly Not As Described" disputes. If you have an issue, contact me directly. [provide your phone # if you want]

I am stating this information so that you can understand my selling practices and what to expect. I am stating this to the best of my abilities.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call/email me.
...

I don't say that in my listings. But I've been doing eBay full time since I was 16 (now 24). I spent the first few years in consumer-electronics (including the absolute WORST FUCKING THING ... used cell phones), and now just do commercial and industrial related stuff. So I consider myself wise with this stuff.

One thing that I really, really know now - is that you need to HAMMER that kind of stuff in your listings. I'd suggest putting that complete statement at the top and bottom of your listing. I really do that when it comes to 'broken/for parts' stuff. If you don't say it three times, there's always people who miss it.



---------[Just posted this in another thread.]

There's nowhere to go. If a new site does form, you know it's going to be full of whiney eBay rejects (who offer bad customer service). And I wouldn't buy on there anyways.

I complained in the last thread. But the feedback changes haven't really impacted us. If anything, it shows that we're actually really good sellers. Once in awhile I see one of those 'WTF' negatives. But, for the most part, we're doing really well.

I don't like the 'forced' PayPal thing. But, to be reasonable, people who buy stuff from us on eBay hardly ever mail checks anyways. And people who see our listing and then call and buy direct always pay with a credit card or check anyways. And, for that matter, people who buy very expensive items ($1000+) usually call first. It's just another chance to hook them on the phone and keep the sale off-eBay.

Bargainland Liquidation (one of the biggest eBay liquidation guys) started their own website and is doing quite well. It's located at http://www.bidtopia.com/ Supposively, they're trying to get some of the other 'liquidation giants' to start selling on there too.

I had to open a PayPal dispute this morning for a $500 hydrualic pump that I purchased. It's been almost two months since I paid. PayPal made me turn the dispute into a claim, which means the seller apparently has a suspended PayPal account. If this is the kind of shit that 'regular folks' have to go through sometimes when buying from other 'regular folks', then I'm glad eBay is cutting down, making us use PayPal, etc. People really shouldn't have to put up with crap like this.

[pvdfan]

The no money order part makes me angry. I love when people use them as it saves me the paypal fees of 2%+. Oh well, guess they needed to boost profits to help their falling stock.

The new fees will end my selling there as of next month. As someone who did buying and selling of wrestling DVD's, it will kill me. 8.75% was bad enough, but 15% is insane. My mother-in-law does EBAY stuff full time and no clue what she will do. Not sure if she can afford the increase in books FVF and shipping limit as well. Oh well, all this will do is hurt people who do a decent to small amount of sells and push them off. Eventually, the company will need to be restructured. That is when the fees will go down again.

[Jeremy517]

I'm just about done with them as well. I'm in the process of getting screwed by Half.com. A guy made about 35 purchases of current-generation video games in July. He did a chargeback, presumably on all of them based on some comments in his feedback. He's been kicked off of Half/eBay. Yet despite all of this, I'm probably going to have to eat the price of the game because I can't provide enough proof that I shipped. Yeah, I bet that NONE of us shipped his games and his chargebacks are all legit. Suuuuuure.

There are two possibilities: Either the guy's card was stolen, or he's committing the fraud himself. The mailing address wasn't a PO Box or anything, so it should be fairly obvious who received the games. But instead of going after one guy who is obviously committing credit card fraud, they're going to just take the money from the sellers. Brilliant.

[erlong]

Paypal can't be used to pay for things like Playboys, which brings up another interesting point in regards to the effect of the new payment plan. I've still got some from ye olde bachelor days I've been meaning to sell. I was recently burned on eBay's fee structure on the last lot I ran; I don't know if there's any point in running them now, and I'm wondering if I'll even be able to run them after October.

If you read the statement a little further, the "no more money orders" doesn't apply to Mature Audience stuff, so you will still be able to send money orders for that stuff.

[UAIOE]

I'm just about done with them as well. I'm in the process of getting screwed by Half.com. A guy made about 35 purchases of current-generation video games in July. He did a chargeback, presumably on all of them based on some comments in his feedback. He's been kicked off of Half/eBay. Yet despite all of this, I'm probably going to have to eat the price of the game because I can't provide enough proof that I shipped. Yeah, I bet that NONE of us shipped his games and his chargebacks are all legit. Suuuuuure.

There are two possibilities: Either the guy's card was stolen, or he's committing the fraud himself. The mailing address wasn't a PO Box or anything, so it should be fairly obvious who received the games. But instead of going after one guy who is obviously committing credit card fraud, they're going to just take the money from the sellers. Brilliant.

