Fees too high

[jesso123]

Fees are ridiculous!!! I'm done with with selling on eBay. Asked buyer to pay by eft to avoid paypal fees or to contact me if there was any issues. Instead they just paid with paypal without contacting me and I was charged $10. I thought ok it's not too bad. But then I logged into eBay and was slammed with a $50 bill. The sale was around 450. Absolutely crazy. I sold the item at cost price to be fair and I've lost $60. I understand a small fee of up to $5 but $50 is just a scam. I will never use eBay again to sell stuff

[chameleon54]

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@supermussolinibros wrote:

facebook market place and gumtree is where the selling party is on at-millenials for example don't even look here EVER. Check this out  https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/ebay-growth-turns-negative

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Its true that ebay has not engaged younger buyers and this will need to be corrected if ebay is to have a future, but facebook and gumtree are not even in the race when it comes to running a proffesional online business. The time taken to negotiate with customers before selling, putting up with the ridiculous low ball offers and time wasters and the huge amounts of wasted time sitting around waiting for " buyers " who never show up or are late mean running an efficient facebook or gumtree business is almost immpossible for most products.

Facebook and Gumtree might be quite good for people who are just cleaning up a bit of carp from around the house and dont value their time very highly, but they simply dont have the business structures, financial management, record keeping processes, online support when things go wrong, or the global reach to be considered real competition for ebay in the proffesional online business market. For better or worse, that is where ebay has hung its hat and I doubt that it is too worried if people are selling their old sofas and second hand shoes on other sites.

[supermussolinibros]

for stuff like ribbons or nigella seeds or other cheap junk that can be found on 2 dollar shops i guess ebay definately has the edge - i was thinking more along high value items like laptops, maybe some apple tv's or apple gear, gps's,general electronic goods collectible retro items - you know stuff that is worth big money or gets big money (in comparison to $1.75 pieces of ribbon) - talking to a young guy at work who recently needed a motorcycle jacket and a graphics card for his computer he went to gumtree for the motorcycle jacket and facebook for the graphics card - didn't even look at or consider ebay in looking for either - this young fella is one who thinks justin bieber and katy perry are talented musicians so it gives you an idea of his age (low 20's).  If you want to buy cheap $2 junk then i guess best stick around here - the effort, the DSR's and the threat of negative feedback over an 0.80 cent piece of ribbon is enough to make me spew just thinking about selling here -- however i guess some people eventually make a profit out of having 1000 listings for 1 metre of ribbons, 200 listings for different coloured buttons, $1 alligator clips, and 2000 listings for different coloured wool - horses for courses but me i'm more interested in big ticket items and actually selling them hassle free/paypal free/feedback free/fee free - best of luck to you - i've gotta go cos i just sold $400 worth of collectible vintage books on gumtree

[springyzone]

I used those first examples as they are things I have needed  and they were not available at ANY retail shop anywhere and I drove all over Melbourne, or at least, to several places including one massive craft store. I wasn't just after a piece of ribbon, I was after a particular shade, in a range of particular, exact widths and I needed quite a bit of it. Ebay came up trumps.

I thought of the nigella seeds as I bought some on ebay recently and if you can find those in the 2 dollar shops I would be surprised. I couldn't find any in our local supermarkets and we have three. Ebay, easy to find and in just about any quantity.

Admittedly, that doesn't make any of them big purchases like collectables or electronics but I'll be honest with you, I would hesitate to buy electronics on ebay and probably on gumtree or FB either. 

As for collectables or books that are hard to get, I'd venture that ebay would be more likely to consistently carry some items you're after than either marketplace or gumtree.

I recently wanted a book called 'No privacy for writing' 1995 edition. It's not rare but it's not the sort of thing you're likely to come across in op shops either. There is 0% chance of finding it at any particular time on marketplace or gumtree but there are a couple of copies on ebay. And several on dedicated online book sites.

I agree with you it is horses for courses but the point I am making is that for most buyers, whether  they are looking for smaller items or a leather jacket or a collectable, they are more likely to consistently find a few of those items on ebay.

What the young ones use marketplace for a lot is to buy & sell second hand baby stuff, second hand children's clothes, shoes, toys etc and some furniture items. It's a bit like the original ebay, a hodge podge of private sellers. 

Probably should add the one area ebay wins out is that things are usually posted. An awful lot of people don't like face to face pick up, they like to be anonymous & this is particularly so with adult clothes etc & smaller items, though of course with furniture, different.

[chameleon54]

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@supermussolinibros wrote:

for stuff like ribbons or nigella seeds or other cheap junk that can be found on 2 dollar shops i guess ebay definately has the edge - i was thinking more along high value items like laptops, maybe some apple tv's or apple gear, gps's,general electronic goods collectible retro items - you know stuff that is worth big money or gets big money (in comparison to $1.75 pieces of ribbon) - talking to a young guy at work who recently needed a motorcycle jacket and a graphics card for his computer he went to gumtree for the motorcycle jacket and facebook for the graphics card - didn't even look at or consider ebay in looking for either - this young fella is one who thinks justin bieber and katy perry are talented musicians so it gives you an idea of his age (low 20's).  If you want to buy cheap $2 junk then i guess best stick around here - the effort, the DSR's and the threat of negative feedback over an 0.80 cent piece of ribbon is enough to make me spew just thinking about selling here -- however i guess some people eventually make a profit out of having 1000 listings for 1 metre of ribbons, 200 listings for different coloured buttons, $1 alligator clips, and 2000 listings for different coloured wool - horses for courses but me i'm more interested in big ticket items and actually selling them hassle free/paypal free/feedback free/fee free - best of luck to you - i've gotta go cos i just sold $400 worth of collectible vintage books on gumtree

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If Gumtree or Facebook works for the things you sell.....Go for your life........If you want to wait around home for two hours for someone who may or may not turn up, only to have them offer you half the price you discussed before they got there,  thats great. Personally I cant be bothered with all of the time wasters and tyre kickers on Facebook and Gumtree, but thats just me. 

