ebay CSR hung up on me when asked about FVF on international postage

[asporty]

Seems like email to ebay option has disappeared. So I decided to open a chat session with ebay on the topic of FVF on international postage. The poor CSR tried to hedge around the issue before hanging up on me.

I would encourage everyone reading this post to to go to http://ocsnext.ebay.com.au/ocs/cuhome click on selling selling fees and then ask the CSR this question. Perhaps that may get the message across.

[appletreeaaa]

This is an example of where some items are no longer profitable to list , I have some heavy books that have been in stock for a long time and I wish to clear them for only $2 as that is the only price at which they will sell .

On the old fee structure , the selling fee would be around 20 cents with the new fee structure , the selling price to an interstate buyer with $12 postage would be around $1.40 plus the paypal fees plus listing and store fees and if an overseas buyer bought the same book , the selling fees to sell a $2 book would be about $4.50 which is much more that the selling price of the book so a loss would occur on the sale  .

I am in business to sell books , I am not in business to sell postage , selling postage is what Australia Post does for a profit .

I would rather pay a 20% selling fee on the price of the book than pay 9.9% on the price of the book and the postage .

By having a fee on the book plus the postage is a huge increase in my selling fees .

Selling on eBay is very competitive and sellers who overcharge on postage would find it hard to compete with sellers who charge the correct amount .

Ebay should be able to see who overcharges with postage by comparing the postage prices when many of the same items are sold by different sellers .

I rarely see overpriced postage from Australian based sellers .

[davewil1964]

I'm in the business of selling books, too.

And even before the postage FVF I would never list anything for less than $5.00. Because part of business is making a profit. Anything that's only sellable for $2 is unlikely to generate a profit and is probably better off at the local Op shop or, shudder, the recycling bin.

[lane-ends]

It makes no different what people say, its what they do, and how it affects Ebays profitability that drives policy. Many now find shipping internationally not competitive once you add in FVF on already high international postage. If sellers stop listing international postage in sufficient numbers then this may go against Ebays aim of being an international market place.

That may make a difference, not whether you can as an individual absorb the costs.  The effect on Ebays business is important to them not the effect on yours.

Always keep in mind the more a buyer pays in total, even if that is pushed up by postage, the more they expect from the item and the greater chance of dissatisfaction. Problems with international sales can be more expensive to fix..So ask yourself are they worth the hassle if not a big % of your business?

[davewil1964]

It's 0% of my business. Always has been.