This is why I refuse to use Paypal. Dealing with people who do chargebacks to screw me out of money is one less thing I need to worry about.

[dizzlle01]

is the 15 percent Final Value Applies to only fixed price?

[big whoppa]

This is why I refuse to use Paypal. Dealing with people who do chargebacks to screw me out of money is one less thing I need to worry about.

Is seller protection to confirmed addresses any good or is that essentially worthless? Luckily, I haven't got a chargeback yet and I've just become a powerseller which is supposed to offer me more protection.

[jeffbase34]

I told eBay to go fuck themselves. After I got screwed over by selling expensive hardware to a "powerseller" and PayPal sided with them even though I had the evidence to prove otherwise, this just finalizes my decision.

If you're a seller, lookout. Scams and fraud are going to skyrocket and you, the seller, are going to pay dearly.

PayPal has even told me they don't look at the evidence--took about 4 different reps to say this directly. They are simply implementing a new plan where the buyer is given more weight if they complain and the seller has no recourse. Basically, the seller just crosses their fingers and HOPES and PRAYS the buyer will keep the item. Fuck that. I don't need that shit. In addition, just imagine all the fees eBay keeps in the process of these types of transactions. Not to mention the shipping fees which also must be refunded to the buyer, even if your ad said otherwise. Whatever you place in your eBay ad these days doesn't mean shit. PayPal and eBay override any kind of "Shipping Fees Not Refundable" policy.

And another thing about selling. Buyers are no longer saying "I never received it". They are using PayPal's own vague policy of "Significantly different than described" in order to get their money back. Impulsive buyers are using this policy, wreaking havoc amongst the selling community. Sorry, but I'm not a retail chain who sells stuff, just to get it returned on an impulsive purchase. If you want it and buy it, you keep it. If you didn't want it in the first place, you should have purchased from Walmart.

eBay was supposed to be a place where you bought stuff which was mostly used. You took a chance at buying this stuff, but that's what the fucking rating system was for. Now, the rating system is just a joke, and the implied disclaimer of buying a used item is no longer valid. If you sell a used item, eBay and PayPal consider you selling that item in new condition, and if the buyer objects, you're fucked.


It's funny though that the system screws me as a buyer as well. Recently, I bought a Carl Barks library set, and the auction made it sound like the comics were in color. They were in black and white. I wanted my money back. The seller blasted me claiming it was my fault for being ignorant about Carl Barks library.

I filed paypal claim, and paypal demanded that I ship the set back within 10 days and provide a tracking number. I didn't think it was right that I was forced to pay 10 bucks for shipping when the seller is at fault. PAYPAL SUCKS!!

[jeffbase34]

The no money order part makes me angry. I love when people use them as it saves me the paypal fees of 2%+. Oh well, guess they needed to boost profits to help their falling stock.

The new fees will end my selling there as of next month. As someone who did buying and selling of wrestling DVD's, it will kill me. 8.75% was bad enough, but 15% is insane. My mother-in-law does EBAY stuff full time and no clue what she will do. Not sure if she can afford the increase in books FVF and shipping limit as well. Oh well, all this will do is hurt people who do a decent to small amount of sells and push them off. Eventually, the company will need to be restructured. That is when the fees will go down again.

Right 15% plus paypal fees is outragerous plus listing fees. Ebay will now lose even more business to Amazon. Way to go, idiots!

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

I wont say Im done, but Im trying to clear out mostly everything I have. If something comes along that I can make money on it then I will still do business, but the new fees are going to cut into alot of the stuff I can make money on and cut down my selling on the site, I will still make purchases on ebay if its the best deal available. There is a definite need for an ebay alternative, I think something will come along and wouldnt be surprised if its google to do it

[pvdfan]

Is seller protection to confirmed addresses any good or is that essentially worthless? Luckily, I haven't got a chargeback yet and I've just become a powerseller which is supposed to offer me more protection.

It is worthless. They did not protect me in both a chargeback and a "broken product" claims that were against me. Thankfully on the "broken" item, the seller never sent it back.

[big whoppa]

Right 15% plus paypal fees is outragerous plus listing fees. Ebay will now lose even more business to Amazon. Way to go, idiots!

I don't know how they could go from 8%+ to 15% and not expect to tick off their sellers. With ebay's increase, I could see Amazon raising their fees too.

[troystiffler]

I filed paypal claim, and paypal demanded that I ship the set back within 10 days and provide a tracking number. I didn't think it was right that I was forced to pay 10 bucks for shipping when the seller is at fault. PAYPAL SUCKS!!

