Any ideas on best way to reduce fees? Mine are almost as much as my mortgage!

[bewitchingitems]

Really keen to hear from other sellers about the fees?

In the past two months my fees have shot through the roof and almost equal what my mortage is!

[digital*ghost]

Aside from not selling anything... 

I use the variation listing format wherever possible, and subscribe to a featured store (with number of active listings usually around the 180 mark), so all my fees are the FVF and store subscription - no extras and no auctions, as auctions are not included in the free store listings (none of my items belong in the collectible categories). Each auction in non-collectible categories attracts a $1.50 or $3.50  insertion fee (depending on the start price - $3.50 for anything starting over $100), so it can add up to quite a bit if you use them regularly. I notice of 152 listings, only 33 are buy it now format - this is probably where the bulk of your fees are coming from.

Non-store IDs get 40 free listings per month, in any category and format, so if auctions work better for you, it might be worth considering using a couple of IDs to list them without a store (FVF is a little higher, but not paying insertion fees would likely more than make up for it). 

[annies_fancy_dress]

You have a store, why do you have so many items on auction.

It's only 20c per listing for a month on BIN, when you have a store.

I'm not sure what auctions cost but they only last for 7 or 10 days don't they?

[phorum_junkie*]

There is little point in listing auctions using a store id as you have to pay for every one. I use another 2 ids, one listing up to 40 auction listings and one listing 10 day BINs with best offer for all my second hand items and keep the store for new things many of which are multiples and multi variant.

My pre sale fees are therefore $49.99 per month for 280 listings.

[adornedau]

I'm considering jumping ship, I'm just getting sick of ebay changing it's fees so often and just when I got top rated seller status, they went and changed the rules so it's pretty much pointless having it as unless I bend over backwards for buyers and cut deeply into my profits, my items don't get that status and my sales have dropped right off. Lately I've also had a bad run of buyers who either don't pay or ask to pay via banned means (eg Western Union). I am a sucker for great customer service so I try and take the assumption that everyone is honest and maybe just doesn't understand the rules, but it's clear that ebay is far more concerned with protecting buyers and not sellers. (That said, as a buyer I've had 3 transactions in the past few months I've had to dispute and it took forever to get my money back on two of them and the other one I was stupid and asked them to send again and it then went past the time I could dispute).

There are more sites opening up now that are wiping the floor with fees. One site that specialises in my area of products charges $10 a month for a store. Unlimited listings and no commission. The store set up and shipping profiles are waaay easier to control as well. So I think I'll be putting a note in my sales now to find me elsewhere, I mean ebay gets a bunch of money from selling advertising space as it is and the last two times I tried re-listing products I got repeated system errors and it was days of an empty store before I could get it to work again, I got fed up of repeating myself to customer support too. I'm sad, I worked hard to get where I am, but there are just too many issues that ebay isn't interested in fixing for me to stay and pay stupidly high fees.

[bewitchingitems]

Thanks so much for your advice - although I love the auction format and find it more interesting....I will concede defeat and just go for the BINs or I will be broke!

[bewitchingitems]

I have always love the anticipation of the auction format, but will obviously need to change and just go for the BINs...thanks so much 🙂

[bewitchingitems]

I'm agreeing on that point now...although always preferred the auctions,
but in order to make an income this isn't going to work...thanks 🙂

[bewitchingitems]

If only there was a flat rate, not the $1.50 and FVF - just too much and I agree there goes a profit for anyone!
thanks for all your info.....have certainly taken this on board 🙂

[phorum_junkie*]

LOL, is there now a comission paid for multiple posts 

If you love auction format then use a different id to list 40 without any insertion fees.