Wow! I thought that we got cheaper FVF's than 9.55% through our stores

*makes a note to look into that*

I thought those kinds of FVF's were applicable only to non store traders.

I'm not sure that you can say that eBay "forced" you to offer free postage. I was under the impression that they provided some kind of incentive for sellers to consider offering that "service" but I did think that they left it up to the individual seller wanted to comply with those standards in order to receive the benefits.

I did think that eBay left it up to the seller to determin the pros and cons fo participating in such a program and to determine if it was economically viable - cost vs benefit - for themselves.

Of course I can only speak for myself, but when I list something, I determine cost vs benefit and list accordingly. I think that in general a lot of people sell an item with the intention to make a profit (well that's how a business generally operates) or to offload an item they no longer want, and work out the most cost efficient way within the boundaries of the terms and conditions and policies to acheive their goals and objectives.

So, I guess it all comes down to what your goals and objectives are. Do the benefits of obtaining top rated seller plus outweigh the costs for doing so for you?