Lucky you. Regarding the $500 hydraulic pump that I mentioned above... I filed a claim. The person's PayPal account is already suspended, which means that they probably have a negative balance. Since I paid with my PayPal balance (which the seller is never told), I will NOT be seeing a refund, unless the seller as my $500 in their suspended PayPal account. There's not chargeback protection.

Also, PayPal RESTRICTS payers from using a credit card if they have a PayPal balance. When you go to pay, it does NOT let you switch the payment method to a credit card, unless you don't have a balance to cover the charge. Since I have a very 'affluent' account (to say the least), I NEVER get to pay with my credit card on file. It's a real bummer when crap like this happens.

Still, this is just one issue that I have. I'm always getting stuff that's lower quality than described, poorly packaged, etc (it's the reason why they get $50 and I get $500). But I rarely have anyone skip out on me like this.

[Viper187]

Paypal can't be used to pay for things like Playboys, which brings up another interesting point in regards to the effect of the new payment plan. I've still got some from ye olde bachelor days I've been meaning to sell. I was recently burned on eBay's fee structure on the last lot I ran; I don't know if there's any point in running them now, and I'm wondering if I'll even be able to run them after October.

I have a pile of those myself. I also have some video game magazines I was hoping to get something for, as well as some old PC games I was hoping to make a buck on at some point. FF7 PC goes for a ton nowadays cause it's rare. Only thing I can think of is Craigslist, which is better in the sense that cash is completely untraceable (no taxes), but there's less of a market selling locally.

In regards to half.com, my main complaint is people that don't adhere to the policies on defining item condition. I refuse to order any hardware in anything but Brand New condition because of this. I ordered a Like New N64 one time and it was as used and worn as can be, and the "new" controller mentioned in the ad was a 3rd party piece of shit instead of an actual Nintendo one. I gave negative feedback and bitched to Half. All I got for my trouble was negative feedback from the goddamn seller.

One thing I never understood is why Half.com allows buyers to simply pay with a credit card but ebay doesn't. They're both the same company. If Half can do it, why not ebay? I don't like that a paypal account is required to buy shit. My first paypal account was disabled simply because I left it sit for a year or 2 without using it, and there was no way to get it back.

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

More ebay complaints. The autocomplete feature is atrocious it automatically fills in stuff I have no need to search for. I was trying to search for wrestlemania anthology the other day, Id type in wrestl and it kept putting in wrestling ring, Id have to backspace and hurry up and get the 'e' in there before it auto completed again. What a PITA

[DVD Polizei]

It's funny though that the system screws me as a buyer as well. Recently, I bought a Carl Barks library set, and the auction made it sound like the comics were in color. They were in black and white. I wanted my money back. The seller blasted me claiming it was my fault for being ignorant about Carl Barks library.

I filed paypal claim, and paypal demanded that I ship the set back within 10 days and provide a tracking number. I didn't think it was right that I was forced to pay 10 bucks for shipping when the seller is at fault. PAYPAL SUCKS!!

Hmmm, yeah PayPal is so unpredictable, you just don't know what will happen. There should clear guidelines which are fair for both seller and buyer, and in your case, it seems PayPal just decided on whim to not refund your shipping costs. In my case, shipping costs were refunded to the buyer.

Btw, I received a phonecall Sunday from an IC System collections place which represents PayPal. Nice group of people. I had the gal on the other line yelling at me. :lol:

I had her lying in one moment, then not even realizing what she was saying, then letting her know the conversation is being recorded, and hopefully her boss wasn't going to listen to it. Made her pissed. She started yelling.

What happened was, she did NOT tell me who she was when I first received the phonecall. I asked her twice. She avoided the question. So then I went off on her about how she couldn't possibly think she was going to get a dime from me when PayPal's own system negates any kind of justication for a collection company because it's simply not fair by any standard, and I had evidence to prove it.

She responds, "Well, you agreed to PayPal's TOS so it doesn't matter what you think."

I responded, "Well, PayPal going to be included on my small claims court lawsuit, and we'll see what kind of evidence the judge will accept as fair and reasonable."

She says, "But we're not PayPal."

I respond, "I know you're not. That's why I need the name of your company so I can add it to the list of companies who will receive the proper notification of my suit."

She responds, "But I'm not PayPal! We're not legally associated with them."

