20% Fees? A discouraging number.

[escuintla]

My new rant and ready for the scolding from the usual know it all seller.😁
I used to participate in these forums a lot but since I deal with media in a wholesale way (out there) I barely have time to list items and nonetheless come to this place to find out about the bad news, because with Ebay there's nothing good to see from but increases on this and decreasing on that. 🤐

Besides finding out about the increment of $0.21 in the media rate, I just sold an item worth $459.99 and to my dismay, again, not following the news, or seller's performance I got a $92 fee which makes it a 20% fee, more or less. 

I am sure that paying this much puts the brakes on my future sales in great numbers. I was going to list a huge ********** CD collection that is in the range of $60,000 so not knowing the specifics, again, my fault, I won't be selling it on this platform but on the outside because not only I lose 20% (fees) of the value but I will be dealing with a higher tax bracket. 

You guys take care. 

[adkhighker]

Hello dbfolks166m.  This is the link to the calculator I always use when figuring out my actual cost to sell any given item here.  

https://www.ebayfeescalculator.com/usa-ebay-calculator/

There are still a lot of sellers, some even here on this board, who actually believe that the fee percentage eBay charges is the same percentage they lose off their gross selling price.

[bashort]

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@bennotbill wrote:

I think the confusion here is between FVF and the total fees paid.

When it comes to the profit made selling an item it's the total fees paid that count. The 13 odd percent FVF is irrelevant in this.

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exactly, total fees paid are the only thing that matters. 

[bashort]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

The MM qualified item list at USPS should be trimmed.

It costs USPS no less to transport/process/deliver a CD than it does to transport/process/deliver anything else of the same weight/dimensions.

Need to cut the losses/increase the profits.

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My opinion is that Media Mail should be eliminated entirely, A rate based on what is being shipped rather than the cost to ship it is so stupid that it could only have come from government.

[dbfolks166mt]

Have fun selling nothing unless you promote your listings.  People complain about getting no sales.  That's why.

     I have never used PL and never will and I have no problem with sales. 

[dbfolks166mt]

I am at 13.6% for the current year. 

[dbfolks166mt]

Hello dbfolks166m.  This is the link to the calculator I always use when figuring out my actual cost to sell any given item here.  

https://www.ebayfeescalculator.com/usa-ebay-calculator/

     Lot of similarity to the Excel spreadsheet that I use. The one I showed is only part of the full model I have to calculate the bottom line net profit. The complete model includes the COGS, Federal and State Taxes, SE tax and other operating costs. 

There are still a lot of sellers, some even here on this board, who actually believe that the fee percentage eBay charges is the same percentage they lose off their gross selling price.

     Fully aware of that. In actuality my eBay selling costs are usually a minor portion of my total selling costs for an item. A lot of sellers fail to look at the complete picture. That may change once the 1099 threshold changes, if it does, and those that have never claimed their eBay income on their taxes start having to report it. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@bennotbill wrote:

I think the confusion here is between FVF and the total fees paid.

When it comes to the profit made selling an item it's the total fees paid that count. The 13 odd percent FVF is irrelevant in this.

exactly, total fees paid are the only thing that matters. 

     Actually there is a LOT more to it than that but a lot of sellers don't realize that at the moment. The eBay FVF's are one selling expense, shipping is another, COGS is another, Federal and State Taxes another, SE taxes another........................  Once you have deducted all those from the total sale price of the item, then you have your after tax net profit. 

[isaiah53-57]

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@escuintla wrote:

My new rant and ready for the scolding from the usual know it all seller.😁
...I just sold an item worth $459.99 and to my dismay, again, not following the news, or seller's performance I got a $92 fee which makes it a 20% fee, more or less. 

I am sure that paying this much puts the brakes on my future sales in great numbers. I was going to list a huge ********** CD collection that is in the range of $60,000 so not knowing the specifics, again, my fault, I won't be selling it on this platform but on the outside because not only I lose 20% (fees) of the value but I will be dealing with a higher tax bracket. 

