Confused by 20+% grift

[glimpseofshadows76]

Hey everyone! 
I am an avid shopper here but have not sold any items in a few years. I posted 4 listings with 3 of them selling. Can someone explain why the ratio is what it is on 3 lots of Homies toy figurines. 

$44.82

$39.45

$30.24

total = $114.51

funds on hold = $90.33

This means that eBay is keeping $24.18 which exceeds 20% of the final value (price, shipping and taxes) and will not release funds until September 10th at the earliest. These sales are U.S. only so VAT does not apply. 
Why am I being charged so far beyond the 12.9% plus .30 per listing?

Again, I am an avid shopper that pays within 24 hours (usually less) and had no discrepancies as a seller in prior years. 
I no longer wish to honor these sales and would also like to know if eBay will charge me utilizing any of the methods of payment that are on file? 

I am aware that the marketplace has skewed to the “buyer is always right, buyer always wins” mentality and was hesitant to list at all. 

The 4th item automatically relisted and states that I might be penalized if I end the listing. 

I thought that I had done my due diligence in looking at the fees but obviously I was wrong. 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Susan 

[maxine*j]

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...  I’ll be packaging the items and shipping them first thing in the morning. It’s sad to say that, due to my lack of trust, I will be videotaping the entire process...

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Why waste your time?  Videos and photos prove nothing, because they can be edited and because of a number of other reasons, and neither eBay nor a credit card company will look at them in a seller - buyer dispute.

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[stainlessenginecovers]

A 'grift' is a con (watch movie 'The Sting' with Robert Redford)

A 'grifter' is a con artist (the person doing a 'scam', 'con' etc.)

'Vig' is what typically 'mafia type loan sharks' charged a 'borrower' to borrow money. Basically the 'percentage' of a loan. It is usually charged 'weekly' (not legal). (watch the 'Sopranos'). 

So if you borrow $1000 and the 'vig' is 10%- means you owe that person $100 a week just to keep walking upright, but you still owe the $1000. 

[glimpseofshadows76]

When did eBay completely halt the sellers right to speak on their behalf?

 I knew that they were a lot of buyers hustling sellers but wow!

 I only had one issue here in the years that I sold and the buyer refused to submit sufficient photos of a damaged product. He would only send photos of a damaged package. I won the dispute and it didn’t help his case that he had a long history of requesting partial refunds under the same premise. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

Where do you get the 'halt sellers right to speak' from?

Pictures?? 

I can take a picture of ANY damaged box, a DIFFERENT phone or pair of shoes or use Photoshop to put a tear in a jacket etc.

[bonjourami]

You are lucky that you won the case, buyers are not required to submit photos of a damaged item.As was mentioned dont bother with all that videotaping..they can be doctored, and Ebay does not accept them of proof of what was shipped...or received.

[glimpseofshadows76]

I was responding to Maxine with that statement. 
Basically, after seeing what the two of you have said, why shouldn’t I cancel the sale if the seller has zero protection and no right to a fair trial on matters. 
So, it really is that bad now and a lot of sellers are getting screwed over by smarmy buyers? 
Again, it’s been years…but the dispute that I encountered was dealt with in the same manner as a court of law with each side given the right to speak and present their proof. 

[soh.maryl]

The seller's FVF is based on the item price, the shipping fee and the state sales tax, if any.

The shipping cost, paid by the buyer, is NOT part of the final value fee.

The state sales tax, also paid by the buyer, is NOT part of the final value fee.

If you are adding those to the FVF, then, of course, you are getting a high figure.

[glimpseofshadows76]

So, I really have absolutely no protection as a seller? 
Why is anyone selling here at all?

Thank you again to the people that are because I do like shopping and am shopping for 2 households but it’s truly disgusting to me that there is no balance. 
Does anyone know if eBay still monitors the buyers for repeatedly making claims or demanding partial refunds? 

[bonjourami]

Remember, these boards are used for complaints, and are just a drop in the bucket, with over thirty million sellers worldwide, and a million sales a day. Most sales go off without a hitch.

[stainlessenginecovers]

There are scamming sellers too, so how would YOU run a site where there is no person to person transaction?

