eBay

0tt0mobile · ‎03-20-2019

I've been buying and selling on Ebay since '98. I'm considering stopping and cancelling my account. I just sold a used car stereo and the selling fees were 10%. This is exorbitantly high and caused me to take a significant loss on the item sold. Fees used to amount to a few percent. It wasn't clear when I listed the item how much the fees would be. I'm upset with Ebay. Your selling practices feel greedy and designed to obscure. Ebay has lost it's way from the cheap garage sale site I Ioved and is just another greedy online corporate machine. You've lost my business, I'm sorry to say...

cumos55 · ‎03-24-2019

There was once a woman who listed and sold on eBay.

She added all of the additional perks to her listing.... Those perks were costly.

Her husband found he was paying eBay to sell the item... no profit.

Wife lost her privilege to use a computer... No more selling on eBay.....

weschurch · ‎03-24-2019

I don't mind paying higher fees when a site delivers consistent sales at decent prices. Thats what I have now where I'm at. That doesn't happen here. I also don't get abused over and over or have to live in fear

sharingtheland · ‎03-24-2019

The fees used to be as low as 1% and clearly published up front. They were never 10%.

In 2001, FVFs ranged from 1.5% to 5.25%. In 2005, FVFs increased to 8%. In 2011 (or so?), FVFs increased to 10% and I think that was also when the 10% fee on shipping was instituted. I still strongly protest that shipping fee money grab but it hasn't gotten me anywhere.

So, fees have been this high for quite some time and went higher with the increase from 10% to 14% if the seller didn't meet stated metrics. That was the Fall/Winter 2018 update? My memory fogs...

I'm looking at a chart tacked to my bulletin board with fees charged by an auction house I'm going to use, anywhere from 15% (items sold for over $5000) to 50% (items sold for $75 or less). Obviously, I'm not going to send $74 items to them, although, considering the time and effort I will save and the nonsense along with serious poop I won't have to put up with I could consider myself okay with paying those high fees in the long run.

I think FVFs in Automotive have usually been lower? I'm not sure of that.

Sherry

=^.^= =^.^=
( ) ( )
" " =^.^= " "

nobody*s_perfect · ‎03-24-2019

@sharingtheland wrote:
The fees used to be as low as 1% and clearly published up front. They were never 10%.

In 2001, FVFs ranged from 1.5% to 5.25%. In 2005, FVFs increased to 8%. In 2011 (or so?), FVFs increased to 10% and I think that was also when the 10% fee on shipping was instituted. ....

The FVF on shipping was introduced in 2011, and at the same time the FVF rate for non-stores was set at 9%. It went up to 10% 2 years later.

Back when FVFs were lower, we didn't get regular free insertions, and if you go back far enough EVERYTHING had an extra listing fee -- even pictures were optional and cost 15 cents each in the olden days. And the FVF rates weren't THAT low. Here's a link to changes from 2008 -- if you didn't have a store, insertion fees were 20 cents and the FVF rate on the first $25 of the selling price went up from 5.25% to 8.75%. This was back in the "store vs core" days, and the basic FVF rate on the first $25 for stores went up from 10% to 12%.

https://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/basic/index.html#insertion

catmandoo22n1 · ‎05-12-2019

You’re a bit harsh in your response! The fees are too high on eBay! I sold a vintage hot wheel for $20. eBay takes 10%, cost of shipping envelope and my time to the post office is a few dollars, then there’s PayPal taking their share because you can’t accept money orders or personal checks per eBay rules. As for Amazon and traditional auction premiums.....none of them are going broke anytime soon!

catmandoo22n1 · ‎05-12-2019

I agree....eBay fees are too high. I’ve done mostly buying things on eBay but recently had sold some vintage hot wheels. eBay takes 10%, plus PayPal takes their share and I seen a shipping fee of some sort. Oh yeah..... I sold one of my cars locally and eBay dinged me $12 for selling it “outside” of eBay.
I guess they didn’t like that I had my cars listed on Craigslist. I have considered closing my account.
I HATE that your “Buy it Now” has to be 30% higher than your starting bid. Again....eBay playing dictator! Fees....Fees....Fees! eBay is like your cable tv bill.

catmandoo22n1 · ‎05-12-2019

Sorry....but nowhere did I read that this guy uses eBay as a full-time job. So your long winded response should be directed toward a person set up as a business pimping their products. There are people out there that are just selling a few extra things that have been laying around the house trying to get a few extra dollars.

twnpopcards · ‎05-12-2019

@weschurch wrote:
Its all about return on my fees. Ebay quit delivering that years ago.

