How can sellers break even with this new charge on postage.?

[secretgarden6341]

My articles are very small and low cost from $1.00 to 7-8 for the most part. I was offering postage of $1.20 covering several articles. No, however, in order to break even I will have no choice but to add postage costs to the article itself if I am to offer free postage. E'bay says this is what people want, but I cannot see that my customers would prefer this as they will be paying more in the long run and the only ones to win will be E'bay?

What do other sellers of small articles think on this, as I am really now considering leaving E'bay.

[*crikey*mate*]

It's a tricky situation and a difficult balancing act, eh?

You don't have to list free post, you can list as you have always done.

How do others in the same category as yourself list? Will they be in the same boat and also have to disregard the "free post" hype?

[*crikey*mate*]

what sort of postage costs were/are you incurring?

I had a look at what you sell, and you're right, they are small.

Do you send by registered post?

In an envelope?

[twyngwyn]

It still remains to be seen whether fvf (as of 6th May) will be charged on combined invoice or on each item individually (we are getting conflicting answers from Ebay reps), so they don't even know....there is a thread on the Powersellers board about it, and we are waiting to get a definitive answer 😞

[*crikey*mate*]

as it is a charge on the total invoice raised by the seller, combined post items listed price plus post, will be charged after the combined post is calculated - ie what the buyer actually pays.

[dazzlingrosettes]

I also sell small items and use letter rate, with bubble bags or cardboard envelopes, purchased on Ebay as they are cheaper than AP products. I am just going to stick to the postage , so then my customers won't be ripped off with free post, which is always added on anyway. I then can still combine postage. If my items are hidden down the bottom of the pile, so be it, ebay won't then get my fees.

As  I  am not buying anymore to resell, because of all this fvfs on postage, they will get less dollars out of me, and paypal at the other end.time will tell how it will go.

.

[scrapthatidea_1]

I am also a seller of small items and was not sure what to do either so took it to my Facebook followers.

I explained the situation and asked them what they wanted, a seperate post charge(so it could be combined for multiple items) or the 'free'(added to the cost) postage.

The overwhelming majority wanted postage separate from the item cost so they could save money when buying more than one item.

If they get the so called 'free' post option 10m of ribbons would cost them $31.40 instead of $21.60(with combined postage price of $2.20) like it is now.

A lot of customers expect discounts when buying more than one item(discount on postage is easy to do) or will leave poor feedback if they think they are not getting a good deal. Dont forget all the buyers paying seperately for each item so extra Paypal fees there too at .30c per transaction plus a % of the final value.

I think adding the 'free' post option for sellers of small items is a good way to wipe out your business but that is just my opinion, it make work for some but definatly would not work for us.

Good Luck. 

Hope it works out for you

[twyngwyn]

please read my previous post: Ebay reps are giving CONFLICTING advice on this matter, so we know nothing for certain at the moment 😞

[haolove13]

We know only one thing. Ebay will only do something if they make more money out of it.

The rest of the result is purely accidental.

[smiling-buying]

In SOME cases....for me...offering free post - which I have just (stupidly) taken as a loss.....has at least generated a sale.

I had free post on an auction that had just started - had 2 watchers but no action....so after about 3 days (into a 10 day thing with no bids or any more watchers), and taking on board some advice from here......I decided I wasn't going to just "give away" my stuff - and actually "pay" for the priviledge myself half the time....so I revised the listing and added a SMALL post charge - it would mean about a 50-50 split between what it cost to send that item (between me and the seller).

HUH!

One watcher dropped off almost straight away - and the item has gone around and now auto-listed again.

I've had better luck starting low with free post, BUT ----- I have been bitten and lost too.

It IS a balancing act, but the more we get pushed and bullied into free post, the more buyers expect it. Add postage and they want a whole BIG lotta stuff for their bucks......hard to do on low cost items.

This is just my experience and I am beyong a small fish....I'm a tadpole. I know. But I'm ready to quit - it is just so time comsuming - plus the non-paying bidders - I've about had it and have ground to a motivational halt.....I know....sitting in a heap won't help either, so maybe I'll call it just taking a breather. But it seems more pointless every day, to the extent I can't face the efforts put in for the pennies returned....or sometimes....dollars lost.