25% fee on sale is complete **bleep**, Ebay are thieves.

[blake_arius]

I sold a $20 item that unfortunately required $14.50 in postage costs. I never noticed this issue on things sent by envelope.. but of the high postage to item cost I was essentially charged 25% fee instead of 15% normal. Ebay states this is stop people putting items up for a dollar and paying almost no fee. But this policy means you get extra screwed just for selling a cheap item with a high postage cost.
Honestly its just greed, it's not much money but its the principle and surely there is better solution.

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

[hartungcards · Accepted solution]

You were essentially charged the standard final value fees (plus promotiion fees, if any) regardless of your "postage to item cost."  Final value fees are on the entire transaction, including sales tax if you were not aware of that.  And if you're really thinking about trying to "charge people separately for postage," you may want to rethink that plan, or prepare to not be selling here much longer.

[hartungcards]

The better solution would be not selling cheap items with a high postage cost.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Shipping $20 items to the US might not be an effective way of making money on Ebay.

[inhawaii]

You got ripped off.

Ebay only charges me 13.25%.

[dbfolks166mt]

     You were actually charged the FVF's on the total amount of the sale (price of item + shipping + sales tax + $.30) which is what eBay states in the policy. Shipping can be one of the more difficult pieces of the eBay puzzle to work out. I am not familiar with Australia's postal system but from what I gather shipping can be expensive especially on international shipments. If you are trying to build the cost of the shipping into the price of your item and offer free shipping you need to understand what the shipping is going to be before you price the item so the buyer is actually the one paying for the shipping because you have it baked into your item price. 

     Charging buyers separate for shipping is probably a better option and has less risk. You need to make sure you have the item size and weight correct in the listing as well as the method you will be using to ship the item and simply use the calculated shipping option. This will adjust and show the buyer the shipping cost based on their location. 

[ten_o_nine]

@blake_arius 

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

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It will end up being the same, the 13.25% may end up being 30% after all said and done, it's per transaction total not what charge is for what.

[doc-holmes]

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@ten_o_nine wrote:

@blake_arius 

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

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It will end up being the same, the 13.25% may end up being 30% after all said and done, it's per transaction total not what charge is for what.

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I think they mean they'll charge shipping after the fact, off ebay. We of course know that won't last long as it is very much against policy. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@ten_o_nine wrote:

@blake_arius 

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

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It will end up being the same, the 13.25% may end up being 30% after all said and done, it's per transaction total not what charge is for what.

I think they mean they'll charge shipping after the fact, off ebay. We of course know that won't last long as it is very much against policy. 

     If that is what they mean I know of no way that  a seller can do that. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@blake_arius 

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It will end up being the same, the 13.25% may end up being 30% after all said and done, it's per transaction total not what charge is for what.

     While the eBay fee effective rate may be a bit above the stated FVF's due to sales tax the FVF's will never be 30%. Your selling expenses may be 30% because of the shipping but that is NOT an eBay fee. 

[lukdudle]

i sell car parts mostly. if the shipping costs more than i would make after all fees i just throw it out.

not going to gamble $30 to make $20.

[mtgraves7984]

In future if this happens I am simple going to charge people separately for postage, ebay policy be damned.

@blake_arius 

In the future, why not raise your shipping prices on your listings?

[ten_o_nine]

@dbfolks166mt 

the FVF's will never be 30%.

----------------------------------------

Yes, it can.

[dbfolks166mt]

@dbfolks166mt 

the FVF's will never be 30%.

----------------------------------------

Yes, it can.

Show me the math on that one. Selling expenses can be 30% but FVF's are always the percentage stated in the FVF's policy. 

[ten_o_nine]

15% on watches, plus % store fees, plus 15% on shipping and 15% on tax, and 10% to promote all add up to 30%

$100 watch

Take 15% sale fee = $15

Take 15% on tax at 10% = $1.50

Take 10% to promote, they are asking 17% or you are not competing. = $15

So here it is costing 32.5% before I go to other expenses.