As for big ticket items, I sold a single book on ebay yesterday for nearly $300 ( I paid $5 for it ) and also a Motor Cycle part today for $240. As well as those two items I have sold a number of cheaper items in the last couple of days in the $30 - $80 price range. I didnt have to contact or negotiate with any of the buyers, Didnt have to haggle over price, they have all just clicked and paid for their items and some even sold while I was asleep last night. Unfortunately Facebook and Gumtree simply dont stack up against that sort of efficient sales system and as for trying to run a proffesional, efficient small business on the other sites.... Forget it !!!

So by all means, if you like the other sites and they work for you, stick with them, ( all the more buyers for me ) but dont assume that just because you havnt got the business skills to make ebay work, no-one else can either.

[chameleon54]

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@supermussolinibros wrote:

for stuff like ribbons or nigella seeds or other cheap junk that can be found on 2 dollar shops i guess ebay definately has the edge - i was thinking more along high value items like laptops, maybe some apple tv's or apple gear, gps's,general electronic goods collectible retro items - you know stuff that is worth big money or gets big money (in comparison to $1.75 pieces of ribbon) - talking to a young guy at work who recently needed a motorcycle jacket and a graphics card for his computer he went to gumtree for the motorcycle jacket and facebook for the graphics card - didn't even look at or consider ebay in looking for either - this young fella is one who thinks justin bieber and katy perry are talented musicians so it gives you an idea of his age (low 20's).  If you want to buy cheap $2 junk then i guess best stick around here - the effort, the DSR's and the threat of negative feedback over an 0.80 cent piece of ribbon is enough to make me spew just thinking about selling here -- however i guess some people eventually make a profit out of having 1000 listings for 1 metre of ribbons, 200 listings for different coloured buttons, $1 alligator clips, and 2000 listings for different coloured wool - horses for courses but me i'm more interested in big ticket items and actually selling them hassle free/paypal free/feedback free/fee free - best of luck to you - i've gotta go cos i just sold $400 worth of collectible vintage books on gumtree

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And there in lies the rub. By your own addmission you " gotta go " coz you just sold $400 worth of books on gumtree. ( no doubt gotta wait around now for the next two hours to see if your buyer actually shows up and pays ) .............ME ..... I dont " Gotta go " anywhere. The stuff mentioned in the last post sold itself while I wasnt even there. THATS THE SINGLE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND EBAY. . 

Spoiler

And while you may possibly be full of it as far as the $400 sale goes, if push comes to shove I,m happy to ask another respected forum poster to view my selling accounts and confirm every word of my post is true re. sales in the last 48 hours 🙂

[padi*0409]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

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I,m happy to ask another respected forum poster to view my selling accounts and confirm every word of my post is true re. sales in the last 48 hours 🙂

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Tell it like it is Chamo.     

[countessalmirena]

springyzone, I recently needed some more nigella seeds for the sugar-free apple chutney which I regularly make (I use that chutney as part of a mild but aromatic curry dish which everyone in the family can eat); I also urgently needed to restock on potato starch and brown rice flour (I mix my own GF flours when coeliac family member is visiting for lunch or dinner).

My incredibly obliging local shop stocks these in bulk and were happy to stay open a little later in case traffic delayed me. (I ended up making it by 5 minutes - but next time I will check earlier and not put myself in that position.

It is such a good feeling to have a full pantry.

That reminds me - I must get some more smoked paprika.

I would never have thought to look on Facebook for spices. I do prefer to wander around said local shop enjoying the aromas and sight of the ingredients... But I do acknowledge that people in the roughly 18-24 age group would be more likely to buy from an endorser- or influencer-linked source.

I suppose it's striking to see just how many platforms there are nowadays..: Some are more effective than others.

[springyzone]

Hi countess.

I'm not the cook you are, alas, but you've inspired me to try new things. I am making a chutney and giving a bottle to my son & daughter in law as well.

Sounds as if you have a marvellous local shop.

You said you had never thought to look on facebook for spices. Don't bother. There's a snowball's chance in hell (as my mother used to say) of finding what you want for those sorts of things on marketplace.

But ebay does carry a good range of teas & spices from Australian sellers.

I'd agree, a lot of young ones probably don't use ebay.

From my point of view, ebay has a lot of regular small sellers/businesses where you can just buy/pay and wait a few days to receive your products. Hassle free.

I see marketplace & gumtree as more problematic (for both buying & selling), with messaging, arranging times for pick up and if you are a seller, being let down a lot of the time with no shows/lowball offers.

I also see them as more amateur sales sites, most people just selling second hand things & one-offs, so what is listed at any time is a bit of an unknown till you look.

[detlyn72]

I agree. Just got charged $254 to sell my drone. That’s outrageous that’s not a fee it’s E Bay saying we WE WANT IN ON THE DEAL! . I can’t think of any other selling service whether it be Car or Real Estate that would demand 14.35% of the sale. I know I should have checked it first but I am still shocked. Have been selling things all my life on different platforms Traiding Post car sales.com my real estate agent when he sold our house just to name a few and have never experienced price gouging like this. Never again.

[detlyn72]

Demanding 14.35% of the final value! (camera) E Bay has to be the most expensive place by far to sell anything. Correct me if I’m wrong but can anyone think of a more expensive platform to sell on?