May 2013 Fee Structure Changes

[CmtyGuide@ebay.com]

eBay will be introducing a new fee structure on May 1, 2013.

For some sellers fees will be going up, while others will see notable reductions.  We encourage you to take the time to visit the newly launched Seller Centre to see how the changes will affect you (http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/fs5).

You will notice that to offset the fee change, we have worked to remove the major barriers to listing and have continued to reduce upfront fees to make selling on eBay easier and fairer. Most sellers should only be paying fees on an item after it sells – not before.

Your fees contribute to eBay’s ability to significantly invest in the overall experience for both sellers and buyers.  Enhancements on the buyer side of the equation are aimed squarely at driving traffic to your listings and ensuring the 7.3 million Australians who visit the site every month continue to do so. For example, investments in marketing, social media promotions and mobile commerce applications helped sellers to capture a greater share of online sales in 2012 and saw a 21% year on year increase of visits to eBay.

After reviewing the changes it should be clear that the new fee structure also encourages sellers to adopt the behaviours that we know buyers increasingly prefer (eg: fixed price over auction in some categories) – therefore increasing your chances of a successful sale.

In 2013 we will be working even harder to respond to the rapid pace of change in our industry and to ensure you are taken along on the journey. You will see a number of innovations announced in the coming months and throughout the year which support all of our sellers, no matter what their size or business aspirations.”

[scottydog65]

Wonder what will happen to all those sellers,particularly China selling low priced items for $5 and less

[minimikimusic]

Can someone confirm if you still get 40 free listings if you are a Power Seller? I am confused. 

[thecatspjs]

Goodness me, you need to stay on your toes to keep up with it all - makes it very difficult to plan ahead, but one things for sure, if you continue to put all your eggs in the one basket it may end in tears.

Off to revamp the plan, rethink loss leaders via auctions and list like crazy during April via auction whilst still at lower price to clear out of the mounds of auction designated stock I have accumulated.

Should have tripled my auction listings weeks ago, but being punished for procrastination now - ouch.

[digital*ghost]

Can someone confirm if you still get 40 free listings if you are a Power Seller? I am confused. 

You will still get 40 free as a Power Seller. You will also no longer have to be a Power Seller to use multiple quantity or variation BINs.

[motherbear2003]

Am I understanding this correctly - items in the craft section will be listed in Collectables??????

[5kazam]

I notice that all of the responses to the fee changes are from store sellers. 

I'm a 'mum and dad' seller and occasional buyer.  With the current fee structure, it works out at just over 10%  paid in fees to eBay and PayPal combined - with PayPal taking fees on postage as well as on the final selling price.  (And I agree with others that it won't be long before PayPal raises their %).  So with the eBay increase, we will be looking at around 12.3% in fees overall.  Major auction houses only charge 16.5% and their turnover is no where as great as eBay.  To me it smacks of GREED, GREED AND MORE GREED.  But eBay could well fall flat on its face -  unless it intends to not only buy Gumtree, but all other sites to ensure it has a monopoly.

I was recently one of I don't know how many who were offered 100 free listings.  I thought this was a great idea, and when I completed a survey I commented that -

what eBay missed out on in listing fees, it would more than make up on FVF's because so many more people would list more items = more sales = more FVF $'s for eBay.

Simple logic!! 

If eBay implemented the 100 free listing strategy, there would be no need to increase their FVF %.

Question : Does ACCC have any jurisdiction over e-bay?  Some entity has to! 

Then I suppose the name eBay could be registered in some obscure country that no one has heard of, and where there are no regulations regarding what they can get away with.

[fb5b]

Well, I'm out! Who can afford to sell with these price rises etc? F.. joke!

[motherbear2003]

kazam - ebay do own Gumtree hence the introduction of fees for certain features recently:|

[digital*ghost]

Am I understanding this correctly - items in the craft section will be listed in Collectables??????

Looks like it. I thought at first only some of my listings would attract higher FVF, but I soon realised jewellery is classed as fashion, so all my listings will attract higher FVF. Not happy about craft items attracting the increased FVF either, as it's what I primarily buy on eBay, with many items being under $5 each, I'm not sure how the new fee structure is going to affect end prices as many craft store owners have well in excess of 200 listings, so the $40 break on insertion fees may get quickly swallowed up by higher FVF. 

Speaking for myself, as a store holder with low volume sales and a moderate amount of listings, I will be around $30 better off per month even with the increased FVF, if I keep the featured store, thanks to the free listings.

I know for higher volume and  $ value sellers, it means an increase in fees though, and personally, I'm not convinced a strategy that encourages listing but effectively discourages selling (by making the advertising costs largely nominal if not free, but ever increasing the cost of being successful) is ultimately the right way to go. Successful sellers are valuable sellers, and successful sellers gain the means to leave a site that does nothing to encourage them to stay. 

[craftaholic-on-the-loose]

Congratulations Ebay ! With Each power push to make more money and supposedly doing right by us all - You are in effect making Quicksales a bigger and more viable selling place. I have noticed since the last PLAY with fees here that the selling ID's here are now appearing there as well and with being able to link to there selling feedback from here can begin to trade with confidence as there record is visible to those wishing to view it. I am amazed at the numbers of times that you tell us it is in OUR best interests to make these changes - just for once I would like to read that YOU are the one that wants to make more money! (or is it to recoop losses from people leaving?) Turn the clock back to $19.95 shop fees - 7% FVF - THAT is what people really want - and if you really DID listen to what the sellers wanted then this would be what should really happen - Take a Survey of sellers if you are game and then stand by popular demand and views - No! I didn't think so..... snowballs chance in hell of that happening. I can never quite comprehend the need to change things dramatically each time - If it wasn't broke in the first place - why the hell does everyone see the need to put a finger in the pie and stuff it up altogether ! ?