There are scamming sellers and buyers ALL OVER the internet on ALL websites. AZ, CL, FB, Bza, Ets etc etc.

They 'scam' a few, then they are gone. 

Since it is very easy to fake a photo, why would ANYONE except it.

If you are not selling I Phones, $500+ fashion, jewelry, electronics- I wouldn't worry. 

99.9% of transactions go without issue. 

[maxine*j]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

Where do you get the 'halt sellers right to speak' from?

Pictures?? 

I can take a picture of ANY damaged box, a DIFFERENT phone or pair of shoes or use Photoshop to put a tear in a jacket etc.

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And I can videotape myself putting a genuine Qing dynasty vase in a box and sealing it up.  Then I can ship the other box that is ready to go -- the one with the ten-dollar fake made last month in Guangzhou.

-

[maxine*j]

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@glimpseofshadows76 wrote:

When did eBay completely halt the sellers right to speak on their behalf?

 I knew that they were a lot of buyers hustling sellers but wow!

 I only had one issue here in the years that I sold and the buyer refused to submit sufficient photos of a damaged product. He would only send photos of a damaged package. I won the dispute and it didn’t help his case that he had a long history of requesting partial refunds under the same premise. 

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eBay never halted your right to speak on your own behalf.  But it doesn't look at pictures because it's too easy to edit the pictures, or send pictures that are not even of the item in question.

And no buyer has ever been under an obligation to provide pictures to sellers, although many  buyers will do so when asked.

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[fern*wood]

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@glimpseofshadows76 wrote:

So, I really have absolutely no protection as a seller? 
Why is anyone selling here at all?

Thank you again to the people that are because I do like shopping and am shopping for 2 households but it’s truly disgusting to me that there is no balance. 
Does anyone know if eBay still monitors the buyers for repeatedly making claims or demanding partial refunds? 

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I've shipped over ten thousand packages and encountered a handful of bad not as described cases, but truly can't call any of my experiences actual scams.   I'm sure categories make a difference, but I can't see being scared of everything or I wouldn't still be here. 

[maxine*j]

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@glimpseofshadows76 wrote:

 why shouldn’t I cancel the sale if the seller has zero protection and no right to a fair trial on matters. 
So, it really is that bad now and a lot of sellers are getting screwed over by smarmy buyers? 

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You should not cancel the sale because you entered into a contract with the buyer.  He paid.  You ship.  IF a problem arises down the road, you deal with it then.

Most eBay sellers and buyers are honest and decent, and every day literally millions of transactions go off without a hitch.  Neither the sellers nor the buyers come here to say, "Well, another easy and successful deal!"  These boards are sort of the Complaint Department.

There is no such thing as a risk-free retail transaction, whether it's on-line or in-person, though, and if that's what you hope for, you will always be disappointed.

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[isaiah53-57]

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@glimpseofshadows76 wrote:
Can someone explain why the ratio is what it is on 3 lots of Homies toy figurines. 
$44.82

$39.45

$30.24

total = $114.51

funds on hold = $90.33

This means that eBay is keeping $24.18 which exceeds 20% of the final value (price, shipping and taxes) and will not release funds until September 10th at the earliest. These sales are U.S. only so VAT does not apply.  Why am I being charged so far beyond the 12.9% plus .30 per listing?...

...I thought that I had done my due diligence in looking at the fees but obviously I was wrong.  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Susan 

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Throw the 12.9% figure out the window - it is meaningless "Smoke and Mirror".  I estimate the average seller is paying 15% to 20% or even much more of the ITEMS SELLING PRICE on a large percentage of sales. As people have pointed out here, you are paying the 12.9% fee on the ENTIRE SALE including shipping and tax and transaction fee - Thing is, that formula ends up taking close to or over 20% of the ITEMS SELLING PRICE right off the top on a large portion of sales - that is an incredible number to us...

Keep in mind that number does not include PROMOTED LISTING FEES(there are no words to express the level of pilfer and exploitation of this program), Store fees, Below Standard Fees(based on unknowable metrics), optional listing fees, international sale/VAT fee, and/or any other related fees. Its scary to even think of what some people are paying off the top of their sold item...

Of course, you agree to all this in the FINE PRINT, but I'm seeing more and more of these posts...