Exorbitant seller fees and unexplicable billing

[hannu2004]

Why am I getting bills form ebay that are unsubstantiated and I cannot reply and complain? My last bill of fees is $50.54 from gross sales of $201.57.  But if I add all the fees from my sales page it only comes to $11.47. why so big difference and why is ebay not explaining what i am paying for? if I go to a shop and buy things my invoice lists all things i have bought that add to the total sum, but not in ebay billing... why not. Quite frankly 25% fee for all sales is a rip iff, I am thinking of chukking the whole ebay business. I operate on a very thin margin already but I get the feeling that I am only making the fat ebay bossess rich. 

[hannu2004]

Very good advice and thoughts here, thanks.

The relisting seems to be a trap that I will not fall into any more, if the item does not sell in the first 3 weeks it most likely will not sell at all. See, after relisting I have to increase the price by $1.50 to cover the relisting fee alone and if it did not sell at the lover price how can it sell at a higher price. 

The relisting is a rip off, it sounds much of the same as some of the banks used to charge for a "dishounor fee" which is illegal now. 

Does anyone have experience with Gumtree? Is that any better and more transparent and less of a rip off? ebay has really left me with a  sour taste in my mouth, I could not recommend it to anyone for selling, buying yes, i have found some really good purchases there. 

[hannu2004]

"hanna  hanna   first i am not sure you can post money with aus post  but somebody will clarify that hopefully   seconly you are selling coins only on auction starting at for instance a $1  coin for $1.20   even if you get a free listing you cannot cover ebay and paypal charges  there is already if it sells for $1.20 about 50 cents of charges the cost of the coin no less than $1  and you only just cover  your envelope and stamp as you have postage for $1   sellers start items nat .99cents  like myself but after years you have a bit of an idea what you will get for them but as you say you relist a lot so they dont even sell  "

I agree joethenuts, very small margin there. I do accept that some items may not bring profits but it may bring back the same buyer and buy other things where I can make profit. 

[i-love-my-sheep]

As long as you stay within your monthly limit of free listings, unsold items don't have to cost anything. I recently sold several things that have been relisting for nearly a year. The only thing I paid for those items were the eBay and PayPal fees when they sold. Not one single listing fee.

I do understand when you're listing that it's easy to get carried away. It's easy to be tempted to keep listing more items, but you have to have willpower to stop when you've used your 40 freebies. If some things keep relisting and you still have other things you want to list, pull some of them down for a few weeks and list a few new things. The unsold, unrelisted will just sit in your unsold box until you're ready to relist (or they expire). 

As I said, keep an eye out for free listing promotions on here. They are very useful when they happen. It's possible one may come out for next weekend, but being the end of the month, maybe not. If it doesn't happen next weekend, there's a high chance it will be the weekend after. Then you can go nuts listing new items and relisting unsold items and not pay a cent until they're sold. If you list for 7 or 10 days, they will stay listed for long enough until the next promotion. If they do end, just leave them there until the next month or the next promotion.

Gumtree is owned by eBay and there are mixed reports. I sold one thing on there (a lounge) and it sold within 2 days of listing it. I think the biggest issue with Gumtree is, buyers forget to turn up.

[cq_tech]

My biggest issues with Gumtree are the buyers who turn up to buy your item then demand that you accept half the amount for which you initially listed it. Those, and the really rude ones who email you about your $1000 piano and simply say "I give you $200 for it". I used to reply with "No, you won't" but now I just ignore them altogether. There are some real pigs on Gumtree. 😞

[joethenuts]

i agree with you for once 

[cq_tech]

That's exceedingly big of you.

[hannu2004]

Is this the free listings you talk about ? i have it in my Selling reminders list:;

Qualify for Fast & Free to attract more buyers for 43 listings.

[bakeandfry]

This is what a free listings looks like on the boards http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/promo/2404
Its an old one that has expired

[joethenuts]

auction are not always on free listings   and in your case   just do buy it now  with a price you are happy with 

i noticed you sold a $2 coin yesterday for $2.50 + $1.00 postage  total $3.50  its very simple

ebay fees aprox .35cents auction fees $1.50  paypal fees aprox .40cents  stamp+envelope aprox .75cents   goods $2.00

total cost =$5.00  for a return of $3.50  and thats if everything goes to plan ala letter gets there in one piece..

but i think you are amazing ,you can sell a normal not rare $ 2.00 coin for a total of $3.50 is amazing.mmmmmm

[lyndal1838]

Joe, stick to what you know about....paint.  Don't comment on the OPs items for sale unless you are an expert in the field.

Just because a coin is not "rare" according to you, it does not mean that it can not be sold at a profit.   There are various grades of coins from proof down to good which collectors will understand but obviously you do not.