Max % to pay to in fees, fines and shipping
Summary: 5star_general_seller proposes a 20% cap on combined eBay fees and shipping costs, arguing it would help sellers remain competitive and prevent losses from mishandled transactions. Several participants challenge this idea, explaining that eBay does not control shipping rates, which are set by carriers. They also emphasize the importance of incorporating all fees into the listing price for effective cost management. Some participants argue that 5star_general_seller's proposal might not be viable as it could disrupt eBay's revenue and operational model. Overall, the discussion highlights the complexity of eBay fee structures and differing perspectives on selling strategies.
It would be nice to have a cap of at most 20% for shipping and ebay fees combined.
If it only cost 8% to ship, ebay keeps 12%. if it cost 12 to ship, ebay keeps 8%.
Ebay wins as long as they get .0001 % is what my math got me .
Why not for the naysayers
pj895
·1 week agoWouldn't it be wonderful if ebay could absorb our entire "cost of business"😁
annadryl
·2 weeks agoSuggestion on how you can re-word all these late-night threads:
"Ebay is a charity! They are not a business with any overhead and shareholders to answer to! Why can't they cap off all the shippers' charges and just let me make all that scratch"!
bonanza125
·2 weeks agoWell I make sure all fees are covered in my listing prior to submit listing. Yes expenses have and will continue to go up which may cost some sales but overall I make sure I am covered. Any shipping costs I make sure the buyer pays. Shipping costs increased so the calculated shipping increases in addition to my "free shipping listings" I increase those a dollar or two. That's all part of doing business. If this is more work then you can handle then do not list here.
mam98031
·2 weeks ago@5star_general_seller
How is this suppose to work? Can you explain this in a bit more detail please !! This simply doesn't math !!!
So when a Carrier raises pricing, you expect Ebay to lower their fees so as not to reach this 20% cap you want?
Does this mean no one can try to sell anything on Ebay that is below a certain price? Because if they list something for $1.00, then that would be 20 cents for shipping and Ebay fees?!?!? $5 sell price would be $1.00 in shipping and Ebay fees?!?! $10 would be $2 in shipping and Ebay fees. Etc.
So if something a seller sells ships Media Mail Rate which is $4.39 for the first pound, then all books would need to have a starting price of at least $22 just to cover shipping, but to add in Ebay fees to this fictional 20%, then the starting price would have to be closer to $40.
I hope you are aware that Ebay does NOT control Carrier Costs or force seller to sell stuff at certain pricing.
thief_in_the_night_100_rating_seller
OP2 weeks agoIm gonna make this real simple for someone trying real hard to make this confusing....
when u sell something for 1,000$ compared to something that is $10.00, How much more did ebay have to spend hosting your listing on their platform?
Thank you for your time.
mam98031
·1 week agoYou think that answer even comes close to addressing the legitimate questions I asked you about your suggestions for fees and shipping charges?
I know it can be hard to justify something that wasn't completely thought out by you. I get that. It may be that you forgot that Ebay is a service based business and they charge their fees by percentage mostly for services rendered. Not any different that any other similar sites or other types of service based businesses.
Try to sell your ideas to Amazon, Etsy, or any number of similar sites and see how far that gets you !
kibble-net
·2 weeks agoI don't pay anywhere near 20%, how much are you bidding on promoted ad fees? You don't have to do that, you know? Wishing you all the best success :)
mam98031
·1 week agoThey are including shipping costs in that 20%.
18704d
·2 weeks agoI make my buyers pay all my fees. They're part of the equation when I decide my item's selling price.
And what do you mean by "fines"?
Thanks
thief_in_the_night_100_rating_seller
OP2 weeks agowell that is nice of you. You cant say They pay the fees bc if they paid the fees, you wouldnt have the fees removed from your Gross sales.
mam98031
·1 week agoWhat?!?!? My buyer pays for shipping to me and then I pay the carrier. Same principle. In my pricing I cover all my fees that I'll be charged. The buyer pays the price I set for the item, therefore they are paying the selling fees I have to pay to Ebay.
