lifter08 wrote:
Bottom-Line is that if you want to use eBay to get your products noticed, you must adhere to their draconian, unrealistic selling policies.
They will tell you how to interact with potential customers - and they will threaten you if you don't comply.
And you'd better not try to sell 'off' eBay either - as that wlll get you banned for whatever their specified period happens to be.
Problem is if I try to recover the crazy percentage that eBay and PayPal demand, my product becomes uncompetitive.
Does eBay / PayPal care? Not even a little bit.
They're clearly getting too big and behaving like insensitve bullies - and not listening to legitimate seller concerns.
I met with their CEO a few years back - and brought up these concerns - particularly the high seller fess on large ticket items - up to $250.00 on my items - and he simply shrugged his shoulders and said that's just the way it is 'mate'... either love it or leave was the clear but 'veiled' suggestion...
These kinds of exorbitant fees represent nearly 25% of my profit - so I'm compelled to ask potential clients to deal with me direct - and to bypass eBay for payment.
And, removing Active Content was a very backward step - as it now railroads sellers into generically styled stores - making it much harder to differentiate your items from similar competitor products. To not even allow a contact number is frankly unrealistic.
Can you imagine placing a magazine advert - with no contact number?
If I advertise with Just Cars magazine - do they demand a cut of every hoist I sell? I'm already paying them for the ad space - just like I pay eBay for their web-space.
Ebay are providing a platform - nothing else - it's a nice platform for sure - but to DEMAND we sell on their platform is anti-competitive and could be construed as unlawful. To charge a fee on shipment too - is simpy outrageous - but of course PayPal needs to justify its existence...
I send my products all over Australia - and in over 10 years not had an instance of damaage or loss. PayPal's 'Buyer Protecton - is clearly a way to 'gouge' sellers for more fees - and isn't applicable for products that aren't shipped through Ausralia Post or the 'usual' channels...
A 1000kgs flatpack (a large car hoist) CANNOT get 'lost' - and I always cover any damage if it happens - but it's never happened - as I use agents who make sure my items are handled professionally.
Once again - does eBay care? Not even a little bit...
Anyway, I've just about had it with their Nazi-like attitude - and considering removing my products completely.
I'll rely on magazineas and my website only... if they continue to implement their unrealistic policies...
That way they get NO Listing Fees - so they lose too...
Enuff said?
you must adhere to their draconian, unrealistic selling policies.
Itโs called the eBay User Agreement
And you'd better not try to sell 'off' eBay either - as that wlll get you banned for whatever their specified period happens to be.
Problem is if I try to recover the crazy percentage that eBay and PayPal demand, my product becomes uncompetitive.
So you want to source buyers by listing on eBay but feel that you should be able to sell off-eBay due to their fee structure? . . . . . and do so without penalty from eBay? . . . . . . use their site, pay them nothing, get no penalty, and continue to use their site? Are you for real?
These kinds of exorbitant fees represent nearly 25% of my profit - so I'm compelled to ask potential clients to deal with me direct - and to bypass eBay for payment.
Thereโs the answer to my previous question.
To not even allow a contact number is frankly unrealistic.
Well, apparently, in your case it is not unrealistic as letting you have contact number in your listings will, by your own admissions, see you avoid paying eBay any final value fees for using their site by selling off-eBay.
If I advertise with Just Cars magazine - do they demand a cut of every hoist I sell? I'm already paying them for the ad space - just like I pay eBay for their web-space.
You pay for the advertising space in the magazine whether your items sell or not. eBay is not a magazine, and they let you know up front that you pay a final value fee for every item sold. Listing fees are paid by some users, but these too are known before listing.
Ebay are providing a platform - nothing else - it's a nice platform for sure - but to DEMAND we sell on their platform is anti-competitive and could be construed as unlawful.
How can it be anti-competitive or unlawful to ask that users of their site pay for the privilege?
If everybody that listed on eBay sold off-eBay to avoid paying eBay fees then there would be no eBay. In my opinion, every seller that lists on eBay should pay fees for transactions. I also think that fvf on postage is not good, but I recognise that sellers of items that have โpostage includedโ (I refuse to use the term free โpostageโ) are paying fees on postage.
if they continue to implement their unrealistic policies...
That way they get NO Listing Fees - so they lose too...
But if you had your way and were allowed to sell off-eBay without penalty they wouldnโt be getting final value fees from you anyway (up to $250 dollars an item), and that is where they make the bulk of their money, not on listing fees.
Enuff said?
Sure.
