topic Re: Over-priced items in Buying

Over-priced items

janni0844 — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:04:06 GMT

I thought eBay was a way to buy "bargain" items.

I just searched for an item and the cheapest was $100 plus postage.

Deals Direct supply the same item for $89.95 postage free.

Impressed? Don't think so

Re: Over-priced items

digital*ghost — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:17:16 GMT

eBay doesn't exactly provide the best environment for a seller to be the cheapest online - a couple of primary reasons are final value fees as high as 9.9%, and giving different sellers more/less exposure based on criteria that suits them, not buyers. I'd hazard a guess for most (average volume) sellers these days, the lower profit margin / high turnover strategy doesn't keep a business sustainable here.

Different overheards, different stock price, different purchase price. I gather the 'not impressed' thing is based on thinking the eBay seller is making more money from the same item. They're probably not.

Re: Over-priced items

extra-keen — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:35:07 GMT

Goodness, my advice would be to buy from them. We couldn't hope to compete! with all the fees and charges.

Re: Over-priced items

bigbrickshop — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:41:31 GMT

DD also has an eBay store. Have you checked whether they are selling the same item on eBay and what the price is? If the price is higher it would be to cover their eBay fees.

Re: Over-priced items

lane-ends — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:16:42 GMT

sellers learn to list items at prices that will sell, and often list large quantities, they cant spend all their day shopping around getting competitive prices for everything they sell to make sure they are the cheapest. Not sure there are any guidelines that say because you are on Ebay you have to be cheapest around. If you are selling new items you still have to pay for the stock.

I sell second hand items and I know sometimes I get more for them second hand that when they were new. 2 reasons, home delivery without having to go find them. Often they are no longer available. In short convenience and availability.

Re: Over-priced items

1sweetap6v8 — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:22:18 GMT

It appears that you are all making excuse to why you charge more.

The OP dont care about your cost they are concerned at there cost and if its cheaper elsewhere thats where the business will go and is.

Was looking at a TV just now, Ebay $ 375 from the manufactures own Ebay store (starts with K ends with N). 12mth warrantee free standard delivery.

Then go to that manufactures own website and there it is exactly the same model number same unit free overnight shipping 12mth warrantee up gradeable to 5 yrs for extra $35 all for the sum of $330 , Why would anyone buy from Ebay while this stratagy is in place.

Second hand well thats a different story and what ebay was first formed with in mind the home seller getting rid of his unwanted goods. That is slowly but surely becoming the past.

Re: Over-priced items

wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:41:19 GMT

Quite simply sellers on ebay don't necessarily pay the same price for stock to begin with.

Some examples.... I have seen toys for sale at a lower cost in large retail stores than the wholesale price by the only Australian distributor. The ebay seller may sell a few of them but then discovers they are not moving and sells them below cost to get rid of them. Another wholesaler decides to clear stock on one of these clearance sites direct to the public; the wholesale price they are selling them to retailers is higher than the price they are being sold for on the clearance site.

These are just 2 examples I have come across with wholesalers/distributors I dealt with in the past.

Many retail outlets will clear excess stock on ebay or via deals sites. The models they are selling may be about to become obsolete or they may simply not sell. They may have elected not to reduce the price on their own website as they are getting a satisfactory level of sales at the higher price, or suspect stock will clear out soon anyway so haven't bothered to reduce the price.

Some sellers/retailers will undercut to the point they are making a loss as they feel they will drive out the competition adopting this approach. Once the competition has been eliminated prices rise.

Re: Over-priced items

stashtardus — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:01:22 GMT

The one advantage with Ebay sellers tend to ship faster within 7 days. I have learnt that Ozsales and few others can take more than 4 weeks plus to be shipped. Even Deals Direct can have long shipping times.

Re: Over-priced items

wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:54:50 GMT

It appears that you are all making excuse to why you charge more.

Was looking at a TV just now, Ebay $ 375 from the manufactures own Ebay store (starts with K ends with N). 12mth warrantee free standard delivery.

Then go to that manufactures own website and there it is exactly the same model number same unit free overnight shipping 12mth warrantee up gradeable to 5 yrs for extra $35 all for the sum of $330 , Why would anyone buy from Ebay while this stratagy is in place.

The extra $45 the seller is charging on ebay is to cover the cost of listing and final value fees. Why wouldn't the seller list on their own website for less if it costs them less. That way both they and the customer are happy. They make the same profit margin and the customer saves on paying the ebay fees.

Re: Over-priced items

booksnmusic — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:47:40 GMT

I have recently experienced some very average service from other online retailers (would have purchased from ebay if those items were available here).

Most took days to respond to an enquiry (if at all), or at least a week to confirm posting (if they bother confirming at all).

I should clarify that I did not find my items from small individual websites that would very likely have provided a great service 🙂

Re: Over-priced items

bsal6160 — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:02:22 GMT

Have to agree with 1sweetap6v8 . Seems we can all make some sort of excuse as to why ebay sellers charge more. Now how many threads are there about the drop in sales lately??? Lets all blame ebay for one reason or another rather than looking at the actual reason....the sellers asking price. As a buyer I don't care about your fees/FVF or anything else, just what can I buy it for. And yes, i will ALWAYS buy from the cheapest seller whether it be here in Australia or overseas and most of the time its from overseas.

