Small store Big fees

[moranj1]

My question is this: How does Ebay think a small store can afford these rate hikes?  I sell items from my home, clothes, toys, books, etc.  I sell approximately $100, give or take, a month.  I have a basic store that I can barely afford now, with sales as slow as ever and mostly the items selling are ones that are .99.  So, $100 has to cover these fees:  monthly store $19.95, quartely $12.00, FVF, shipping and Paypal fees. Not including the gas it takes to drive my car to the post office each day I have a sale, for an item that sold for under $10.00, as my post office does not really offer pick up, (can't even get them to deliver anything that won't fit into the mailbox).  Oh, and then on top of that all of the time it takes to either list new items or relist older ones.  (And for those of you that are sick of relists, I agree, however alot of my items take just the right person before they will sell, which can take a while)  Anyway, as of right now I can barely afford what I have to pay in fees, as of next month I won't make a dime on anything, everything I sell will go to Ebay, with a small fee to PP.  I'm not sure how this is helping the small sellers at all, I actually find it quite unfair.  

[northfloridasportscards]

This is the "new" Ebay. Can't you see that you are being squeezed out like many other small sellers here?

Only the large sellers will survive here. Shame as the small selller is what made Ebay great in the first place...

REGARDS

[papermoneyforme]

You would probably be better off financially to list without a store.

[northfloridasportscards]

You would probably be better off financially to list without a store.

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Why bother with only 50 free listings a month with no other promotional offers.

[moranj1]

I agree, like most other small sellers I've been hanging on, hoping that Ebay would try and work with us. It's very sad, really, and quite distressing as I have met such wonderful customers on here and used to really enjoy selling, not to mention being able to sell my items to people who can use them.

[northfloridasportscards]

I agree, like most other small sellers I've been hanging on, hoping that Ebay would try and work with us. It's very sad, really, and quite distressing as I have met such wonderful customers on here and used to really enjoy selling, not to mention being able to sell my items to people who can use them.

___________________________________________________

I lost my TRS status and have not gotten any free listing promotions since the end of January.

What does that tell you? That is fine but I have purchased hundreds of items on here and will not do so any longer.

Best of luck to you.

REGARDS

[moranj1]

I still have my TRS and haven't received any promotions to sell (only buy more) since February. I understand completely how you feel. I, too, buy tons of stuff on Ebay, loving the idea of helping someone else like me, I try to buy from smaller sellers and never buy the Chinese stuff although they always put it in my suggested items places, but just can't afford it anymore.

[twnpopcards]

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@moranj1 wrote:
I still have my TRS and haven't received any promotions to sell (only buy more) since February. I understand completely how you feel. I, too, buy tons of stuff on Ebay, loving the idea of helping someone else like me, I try to buy from smaller sellers and never buy the Chinese stuff although they always put it in my suggested items places, but just can't afford it anymore.

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What all these MBA management people don't realize is that the smaller sellers are also some of their best customers.  The large stores sure don't buy online as they have their own suppliers and that is not why they are selling on here.  Ebay has lost a lot of sellers due to their defects and other changes but what they don't realize at all is they are also losing buyers when that happens.  That is why their revenues continue to fall, but they have never been in the trenches or worked for a company where you had to watch every penny to survive.  They went to college then got their MBS's and immediately into a cushy upper level management position.

I know this will NEVER happen, and yes I have mentioned it before, but every one of the executives should be required to run a store for a year and be able to turn a profit without Ebays help to show that they have the knowledge and understanding of what they are walking into.  That also includes packaging and mailing their own items while trying to maintain their TRS+ status while relying on the USPS for their deliveries.  If they can make it a year and turn a profit, not be a "below standard" seller, not have lost their TRS+ for late shipments, then and ONLY then can they start "managing"the company.  I don't care if they are on Ebays payroll during that year, but I want them to understand the difficulties they put of their sellers all because they do not understand their business model and their egos don't want to be associated with a gigantic Flea Market, no matter how profitable it could have been.