I respond, "Listen, dumbass. Did you not listen to me? I asked you what company you represent and you never responded. You're not affiliated with PayPal, but you mention their name when you call me? What the hell. Since this conversation is being recorded, you better fucking tell me, or your company is going to be in violation of Federal Debt Collection standards, not to mention harassment--"

She yells, "IC System! This is IC System! OK?!!! YOU WILL PAY US! WE ARE A COLLECTION COMPANY!--"

I say, "Well, no shit you're a collection company. But you're not getting a dime from me. What's the address of your collection company. And what's your supervisor's name? I'd like a copy of the conversation we just had."

The phone clicks on her end.

[logangrey]

I think it’s a huge problem that EBay owns PayPal. They have absolutely zero incentive to overturn a sale because they would lose fees on both sides.

I’ve only had one run in with them. I bought a few books from a particular seller, sent my payment via PayPal and waited. After 2 weeks I emailed the seller with no answer. I went back to EBay to review the seller’s feedback and in a two day span about 20 people had left negative feedback in regards to purchases that had been paid for but not received. I got in touch with PayPal and their response? They would start the investigation and it could take up to 30 days to resolve at which time they’d let me know how much of a refund I would receive. I called American Express and the CS rep laughed when I told him the story: evidently this particular PayPal user was well known and had had numerous calls against him. They promptly reversed the charge without any further questions and I went on about my business. Within 24 hours I got a notification from PayPal that if I circumvented the process again they might terminate my access. I told them to be my guest. They never did give me any information about the seller and EBay let him/her hide their feedback so the only thing a user could see was the percentage. I’ve bought a few things since then – from sellers that I have bought from on several occasions and know well. This is why I don’t use a bank account to make payments; credit cards only.

[stingermck]

Wow this 15% fee on movies and games sucks. Those are all i sell, besides occasionally comics and toys. Looking at a game a friend of mine wants me to sell for him, average BIN price is $48, or $39 after fees. And of course movies and games are the highest fee's, since I'm sure that what is most often listed on eBay.

[GizmoDVD]

Listed a DVD.
BIN price of $12.00 with $4 shipping.

Guess how much eBay jacked from me?
1.85 TOTAL! Not including the $1 or so I lost through Paypal. Holy shit. Bye bye eBay!

[GreenMonkey]

Listed a DVD.
BIN price of $12.00 with $4 shipping.

Guess how much eBay jacked from me?
1.85 TOTAL! Not including the $1 or so I lost through Paypal. Holy shit. Bye bye eBay!

Amazon charges:

Sold a DVD for $11.

Amazon fees: $3.44
Shipping credit: $2.98 (so this is how much I got for shipping which between envelope and shipping 1st class is about right).

What I don't like is it's hard to see the total you're getting on with ebay and paypal charging you fees in 3 different places. At least with Amazon it's upfront all at once. And honestly I get better money via amazon for most things...I doubt I could have gotten $11 for this on ebay.

[GizmoDVD]

Amazon charges:

Sold a DVD for $11.

Amazon fees: $3.44
Shipping credit: $2.98 (so this is how much I got for shipping which between envelope and shipping 1st class is about right).

What I don't like is it's hard to see the total you're getting on with ebay and paypal charging you fees in 3 different places. At least with Amazon it's upfront all at once. And honestly I get better money via amazon for most things...I doubt I could have gotten $11 for this on ebay.

Ive been doing Half.com for a lot of things...and while they seem to rape me just a little bit less than eBay, my items tend to sell faster. I may have to check out Amazon again.

[GreenMonkey]

Speaking of stupid rules, the flat rate shipping rule goes into effect in October. I'm listing 24 Newtype magazines (heavy, full color, $10/issue mags) and the note says "remember you'll only be able to charge $4 shipping starting in October".

Ditto with my Street Fighter Anniversary PS2/Xbox joystick, which the maximum shipping charge will be $6. This thing is huge! No way you could ship it for less than $10-$30.

Ebay is really annoying. I think they're just going to drive out all the small sellers and people looking to get rid of their stuff. We're going to be left with a fancy marketplace full of corporate and small business sellers.

[UAIOE]

Ebay pretty much is a fancy marketplace full of corporate and small business sellers.

I knew things weren't looking good when I ended up getting more "Ebay stores" in searches than actual individual sellers.

[Josh-da-man]

Ebay pretty much is a fancy marketplace full of corporate and small business sellers.

I knew things weren't looking good when I ended up getting more "Ebay stores" in searches than actual individual sellers.

I've noticed that as well. Whenever I search for a book, DVD, video game, CD, or comic book, it seems like I get maybe five "sellers" and about thirty "stores."

Which sucks because almost every bad eBay experience I've ever had is with a power seller, or some kind of business.