Re: Over-priced items

arnl7178 — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:22:40 GMT

A seller can offer whatever price they like for an item. But at the end of the day, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.

Do some sellers over price items? Sure.

Do some buyers over pay? Yep.

But it's all a choice. If you can get a better deal elsewhere, go for it. I would too.

Re: Over-priced items

wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:37:05 GMT

Sellers should stop offering excuses as to why they have the audacity to think they have a right to set their own selling prices and not price match with overseas competitors.

They should start lobbying the government to ask why they are subsidising postage for items from overseas, insist the government impose GST on all imports, and abolish minimum wages and conditions for Australian workers so they can be brought into line with those in China etc. These changes may induce more sellers to reduce their prices. Not sure how effective it would be given the drop in disposable income but why not give it a try....

Re: Over-priced items

motherbear2003 — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:45:34 GMT

I don't overprice anything, imo; my prices are set according to the cost of raw materials, a small percentage of my time to make the item, my profit margin (which has to cover ebay and PayPal fees, packing materials, etc. etc. etc. If an item doesn't sell I delete it from my range:-) I don't try and compete with anyone on price, however I do offer fast and friendly after sales service even in the unlikely event of a problem, items are posted as quickly as they can be made up, and it's always service with a smile:-D

Re: Over-priced items

wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:48:57 GMT

I don't overprice anything, imo; my prices are set according to the cost of raw materials, a small percentage of my time to make the item, my profit margin (which has to cover ebay and PayPal fees, packing materials, etc. etc. etc. If an item doesn't sell I delete it from my range:-) I don't try and compete with anyone on price, however I do offer fast and friendly after sales service even in the unlikely event of a problem, items are posted as quickly as they can be made up, and it's always service with a smile:-D

Well said motherbear. I think you have summed up what most good sellers such as yourself try to do.

Re: Over-priced items

extra-keen — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:17:30 GMT

Yes Motherbear! you said it just how it is for the vast majority of us sellers.

I for one don't worry about competing price wise because it isn't possible. I concentrate on offering good old fashioned service (with a smile). My prices are based on the overall costs which include things like fees and charges, postage, packaging materials etc.

And yes my website is considerably cheaper than ebay just simply because the fees and charges are less, thus allowing lower prices. Simple really!

Re: Over-priced items

the_hawk* — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:31:54 GMT

Caveat emptor

Never assume anything.

Re: Over-priced items

janni0844 — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:02:41 GMT

I feel I have opened Pandora's box here! Sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone.

I should specifiy here that the sellers "seem to be" (because I am not sure) some sort of store (not a private seller) because they have a number of that particular item for sale and have the "buy now for" option.

So I am presuming (shouldn't do that I know) they are opportunists buying (possibly from Deals Director or similar) and trying to sell at a profit.

Not illegal at all, but a true pitfall for people believing eBay has the "best deals". I guess I had higher expectations.

That's all I was trying to say 🙂

Re: Over-priced items

wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:40:22 GMT

I feel I have opened Pandora's box here! Sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone.

I should specifiy here that the sellers "seem to be" (because I am not sure) some sort of store (not a private seller) because they have a number of that particular item for sale and have the "buy now for" option.

So I am presuming (shouldn't do that I know) they are opportunists buying (possibly from Deals Director or similar) and trying to sell at a profit.

Not illegal at all, but a true pitfall for people believing eBay has the "best deals". I guess I had higher expectations.

That's all I was trying to say 🙂

I am not sure what you mean by "opportunists". I am guessing you mean some people buy items from retailers at what they consider to be a bargain price, and try to resell for a profit on ebay. Some sellers would certainly do this.

Speaking for myself, I have an online business (website) and buy my stock from genuine wholesalers/importers/distributors that only sell to registered business'. I have an ABN, pay GST and tax. I don't buy from anyone such as deals sites that sell to the public.

Ebay is a melting pot of all sorts of sellers. Some people sell unwanted items from around the house, others do it because they may have a creative talent and love to make things, others have an interest in vintage items, collectables etc, others use it as another sales channel in addition to their B & M store or website. Some retailers use it to clear out stock. The types of sellers are endless. Given this you may pick up a bargain, or you may find an item is priced higher than it is elsewhere.

As has been mentioned for the retailers that sell here the competition (particularly from overseas sellers) is fierce. Many of us simply cannot compete on price. Compare the postage charges from an overseas seller to a local one for the same item and that in itself will show you that local sellers are at a distinct and significant disadvantage on postage costs alone.

Re: Over-priced items

davewil1964 — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:21:20 GMT

I take exception to your assumption that you can get a bargain on eBay. This assumes that there are mug sellers out there who will sell for less than value.

If you want to take advantage of mugs that is your prerogative. But if you can't find mugs, that is hardly a reason to complain.

Unless you make a habit of taking advantage of people.