Forced to Set Buy It Now Price 30% Above Auction Start Price

[waddingtonfirstaid]

I have a screenshot of eBay stopping me from relisting my items until I increase my Buy It Now Price to a set 30% above my normal auction start price. I have reported this to the ACCC. I feel like I am being blackmailed into collusion, predatory pricing and price fixing. My auction start price is already set as low as possible so now eBay is forcing me to rip off buyers by setting the Buy It Now price way above what I would normally charge. This needs to go on FB too. How many eBay sellers are now being forced to rip off their buyers??? I guess everyone doesn't bother with auctions any more? I guess eBay needs to lift their bottom line with everything sold at a premium retail type price? No announcement, no readily available information about this on their fee table. Something sure ain't right any more about this place, that I do know.

[i-once-was-bump]

Thankyou, I will keep that in mind.

My main issue is that I needed my BIN to be closer to the starting price.

If I want to keep my current (affordable) BIN prices I am going to have to

reduce my starting prices which is really going to hurt especially if I have

to allow for the various fees.

Just when I think I am taking one step forward towards selling on ebay

again, I then take two steps back.

I have looked at your completed listings and most items have 1 bid on them and are around the $18 - $20 mark so why do you have a problem with a BIN 30% above the bids you have received?

I just don't understand what your problem is with the 30%

To have an item starting at $20 for auction and a BIN of $26.00 is not a big deal because your items are being sold with only one bid.

[the-kazbar]

Thats great, shame its not what actually happens, check out how many of the same item is offered by the same seller in different formats  " LED CREE Day Spot Light Work bicycle Motorcycle Car Truck Boat Off"

I don't think it comes as a great shock to anyone here that there are listings that breach policy on this site, but regardless of how many get through, I would not want to give someone advice that could see their listings reported and pulled. A few policy violations or account suspensions do far more harm to search standing, and kill a business, than a 30% increse in BIN price.

[chezzy]

As far as I can see, nobody has answered whether auction style listings get more exposure than fixed price/BIN listings. If auction style listings indeed get more exposure/seen in searches then I am probably better off dropping the BIN from auctions (as I can't justify the 30% increase in many cases) and just starting at a price I feel is reasonable and run short 1-3 day auctions with NO BIN.

[cq_tech]

The main problem with 1-3 day auctions is that you simply won't get the exposure you need, bearing in mind that it can take up to 24 hours before your listing is catalogued and displayed.

[jensmanchester-australia]

As far as I can see, nobody has answered whether auction style listings get more exposure than fixed price/BIN listings. If auction style listings indeed get more exposure/seen in searches then I am probably better off dropping the BIN from auctions (as I can't justify the 30% increase in many cases) and just starting at a price I feel is reasonable and run short 1-3 day auctions with NO BIN.

There were some changes in Best Match search results which came in a while ago which means that auctions are no longer given extra exposure in search results.

Previously an auction item at some stage, as it got closer to the ending time, moved up and was usually on the first or second page of listings on the last day or so.

It now works that for an auction listing to be elevated in Best Match Search results it needs to have bids on it as once bids have been place it is now seen as a "wanted" item. It is a similar concept to how BM works for BIN items - once a sale is made it is elevated in the BM search results.

[chezzy]

Thanks for that information. However I am not talking about 'where' the results sit or even if they are elevated at all, but am needing to know the items are going to show up in searches full stop. As I mentioned earlier, when I had tried some fixed price listings I couldn't bring them up in searches no matter what key words I tried to search. Yet no problems for my items that were auction listings. So I need someone/anyone to convince me that yes fixed price listings show up just as much as auction listings (let's assume content is the same - titles and descriptions)

[lane-ends]

If you are happy to run 1-3 day auctions at more or less your expected sale price then there is no point of BIN option. Which is more effective on long duration auctions for two reasons, first it attracts buyers who want it guaranteed, and in the next post rather than wait a week for a maybe win. It also encourages buyers to place a commited bid earlier in order to eliminate the BIN option and hence having the item bought from under them while they are watching.

Why not just use BIN instead of auction, then you can have the item in the next post rather than  having buyers wait until auction end. Auctions can be a deterrent to the want it now mentality, so if they are not hoping for a bargain there is no point.

If you have multiples then repeat BIN buys will boost best match exposure, whereas repeat auctions wont.

[lane-ends]

Do you have enough stock to make a store worth it, that is when BINs become more cost effective. Also given the sorts of things you sell combining shipping from a large range of stock will be very appealing. Non store short duration BIN onlys are expensive.

[waddingtonfirstaid]

Well, sales have definitely dropped since the changes. I agree with everyone who has complained about bad search results and they way eBay seems to be flooded with overseas merchandise swamping local products. I tried looking for a couple of things to buy today and found the whole process unlike anything I've experienced before. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Virtually no more auctions. Things are now really expensive. When I search price comparisons elsewhere, eBay sellers are coming up more expensive. Seems like regular stores will be better value than eBay now. Harvey Norman will be happy and he didn't have to do anything to create this mess.

Oh, and thank you to the 2 regular forum posters who reported me to eBay, once for saying his/her remarks were condescending and another for stating a fact that the post was unhelpful. Jeez, first time posting here in years and I get bullied like that! Not even the forums are safe to vent here. Unbelievable.

[i-once-was-bump]

weducational2 I don't know if any of your posts were directed at me but I did not report anything and as for forum regulars reporting you, how would you know who reported you?

I would love to know how to find out who is reporting me all the time.

I just put it down to trolls and lurkers with nothing better to do but if you know who is doing it then a lot of posters here would like to know the secret.