You guys take care. 

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@escuintla

Understand and feel for you - Fees as a percentage of item selling price were typically in the 16% to 20% range 3-4 years ago when we listed a lot - Dont have anything listed at this time for several MAIN reasons: Fees / ease of thievery due to the Money Back Guarantee / and Promoted listings (plus TONS more). I'm assuming you did not use promoted listings? At least to the point where you used their"recommended rate"(are you freaking kidding me?) of 11% to 17% because that would have put you paying somewhere close to 40% of the item price in fees.

Dont fret - Options abound - I could see the "dead end" sign coming and did an about face off ebay long before people have had to deal with the worsening pains and frustrations of the things I mentioned above and many others. I am still selling a lot, when and where I choose, with no dependence on a company I can easily assume does not have my best interest in mind.

[isaiah53-57]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

You may be confused about the fees.  eBay's final value fees are based on the amount paid the seller by the buyer.  In most categories, this is 13.25%, but some categories the FVF is lower and some it's higher.  

A lower value ($20 for instance) that weighs (20# for instance) if listed in a category where the FVF is 13.25% will have the same PERCENTAGE FVF as an expensive item with a cheaper shipping fee.  Think a small piece of expensive jewelry, for instance.  There is no "relationship" involved.

Can you explain how you arrived at the conclusion you apparently have drawn and maybe show an example from your selling history? 

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OK...Are getting paid to post this stuff? - This question has been laid out to you about 100 times by many different posters, yet you still post your question like you have never asked it before...

The mundane, watered-down version of fees you run with - You know, the one the site set you up with? - that 13.25% of THE ENTIRE TRANSACTION? - The OP is cutting to the chase and figuring his fees on the ITEMS SELLING PRICE alone - The ONLY source of profit in the transaction...

[theteamsetguy]

@escuintla ,

Did the $92.00 include the shipping label?

[dbfolks166mt]

The mundane, watered-down version of fees you run with - You know, the one the site set you up with? - that 13.25% of THE ENTIRE TRANSACTION? - The OP is cutting to the chase and figuring his fees on the ITEMS SELLING PRICE alone - The ONLY source of profit in the transaction...

     Which is the incorrect way of looking at it. The item the OP sold for $459.99 was with free shipping. Not sure what the sales tax rate was where the buyer was located but figure 8% for estimating. That makes the total sale value (fee calculation basis) $496.79. Not sure what category the item was in OP never specified but if it was a 13.25% category that makes the FVF's $65.82 which is 14.31% of the selling price of $459.99. The only way the percentage could be higher is if the OP is below standard and paying the additional 6% or if they are using promoted listings which is a self inflicted fee. 

     OP has never returned to answer some basic questions or to  provide an example of how they came up with the 20%. 

[dbfolks166mt]

Did the $92.00 include the shipping label?

     That would be a selling expense NOT an eBay fee. 

[yuzuha]

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@yellow-snapdragon wrote:

I tried mercari when eBay was giving me problems recently and though the fees may be lower, buyers are also less spendy.  Things have to be priced lower there, at least as far as my items go. More power to you, being able to sell there!

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Yep, I ran into the exact same problem when I gave Mercari a try: no sales but a whole lot of people who wanted to make lowball offers.

[yuzuha]

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@adkhighker wrote:

OP, 20% is cheap compared to the cost of selling here that some folks are paying.  For example, on a 12.35% category if someone sells something for $8 with a calculated shipping cost of $5 and 8% sales tax for that state, their total net in their pocket (adding in a 30 cent transaction fee) is $5.97. 

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Nope.

[escuintla]

 This is the reason I left the forums. The last time I posted something they berated me as if I came here to be insulted. 
You are so entitled to your opinion as I am, but back them we used to help each other instead of tearing each other down.  As I do in life, you should have just read my rant and go on with your life instead of feeling that you had the answer I was looking for.  If you didn't notice the emoji (funny), you really are unhappy and negative to anyone. 

Have a nice life.