Mandatory Power Seller program

[hayruss]

Just came back from holidays and found myself to be a Bronze power seller.

Some people thaink this may be a good thing, and for some people it is especially those who sell a large volume of items. But for those of us who have just qualified means that we ae losing money as we now have to pay for the 1st 30 listings every month and over a year that is quite a bit of $$$ anywhere between $180 and $1080.

My biggest gripe about the whole power seller program is it is mandatory, they (Ebay) talk about that once you meet a certain level of sellers performance you automatically opt in. Opt implies option which in this case you do not have an option. When requested to remove the power seller rating they say it can only be done based on your ratings automatically.

Trying to find the pros and cos in the ebay documentation was impossible as I dont think they exist. The doco explains the benefits which is not that much for a small operator, listing multiple items (could be handy) places your items higher in the search results list (with meaningful item descriptions and tags can place you in the same search results).

I have asked Ebay to accept my feedback regarding the poor documentation and the mandatory nature of the Power sellers program. Hopefully it will become a program the sellers can opt in and out of themselves in the future.

I might start listing on Gumtree?

Please let me know your thoughts either way?

Thanks

[crichtonscraftgwen]

Ebay are providing a site for you to sell on - if you had a B and M store you would have to pay rent.  Have listed on other sites in the past and sold very little so I am quite prepared to pay eBay for letting me list on their site and to SELL items and also buy if I want to.

[motherbear2003]

Once upon a time it was considered a privelege to become a Power Seller, however these days it appears to be seen more as a money grabbing exercise by ebay.  I'm still very proud of my PS status:-D

You can always start another ID and get 30 free listings:|

[egglesdtp]

Do what many others have done - create a new selling ID and although you go to zero feedback, you can list 30 items free each month. If you discontinue selling on the original ID, it takes just a few months to lose the power seller status.

[davewil1964]

Suck it up.

You have sold over $3000 worth of goods in the past 12 months. Why should you be exempt when others in the same situation plus those registered as a business or owning stores have to pay to list.

My understanding is that the 30 free listings are for new/casual sellers. You have proved the viability of your business model, so your free trial is over.

[shipahoys_antique_and_collectable_centre]

A recent survey by Gumtree (Ebay) tells me that the site will not be FREE for much longer:-(. Having been accredited with a power seller status is a very empowering and rich priveledge - I hold my head up high and count my lucky stars each and every day, and hope to God I never lose it:-D  

[2106greencat]

You can see my comments on the thread you started in the AC

[austeam]

I apologise in advance as I really can't think of a way to say this without coming across as rude, but I seriously think eBay should ditch the 30 free listings because instead of sellers looking back and saying thanks for making it easy for me to get started  there seem to be more and more these days who are ungrateful and complain when eBay say, now you have succeeded and have to pay your own way.

My thoughts (since you asked for them):  having started on eBay well before the days of free listings along with many other sellers I am starting to get somewhat annoyed by all of the complaints from sellers who have the misfortune of success sneak up on them.  If you don't want to pay fees then don't list. 

Think of it in the same way as when a parent says to their child, now that you are earning money I want you to pay board.  Some children are happy to contribute ... others quit their job because they prefer to sponge.

BTW threads on this subject pop up every month just after the re-evalution of PS status so you are not the first to complain.... so sorry for venting on your post. If yours had been the 1st, or the 50th I would still be biting my tongue.  I just can't believe so many people don't realise it was a gift, not a right.

[calsof]

Suck it up.

Was waiting for this 😉

Also, still waiting for "poor seller, now has to pay fees".

Another popular one: "Congratulations, you are now selling more than $3000 per year"!!! 

Come on, guys... some people haven't read these threads before. I know we've got sick of the complaints, but others haven't read them before and are coming here for the first time to vent.

Although, I don't understand why they would complain. I'd never sold on eBay before opening my store so had never tried before I bought. I got on eBay to sell and make money and I wanted PS status ASAP so I could climb up the selling ladder. When I achieved it, I was happy... better rankings etc. 

However, there are some who don't have a store, don't buy stock to sell. Hoarders get professional help and then seek to clean out their house the profitable way. Mums sell their kids' smaller clothes to help fund newer purchases. People move house and don't want to drag that old table into their new garage.... etc etc

I'm sure eBay could have some special policies in place for people who are special. Considering how many come to these boards to request special treatment, I would think eBay stocks would plummet real soon after - poof, there go our businesses as well!

Not sure which category the OP is in but the sellers who complain are usually the same ones who buy on eBay and then give red dots for Postage charges. They are the ones who think that business is about sellers selling their goods at the same price they bought them for and then fork out the cost of the satchel to send them to the buyer. 

When they try that business model on their own selling, they haven't taken eBay fees into account, let alone a modest profit margin for their trouble. These are the sellers who try to compete with Chinese sellers on eBay. The ones who buy $1.00 products from China and re-sell for $2.00 including postage from Australia (sent in a 50 cent satchel with 2 x 60 cent stamps on it).

I was a buyer on eBay for years before I became a seller. I got into business selling with a store that cost me a percentage of my sales immediately. I sucked up the fees and still regard them as my rent for being here. At times they eat up more than I can make (there was a time when I was populating my store with numerous listings, making few sales, and eBay/Paypal were eating up 30% or more of my earnings) so yes, I complained. But that was an intermediate stage that is still leading me where I want to go with my sales. 

If you are making over $3000, you need to pay rent to eBay for allowing you to use it's bandwidth, if nothing else. Lucky you don't have to pay rent from day one, which is what the real-estate agent would require (along with a second month's rent for bond) if you were selling in a B&M store. I don't think that "but I'm only making $2900 a year" makes it to the excuses that will get you out of paying rent in that situation.

[ecom_foryou]

Hi,

Thanks to everyone, these are useful tips. I had already sent the outline of the tracking and delivery attempts to the buyer and I have kept her updated each step of the way.

Her name is Nicole and the name she has for her shipping address in ebay and paypal is a man's name...do you think this could have been part of the issue? I assumed that person is at the address also otherwise why would you use it. I've asked her the next time the person will be there before I attempt delivery again.