The Other Shoe Finally Drops

[digital*ghost]

Most sellers will probably wake up to the email, but since I'm up I thought I'd mention part 2 of the reduced fees and other changes introduced recently...

Featured store $49.95 per month (no more basic store, so that's the minimum your store will cost) - from September 15.

I'm figuring that's going to get the most attention, but there's a few other bits and pieces worthy of attention - new standards for TRS, variant format introduced to more categories... An Item Condition clarification field...formerly know as the description (I wonder if the option to create an HTML description page will eventually be gone?)

Interesting stuff, to say the least.

[syrupsmummy]

So when all the small sellers close down and Featured store owners are paying $49.95 will it then increase to $99.95 to cover the loss of fees from an exodus of small store owners?

😮

Well.... sellers can afford $49.95 might not be able to pay $99.95.

So some of them close stores after it goes up to $99.95.

Then it will be $149.95 to cover the loss.

[fredbare!]

OK... question guys. 

I'm currently a power seller with a store ($24.95). I am definitely closing my store now and will be looking elsewhere to sell but my question is, will I lose my Power Seller status when the store closes and if not, how can I lose it?? I want to lose it because as it stands, if you are a Power Seller, you are not entitled to the free 30 listings per month.  I'd still like to take advantage of that....

[thesoulyearns]

It seems eBay is trying to be like a professional shopping mall, as has been discussed here before. Presumably they have done alot of research and this is the best solution for them. They're the biggest marketplace next to Amazon (if not bigger, regarding the range of products) but they still drive prices higher. Presumably all of the revenue they're getting in fees from listed & sold items just isn't enough for them as a business.

[inewfies2]

"I'd also like to know why our fees are SO much higher than the fees on US Ebay. A basic store there is $15.95 a month with similar insertion fees and selling fees. In addition, if you don't own a store there, you get 50 items for free per month. Waiting to hear if Aussie sellers can have a store in the US because that's what I'll be doing."

It's no different to anything else in Australia. I hate to say it, but Australian's in general are greedy. We sell everything Australian to OS buyers. Everyone talks about keeping things in Australia but at the end of the day, if an aussie mum can buy something for $3 from a chinese seller that would cost her $27 for the exact same thing from an Aussie seller, they're going to ignore the Aussie and go to the Chinese guy, especially when shipping over there is so cheap that they're able to offer you FREE postage on top of the low price of the item. You can't blame people for looking elsewhere.

I am almost certain that though many Aussie buyers say they are annoyed with the OS sellers taking Aussie business, they still buy from the OS sellers because their prices are much lower than what Aussies can offer, especially when those same manufacturers who Aussies buy from to resell on ebay Australia, also now sell to those same customers.

[inewfies2]

"Presumably all of the revenue they're getting in fees from listed & sold items just isn't enough for them as a business."

We live in a Capitalist society my friend, and the point of Capitalism is to make as much profit as you can. Ebay's only concern, as with any other capitalist company is to spend less and make more. In most cases it means buying and making things as cheaply as possible and constantly raising prices. They could be making trillions of dollars a year and that still wouldn't be enough. No amount of money will ever be enough in a capitalist society.

[koalablue12]

Maybe this is the culmination  of a grand plan thought up long ago....Lets have eBay for the 'stores and large sellers' where the real profits are and we will gradually, gently guide shove the smaller (annoying no real profit) sellers aside. But Oh No - where will they go?? Well as luck would have it there is another similar site called Gumtree how fortunate. ....?:|

[xxstuckonstickersxx]

I can actually see into the future and this is an exerpt from an e-mail they'll be sending out later this year -

"...the monthly subscription fee for Featured stores will increase to $99.95. This has become necessary as the fee changes made earlier this year incentivised more sellers than expected to leave eBay and sell elsewhere."

Well eBay, at first our relationship was exciting and rewarding for us both. Slowly things have soured until now I think its time I left you. It's not me, it's you!

[xxstuckonstickersxx]

eBay own Gumtree dont they? lol, if we leave here to sell there they'll just add fees

[koalablue12]

eBay own Gumtree dont they?

that was my point childz, how fortuitous that there is another site for us all up and running ready to take up the slack of the poor disheartened eBayers, and yes no doubt they will soon introduce teeny tiny not so much as you'd really notice fee's

[annies_fancy_dress]

Well, on 300 listings the drop from 40c to 20c is from $120 to $60 then the former basic store $20 to New Featured $50.

So I save $60 but increase by $30, = $30 ahead.

Need to check what the FVF has done?