I rarely buy anything off of eBay any more, though. Too many things in poor condition (and sellers who either can't tell the difference between "brand new" and faded, cat pissed on, and ragged, or they outright lie), poorly packaged and damaged during shipping, hit with high shipping fees, etc.

[mw390]

Ebay must be raising prices probably because John McCain's "economic advisor" Meg Whitman former CEO of Ebay before they kicked her ass to the curb, suggested that people use Ebay to sell their extra crap so they can pay their mortgages and buy food. So I figure they want to cash in on it.

As for the fees, yes they keep going up. Recently went up to 8+ percent. Add the stupid Paypal fee they charge just to "hold" your money and re-invest it is pretty lame. This new maximum shipping fee is idiotic also. Their email says to up the seller price but that in effect increases their take on the final value fee as it's based upon just the sale price but if you lump the shipping into the price then they gotcha there.
The excuse that buyers will "feel better" knowing that shipping is consistent is stupid beyond belief. Some of those sellers need to have their head examined on some of the shipping fees they charge. If a shipping fee is too high don't buy it.

[stingermck]

Flat shipping is dumb. eBay must have gotten tired of sellers who inflate shipping, to have a lower sell price, and cut eBay out of more money.

[GizmoDVD]

Officially done with eBay once I offload a few HD DVDs not available to list on Half.com.

Almost 800 feedback..pretty much worthless now.

[big whoppa]

Amazon charges:

Sold a DVD for $11.

Amazon fees: $3.44
Shipping credit: $2.98 (so this is how much I got for shipping which between envelope and shipping 1st class is about right).

What I don't like is it's hard to see the total you're getting on with ebay and paypal charging you fees in 3 different places. At least with Amazon it's upfront all at once. And honestly I get better money via amazon for most things...I doubt I could have gotten $11 for this on ebay.

Yes, but look at that example. That's more than 30% of the price. I usually see Amazon's cut at more than 20%. That really hurts and they've always instituted flat rate shipping since I've been selling on Amazon. Some businesses on Amazon get to charge whatever they like.

It is harder to determine all the fees on ebay/paypal but they are getting better at giving you the figure for ebay (listing and FVF) before you approve a listing. But the 15% cut is harsh any way you look at it. How much can they take before sellers have no profit margin at all?

[GizmoDVD]

Holy shit.

To sell a BuyItNow item at $24.99 eBay takes almost $4 from it. WTF. Do they really expect to be around much longer?

[Trevor]

Is that $4 even counting the paypal fees?

[DVD Josh]

I pretty much use Craigslist now. It's super easy. Pretty make what I would have on Ebay too.

[Josh-da-man]

I was just thinking about this, but does anyone get the feeling that eBay is going to drop auctions altogether and become a fixed-price site like Amazon Marketplace or Half.com?

[erlong]

They already own the fixed-price site Half.com. eBay has lost sight of what made it unique: AUCTIONS! I they wanted to push fixed price items, they should have steered users/sellers towards Half.com. On that note, sellers on Half.com seem to have forgotten the name of the site: HALF.com, not fullprice.com or 3/4price.com. I have seen listings on there (Half) that are nowhere near half the retail price. I they want to sell something for more than half price, that's what eBay is for.

[troystiffler]

I was just thinking about this, but does anyone get the feeling that eBay is going to drop auctions altogether and become a fixed-price site like Amazon Marketplace or Half.com?

No. It is not going to be like that. eBay will always have auctions. Even though 'media' auctions are pretty-much dead, auctions in general are HUGE. Just because people killed media sales (I blame those 'make money on eBay' guys), doesn't mean that the other categories aren't packed with excellent deals.

Plus, I don't really see what the problem is. If you want the auctions, just click on the "auctions only" tab.

On the side, eBay has created a marketplace for people looking to be online vendors.

The thing with media... Any dummy can do it. I could set up a full system in litterally a few days. Those sellers all use a drop-ship system. Same thing goes for a lot of the sellers who look like a Best Buy. All they need to do is enter all of the data into eBay's site. It costs around $.15 per month for those 'store' listings. So, we have people with 10,000 listings, spending $1500 a month for the listings. They make $1-or-so per sale. And it's just a matter of forwarding the orders to large media distribution centers. You don't get rich from it. If you don't like it, you might as well have an average-Joe job. But there's no startup costs, and you work from home. That being said - with those distribution centers, you get what you pay for. If the seller goes for the cheapest guys, they can frequently run into 'out of stock' issues. But, at the same time, for every 98 sales they have (which is less than a day to a lot of those guys), maybe two items will be on backorder.

