What do other sellers think about the Top Rated Sellers Discount on Final Value Fees changed to 10%?

[mr_lincoln]

@sybyaz  This was raked over the coals on a previous large thread around the time it was first announced.  Many opinions on it for sure.  As I look at it:

1. The % is going the wrong way to be an incentive for folks who were on the the fence about setting their listings up to qualify for the previous 20% discount.  Sales people, whether online or face to face appreciate incentives, and will work a little harder if it has value.  Most sales structures include incentives at different dollar sales levels ... been that way for many years.

2. Regardless of the history of or how the 20% came about it was taken advantage of by a % of Sellers, me included.  It is now 10% ... and although the original annoucnement said it would go in to affect May 1 I am already seeing the 10% reduction on sales in April ... so rather than being it affecting any sales on or AFTER May 1 it is basically taking the reduced discount off any Fees paid on the april invoice in May ... so it really started April 1 but that was not explained ... or if it was I could not find where.

3. It is what it is ... if the qualifications are not too tough to comply with then 10% is better than nothing and every little bit helps.  And of course the more one sells the more one will get back on the 10% discount.

[sharingtheland]

Since the program began I've always been Top Rated but not Plus because I've never jumped through those hoops.  I've always had 2-day handling and just now sat down to change it to 5-day because we're going out of town tomorrow.

Even back when my fees were in the 4 digits, monthly, my pigheaded stubborn defiance sanity was worth more to me than the discount. 

To this day I don't know why ebay hasn't simply dropped the discount altogether instead of making more and more draconian requirements for a seller to keep it.   Everyone would have screamed for a month or so and then, well, kept selling.

[slippinjimmy]

At one time there was no discount, then the discount  was 5, 10 or 15%, then it was 20% and now it's going back to 10%.

Ever since the discount required one-day shipping it's been meaningless to me. Prior to that it was a nice bonus to get for doing nothing much different.

The .15% increase on FVF's, I never like a fee increase but this one is pretty minimal, $150 on $100,000 in sales....meh!

[tamaralea]

@sharingtheland I don't think they dropped it completely because they are counting on TRS sellers, or maybe even more sellers, to offer quick service for a smaller discount.  We know this because they are planning on a new search with guaranteed delivery dates, so they need sellers to comply.  I'm done with the hoops, but wish the rest of you the best of luck.

[newjerseypicker08836]

I think that ebay will be able to appease its shareholders but their top rated sellers not so much. I really hope they use the money to expand advertising. They need to figure out how to gain market share. There are ways.

Quite frankly if you take a look at brick and morter this year the number of bankrupcies have already exceeded that of 2008 and bear in mind this is only the start of the second quarter. With those kind of store closings it will only drive even more consumers to shop online this year and ebay needs to figure out the way to grab those consumers before the competition does.

If that means I have to take a cut on final valuation fees to ultimately capture that segment of consumers than I think its a friggin brilliant idea.

[lyudmylam2006]

It means that doesn't cost to be TRS anymore...
And I will change shipping and handling time from 1 day to 2-3 days.

[sharingtheland]

Quite frankly if you take a look at brick and morter this year the number of bankrupcies have already exceeded that of 2008 and bear in mind this is only the start of the second quarter. With those kind of store closings it will only drive even more consumers to shop online this year and ebay needs to figure out the way to grab those consumers before the competition does.

The stores are closing because consumers are already shopping online.   Ebay spent some years diddling with its "identity" while this huge turnaround in buying habits was happening.

I did see an Express store open at a big mall today; I thought they had closed them all.  No one was in it.

[campesinoplastic2014]

The expectation is what, exactly?

[phanoto]

I do not care how much eBay reduces the discount on Final Value Fees.

I do not care how much eBay raises the fees for sellers.

I know that whatever eBay does, they are trying to increase sales.  And, I believe I can do as well compared to other sellers as I am doing now, no mater how much the selling fees increase.

[pinkrose442savings2018]

Enjoyed being at top rated seller status and hope in the future eBay is moving in the best direction...also hoping success for the little guy or gails not in a store...we'll see how it goes...if the percentage of sales come in I'll keep it up 1 day shipping...but I already am over my head in returns of items that are free shipping...sent item for  free $12.40 out of pocket... item is on it's way back for refund...if the refund exceeds the trend in sales than I have no choice but to step down to 2-3 shipping and no free shipping.  This month views have been horrible for me...nobody see's no sales...this too is a factor...

[ryanrobyn]

I learned long ago not to listen to Ebay's recommendations on free shipping after getting zapped for big return fees.

[the_fancy_fox]

Not that it matters to ebay what I think about it but if chasing top rated was something I had to change what I already do or was more difficult, I wouldnt bother.

I am sure that somewhere buried in their ever hanging calcualtions on whos listings to allow to be seen, being top rated is one of the factors.

[divwido]

 The % is going the wrong way to be an incentive for folks who were on the the fence about setting their listings up to qualify for the previous 20% discount. 

and that is exactly what's wrong with the change.

[divwido]

But, ultimately, whatever eBay does-this is the site that brings you buyers.

I've listed everywhere and only one site I found was as good as eBay in  getting buyers here.  And their fees are insane.  (The Red Road).