Question thread: Final value fee change in most categories

[seller_update@ebay]

As you know, fees vary across categories as eBay always strives to achieve lowest total fees across category competitors. Starting on March 1, 2022, final value fees for Store sellers and those without a store will increase slightly. You can learn more about that here, or review the fee comparison chart here. Feel free to ask any questions below! 

Please note that eBay experts will be present and engaging on the boards between 8 am and 4:00 pm PST on 2.9.

[boldrocket]

I'm not happy with the raise in fees.

1) Free Seller Managing Pro - Most people don't use this anyway.

2) Getting rid of many categories. Ex Postcards - Instead of Postcards - US - Disney it's now only 2 categories for Postcards. Nobody searches that way. Why? 

3) Making people put in useless item specifics. All this does is help eBay build it's database for free. Why should I have to key in Postcard / Disney / Posted/ UnPosted ? If I do that all this does is help eBay sort and DISPLAY competitors listings.

The equivalent analogy would be if you had a booth at a flea market and someone came up to you and said, Do you have  a "Snow White Postcard", and me as a both seller be obligated to yell out to all the other vendors, "Hey, this guy wants to buy a Snow White Postcard, who else is selling this?" If eBay wants to show competitors listings they should write better AI software, not force me to enter info into their database. 

I don't begrudge eBay for showing competitors listings, I just don't think I should be required to help you help my competitors sales for free by putting in these item specifics. Item specifics serve no purpose but to highlight competitors sales. Oh, and they slow down the number of listings I can do. Why would eBay want sellers to list FEWER ITEMS.  I don't thing  "Make Sellers List Fewer Items but Charge Sellers More Fees"  is a good long term business model. Am I missing something?

4) Promoted listings - If I don't promote, will eBay even show my listings? I'm starting to wonder if this is the policy. It use to be having a good feedback score meant something. What's the purpose of top rated seller ?

Anyone else agree with me?

[mr_lincoln]

@boldrocket   Good post and a number of good points. 

-Google has THE most extensive database in the

world, bar none.  So I think one of the thrusts is for eBay to tap in to its Sellers data (and of course our research time and energies) to get items listed on eBay to be returned higher in Google search.

-As for displaying competitor's listings, I am NOT a fan of any competitor's listings cutting across MY listing when an interested party opens it.  For whatever reason the Buyer opened MY listing and MY listing deserves their full UNINTERRUPTED attention until they either 1) purchase, 2) add it to their Watched list for a potential purchase in the future or 3) move on.

-Promoted listings are Sponsored listings and there is plenty of room for them in the left and right gutter of a page.  Your items will still be returned in Search whether you promote them or not.  Promoting them simply gets them displayed on pages instead of just the returned search results list.

Mr. L

[tyler@ebay]

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@ez-collectibles wrote:

Will the 'Additional Fixed Price Free Insertions in Select Categories' continue past July, 2022?   Will 'Select Categories' be expanded?

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Hi @ez-collectibles - there was no mention of a change to these in the Update as far as I'm aware, and I have not heard any rumors of that changing. I've requested more info on these questions and will let you know as I hear back!

[tyler@ebay]

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@lupimania wrote:

Is Ebay going to remove the commission charge on the Sales Tax which the seller doesn't receive?  Hard to understand why Ebay is charging the commission on Sales Tax for this when Amazon doesn't.  Monetizing the collection of Sales Tax is quite offensive since the seller receives none of it.

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Hi @lupimania - to address your question, no, there has not been a change to remove sales tax from being included in the total calculation of fees paid when receiving funds. A full definition of what we include in the calculation of our final value fees is here. 

Thanks!

[d-k_treasures]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@lcbergh wrote:

I have been paying fees on shipping that is above the actual shipping and not receiving a bit of reduction in my fees when I refund the difference.  This is ridiculous.  We have to estimate our items prior to shipping as it would be a nightmare to package everything in advance.  eBay not only makes money by charging us fees, but there isn't even a report that can show our refunds given back to our clients.  With all money you are making, maybe you can figure out how to make a decent report that shows the date of sale and any refunds given associated with an item.

You kicked out Paypal to save us money.  What a joke.

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That changes in this Seller Update.  Did you read it?

Paypal did not refund fees on partial refunds either.  They changed that a couple years ago or more.

But now Ebay will per this recent Seller Update.

