Ridiculous Listing Fees

[2500flyboy]

I’m currently trying to sell two of my 50’s-60’s vehicles because I’m a college student and money is tight. I came to eBay because I had good luck selling niche vehicles here a few years ago. Now when I go to list my vehicles, I found that in order to post a vehicle for sale with a reserve, there’s a fee of $50! I can’t afford $100 in fees especially if they don’t sell! What happened to being able to list vehicles for free, and pay a fee after it sells? Does anyone have better options?

[doc-holmes]

Don't use a reserve. 

[maxine*j]

Don't use the auction format.  List at fixed price, using whatever your reserve figure was as the price. Reserves are costly, and buyers dislike them.

Read here what you get for $19 if you list that way, with a Basic Package:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/motors-fees?id=4127

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[dbfolks166mt]

     If they are 50's-60's classics you have a number of options for selling them with eBay being just one of those. Depending on the area you are located in and what type of vehicles they are you may want to try some local forums first. 

     If you are going to use eBay both maxine*j and doc-holmes provided some good suggestions. If you want to use the auction format, which I believe may be a good option in your case, set the starting price at the lowest price you are willing to accept and don't use OBO. 

[a_c_green]

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@2500flyboy wrote:

I’m currently trying to sell two of my 50’s-60’s vehicles because I’m a college student and money is tight. I came to eBay because I had good luck selling niche vehicles here a few years ago. Now when I go to list my vehicles, I found that in order to post a vehicle for sale with a reserve, there’s a fee of $50! I can’t afford $100 in fees especially if they don’t sell! What happened to being able to list vehicles for free, and pay a fee after it sells? Does anyone have better options?

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I would sign on with any special-interest forum of collectors for your brand or model of collectible car (trust me, they're out there, for any model or brand you can think of), and you will probably find multiple interested buyers of your vehicle(s) who will be willing to travel to get it. I once sold a T-top Cutlass Supreme to a guy who flew in from Iowa, paid in cash and drove it home.

[chapeau-noir]

That's how we sold a non-operational 1971 Maverick - the buyer drove up from Oregon with his friend and the tackle necessary to haul it, paid us cash and off they went. This buyer was only one of a number and made the best offer.

[pishi456]

I agree %100 with you. I was charged $250 for listing reserve price even though I ended the listing. Just another scam for eBay to make money from items that no one knows if it is going to be sold or not.

[lonebuck-books]

I could be wrong but I've been selling here since 2008 and a reserve always was an extra option which had a fee.  It may not have been that way 20 years ago but definitely has been that way for the last 15 years.  If you want a free to list auction, start without the reserve.  Better yet, drop the auction and list it as a fixed price sale.  Buyers don't care much for auctions anymore.  The only people who do auctions are people hoping to get a smoking deal on something nobody else wants or people who want a very specific very hard to find item that a lot of other people want.  

[toomuchstuffagain35]

An buyers who DO use auctions still, hate reserves.

[lonebuck-books]

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@pishi456 wrote:

I agree %100 with you. I was charged $250 for listing reserve price even though I ended the listing. Just another scam for eBay to make money from items that no one knows if it is going to be sold or not.

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Not a scam at all.  eBay is very clear about the reserve fee and also what happens if you end an auction early with bids on it.  If you end early with bids, you pay the fees based on the highest bid or reserve.  If eBay didn't do this, sellers and buyers would make deals to end the auction early to avoid fees.  Just like in the old days when sellers would list for a penny with $100 shipping to avoid the fees.  eBay knows how to protect themselves from bad actors whether it be sellers or buyers.

[buyselljack2016]

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@pishi456 wrote:

I agree %100 with you. I was charged $250 for listing reserve price even though I ended the listing. Just another scam for eBay to make money from items that no one knows if it is going to be sold or not.

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What was the point in having a "reserve"?

Last I knew it clearly stated that a "reserve" is not refunded. 

No "free" advertising for vehicles.

[buyselljack2016]

Back in the day, if I remember correctly, when the "reserve" was met the fee was dropped, but that ended many years ago.

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.