Dear eBay

[lulicool]

Read on boys and girls...I have a secret to share 😉

2 years ago my little ole eBay store was averaging sales of $1000 PLUS per WEEK!!!! Yes, that's right!!! PER WEEK!!!!  Seems people really like the kooky kitschy stuff I sell!  Now I'm lucky to scrape together  50 - 100 bucks.

I started up a fan page on Facebook and have slowly built that up to around 12000 fans 

Anyway, the point of sharing this with you all is to let you know that for now at least (until FB find a way to jump on the bandwagon of fleecing it's members and getting a piece of the pie) THIS is how I have gradually clawed my way back from the brink of disaster lol.

For example, I held a handbag clearance sale on there the other week - sold over $1000 of product in a couple of hours...NO FEES other than Paypal (if my customer's chose to pay that way)

I'll be holding a 99c auction there next week - pop by and check it out to see how well it goes 🙂

Interacting with your customers on FB is a great way to build up rapport and customer loyalty and keep 'em coming back for more as they can actually become FRIENDS in many cases.

I have only kept my eBay store going as a means of getting new customers and then redirecting them to my Facebook page which seems to be working but I'm thinking of shutting up shop here as it's just becoming too darn expensive.

Anyhoo, just thought I'd share my story in case it may help 1 or 2 of you here - PEACE LOVE AND MUNG BEANS PEOPLE  

PS : I'm taking bets on how long before eBay take this down...what do you reckon???

[davewil1964]

My point is that very few of my sales are to Canberra, so FB selling is not actually going to give me much turnover/profit.

There are a lot of bookshops here, at least one Op shop sells books for $1 year round, Lifeline holds 2 massive sales per year (next one is tomorrow for me) where prices are around or below $4. Unless you go on Sunday afternoon where they are $15 per bag, which is 50c or less.

Canberrans have the same access to cheap books as I do, so are unlikely to pay me more for the ones I'm trying to sell.

[chameleon54]

Hi Dave, Just wondering how you are going to handle the 10% FVF on postage ?  Many books are over 500gm. so the FVF on a 3 kg. satchel will take another $1.30 from your profit. I sell quite a few cheap car parts ( under $10.00 ) on one account and cant see the point of continueing if I am going to lose $1.30 extra FVF on postage on top of the existing $1.30 I already pay in fees on a $10.00 sale. Like books car parts are a competative market with defined price points.  Would welcome your input. Thanks

[davewil1964]

Most of my books are under 500g. About 40% can go as letters, which I offer 'free' post and wear the FVF on already.

I rarely buy books over 500g unless they are first edition hardcovers, which should be worth a few dollars more than a paperback.

For the moment I will probably use eBay labelling, which will offset the increased FVF. And hope that other sellers of the same books increase their prices so I can too.

[prince*planet]

Only problem with Facebook selling is all the stuffing around and ridiculous low offers but it's the way to go you just set up another id and run it like a shop.
i was at a real life auction today and the buying was unbelievable prices were triple ebay averages anyway.
Another thing..i had a complaining email on ebay from a looker because i relisted an item. it was previously $25 buy now plus $8.50 postage. i relisted it for $35 free postage...an increase of $1.50. I get an angry email saying it's absurd i put somehting up $10 interested but not at that price!!!! etc etc. After pointing out their mistake of not realising it's only $1.50 increase and is due to Ebay's fee increase i told him/her to get used to it as the days of getting cheap small items from home based sellers are finished...
So i come on here today..a forum where you're often told don't bother addressing ebay this is just member to member and what do i notice immediately...heavy censorship.
i wonder if the Chinese are going to keep paying them the extra money they'll lose from all us or will they be backpedalling like mad 12 months from now?
One thing for sure, they've gone a step too far and this is the push that sends many away forever. For me i wil only be selling the big local pickup items i never could post anyway. I might list buy it nows but the prices will be sky high with an offer button maybe...but they'll be very few...Real life auctions, Facebook, noticeboards, small free classifieds elsewhere, gumtree (until they wreck that too). Ebay is finito for members of the public as sellers. That's my say anyway good luck to all.