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Getting back 2.9% on a partial refund isn't as noticeable as getting back 12.5%

[d-k_treasures]

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@on_the_go_auctions wrote:

Please, I am trying to make a living here and it is so difficult. We have glitches that make it hard to list, and items and photos go missing but instead of fixing this we are getting charged more. I am lost and trying to make ends meet. I really need this money to pay my bills and raising the fees make it much more difficult. I know we are the little guys but please listen. I might be a low valued seller, but I am not a low valued person. 

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I know for a while now that the last 4 photos don't show the thumbnail, but if you hover over it or click on it it does bring up the photo hiding underneath the empty folder icon. How many buyers only look at the 1st 8, thinking there are no more, then complain that something wasn't shown?

A lot of problems here can be fixed by a competent programmer in a few hours/days.

[norskmediashop]

Thankfully many here are now calling ebay out on this unethical business practise. It is an issue we arent keeping a closed eye on anymore. Its outright wrong that as a seller we have to pay a fee on amounts we dont see or take in. I wont even start on the poor transparency of all this. 

[rugerskick]

I think many people would be much happier with Ebay if they did just the following two things.

1. Stop including item sales taxes in the FVF.  This is actually theft.  Taxes collected are not money the seller legally earns.  They know this because their systems do not include this amount in our earnings calculations.  So its not a programming issue that prevents them from doing this.  This is just a money grabbing scheme in order to make the FVF percentage increase number appear smaller than it actually is, by now including taxes in the FVF calculation.

2. Consistency in answers and actions, from ebay staff when dealing with a problem order or issue.  Depending who you talk to and when, you get someone who tells you one thing, and the next time its opposite. The third time it could be a different answer.  You cannot count on the information being given to you about an issue you are dealing with, and getting the same answers.  Further when they tell you they will or wont do something, and then do the opposite and you find out afterwards, its extremely frustrating.  You cant depend on them to be reliable and follow through.  You have to hope you can appeal, or still have time to appeal whatever they did and hope it can be corrected.

If they would stop charging us on sales taxes as part of the FVF, which is immoral and illegal as its never been our money and was never considered this way by ebay in the past, and if they would be consistent in their answers and actions when we have problems that require their assistance, I believe just doing these two things would make many sellers here breathe a big sigh of relief and be regarded as welcome signs of improvement and changes in the right direction.  Otherwise all we see ebay doing is conjuring up different ways to make more money off the sellers.  If they were at least honest about it it would be one thing, but its sold to us as being better for us and for the benefit ofthe sellers.  Its hard to beleive that when the ceo denigrates 50-80% of all sellers and buyers transactions as being "low value" and somehow unwanted.  Most of ebay sales, the large majority, are under $100.  Hard to believe them when they tell us these changes are better for us, things will be smoother, etc.

[rugerskick]

Its a "death by 1000 cuts" issue here.

They not too long ago added in taxes collected to the FVF calculation too.  That is significant change depending on what you're selling and to what state.

The savings sellers were told they would see going to managed payments did not materialize for the vast majority of sellers, many said they were worse off.

The problem is the only way ebay seems to be investigating growing their bottom line is by how they can take more money from sellers.  There appears to be no money invested into fixing site problems.  But money is invested into expanding paid extras parts of the system that take more money from sellers.   Very little money spent on advertising ebay on tv or internet ads as a place to go to buy things.  All the other sites that are growing rapidly, are doing so.  Their basic revenue drive is to get more money out of sellers.  Thats the big long term plan, apparently.

[rugerskick]

Its immoral to do so.  It is most likely illegal as well. That money is not the sellers.  In the past ebay did not do this, they knew it wasn't the sellers money.

[shado-x]

I believe items will be selling much higher in the medium term; hence, the very small raise in FVF where we all win.  Moreover with the higher FVF fees, maybe eBay can invest to allow sellers to have access of previous sales pages for 6 months, rather than the current 90 days.  I would want eBay to just dump the $0.10 schedule listing fee----it is the only burden for me and I would pay the higher FVF fees to get rid of that.  I'd rather schedule listings, go to bed, wake up to a bunch of sales without a $6.00 listing fee (for 60 items).  Currently, I schedule listings and then one-by-one, use the bulk listing tool and list them live, then go to bed, wake up to a bunch of sales....lol).

Oh well, to those PO'd, I don't need all that competition!  Record 2020, and 2021 was 15% better for me!  2022 even better, I think.

[rugerskick]

You bring up a good point here about the current batch of ebay leaders.

They actually have a great deal of contempt and disgust for most of the buyers and sellers here.

The ceo sets the tone of the companys management.  50% of ebay purchases are 30 dollars or less.  80% are $100 or less.  These are low value sales to him.  He doesnt want them.  He doesnt want ebay to be full of low value buyers and sellers.  

