2017 Spring Seller Update Reminder

[alan@ebay]

Hello,

Please use this thread if you have any questions or wish to discuss today's announcement. 

Thank you. 

[recycle-shop]

I'd have liked to see them get all their testing done, THEN roll out this program...

[capesports]

I an 18 year eBay seller with over 50,000 transactions, and I am never surprised with the changes that eBay makes which puts its loyal sellers in a position to continually question whether is is worth it to continue while being treated as a second class citizen. I've taken pride in being a TRS, rewarded for shipping within 1 day and providing the best possible service to my buyers. This latest change has me doubting that my efforts are really appreciated , especially if eBay thinks it is in everyone's best interest to decrease the TRS discount from 20% to 10%. I'm certain that there are a number of sellers who will decide that for the burden of being a 1 day shipper who accepts 60 day returns while taking a 50% decrease in their TRS benefits, that it just is not worth it to continue to provide this type of service. Ebay, you are making a major mistake this time. You can only push your loyal sellers so far.

[recycle-shop]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@jzq2468 wrote:

The reduction of the top rated plus seller discount from 20% to 10% virtually eliminates the incentive for sellers to be top rated.

To maintain top rated status,  sellers must bend over backwards to please buyers and it will be no longer  worth it.  I will probably eliminate the RETURNS ACCEPTED

ang go with NO RETURNS and skip the piddling 10% discount.

---

@jzq2468

Speak for yourself please as I completely disagree as I know many others do as well.  While I agree that the reduction in the discount for listing that qualify for TRS+, I strongly disagree that it eliminates the incentive to be TRS.  The benefit of shipping discounts alone are far more important than the TRS+ discount IMHO.  So be careful and make sure you fully understand what is affected if you choose to let your TRS status go as you may be just costing yourself money that you wouldn't otherwise lose if you have a complete understanding of the program and facts.

You CAN let the TRS+ listing status go because the reduction in discount isn't worth it for you WITHOUT losing your TRS status.  They are NOT one and the same.  You could change your handling time to a couple days and your return policy to 14 days and still retain TRS status.

---

That's exactly where we're likely to be. Keep our TRS status, quit listing TRS+ items... Not seeing how that benefits the customer... but okay. 

[jaybird333]

Yes indeed....the days of me either staying up past midnight, or getting up at 5:30am to do shipping labels to earn that 20% discount might just go by the wayside.  30 day returns...probably that will disappear too...as well as a complementary shipping upgrade on customers sales to priority mail when all they paid was $3 to ship their item over $50.   I'm not feeling the love eBay, and the eBay service our customers have grown to expect will decline, because my time and inconvenience to do the daily push is worth more than a couple bucks a day....it was barely worth it a $5 a day!

[jmc1337]

I don't either

[military.inc]

Amazon charge 15% and $39 every month.
You can sell on eBay AND Amazon the same time.

[benedictum]

This is a long-standing ploy in exploitative business relationships: speak in an enthusiastic way about changes that will harm the people you are addressing.

Ebay's policies go only in the direction of higher fees to sellers. I don't like it, but as long as there isn't a competitor on the horizon drawing as many buyers as eBay, I just have to take it. I've been waiting for that competitor to emerge for years.

[benedictum]

FWIW, Ebay doesn't own PayPal any longer. But I quite agree otherwise: Ebay squeezes us a little harder with each shift in fees. I just wish I knew where to go instead.

[crystal_pens_deals]

I think that TOP rated seller PLUS should get discount minimum 25%. EBAY GIVES ONLY 10%!!
eBAY BUCKS ALSO FROM 2% TO 1%. IS THIS FAIR PLAY???
You are growing and growing and We sellers what? PAYING MORE AND MORE!!.