That being said, eBay SUCKS when it comes to media. Genuine DVD's get bid up to more than used Blockbuster DVD's. And there's SO FUCKING MANY 'asian copies' on there. Up until a five-or-so years ago, I bought lots of DVD's on there. Then I discovered Columbia House. Then I discovered Blockbuster (which is even cheaper, when played correctly). The amount of regular people selling regular DVD's are minimal. Most everything is either bootlegs or fixed-price listings.

When it comes down to it - the DSR's don't matter. The feedback doesn't matter. Not everyone on eBay is a dick. Nothing has 'gone bad' for me, in opposition to what I thought might happen. And I don't think that the 'no money orders' issue will be a big deal. I shipped out 100 orders last week - and maybe two of those were paid with checks or money orders.

Everything is just a little kick in the butt for people to understand the gravity and importance of completing a competant sale. There's too many 'I'll get it done tomorrow' folks out there who just don't take their sales seriously. We buy 10-20 'cheap' auctions on eBay per month. And I've become really numb to how careless sellers are. People mess up orders a lot. Freight gets damaged, stuff doesn't power up, stuff doesn't get shipped (that $500 that I mentioned in a previous post is now GONE). If you're complaining about the new feedback system, it's probably because you're a shitty seller.

Regarding the 'fees', I really can't defend that. And I really can't complain, either. eBay gets our equipment sooo much exposure that I just can't complain. I just try to counter that by getting people to buy stuff over the phone. I would say that the few transactions that I do over the phone (with people who definately found us on eBay) counters the five-or-so percent that fees have been raised. And, if you compare the more 'elite' 'specific trade' site fees (LabX.Com, for example), eBay's fees aren't too bad. I pay eBay around $7500 a month for A LOT of sale. And I pay LabX.Com around $600 a month, for a relatively small amount of exposure.

[big whoppa]

They already own the fixed-price site Half.com. eBay has lost sight of what made it unique: AUCTIONS! I they wanted to push fixed price items, they should have steered users/sellers towards Half.com. On that note, sellers on Half.com seem to have forgotten the name of the site: HALF.com, not fullprice.com or 3/4price.com. I have seen listings on there (Half) that are nowhere near half the retail price. I they want to sell something for more than half price, that's what eBay is for.

That would apply for used items but you can't always expect NEW items to be 50% off.

Troy, you're giving ebay $7500 a month? Your sales must be out of this world and probably your profit margin.

[Jeremy517]

On that note, sellers on Half.com seem to have forgotten the name of the site: HALF.com, not fullprice.com or 3/4price.com. I have seen listings on there (Half) that are nowhere near half the retail price. I they want to sell something for more than half price, that's what eBay is for.

You want the sellers to sell things for below market value just because of what someone else named the site?

[troystiffler]

Troy, you're giving ebay $7500 a month? Your sales must be out of this world and probably your profit margin.

They're alright. It's not the 'get rich quick' scheme that the guy on TV tells you about. But it's a substantial, functioning, respectable business. You can check out our 'junk' at http://stores.ebay.com/trch24. :)

[Josh-da-man]

On that note, sellers on Half.com seem to have forgotten the name of the site: HALF.com, not fullprice.com or 3/4price.com. I have seen listings on there (Half) that are nowhere near half the retail price. I they want to sell something for more than half price, that's what eBay is for.

When Half.com first came out, it was designed as a way for people to sell off their used books, CDs, and VHS/DVDs. The site would not let sellers sell their items for over half of the list price.

Within a couple of years, they changed the terms and let sellers list items for whatever price they wanted. Then the site filled up with drop-shippers and retailers selling things for mostly list price.

[droidguy1119]

yeah, this won't affect me, but i can see how people would be angry over this. that, combined with their new 'maximum shipping charge' seems to be really bad. i don't really understand it totally, but it would seem that using a dvd as an example, you won't be able to mail it priority mail anymore because the max is $3.

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/MaxShipping/People will hate it, but for the love of goodness what a great thing to implement. I was extremely tired of sellers charging $7 to ship a DVD and having to hunt through all the auctions to find someone who wasn't tacking on their entire profit into an overinflated shipping charge. My personal opinion was that eBay should just force people to use the shipping calculator, but this seems like a reasonable alternative.

Also, you CAN still ship priority. First Class is considered priority, takes 2-3 (but almost invariably 2) days to arrive, and is usually less than two dollars on any given DVD.

