Fees & Financials

[seller_update@ebay]

We continue to look for ways to improve our marketplace to help you manage your business more efficiently, accelerate your sales velocity, and bring more buyers to you. For example, we recently launched spendable funds, a new way for you to pay for items on eBay using proceeds from your sales, and introduced additional payment options for higher priced items.

To help support changes we’re making to our marketplace that benefit all eBay users, we're increasing some final value fees. At the same time, we’re decreasing the cost of some optional listing upgrades that give buyers more purchase options and make it easier for you to manage your listings.

We’re also expanding the fee credit we give you when you provide great service by fully refunding a buyer’s return. And as we continue to roll out eBay International Shipping, we handle the international logistics for you at no additional cost, while also waiving the International fee for sellers.

Edit: Please ensure that all questions and comments remain on topic. Any off topic posts will be moved to the appropriate board, so they can be answered by Community Members.

Please allow us 24-48 hours to provide an answer to your question.  

[somethingneat]

Greed

[somethingneat]

You're correct that it's artificial.  Everyone is raising prices but at that same time reporting record NET profit. 

If it was natural inflation, the profits would be the same or just slightly higher.   It's just greed 

[bluegrassonly]

It’s absolutely pathetic for ebay to institute any increase in fees in these devastating economic conditions that all sellers are struggling with.  It’s nothing but pure greed on the part of ebay’s executives…and we’re the ones who bear the brunt of it.  Why in the world can’t you just leave well enough alone for a change?  And please stop trying to sugar-coat a lemon.  With the pure corporate greed of ebay combined with the casual seller aggressive pursuit of the IRS, this is only accelerating the demise of the small online seller.  I certainly see the writing on the wall and seriously contemplating not if, but when to throw in the towel.  Marketplace and Craigslist looking like better options every day! 

[kathieskorner]

Still waiting for the "appropriate" team to answer my question as why US sellers were only given 15 days notice before the fee increase takes affect while UK seller fees don't increase until April. 

I also found it strange that no email was received about the Winter Update on any of my accounts.  I found out about it on auctionbytes on Monday and really had to dig on ebay for all the details. 

[seller_update@ebay]

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@kathieskorner wrote:

Please explain why the final value fee increases take effect in only 2 weeks for US sellers while UK sellers fee increases don't take effect until April.      30 days notice should be required for any fee increases.

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Hi @kathieskorner. US has a 14-day notification period for price changes, while the UK has a 30-day notification period. 

[juleslovesvb]

I'm sorry but can you explain how this  spendable funds 'improvement' is helping the sellers?  I pay for the few items I purchase on eBay with Paypal funds and it's quite fast enough. It seems all eBay wants is for sellers to turn around and spend the little money they are making on items within eBay.  eBay should be ashamed to call this a buyers improvement when it's truly a cash grab tactic.  There are tons of improvements/fixes that eBay could be coding, testing, and implementing, that could truly help sellers.  This is not one of them. 

We continue to look for ways to improve our marketplace to help you manage your business more efficiently, accelerate your sales velocity, and bring more buyers to you. For example, we recently launched spendable funds, a new way for you to pay for items on eBay using proceeds from your sales, and introduced additional payment options for higher priced items.

[richr1000]

eBay needs to get rid of the shipping fee! Figure out a way to stop sellers from overcharging on shipping, and get rid of the shipping fee. It's not that hard! That way, the rest of us -- who do not over charge -- don't get screwed. I sold a teapot and paid a total of 60% in fees because the cost of shipping was so high. You're telling me that 60% in fees is the lowest in the game? Ridiculous fees.

[kathieskorner]

And when was that 14 day notification period implemented as ebay hasn't used it before - and where is it buried in the fine print??

[richr1000]

The measly 10% top seller discount is NOT worth having to offer free returns and one-day handling. What a joke. 

[stl_racer]

I agree.  It's time for me to go suspend all of my ebay listings.  This is what happens when a virtual monopoly exists; there's no competition in the fees passed to sellers, because there's no other place to go.  Sellers are already having to pay fee percentages on things like taxes, which are pass-thru and which should not incur a seller fee; the buyer pays the sales tax, and ebay remits it to the taxing authority.  It should NOT cost 13% of the sales tax amount to do that passthru accounting.  The cost of selling anything on ebay is becoming so high, and always with the threat that any buyer can dispute anything, and will result in ruling against the seller that it simply isn't worth the hassle any more on small items where you may net only single digit dollars on an item.

[beaniesandmore545]

Perhaps you can address why the fees on the payments received include the Sales Tax Amount Paid as part of the payment, that is a pass-thru and we do not get that money.

[mam98031]

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@wvgrouse wrote:

Happy Valentines Day  on February 14- here is your fee increase on February 15 😞

How is is it legal for ebay to charge their fees on the state sales tax our buyers pay???

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@wvgrouse 

It may be because it is state law that Ebay collect and remit the sales tax to the state if they have the law to require them to.  So if there is a federal law that prevents this from happening, no one has ever posted it, even when asked.  

I don't like it any better than anyone else but it is very unlikely to be illegal by federal law.

[aswegrow2]

In the past I have received Duplicate policy violations  for having an item in fixed price and on auction with buy it now feature.  Now since this upgrade is free a good many sellers will be using this option. I went to eBay duplicate listings page and it reads: 

• Identical auction-style listings are allowed if they:
  • Have the same start price
  • Have the same reserve price
  • Have the same title and description
  • Don't use the Buy It Now option
  • Source https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/duplicate-listings-policy?id=4255&st=3&pos=3&que...

Please make sure sellers know that is a policy violation so a lot of newer sellers do not  unnecessary violations. 

Thank you

a 23 year seller

[wvgrouse]

Thanks.

So before long the feds will be taxing the fees that ebay is collecting from the tax...

[mam98031]

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@wvgrouse wrote:

Thanks.

So before long the feds will be taxing the fees that ebay is collecting from the tax...

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And why would that happen or are you just venting because you don't like the practice?