@digital*ghost wrote:
"Businesses should be particularly careful of the use of the word ‘free’. The idea of getting goods or services without charge can create keen interest in consumers. Consumers will usually think of ‘free’ as absolutely free - a justifiable expectation."
Agreed, but tell it to eBay... it's not the sellers pushing it, it's eBay, and they're doing it for exactly that reason you quoted "The idea of getting goods or services without charge can create keen interest in consumers."
Due to spiralling ebay & postage costs I've recently unloaded thousands of items at market that I had originally intended to offer up on ebay. Items genuinely worth between $5-$20 each, & I sold them all for between 20c - $2 each.
Why? Because if they measure more than about 16mm thick they can only be posted via parcel post at a minimum of $7.15 for the small items under 501gms, with anything larger costing $17.15 minimum to post. With ebays end price fee of 9.9% and paypals fees, there is a further cost of approx 12% added to both the sale price & postage. There was just no point in listing them, it wasn't worth the time or effort. It's not that there wasn't 'enough' profit, there was simply NO profit... and forget about recouping either; the time spent taking pics & editing listings, or the original outlay/investment purchasing them. So instead I virtually gave them away to truly happy yet stunned market-goers... time after time being asked "how can you sell these things so cheap?", or, "are you sure that's the right price?" True, the price wasn't much, but it was a damned sight better than I would end up with via ebay.
The point of critical mass for value >><< cost had been reached and passed for the viability of selling those particular items of mine via ebay. Sadly that same point is fast closing in on many other items I have, along with a great many items others are currently selling through ebay, and before long many sellers are going to do the math and realize that they're effectively working for ebay & Australia Post, either for slave wages or for free...& when that happens, and it will, there won't be a whole lot of pre-owned bargains, or much in the way of variety, left to find on ebay.
Buyers are right, greed is ruining it, but you're wrong too, it's not the sellers greed. LOL most sellers can't afford to be greedy, they're too busy effectively giving their stuff away, it's just that many of them haven't realized it yet... but soon they will.