[Trevor]

People will hate it, but for the love of goodness what a great thing to implement. I was extremely tired of sellers charging $7 to ship a DVD and having to hunt through all the auctions to find someone who wasn't tacking on their entire profit into an overinflated shipping charge. My personal opinion was that eBay should just force people to use the shipping calculator, but this seems like a reasonable alternative.

Also, you CAN still ship priority. First Class is considered priority, takes 2-3 (but almost invariably 2) days to arrive, and is usually less than two dollars on any given DVD.

I'll defend the people who used to charge $7 for shipping a DVD, as I had done that for some of my twice or so a year selling. My reasoning was that I set shipping to about $7, which maybe covered the actual costs of shipping, the padded envelope, the ebay fees, and the paypal fees. I didn't want to risk losing money on an auction, having something sell for a penny or a dollar, and losing several dollars on fees and costs.

I think people are intelligent enough to know the total cost of an item, and bid accordingly. Doesn't everybody look at the shipping cost before bidding on or buying an item? And on ebay the shipping cost was always right there on the bid screen, it's not like I or any other seller was hiding our $7 (or whatever) shipping.

[stingermck]

EBay to cut 1,000 jobs, will buy Bill Me Later (AP)

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081006/ap_on_hi_te/ebay_job_cuts

[big whoppa]

Also, you CAN still ship priority. First Class is considered priority, takes 2-3 (but almost invariably 2) days to arrive, and is usually less than two dollars on any given DVD.

Not exactly. First class is limited to 13 ounces. Boxsets usually exceed this limit. Anything over 6 ounces is more than $2. Also, the charges are not always just for shipping but handling too. Sellers have to pay for mailers. People bitch and want boxes but they cost money.

Let's face it. Buyers want it all. Free shipping, next day shipping, next day receipt of the item(s), and lower prices than anywhere else.

[GizmoDVD]

When Half.com first came out, it was designed as a way for people to sell off their used books, CDs, and VHS/DVDs. The site would not let sellers sell their items for over half of the list price.

Within a couple of years, they changed the terms and let sellers list items for whatever price they wanted. Then the site filled up with drop-shippers and retailers selling things for mostly list price.

WOW! I remember when they actually did that. Damn...must have been 5 years ago.

[erlong]

You want the sellers to sell things for below market value just because of what someone else named the site?

If they want market value, sell on eBay. Again, HALF.com. I have no problem with a seller trying to get market value, but not on Half.com. eBay changed Half's terms (negating the original purpose of the site), but not the name. Half.com should be called moreebayitemsatfullprice.com.

[cdollaz]

I bet you aren't bitching about the name when stuff is listed on there for less than half the price.

[erlong]

Nope.

[DarkEyes]

ebay sellers found a way around the shipping price limit....

i have found many ebay sellers charging the $3 for shipping but then you have to accept $5 insurance or they wont ship the item...

[Trevor]

ebay sellers found a way around the shipping price limit....

i have found many ebay sellers charging the $3 for shipping but then you have to accept $5 insurance or they wont ship the item...

Sounds fair. Pretty much the only way to assure of not being scammed.

[John Galt]

Add me to the list of people who are done with eBay.

After this latest round of jacking up fees, max shipping charges, Paypal only, and no recourse against deadbeat bidders I had said enough was enough. I have only used ebay sparingly in the last two months and only as a means to clean out the house and get rid of unwanted items. I sold maybe 10 items in that time and I probably ended up losing money after factoring shipping and fees; but that didn't bother me as I would rather get rid of something at a small loss than to simply throw it away.

The problem came when some lady bought a $.49 book from me and never sent me payment for it. She emailed me after 2 weeks wanting to know where her book was. I responded and told her that I hadn't received payment yet but would gladly ship it out to her since I was only trying to clean out the house and didn't really care about $2. Well, the bitch had the nerve to leave me neutral feedback and gave me 1's across the board for DSR's.

As you might have guessed, seeing as I only sold 10 items and very few buyers fill out the DSR's (except the unhappy ones) this brought my total down under the required 4.1 and my seller account is "on hold" until I bring them back up. How does ebay expect someone to get their ratings up when they can't list items? I swear, their board room is being run by a bunch of fucking monkeys. Here it is, a month before Christmas and I have about $1,000 worth of items I want to auction and I can't. I have been selling for over 8 years, have completed over 3,000 transactions, have over 2,000 positive feedback with a 100% rating, and I can't list items now because of one idiot buyer who has 28 feedback with a 94% rating. And I can't do anything about it except email her and tell her what a bitch she is and not pay ebay the $20 in fees that I owe them.

