Changes to meet buyer demand on eBay.com.au (26/07/2011)

[CmtyGuide@ebay.com]

Changes to meet buyer demand on eBay.com.au (26/07/2011)

This thread is to discuss with other eBay members the **Changes to meet buyer demand on eBay.com.au** announcement made on 26/07/2011.

These changes include:
· Changes to fees on eBay.com.au
· Introduction of eBay Top Rated Sellers

Please feel free to use this thread to ask any questions you may have about these upcoming changes, as well as other changes mentioned in the announcement.

Please remember, eBay Community Guides are here help you find what you need on eBay Forums but cannot offer advice pertaining to other areas of eBay or engage in conversation. You can find more information about eBay Discussion boards and how they work here: Discussion Board's Help Page

[csorea]

I just cannot see how anyone is better off on this deal.

I casually sell stuff worth around the $300 mark - currently ($1 start price) I pay $4 listing (bold + photos) + 5.25% on $75 + 2.75% on the remainder of $225. All up = roughly $14.

With new structure - 7.25% on the full $300 = $21.75.

There must be very few hobby sellers that actually benefit out of this. Most people don't bother selling casually for items worth under $50 which is the break-even point under the new regime.

DON'T DO THIS EBAY. Its reasonably fair now for all - if it aini't broke....

[lind9650]

It's great to have this discussion, voicing our concern and letting eBay know that sellers are not stupid and already know that this FVF change is a blatant ripoff.

But----does anyone think or believe that eBay is going to take any notice of what is said here?

I would like to meet the eBuyer who demanded this change. X-(

[col52]

You know, in the distant past, the comment "Ask your questions or discuss the changes on a Special Discussion Thread with your fellow members."

Would have read "Ask us your questions or discuss the changes on a Special Discussion Thread with your fellow members."

Sadly, these days it is all about robotics.

[cjm2589]

I received an email directly from Ebay on the 26/7/11 offering me the following:

To enable eBay to offer this fee structure on a more permanent basis, we're rebalancing and simplifying fees by removing insertion fees and slightly increasing final value fees – from 5.25% to 7.9%. The final value fee will be capped at $49.95 for the first 30 listings per month.

This is an actual paste from the email so as I read it I can sell 30 items in a month and my fvf will be capped at $49.95 for all of the 30 listings. This is what they offered me personally and directly, isn't an offer by email legally binding?

If you follow the link in the 'announcements' under eBay Community News you will read "Final value fees will increase from 5.25% to 7.9%, capped at $49.95 for each of the first 30 listings per month" in the announcement dated 26th July.

I too got the email from eBay that did seem a bit ambiguous.

[missionsellit]

All is not Lost!! Something we all didn't concentrate too hard on in the original email was the word that ebay is TRIALING the fee changes !

That obviously means unless someone in ebay writing department and proof reading department needs to be removed due to incompetence, that this decision is Temporary and will be OBVIOUSLY reviewed before being permanent....;-)

We just need the same writers to update the email with the info of how long this trial will be and WHO is deciding on the finality of the 'trial'.

Could a pink please get back to us on when the trial will be reviewed?

Pink.....oh PINK !!please come and talk to us :-x

[cjm2589]

All is not Lost!! Something we all didn't concentrate too hard on in the original email was the word that ebay is TRIALING the fee changes !

it also says "To enable eBay to offer this fee structure on a more permanent basis, we're rebalancing and simplifying fees by removing insertion fees and slightly increasing final value fees – from 5.25% to 7.9%"

I think the use of the words "slightly increasing " is deceptive on the part of eBay. Why wasn't it backed up with examples comparing current fees paid on an auction item that sells for $500 with the slightly increased fees under the proposed fee structure? My guess is that it would have shown that "slightly increasing" was a little bit of a porky.

[leader-of-the-band]

I suspect that my eBay activity is like that of a lot of other sellers. I have multiple eBay ID's. I use some for buying and some for selling. I don't want to use my buying ID for selling because potential bidders/buyers could then easily see what I have paid for the items they are about to bid on. I buy items that are listed in one category and sell them in a different category. When I sell I usually get 2 to 3 times what I paid for an item (what I sell on this ID is not the type of items I am referring to in this post as this is not my main selling ID)

Now, what will this mean for eBay IF I decide to stop selling because it becomes less attractive for me to continue doing what I do?

Well . . . . for starters . . . . when I buy items I am an aggressive/competitive bidder because I need to win things to be able to sell. But if I decide to stop selling then there is no need for me to buy! This will mean that the items I would have bid on will get lower prices because I will not be bidding (if I don't win an item I want I am usually the second highest bidder - my bid determines the final price). Lower prices means less in fees to eBay (even if they increase fvf to 7.9%). Add to this the fact that eBay will not get any fvf fees from me as I will not be on-selling!

A bit of a domino effect with regards to some eBayer activities.

P.S. if anyone wants to know what items I can sell for 2-3 times what I pay then message me, I will gladly tell you.

[missionsellit]

Yep' leader of the band' post no.127
that's me as well, and no secrets here I do music, buy cheap from well meaning but badly advertised sellers who start items cheaply, and make them invisible so that few people ever find them. it's not the majority of my turnover from ebay auctions, but a sizable 'cream on the cake' portion.
Due to world economy lately I have noticed smaller prices on previously medium priced collectibles, while the top end is still retaining values. However 7.9% of zero sales is still ...well.... zero. ALREADY I have stopped bidding on some items I normally would go for as the future 7.9% will eat into profits, so there are some sellers unknowingly getting less due to my reduced bidding, (also different id to this one) So ebay are already (sadly so are some sellers) getting less sales and less FVF at the 5.25 % current rate.
Ebay have done it again one step in a new direction two steps sideways, and one in reverse. (note I did not call the first step as 'forward')

[kimmidoll001]

Has any member checked out the selling fees on ebay.com (USA)?

Maybe ebay Australia is still faring much better regarding fees if you have a look at what they pay.

9% FVF and this includes the postage fee.

So not only do paypal get a percentage of each ebay item plus postage, but ebay USA also gets this in their FVF.

So if we sold an item here at say $49.95 and postage cost was $20.00 under ebay.com fee structure we would be paying $6.30 in FVF. PLUS whatever paypal takes from this amount also.

Under the new prices being introduced in September at 7.9% (if it is over the 30 free listings if you qualify) this amounts to $3.95 FVF.

So is Ebay Australia getting a raw deal? Or do we wait for ebay to also introduce FVF on postage on our sales also?

See here for ebay.com structure on their fees to compare:-

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/feeupdate2011.html#fc

[cjm2589]

Yep' leader of the band' post no.127
buy cheap from well meaning but badly advertised sellers who start items cheaply, and make them invisible so that few people ever find them.

Without publicly letting on what I buy and sell, your method is the same as mine. Buy from sellers who are listing in the wrong category for their item and sell in a category that will get far higher prices.

You have summed it up beautifully . . . . "7.9% of zero sales is still ...well.... zero". I'm looking to sell off the accumulated items I have before Sept 22nd and then I will reassess my selling future.

I say "reassess" because if a lot of hobby sellers like me drop out of selling then the number of 'suppliers' of the items I sell may well dry up. When supply dries up but demand continues then I may well be in a position to do even better than I am doing now. For me it is just an unknown situation until it happens.