topic Re: Ebay fees in Selling

Ebay fees

im.highest.bidder..now — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 03:25:02 GMT

I don't get why peole are complaining abut Ebay fees i know they are a pain and keep going up and all the new rules but it's way cheaper than running an actual shop you only handle the stock so there is no theft , no electricity or air con to run or employ staff ,eftpos fees ,rent each week . The way we sell it's convienient and most do it from home.

Re: Ebay fees

digital*ghost — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:08:07 GMT

There are quite a few reasons, I warrant - first and foremeost, because no one likes to pay more money but get less in return.

For eBayers who have been around for a while, like myself, we've watched the standard FVF rise from ~5% (which got lower the higher the item price was) to a flat 9.9.%, which then extended to postage costs. For some sellers, it's still acceptable and managable, for others it meant their FVF was increased to a point where selling on eBay was no longer viable, so being cheaper than other forms of selling is a moot point for them.

Fees have more than doubled for some sellers, and it's also now variable for many of them (because of the FVF on postage, which for some items means a big difference depending on where the item is being sent to), which makes it very difficult to account for in a fair way.

These increases have brought few tangible benefits for sellers, there are some features, sure, some of them very welcome, and I'm still here, selling my stuff, but while they've caused less impact on me and I don't spend a great deal of time complaining about the fees and changes, I fully empathise and understand how / why it's all gotten a bit much for others.

Stealing is very much an issue online sellers have to deal with - some eBay / PayPal policies facilitate it just a little bit too easily. I also have to pay for electricity to run my business equipment.

Re: Ebay fees

redneck2013au — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:18:18 GMT

At the end of the day i'm_highest_bidder some folks just get up unhappy.Unless your showering them with free listings and massive sales life is unfair.Yes there are problems but there are with EVERY site I'm sure. I have actually given uo Home&Away to watch this in the evenings.Can be more entertaining.

Our sales are down..we are waiting patiently for free listings but we are also spacing them out to last the month as well.I think there has been way to much negative things for folks to read of late.

You are very right about having a store and the costs involved. I had 3 and a dozen employees.Much cheaper on E-Bay and guess what. If I'm not motivated....oh well.

I wish those that are actually leaving the best of luck. Seeing what else is available out there i think they are going to need it.OK I've had my say ..a great day to all and to all a great day

Re: Ebay fees

cezm2012 — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:45:10 GMT

I hear what you are saying however most of my items were low cost, say $5. They also hd to be posted as a parcel which means that I had to pay fvf on the $8.25 (I know Ebay has a 'special' on at the moment but that won't last). That's almost $2 worth of fees to Ebay and PP on a $5 item ... that's a huge cut for them ... that's my complaint ...

Re: Ebay fees

thecatspjs — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 04:48:56 GMT

@im.highest.bidder..now wrote:
I don't get why peole are complaining abut Ebay fees i know they are a pain and keep going up and all the new rules but it's way cheaper than running an actual shop you only handle the stock so there is no theft , no electricity or air con to run or employ staff ,eftpos fees ,rent each week . The way we sell it's convienient and most do it from home.

you must be a very small volume seller indeed not to worry about increased costs to do business, yet declining service for higher charges from a service provider.

I have business expenses for selling on eBay including electrictity (lighting heating and air conditioning etc etc) storage unit costs, packaging, a range of service fees etc and very soon wages costs.

What gets up my nose with eBay are the constant changes that interfere with how I run my business. Whilst some of these changes have been good for the site (ie photo requirements) others are just plain market intereference IMO (ie changes to buy it now price setting).

There is no other service provider I have ever struck that has ever rolled out its changes in such a way that it has meant that I have had constantly had to spend signficant additional time on tasks that do not assist me to profit, but rather are a drain on the time and energy I have to put into my business.

TBH whingers that whinge about others complaining need to have a long hard look in the mirror.

Re: Ebay fees

lizzy6107 — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 05:49:27 GMT

If it wasn't for the fees on postage, wouldn't be so bad.. the postage costs are huge and often more than the item you are selling, so you make bugger all..

Having said that, to be honest, if ebay upped their fees to 20-25% flat ( EXCLUDING POSTAGE) in return for just leaving us alone to sell, getting rid of the silly rating system and left buyers to decide based on our customer feedback if they want to deal with us or not.. I think I would take it.

just to get rid of the anxiety and stress caused by this terribly unfair system

Re: Ebay fees

5kazam — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 06:27:56 GMT

Catspjs quote "others are just plain market intereference IMO (ie changes to buy it now price setting)."

Interesting you say this. I've just tried a little experiment (for my own interest) and listed two items (almost a pair). I deliberately and specifically UNTICKED the Auto Relist.

And guess what!!!. They have been automatically relisted.

eBay don't have the right to determine whether I relist or not. That is my decision.

The same applies to the BIN settings - if you don't see it before you relist, eBay has ticked the Best Offer box - then you (the owner of the listings) have to spend time editing to get rid of them.

eBay the Usurper - shouldn't stick fingers in where they don't belong.

And I fully concur with your last sentence.

Re: Ebay fees

robinsonmarineparts — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 07:51:01 GMT

Does Ebay pay tax in Australia on the fees they gouge from us?

I know i and other sellers have to pay tax.

Re: Ebay fees

im.highest.bidder..now — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 08:27:20 GMT

all I am saying is I read whinge after whinge about ebay , no one is forcing people to sell on here if they got a shop inthe street then they would have something to complian about , it is my opinion and I am entitled to it if you see it as whinging about others sorry for you then but in this ever changing world these are the things we have to face. small or big volume seller has nothing to do with my opinion if I was selling 300 items a week I would have the same opinion

Re: Ebay fees

5kazam — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 08:43:53 GMT

My opinion is - purchase cost, selling price, fees incurred through eBay/PayPal = net profit/loss.

