eBay

dins9187 · ‎05-01-2015

Really wonder if anyone else was hit with an increase in listing fees. Last month I got an offer from EBAY to be a EBay Store for 2 months free. (I think that is still good.) I checked it out and under the help page it compairs the price of having a store or not. The big thing for me was the offer of 150 free auction listings per month. So last month I listed a bunch of jewlery for low starting prices just to clear out all the extra stuff I have from the past year. So getting ready to list more items tonight and I have nice brooch on my draft to list and tried to finish the listing and the fee was 25 cents not free. GET THIS - NOW eBAY FOR THIS MONTH INSTEAD OF 150 auction listing I get 100 free listing ONLY UNDER COLLECTABLES. Vintage jewlery really can't be listed under collectables. So I called ebay and got nowhere. If I want to list any jewlery it will cost me 25 cents for a listing. I can list Fixed Price but I don't have much luck with that.

What I am really trying to communitcate to this board and question is that I'm stumped that a business changes polices even if you agree in writing to something else. I am sure that you "Old timers" (I say that in a totally good way) are laughing and saying welcome to the real ebay world!

Needless to say I won't be a store in another month. I'll continue on EBAY - I do know that sometimes in the past they offer either 500 - 1000 free listing every once in awhile. I really do enjoy selling and buying on EBAY. I will continue to be here. I am just blown away!!!!

1940fc · ‎05-02-2015

Here`s a good chart to keep handy.

You`ll notice that on all store tiers..auction listing fees are higher than Buy Now

