Australian postage fees

[woodbed27]

I called eBay today to clarify fees, despite the set cost by weight 500 g 1 kg , 3 kg of postage bags, eBay informed me thy will charge 9.9% of this as a final value fee. Then advised to add 9.9% as handling charges! This seems pretty unfair to the buyer or me whoever
absorbs the cost.
I have never charged anymore than the post office charge me, and eBay are levering 10% from Australia post . Any ideas ?

[cherry*135]

I include postage ( free post) in some items, no big conspiracy.. they sell. I buy items that have free post as well.

No, it doesn't seem right that US sellers don't pay FVF on the international postage costs but Australian sellers do.  

US: 

However, when you offer an international or one-day shipping service and it's selected by your buyer, your final value fee for shipping is calculated using whichever service is less expensive, either:

• The first domestic service in your listing that isn't one-day, or

• Your international or one-day shipping service

[dazzledayz]

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@phorum_junkie* wrote:

The only thing I think is grossly unfair is that the fee is paid on the full price of overseas postage instead of being charged at the cost of domestic as it is in the US.

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That's what stopped me selling O/S.

I used to have a good few go to the US & Canada as small parcels.

These posted locally as large letters.

Fees were $0.29 for local but $1.22 for O/S and often the postage was as much or more than the item price.

It just got too marginal and risky.

[yeoldecoinco]

The problem with "free" postage is this.

You have to build the price into every item, where as before, you could charge less for the item by adding the single postage cost onto the invoice for multiple purchases.

I used to have many buyers buy 10-15 things at once and get ONE postage fee for the lot.

Since "free" postage has come in and you have to include the postage price in each item, it makes them less competitive and my multiple item purchases have dwindled greatly.

In addition, the principle of charging for a service not provided is grossly unfair.

[i-love-my-sheep]

It's rare that I have a buyer buy more than one thing, but if they do, they usually buy at least 1 paid postage item. If they buy more than one paid postage, they get the reduction and the 'free postage' items thrown in. I have heard of others throwing in a freebie to the value of what the postage would be to make up for it.

I buy plenty of stuff with 'free postage' and I never really think about how much extra I would be paying compated to paid postage. I doubt I'd be the only one.

[egglesdtp]

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@yeoldecoinco wrote:

Since "free" postage has come in and you have to include the postage price in each item....

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No you don't HAVE to offer free postage. Just offer postage separately.

[himalayan-touch]

For the last month my sales totalled $272.95, current ebay account balance for ebay fees and postage charges (ebay flatrate satchels) $108.10, Final Value Fee on Shipping fees total $8.17.

I find it totally unfair  and inconsiderate that eBay can charge a commision on a service that is already expensive and a service to which they do not provide. I believe 'Final Value Fee on Shipping' should be refunded and ceased on further transactions.

From now on I will not offer local Pickup and offer free postage to avoid this (what seems to me) scam.

[lyndal1838]

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@himalayan-touch wrote:

For the last month my sales totalled $272.95, current ebay account balance for ebay fees and postage charges (ebay flatrate satchels) $108.10, Final Value Fee on Shipping fees total $8.17.

I find it totally unfair  and inconsiderate that eBay can charge a commision on a service that is already expensive and a service to which they do not provide. I believe 'Final Value Fee on Shipping' should be refunded and ceased on further transactions.

From now on I will not offer local Pickup and offer free postage to avoid this (what seems to me) scam.

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What are you hoping to achieve by offering free postage?

You will have to build the postage into the cost of the item or you will lose a lot of money.

That means you pay the final value fee on the cost of the item and the postage....which you would have done anyway by adding the postage as a separate charge.

As well as paying the FVF on postage you are unable to offer discounted postage to buyers who buy multiple items.

And why would you not offer local pick up?  If you don't charge for postage you don't pay a FVF.

Maybe you need to rethink your logic because ebay is certainly not going to drop the FVF on postage.

[davidc4430]

why bring up a 2014 thread and not just start a new one? 

you will not win oldest thread of the week unless you try harder.

[lyndal1838]

It seems to be par for the course David.....I have been getting kudos for posts from 2012 and 2013.

[himalayan-touch]

I guess after further thought into it, it really makes no difference if it's free postage or not, atleast I won't see the charge listed seperately.  Thanks for making me look deeper.

Why dig up an old thread. Why Troll?

To the other replies (so I don't double post)

Because the concern I have is the dsame as the OP, If I started a new thread there could be hundreds of threads with the same concern, spread through, who knows how many topics, so its best to keep the same subject in an already started thread, wether it be 2 years old or not.  The concern is the same and now with my post, it says that this is something that has been happening for years, people don't like it and it seriously needs review.