It's not so much whinging, as you call it. It's a case of facing up to the reality of whether it's worth pursuing selling on a platform that takes more than what you bring home.

And I agree, you are entitled to your opinion, but doesn't that also mean that others are entitled to theirs - which they choose to express on this forum.

Re: Ebay fees

im.highest.bidder..now — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 08:54:38 GMT

everyine is entitles to their opinion but to get called a whinger ,c'mon

Re: Ebay fees

5kazam — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:15:49 GMT

My apologies, I thought that was your word - sorry, there must be a difference between your comment 'whinge after whinge'. I obviously miscontrued that. I'm not one who is into semantics, but surely you can see what your comment implies. C'mon yourself.

Re: Ebay fees

im.highest.bidder..now — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:21:42 GMT

oh dear... people selling on here but still have whinge after whinge they think they are not getting a fair deal compared to a shop shop .. difference I was not whinging , where have I ever had a whinge? people are so good at calling me one

Re: Ebay fees

5kazam — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:27:39 GMT

Are you not reading correctly. At no time did I say that YOU WERE A WHINGER. I was referring only to comments you made about 'whinge after whinge'.

Please read this slowly, so you understand this was not a personal reference to you.

Re: Ebay fees

digital*ghost — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:38:52 GMT

@im.highest.bidder..now wrote:
all I am saying is I read whinge after whinge about ebay , no one is forcing people to sell on here if they got a shop inthe street then they would have something to complian about , it is my opinion and I am entitled to it if you see it as whinging about others sorry for you then but in this ever changing world these are the things we have to face. small or big volume seller has nothing to do with my opinion if I was selling 300 items a week I would have the same opinion

Here's the main problem with posts like yours...

Your situation, and how you feel about selling on eBay, is unique to you. If you have absolutely nothing to complain about in regards to selling on eBay, fantastic.

But that in no way means no one else has something to complain about. There are many different sellers on ebay, at many different levels, with circumstances, items etc etc etc that are very different to you, who have been affected by eBay's changes and increases in fees in many different ways, some of them in very negative ways.

That means your opinion about your circumstances are irrelevant to them, so posting things that seem to suggest because you have nothing to complain about, no one else has anything to complain about, is about as short sighted and narrowminded as it gets. To turn around and then take offence to the fact that other people have taken offence to being called whingers because they don't share your experience and point of view just takes the cake.

Re: Ebay fees

cherry*135 — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:23:29 GMT

I agree with your opening post highest bidder. No one is forced to sell items on eBay.

Another gripe is those sellers that spit the dummy & announce they will be gone as a seller by 1 Nov, then decide they will stay 1 more month yada yada...... why not think it through before making the big announcement that you aren't even going to follow through?

Re: Ebay fees

im.highest.bidder..now — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:36:50 GMT

you see this is the problem with people on here , what you are talking abut has nothing to do with what I have originally said , all I was talking about was costs of running a shop you people are making more of it by talking about my situation this that and the other.it always gets blown out of proportion on here and I am not the first one to experience this. people put it out there just like am*3 said then they warrant repiles like mine , mine doesn't have to be right but that's what I feel ..you see I am the type of person who doesn't have to make an announcement when I am not going to be selling anymore

Re: Ebay fees

lalala-au — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:43:43 GMT

@im.highest.bidder..now wrote:
everyine is entitles to their opinion but to get called a whinger ,c'mon

That is exactly it!!!

Everyone has their own opinion and have the right to voice it, some people find the cost of fees on Ebay a problem and some don't, but no one likes to be judged on that or called names. Freedom of speech is a right in our society it is shame we don't respect the right to freedom of speech and apppreciate how lucky we are, also respect other opinions without judgement and name calling like whinger or "a special bunch".

Re: Ebay fees

digital*ghost — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:45:15 GMT

@im.highest.bidder..now wrote:
you see this is the problem with people on here , what you are talking abut has nothing to do with what I have originally said , all I was talking about was costs of running a shop you people are making more of it by talking about my situation this that and the other.it always gets blown out of proportion on here and I am not the first one to experience this. people put it out there just like am*3 said then they warrant repiles like mine , mine doesn't have to be right but that's what I feel ..you see I am the type of person who doesn't have to make an announcement when I am not going to be selling anymore

So what was the point or the reason for your post? You said you don't get why people whinge, and my first reply to you was some of the reasons why - they are legitimate reasons, but you ignored that post. Why?

Why post about not understanding something if - when someone makes an effort to highlight some reasons and provide some understanding - you ignore it?

That comes across as an attempt at a lecture, about something your first line lets us all know you don't "get".

Doesn't make any sense to me.

If you don't understand something, you are the least qualified to judge it.

Re: Ebay fees

digital*ghost — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:54:21 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
I agree with your opening post highest bidder. No one is forced to sell items on eBay.

You know what I don't understand? (Not judging ) Why it appears some people believe that if you choose to use a service, you have no basis for complaint if the company does something you don't like.

It's very true that no one is forced to sell on eBay. I'm not forced to eat cheesecake, either, but I do love it, so when I go out of my way and buy a slice at a premium price, it darn well better be worth the money.

Thing is, I've never seen a post complain that someone felt forced to sell on eBay, so that's not really a point, in my eyes. I've seen people say that the alternative options are limited, but whether someone has few or many other options, it doesn't automatically make everything eBay do "ok", and it never will.