THE ebay MONOPOLY

[gd01]

Considering ebay has a practical monopoly on the internet auction scene, it would explain why they do as they please, with almost complete disregard for sellers needs.

ebays needs (money) come first, the buyers second and the sellers a distant third.

We as sellers have no means by which to vent our frustration and actually know we have been heard. We are told to post in forums and send feedback that is never answered! I know of no other company that does no respond to written complaints. It really is a poor system and the worst I have ever dealt with. You may ask, how can a company seemingly ignore complaints and feedback from sellers, as we are none the wiser if anything is actually being done.

The customer support centre is average at best, the complaints department is non-existent, and the technical department are impossible to contact. We have one avenue to discuss any issues, the customer support centre, but the seem to lacking in anything beyond basic technical help and answers.

ebay is a global company and all the sites are now connected, which allows me to trade around the world more efficiently. It also forces me to compete with other sellers around the world. The thing is, sellers from different countries receive different benefits and fees. For example, a seller in the US in the coins category, with the same subscription level receives 300 more free listings per month, plus the pay 2.5% less final value fee per item !!!


When I used the 'Fee Illustrator' from both sites and typed in the exact same numbers (for 200 listings) the US sellers pay just under $100 less per month. When the listings become greater the US sellers save even more !!!  How is this fair? And how am I supposed to compete on the international market?

The ebay Monopoly has allowed them to do as they please, charging different rates and providing a very poor service.

It just not good enough, but what can we do? Nothing.

[davewil1964]

A lot of US sellers use GSP. Surely your postage rates can compete with that.

We also don't get charged FVF on postage, don't have to provide proof of delivery...

Like most, you seem to want to cherrypick the bits of other sites you like. I doubt it will happen.

And eBay is not the only online selling platform available to you. It IS the one you're most likely to get sales on, though.

[exquicity]

i am not sure whose side you are on here.. 

auspost has weirdest charges on the planet. 

sell one small item, up to 500 gr, you pay 14.20 (wow it was 13.70 last time i checked.. price increase never stops) 

if you sell say two small items now item is 501 grams.. ooops now you pay 29.50

how come as weight increases price over doubles?

common sense would advise, its the same delivery person and machines processing still same item not 2.5 items 

hence the rational pricing would be 14.20 up to 500 and lets say 18-19 for 500 to 1kg.. NOT 29

who says we dont have to provide tracking? i was recently scammed by a Russian buyer in canada... couldnt prove **bleep** and paypal despite my excellent records both as a buyer and seller.. simply sided with the buyer. 

now i use pack and track, which costs me 21 aud per wallet.. how do you charge 21 bucks postage for an item thats sold for 38?

auspost also screws us another way.. if i place a thick object in an envelope they go nooo noo this is not a letter its a parcel no matter how tiny the item is. 

when i buy from China or US for instance.. its the same auspost that brings a thick big letter and stuffs it up in my letter box. 

we do get charged over postage rates... its a bit tricky here.. we are forced to offer free postage.. well.. since no such thing of cos we add the postage costs to the selling price. there you go.

this is also bad for international shipping as it messes up the pricing making international buyers pay twice for the postage. 

as far as Australia goes.. ebay is pretty much the only healthy selling platform. 

again the point is.. not that we pay this they pay that, ebay is one single international entitiyt inflicting conflicting and senselessly variable fees and charges to different members from different countries. based on God knows what ...

[exquicity]

also i want to add

we should completely separate casual selling, or pre-owned items selling to a store selling brand new items. 

i have another account where i sort of hobby trade electronics and stuff .. which actually makes more money than my business 😛

in that account, i really coulnt care less about what ebay charges are from country to country, as whatever the cost is, every other seller is facing the same standards and everyone adjusts prices accordingly, furthermore, the horde of chinese sellers or other international sellers are absolutely no concern to me... 

however, in this account, my competition is not only in Australia.. nor i sell only to Australia. 

in this case.. any unfair costs reflected to me and not the others , or any advantages bestowed on the others, is a problem. Not just for me but for every Australian seller here who is investing high hopes and dollars on an ebay business. 

hence.. we should understand and emphatize, and when the time comes stand for others as well as ourselves. 

we are all in the same ship.. and we're not having a free ride. we are paying subscription fees and final value fees.. 

ebay might be a blessing to a casual seller, or a hobby seller in Australia. but looking at things from professional point of view... i am entitled to get the best and fairest deal i can from a mutual agreement of business with ebay. 

no one does me favors.. i am buying this service. 

[davewil1964]

I rarely send overseas.

If I was selling specialist stuff that had worldwide appeal, I doubt I would be using eBay except as a loss-leader.

I am on the side of reason. At lot of eBay's policies are governed by the laws of the countries they operate in. As there are at least several hundred legal systems world-wide (not counting internal state ones, like the US and here), one policy will almost assuredly not fit all.

But that's just me. I am not into bashing my head on brick walls.

[exquicity]

ebay can be an excellent international selling platform for small to medium scale sellers "depending on the product" if our efforts werent hindered by auspost and lack of ebay attention. 

in fact.. if i could organize enough number of like-minded people i could sue and "win" auspost for damaging national economy by stopping exports with exotic rates  and promoting imports by delivering parcels and letters that is against their "terms of service" 

think about it.. if on an average Australians spend 1 dollar on overseas purchases per day.. thats 24 million bucks (i can tell you we spend heaps more than that) 

that goes from our national wealth... by day 

utopic? well.. could be.. but then forcing people to fence up their personal pools and implementing a so called carbon tax on the cleanest country on the planet is too...