[ncplates]

I've read most of what has been posted in these threads and here is what I find that is too much of a coincindence. Ebay raises the FVFs while at the same time starts paying for NASCAR sponsorship with a huge tool box shown at breaks during the race. So now we know the reason for the increases to sellers. Here is the thing. I've been selling on eBay since 2000 selling mostly auto parts and related collectibles. Five years ago, I was selling primarily license plates part time and was averaging $2000 per month in sales. Today, I'm doing this full time and averaging $800-900 per month. Luckily the one thing that has changed is my average monthly payment of fees has gone from $150-175 per month to $60-90 per month. But what also has changed is the average price of those license plates because of the 3 year rule and the DMVs of certain states restricting the availability of plates. What used to be an inexpensive hobby is no more despite the efforts of sellers doing their darndest to skip by the 3 year rule. Plates that used to sell for $2-3 are now an average of $10-15 depending on the state.  And then there are the hundreds of listings on the same products in auto parts. When I list my ACDelco PF454 oil filter, it's right there along side of the listings of big box stores like O'reillys and Auto Zone who have the capability of undercutting my price. And now you're wanting me to pay for promoting my listing just to be able to compete with everyone else? Not to mention charging me a listing fee outside my allotted free listings? And doing it every 7 days on an auction listing or every 30 days on a fixed price listing?

Honestly you need to give me a good reason why I need to keep my store on eBay and not go back to a standard account. Better yet, give me a reason why I should drop my store on eCrater which is 99.5% free and list more here on eBay. You see, I sell just as much on eCrater and my Google fees at 5.9% are a fraction each month compared to eBay. I'm talking like $5 vs. $80 each month. At the rate eBay is going, I would be better off opening another store on eCrater having one for my collectibles and the other for auto parts. You have to understand I'm a small seller being self employed with 3 employees- Me, Myself & I. But when I lose sales from the competition being to much and getting placed on the back burner because I'm not paying to promote

[mam98031]

---

@jaybird333 wrote:

No...you assume wrong.  I do not sell $16-24K monthly....  I sell vintage jewelry, whose fees hit right around 10% per sale when we add in the shipping.    So...lets scale that sales volume back almost half...  I sell around $9500-$12500 monthly.  Every single one of my sales are one-of-a-kind items.....no easy re-lists for me, thats for sure!  And...to even make it more time-consuming and mind-boggling...my average sale is around $20 each...about 400-600 individual sales monthly!   Yes, I put a whole lot of time into eBay....and the reduction of a couple hundred bucks monthly hurts big time. 

---

As you know, the TRS+ discount does not apply to shipping charges.  Your previous statement was that this TRS+ discount reduction is going to cost you between $100 and $150 per month.  For that to happen, your monthly sales would need to be somewhere between 16 to 24K.  The math is what it is.

Gross product sales X 6.15% FVF = ___ X 10 % = ___     

So 16,000 X 6.15% = 984.00 x 10% = 98.40

24000 X 6.15 = 1,476.00 X 10% =  147.60

Using your new numbers

9,500 X 6.15% = 584.25 X 10% = 58.43

12,500 X 6.15% = 768.75 X 10% = 76.88

I'm not trying to pick on you, my only desire is to help everyone look at the numbers correctly so they can make an informed decision on what is the best approach to make in light of the new rules.  Your loss per month due to the discount reduction then is between about $60 and $75.

I have no problem believing you put a lot of work in your Ebay business, as do I and many other sellers.  I don't like this discount reduction and I think Ebay is wrong in doing this, but it is going to happen and to make a business decision on what is your best approach to this problem is best decided by using correct information.  I hope whatever you decide to do works well for you.

[charlenew806]

eBay, why not just pay us a really good hourly wage to work for you? AFTERALL, WE ARE JUST SUB-CONTRACTORS FOR YOU TO EARN MONEY. OK,   I will NOT like the feedback , I am sure, and ebay will have NO REPONSE AT ALL. Just sayin. I am a small time seller that bends over backwards to make my customers happy. LOVE IT. 100 % positive. And ate a lot of crow to get here. Thanks.....

[rjs_holdings]

Spoiler

If you think eBay has high fees wait till you go to amazon.   Let me know when you come back.

[rjs_holdings]

My sales increased 15% with promotion listings.

[rjs_holdings]

Let us know when you find a better place to sell that beats eBay.  I am not going to hold my breath waiting.