The current ceo is not a long time ebay person.  Its like when Apple fired Steve Jobs and brought in the former pepsico ceo, who almost took the entire company down in just a few years.  This is what is going on right here at ebay, right now.  Hes got no intrinsic love for ebay, no history of the place, theres no sweat equity from him on this site.  The long term sellers he calls low value are the ones with sweat equity here.  Those who fight to get better seller status despite the ebay algorithm keeping their listings lower or not even showing them at all, they have the sweat equity in this site.  The sellers who have had to deal with ebay losing or messing up their listings, fighting fhe ebay system glitches to correct them, all the way through, we have the sweat equity on this site.  We love the site, we love what it used to be, we love where it could potentially go.  We want it to be the best place to be.  Its why we are still here.  The current management team is disconnected and just viewing most of the sellers as low value, and things to be squeezed to get a few more drops of blood from.

[rugerskick]

To be fair you can be VERO'd on any platform, if those companies decide to review those places and complain to the site.  More and more are doing this, so the list keeps growing.   But it will affect sellers on all platforms, not just Ebay.  And often when it does, it comes as a surprise to the seller.

[rugerskick]

Great point.  Let us also not gloss over the fact it was a legally binding transaction to purchase the item.

The buyer backs out of the legally binding contract, but the seller gets penalized.  How is that the proper and correct outcome?

[amarvelous1]

Reading the seller update was quite nostalgic to me.  I've been on eBay for 20 years, mostly just as a buyer now.  I was a somewhat serious seller from around 2009 to 2005.  I remember cringing each time I saw every notice for the new seller update.  When I saw the headline for the "increased fees" today, I chuckled and had to read the comments. 

Back when I used to be a seller, eBay was undergoing some serious changes and personality shifts.  I remember pouring in hundreds of hours updating new category specifics and conforming to incessant changes to the rules.  I definitely feel for you sellers out there.  Fees changes are tough no matter how small, especially if your margins are thinning due to increased postage, sourcing costs, and shipping supply costs due to inflation and supply chain issues.

Back then, I was making a lot of money and couldn't get enough inventory on hand fast enough.  If I recall, around 2002 possibly, eBay started making drastic changes to their search engine.  It was all on a quest for a "better buyer and seller experience."  Sound familiar?   🤣  My sales took a decent nosedive after every subsequent  change rollout from that point.  Things may have gotten better for "someone" but definitely not for me.  I remember being on the phone for hours with eBay CS trying to garner ideas for an action plan to recover.  I received pep talk after pep talk, implemented suggestions, but to no avail. 

I finally decided to call it a day.  I was very concerned on building a business that fully relied on an eBay platform that constantly changes the rules, adjust fees, and actually has the power to suspend my account.  That's too much control.  If I was able to do things over again (ha, ha... don't we all say that!) I would have started my own website and built it up while I was selling on eBay.  Perhaps I could have slipped in flyers in my packages to customers.  eBay may have been a stepping stone to my own website.  You know what they say about hindsight.  

I highly respect the sellers out there slugging away at it every day.  It's hard to keep up when a platform keeps changing the rules.  My hat is off to you.  eBay is in it for the profit, just like any full time seller so I get it that they are going to do what maximizes profit for them.  That is just the way it is in the real world. 

In my opinion, it is still the to go-to place for me to shop more unique and pre-owned or vintage items.  Its also a great go-to platform to sell items that I couldn't possibly sell locally, but I can sell on eBay for serious money.  15% fees on items, shipping and taxes is still worth it to me if I can overall get more money for something versus selling it so cheap locally or not being able to sell it at all.  I get a kick out out what people will buy; just amazing.  Some sites are better than others for selling; it just depends what you're selling.

Sadly over the years I have just been turned off more and more by eBay's never-improving vintage format.  If I'm looking for a Blu-Ray on Amazon, everything is pretty much on one page.  If I look on eBay, it can be 400+ listings, half of which is not even remotely close to what I was looking for.  Auto parts?  Forget about it.  Impossible and just a headache. 

Overall, it appears its just more of the same on this site.  It's still the best for finding items out of production or more scarce.  I can't believe after all these years eBay hasn't been able to find a cleaner layout.  Just frustrating.

All I can say is the platform belongs to eBay.  eBay sets the rules and if you want to play, you have to abide by them.  Long ago, I decided to no longer play the game.  Never looked back.  Best wishes to those who continue to keep pushing on.  There is something to be said for being your own boss.  However, it's a bummer when eBay keeps moving the goalpost.