If this is something you do not do or something you don't understand. Please ask more questions as this is the VERY BASIC things you need to know if you want to successfully sell on ANY internet sit.
powell-collectibles
·2 weeks agoInteresting idea. I'd have to think through the numbers, which I'm not inclined to do, but seems to me that this would wipe out a huge percentage of eBay revenue. Basically, most things under $30 will be zero final value fees. Heck, a lot of items in the $40 and $50 range, too. So, eBay is losing FVF's on the majority of the items. AND, where they really make it up is in items $200+ level, which I'd think is a very small part of the eBay mix.
From a seller standpoint, all good - but this would encourage a lot of low-end items to be listed. Turns eBay into even more of a flea market than it currently is. Not sure if that is good or bad. But, if they move more and more into flea market territory, and they aren't getting FVF from those items, seems like a losing proposition.
thief_in_the_night_100_rating_seller
OP2 weeks agoWrong..
"37,000+ results for flea" on ebay
mam98031
·1 week agoWhat do you mean they would be Zero fees for Ebay. It would be more likely, those lower dollar value items could not even be sold here. Ebay is a for profit business, not a charity. You are also assuming that the shipping costs would come first in the 20% dream the OP has. The OP has given no details like that. Just throwing ideas to the wall to see if something sticks.
The math simply doesn't math on this one as I stated in an earlier post. But you are right, Ebay would lose the market for those lower dollar value items, but I'm confident one of their competitors would be happy to pick up the business.
powell-collectibles
·1 week agoI think you’re misunderstanding a few things – it’s not a big deal. This isn’t some well vetted idea. It’s OK – I really don’t feel like explaining it to you. It’s not even my idea – I don’t really want to explain math to you. That never ends well.
mam98031
·1 week agoI understand just fine, but thanks for the concern. This OP has started more than a dozen different threads recently. They are very upset with Ebay and much of it is self inflicted, but they don't recognize that. It is hard to help someone feel better when they won't even accept what or why something actually happened. Still I wish them well, but the math on this simply won't math no matter how you would like to explain it.
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoBuyer pays shipping, either as a separate charge or built into the price. And shipping price is set by the carrier. It's not a percentage, but based on distance, class of shipping, weight etc. The shipping fee that a buyer pays goes to the carrier, not eBay. eBay's FVF is based on the total of the item price, the shipping fee and the state sales tax, if any. You may want to do a little more reading.
jdbelt1960
·2 weeks agoeBay does not set shipping rates nor keep the shipping money. Any over/undercharges are handled by the shipper and eBay. The difference will be reflected on your account. If an item ships for $6 but the seller pays $12 the excess will be credited to the seller account.
thief_in_the_night_100_rating_seller
OP2 weeks ago · EditedI was born at night but not last night...
what happens when i sell something and it calculates 5.00 for shipping and the item is 500$. Im going to need insurance, as is the buyer bc he doesnt want to lose his item after i ship it (shouldnt be my problem at that point as i have given control to another entity, the shipper) , yet all they charged was 5$ and if i dont get insurance im the one thats going to be eating that loss. But they paid for shipping, yet they didnt pay for all of it bc im paying for us both being covered if something did go wrong.
Or what happens when i get an overcharge from Fedex, why doesnt the charge go to the buyer since they are the ones that paid for shipping. Better yet since ebay miscalculated it, why dont they pay for it?
What happens when the buyer sends back a package b/c they falsely claim item not as described?
What happens if they make the box 50 pounds on the return back after INAD?
bonanza125
·2 weeks ago · Edited"what happens when i sell something and it calculates 5.00 for shipping and the item is 500$."
Anything calculated is known up front to the seller prior to listing. If you require the $500 item needs insurance then you must add $5 to that list price. It is your responsibility as a seller to add that cost prior to listing.
mam98031
·1 week agoNot sure how you would ship anything for $5 no matter the dollar value unless you were shipping under a pound via Media Mail.
Ebay calculated shipping is only as good as the information the SELLER puts into the calculator.
FYI, sellers on Ebay have NOT been allowed to charge buyers separately for shipping insurance for YEARS. It is a cost of business that you would need to include when pricing your item. You are not allowed to charge for it separately with the shipping.
Shipping insurance is to protect the seller not the buyer. The buyer is covered under the MBG.
bashort
·2 weeks agocurrently if you do it right total fees can be over 100%
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoDon't understand your comment. Seems like fees of over 100% would be the result of doing it wrong.
thief_in_the_night_100_rating_seller
OP2 weeks ago-10% if u did it right.