Ughhhhh

[/rant]

[SethDLH]

Add me to the list of people who are done with eBay. I swear, their board room is being run by a bunch of fucking monkeys.
[/rant]


I couldn't agree with this more. Their fees are outrageous anymore, their new policies are, simply put, bullshit. The whole check/MO thing is a joke, they really cannot be serious about this. I used to sell alot on Ebay, but they can take their new policies and shove 'em. The amount of non-paying bidders I've come across the last few months has never been higher, and ebay couldn't care less.

[GreenMonkey]

Amazon marketplace is the way to go for movies, games, and stuff like that. Seriously. The fees are a little more than ebay but there' so much less hassle - no photos, no unverified payments, etc. People pay and you ship them the stuff.

I've sold a ton of stuff on Amazon since my last posting even. So much easier. Ebay has only gotten an occasional weird lot, tech stuff, and stuff that isn't listed on Amazon.

[DVD Polizei]

Just wanted to add I'm done with eBay. Have been for a few months. I'd have better experiences selling to monkeys (no offense to GreenMonkey) than folks on eBay. I'm sure there are some great folks on eBay, but eBay doesn't make it easier for the buyer or the seller to conduct a mature transaction. And they can suck my ass.

I think I'm going to setup an Amazon account and start selling there as suggested.

[dx23]

Amazon marketplace is the way to go for movies, games, and stuff like that. Seriously. The fees are a little more than ebay but there' so much less hassle - no photos, no unverified payments, etc. People pay and you ship them the stuff.

I've sold a ton of stuff on Amazon since my last posting even. So much easier. Ebay has only gotten an occasional weird lot, tech stuff, and stuff that isn't listed on Amazon.

I also sell stuff on Amazon since like 2002, but they are becoming another Ebay, especially on the buyers side. Amazon has changed a lot of policies similar to ebay where they side with the buyer and fuck over the seller if someone files a claim. Also, they have begun restricting stuff that you can sell on the site. For example, now you can't sell video game consoles and popular games unless Amazon.com gives you their approval.

[BrIaNMeRcY]

Add me to the list of people who are done with eBay.

After this latest round of jacking up fees, max shipping charges, Paypal only, and no recourse against deadbeat bidders I had said enough was enough. I have only used ebay sparingly in the last two months and only as a means to clean out the house and get rid of unwanted items. I sold maybe 10 items in that time and I probably ended up losing money after factoring shipping and fees; but that didn't bother me as I would rather get rid of something at a small loss than to simply throw it away.

The problem came when some lady bought a $.49 book from me and never sent me payment for it. She emailed me after 2 weeks wanting to know where her book was. I responded and told her that I hadn't received payment yet but would gladly ship it out to her since I was only trying to clean out the house and didn't really care about $2. Well, the bitch had the nerve to leave me neutral feedback and gave me 1's across the board for DSR's.

As you might have guessed, seeing as I only sold 10 items and very few buyers fill out the DSR's (except the unhappy ones) this brought my total down under the required 4.1 and my seller account is "on hold" until I bring them back up. How does ebay expect someone to get their ratings up when they can't list items? I swear, their board room is being run by a bunch of fucking monkeys. Here it is, a month before Christmas and I have about $1,000 worth of items I want to auction and I can't. I have been selling for over 8 years, have completed over 3,000 transactions, have over 2,000 positive feedback with a 100% rating, and I can't list items now because of one idiot buyer who has 28 feedback with a 94% rating. And I can't do anything about it except email her and tell her what a bitch she is and not pay ebay the $20 in fees that I owe them.

Ughhhhh

[/rant]

That really sucks man. Since I have plenty of unwanted stuff in my apartment, would you recommend auctioning off those items?

[ResIpsa]

Fuck eBay...

[Al_Tahoe]

Amazon has changed a lot of policies similar to ebay where they side with the buyer and fuck over the seller if someone files a claim.Just a heads-up to those people who are new to selling on Amazon... Amazon DOES NOT consider delivery confirmation as proof of delivery. Unless you have SIGNATURE confirmation, you will probably lose any dispute where someone files a claim and says that they never received the item.

[DVD Polizei]

Thanks for the info. :up:

[GizmoDVD]

Just a heads-up to those people who are new to selling on Amazon... Amazon DOES NOT consider delivery confirmation as proof of delivery. Unless you have SIGNATURE confirmation, you will probably lose any dispute where someone files a claim and says that they never received the item.

Thanks. I'll stick to Half.com then.

[uteotw]

So as a seller I can't accept money orders even if I want to?? So my only choice is to become a "business" paypal member, which costs $$? Or am I missing something?