David

Twnpopcards

[grushenka43]

I also still have my TRS but have not received a free listing promotion since early January. I downgraded from the premium store sub last month (I was trapped into the sub last year when I tried a 'free' trial that was very unclear about the timing on the 'no penalty' cancellation); the month to month basic sub I have now doesn't come close to accommodating my inventory and I simply refuse to pay listing fees beyond my sub. I suppose that they meant the new 'refund on listing fees for auction items that sell' to replace the free listing promotions, but we all know that it can take several rounds to sell an item unless you're practically giving it away. I went along with the FVF on shipping costs, but ending the free listing promotions is the last straw.

There are many other sites out there-many of them with a much more reasonable fee structure. I'm checking it out. Too bad-I

ve made a lot of money for EBay and myself over the years, but they've just gone too far.

[grayirongolf]

 & Just think, its never going to get better.  eBay will add more rules with restrictions in the fall & additional fees next spring.     Your paying a pretty hefty toll for something that may not even show up in a search..   

[johnstradingshack]

Just curious why would you sell anything here for 99 cents at that rate you will loose reguardless . I do it sometimes just for kicks but it is never somthing i would do on a regular basis. As for the fee increase i think it is insane and i highly agree with you i noticed for the last 3 weeks Ebay has been dead slow the only time things seem to pick up are on the weekends. I think it is a joke that we hafta pay for slow traffic like this and it is not just me alot of people are slow but of course Ebay will blame the seller. By the way dont shop at the big box stores here it is a joke purchased some stuff from best buy threw ebay of course they messed the order up i cantacted them threw Ebay Best buy told me to go to their store location to resolve the issue so i did and at the store location they said to contact Ebay because i got it threw Ebay needless to say since big box store or so protected on here i could not leave negative feedback so i pretty much got ripped off. Stay away from Big box stores here if they are going to play with consumers like that then we should send them packing with their tails between their legs.

[timdwightrocks]

I get 1000 free listings, on average, almost every month. I have no store, I have never paid an insertion fee in the last 4 years. I advertise 1-day shipping, and am diligent about it. My reward? I get 50 free listings, and an offer to list either 1000, or 2000 items with no insertion fee. I get these offers about every 45 days, and that averages out to about 1000 / month. I have around 1000 items in stock. When I sell one, I get a new items and list it. I keep 1000 items on hand. If an unsold item sits for over 2 months, you lose the records (picture, description, everything). 6490 sales, and have never paid an insertion fee.  didnt do that with 50 listings a month, or a store, or any promo stores. I simply maintain hih ratings, and ebay has taken care of me. I have no idea what some of you are doing wrong (well, yes I do, your wasting money on a store).

[twnpopcards]

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@timdwightrocks wrote:

I get 1000 free listings, on average, almost every month. I have no store, I have never paid an insertion fee in the last 4 years. I advertise 1-day shipping, and am diligent about it. My reward? I get 50 free listings, and an offer to list either 1000, or 2000 items with no insertion fee. I get these offers about every 45 days, and that averages out to about 1000 / month. I have around 1000 items in stock. When I sell one, I get a new items and list it. I keep 1000 items on hand. If an unsold item sits for over 2 months, you lose the records (picture, description, everything). 6490 sales, and have never paid an insertion fee.  didnt do that with 50 listings a month, or a store, or any promo stores. I simply maintain hih ratings, and ebay has taken care of me. I have no idea what some of you are doing wrong (well, yes I do, your wasting money on a store).

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@timdwightrocks

All of us have been getting these free offers until about a month or two ago and then they suddenly stopped.  A few people got 1000 free auctions this month but that was all and from what Ebay has said, or should I say, not said, don;t be looking for many if any more of those free listings coming up in the immediate future.  All the free listings that used to spread out amoung all the sellers have basically been reserved for the Anchor Stores now with their 10,000 monthly listings.  Ebay had taken care of me also until the last 2 months and I think you are going to find unless you open a store or pay for the individual listings that you will be getting 50 free listings a month going forward.

David

twnpopcards

[reicheagle]

It has become a huge waste of time..I now sticking to my 50 free insertions & that is it..Thinks do not sell like they used to,you get charged to much when items do sell..If a buyer wants to return & item,no matter what they can,& you must eat the shipping..As the seller you are allways wrong!!!!!I used to SELL 200-300 coins a month..No More,it just not worth it