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/stores/Subscriptions.html

~~~Sarah~~~There's only ONE bad day when you love an animal

realitycheck-7 · ‎05-02-2015

It's really kind of ridiculous. Every time I go to list something as a fixed price, I get a warning that items sell better as auction items. Ebay claims that they have too many people selling items as fixed price, and we need to sell more as auction. However, they structure their fees in such a manner that even with a store, the only free listings you can get (selling jewelry and many other items) is through FIXED PRICE. I'm floored by the newest changes. I haven't had a store in years, and this certainly won't help me change my mind to open a store again. You pay 25c with a store, and 30c without. I have no doubt that this is being done to drive out the small sellers, and go with fixed price listings only.

bluedaemon23 · ‎05-02-2015

This was announced as part of the spring seller update that went into effect yesterday. Even store owners' free listings don't apply to auctions any more except in Collectibles categories.

Auctions have been fairly worthless for me ever since they moved auction listings into core a few years ago. What little sells at auction rarely gets bid up - it won't be any hardship for me to drop auctions for jewelry. Collectibles are another matter; DH picked up some ephemera at a yard sale yesterday that he looked up and found going for good money.

southernmermaid8 · ‎05-02-2015

Am I crazy or was there also something about final value fees being charged on an auction even if it does not sell ? I can't find anything about this now . Maybe I understood it wrong . I remembaer thinking I was goin to drop auctions altogether until fall .

flipping_treasures · ‎05-02-2015

Actually the way I read this, http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/insertion-fee.html#free , and with what shows on My eBay under promotional offers I still get 20 free auction or fixed priced listings free each month ... I don't have a store. AND then an additional 20 free auctions or fixed price listings each month. I also can now list these "freebies" for 10 days without an extra fee.

So far this year I have been "invited" to list under the extra free listing promotions. When those run out, then I will drop down to just listing my free 20 in jewelry and then some collectibles under collectibles and pottery and glass. I will also probably check out Antiques and see what can be listed there.

eBay is a crap shoot ... you have to know how to throw the dice and be set-up to make changes when they change the rules and playing table. The changes in the fee structure and free listings were announced a couple of months ago, back in March. So when May 1st arrived, all of those changes took place.

Though the beauty may be in the butterfly, the struggle and growth occur in the cocoon.

flipping_treasures · ‎05-02-2015

@southernmermaid8 wrote:
Am I crazy or was there also something about final value fees being charged on an auction even if it does not sell ? I can't find anything about this now . Maybe I understood it wrong . I remembaer thinking I was goin to drop auctions altogether until fall .

In the rollout of the Spring Changes, there was a section about, if an item was in a store and hadn't sold in 180 days there would be an (I think it was) $.10 relisting fee even if it was under your free listings. BUT my understanding is that eBay has since changed their minds about that. But if I had a store with listings that were over 180 days old, I would be double checking to make sure that part of the rollout was not going to be enforced. It could make quite a difference for some store owners.

Though the beauty may be in the butterfly, the struggle and growth occur in the cocoon.

cool-awesome-vintage · ‎05-02-2015

You have to look at the total picture to decide if a store is right for you.

Yes if you have a store and list an auction you will be charged a listing fee BUT if the item sells then you receive a credit for the listing fee and the listing fee is FREE.

The other advantage to a store vs no store is the reduction in final value fees, without a store it is a flat 10% regardless of the category and with a store it is 4-9% depending on the category. On Jewelry it would be 10% with a max of $750 on a $7500 or higher listing with a store it is 9% with a max of $250 on a $2500 a higher listing. So an example if you sell 20 $50 dollar items with a store you FVF would be $90 and without they would be $100 so with a store you would save $10.00 plus if you list them as an auction since they sold your listing fees would be free just like it would be without a store.

So you have to look ALL things, how many listings you do, how many sell at auction vs BIN, what categories do you use the most, what is you average selling price per item and what is you total selling volume. The credit for listing fees on auctions and the 1% savings on FVF adds up in a hurry and it does not take long to cover the cost of the store plus start saving on your overall fees.

Mermaid, I don't remember that about FVF on a non-selling item but I will research it later and post an update, I'm off to the PO and errands.

An umbrella and a mind have a lot in common, they both function better when open.

cool-awesome-vintage · ‎05-02-2015

@flipping_treasures wrote:
@southernmermaid8 wrote:
Am I crazy or was there also something about final value fees being charged on an auction even if it does not sell ? I can't find anything about this now . Maybe I understood it wrong . I remember thinking I was going to drop auctions altogether until fall .

In the rollout of the Spring Changes, there was a section about, if an item was in a store and hadn't sold in 180 days there would be an (I think it was) $.10 relisting fee even if it was under your free listings. BUT my understanding is that eBay has since changed their minds about that. But if I had a store with listings that were over 180 days old, I would be double checking to make sure that part of the rollout was not going to be enforced. It could make quite a difference for some store owners.

Sandy is right, I remember that part now, yes you will be charged extra if you let a listing set for over 6 months as a buy it now without any changes to it. And I personally agree with that, it gets old as a customer looking at the same listings for months on end with no changes, it's like going to a store and the inventory never changes.

An umbrella and a mind have a lot in common, they both function better when open.

bluedaemon23 · ‎05-02-2015

Where does it say about the 4-month thing? I'm looking at the spring seller update announcement and I don't see anything about the "stale item" surcharge. The only thing I remember about that was an article on ECommerceBytes that only applied to the UK - and I think the plan was dropped anyway.

dins9187 · ‎05-02-2015

This board is the greatest! Thank you for responding to my concerns. I so agree with "realitycheck" on her comment on fixed prices - when you put that as a listing you get a warming from EBay that auctions will sell better. (Not that wording but you get what I'm trying to say). Also big thank you to "Flipping - treasures" on that we do get offers for additional free listings. I might add that I did read tmonths ago hat changes were going to happen on limits to listings and fees. Big reason why I switched to a store. I'm going to stay a store for now but compare fees after a couple more months. Big thing is how many listings you plan on having. I also might add that the listing fee is credited back if the item sells. I did notice last night on the general comment board that there are many sellers very upsetabout the changes. I guess my biggest problem is not having the free listings for auctions unless it is under collectables. Thanks again everybody.