on 02-08-2015 03:01 PM - last edited on 02-08-2015 08:10 PM by luna-2304
I don't know if i should leave ebay or try other auction sites. Everytime there is a new policy or change it always seems to badly affect sellers. eg negative feedback button removed, money back guarantee rip off, defect system etc Hardly any sales any more.
I don't know if it's worth staying with ebay or trying other sites. I have found a few but they are not as well known as ebay and don't know if i would be wasting my time to try them all.
on 02-08-2015 03:21 PM
That is a decision only you can make.
Your comment about removal of neg button concerns me. It has been more than 6 yrs since sellers can leave a neg. Starting a NPB case and issuing astrike has moree effect on tardy buyers than a red dot on a computer screen. Do you have appropriate blocks in place?
Very few other over.sites will give you the same exposure as ebay.
IMHO you could look as some of your postage charges. A few I looked at were a bit all over the shop.
Good luck with it all.
on 02-08-2015 03:25 PM
IMO it's entirely up to you,so ask yourself am I here entirely as a means of income or just selling bits and pieces for some extra cash?
If you sell because it's your main stream of income and sales are poor then definately seek other avenues,swapmeet,etsy etc but if not then just hang around as you know things are up and down no matter where you sell.
I have tried others and have found ebay to be way in front of the others even though of all the ridiculous policies.
Perhaps your own website if you sell heaps of stuff?
02-08-2015 03:43 PM - edited 02-08-2015 03:45 PM
Why does it have to be leave, or stay?
Theres nothing stopping you from trying other sites while youre still on Ebay.
If you use different sites you might find sales pick up AND youll make more profit per item due to no fees (on some sites). BUT, you need to judge what you sell as to what type of audience the site has. Some of the sites youve mentiioned clearly arent going to be suitable for what youre selling (at least on this ID).
Try out some other platforms, see which ones work for you. Nothing lost.
on 02-08-2015 03:53 PM
I'm with daydreams, I think your postal charges are all a bit off-putting.
They are not consistent with each other. Your earrings and bracelets
could be posted in a bubble envelope for less.
(to save costs, you can cut them in half and reseal with packaging tape)
$3 earrings are fine, but $3 postage is not IMO
Other postal charges seem to be over the top.
Unless that is where you see your profits.
on 02-08-2015 04:13 PM
If i have to factor in the cost of a bubble envelope then i would be out of pocket. By the time i take off the postage, ebays fees and paypal fees It cuts a fine line.
I would love to lower my postage but with all the fees and aust post costs, i don't think it will happen anytime soon. If i find that something goes through a lot cheaper, then i always refund the buyer.
02-08-2015 04:30 PM - edited 02-08-2015 04:33 PM
I was just thinking that, maybe, some people don't buy because of the postage.
Therefore losing potential customers
Those baby clothes would fit in a large envelope I'm sure.
But $9.75 postage?
JMO - maybe others can howl me down.
Just trying to help...................stay here with us, we need the company.
(Misery loves company)
edit: Just had a re-read -
If i have to factor in the cost of a bubble envelope then i would be out of pocket. By the time i take off the postage, ebays fees and paypal fees It cuts a fine line.
I would love to lower my postage but with all the fees and aust post costs, i don't think it will happen anytime soon. If i find that something goes through a lot cheaper, then i always refund the buyer.
You can't count the postage costs - the buyer has paid you for that.
on 02-08-2015 04:34 PM
Maybe this is why:
Modria's founders initially developed their software to help eBay and PayPal solve customer complaints about damaged goods or late deliveries without employing teams of customer service representatives. At eBay, Rule said his system was resolving 60 million disputes a year.
on 02-08-2015 05:14 PM
I buy my bubble envelopes on ebay in bulk and they work out less than 10c each. Worth looking into if most of your stuff is sent that way. The seller is in Sydney and posts really fast. Free postage too.
02-08-2015 05:49 PM - edited 02-08-2015 05:50 PM
@imastawka wrote:
$3 earrings are fine, but $3 postage is not IMO
Minimum stamp price would be $1.40.
$1.60 on top of that for packaging materials and any other handling costs that could be included is pretty far from being OTT, IMO.
And no, I'm not trying to howl you down, I just don't understand the need to go over a seller's postage costs with a fine-tooth comb when you can only know 1 part of that cost, and guess at the rest.
Just as an example, sometimes presentation matters a lot. I think I would put off more buyers by having cheap(er) P&H and using cost-cutting measures wherever possible, than I would by having rates that reasonably allow me to send their items well-packaged and well presented. It's not just about pricing, it's about showing people you don't cut corners to save a few cents, and some people not only appreciate it, but prefer it. 😉
For what it's worth, I agree with saarzi - explore and expand, but keep a toe in the water. 😉