Is there a workaround to cover the fees on postage by Ebay?

[pinkcherry.blossom]

Hi everyone, I have returned to selling on ebay, and find now that ebay also charge fees on postage paid by buyer. Small sales are only a matter of a dollar or two but it all ads up at the end of the day. I'm trying to work out how to make sure I cover my postage the buyer actually paid. Eg postage I charge is what Australia post charge for a small pre paid satchel $9.95 but after ebay fees I get $8.73. Has anyone got any tips on how I make sure I cover my postage on auction items? 

[sandypebbles]

Well that has been the case since Adam was a boy

BUT, before you worry about that

More importantly

Much more importantly 

Have you fully and successfully completed all aspect of signing up to Managed Payments and been given the go ahead to start selling?

AND read up on the 30 day hold on all funds until you prove yourself as a seller again (but you must send within your handling time, not make the buyer wait for you funds to be released 

You really need to read up on the numerous changes since you last sold if the fees took you by surprise

Because there have been a LOT of BIG changes since then

[pinkcherry.blossom]

Thank you , yes I have gone through the first month of funds on hold which took me by surprise. It's pretty expensive to sell on ebay now, not worth listing anything under $10 really. Before ebay changed the fee structures, it would have cost about $2 to sell an item for around $50, now the fees are more than double. Do sellers just add more to the postage to cover it?

[countessalmirena]

@pinkcherry.blossom,

To make it worthwhile selling, of course you need to make sure that overall you are making a profit - sufficient to put in the time of sourcing, buying, listing, checking, packing, sending, and responding if there are questions or something goes amiss (delays, IBRs, return requests, etc.) I’m only stressing this because I have seen some eBay sellers seem almost afraid to be seen to take their costs into account.

Unless your items can be sold at a price that covers all of the fees, you will need to look at how best to ensure you’re not left out of pocket.

How you structure your costs is entirely up to you. You know you must pay the Final Value Fee on the overall total but it’s no business of the buyer to be told how you do so… so you may want to increase your item price on fixed price listings, or add an extra $1.25 to the postage or add it as a handling cost, or implement a combination of these things. With auction listings, I’d say that increasing the P&H component would probably be necessary unless the starting price is high enough to absorb that cost and give you a healthy margin.

Sandypebbles was addressing the issue of being verified for Managed Payments as well. Have you made sure your identity has been verified? (Photo ID must be provided as part of the new payment requirements.) And have you also had your bank account verified? (Again, new-ish requirement as part of Managed Payments.) 

[domino-710]

Selling 101 - Cover your costs.

[gutterpunkz05]

Calculate all fees, and either build them into the sale price, or use flat rate postage with P&H built in.

$2 to sell a $50  item  (4%)  what century was that

[eol-products]

You can add a handling fee if you use calculated postage.

[pnc75]

Unfortunately they've made that hard to find now. I found it by sheer accident. 

[eol-products]

I wonder if you need to select it each time when doing a new listing or sell similar.

[pnc75]

I've found that after you select the postage type, you then have to click on 'Calculate Postage' which then takes you to a pop up box where you put the handling and then choose the option and so on and son on. Another thing they 'fixed' that is hidden unless you poke around & involves more time.