I have no problem paying 10% FVF on sales, its all the other non sales costs that are getting to be the problem. Ebay even admitted that they cut back on marketing in the first quarter and that sales were down, but that they made more money because Sellers were jumping onto the Promoted listings. Ebay now makes it so if you really want your items to be seen and maybe sell you have to pay a premium for the Promoted Listings and they are proud of it.

Ebay no longer cares about sales, they have changed their focus on how to take more money from the existing sellers whether they make a sale or not with the penalty FVF and pushing sellers into the Promoted listings so that if you do sell something your fees are still going to be between 15 and 20% FVF, That is why I have been moving more of my items to sites that charge nothing to list but they charge a higher FVF when you make a sale. Not having to ever pay to have my items listed and yet always have them shown in any searches is much better than what Ebay now offers, which is why Ebay continues to be less and less of my monthly sales.

twnpopcards · ‎05-12-2019

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
@sharingtheland wrote:
The fees used to be as low as 1% and clearly published up front. They were never 10%.

In 2001, FVFs ranged from 1.5% to 5.25%. In 2005, FVFs increased to 8%. In 2011 (or so?), FVFs increased to 10% and I think that was also when the 10% fee on shipping was instituted. ....
The FVF on shipping was introduced in 2011, and at the same time the FVF rate for non-stores was set at 9%. It went up to 10% 2 years later.

Back when FVFs were lower, we didn't get regular free insertions, and if you go back far enough EVERYTHING had an extra listing fee -- even pictures were optional and cost 15 cents each in the olden days. And the FVF rates weren't THAT low. Here's a link to changes from 2008 -- if you didn't have a store, insertion fees were 20 cents and the FVF rate on the first $25 of the selling price went up from 5.25% to 8.75%. This was back in the "store vs core" days, and the basic FVF rate on the first $25 for stores went up from 10% to 12%.

https://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/basic/index.html#insertion

The difference was that Ebay had the traffic to warrant the higher fees. Now its more like a ghost town as more and more buyers get fed up with Ebays useless search engine that only shows them what Ebay wants them to see instead of what they are actually looking for. That is the problem that Ebay just cannot seem to grasp which is why they continue to lose market share to other sites. They continue to tout all the new buyers each quarter but most of those are just buyers opening more accounts so they can bypass the blocks they have on their other accounts or scammers opening new accounts to try and fleece the new sellers.

onc88 · ‎05-12-2019

Here is the secret on how to make money on ebay in three easy steps:

1. Assume your cost to sell is 20% (total ebay fees plus PPal).

2. Find items to sell that will net enough to pay back the cost of inventory plus your time.

3. Always charge the buyer for the full cost of shipping. IMO, and personal research, free shipping is not as great as advertised, and muddies the water when trying to control selling costs.)

Can't make money on selling car stereos? Find other products. There are hundreds/thousands of items at yard sales and thrift stores that meet the above criteria and will earn you $15 or more an hour for your labor.

I am a PT seller since 2008. I sell 800-1,000 items a year. But what do I know?

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎05-12-2019

That woman should sell her husband, he's clearly defective. Perhaps get a newer model.

The 1900s are so over.

byrd69er · ‎05-12-2019

You've been selling on eBay since 1998 and you don't know the fees you'll be paying to sell your item? SLBSTM.

ms.rodriguez* · ‎05-13-2019

Fees have been 10% for years. 10% on the shipping too. YOu should have started your item at a price that would cover all of the fees plus the cost of the item and still give you a profit. If you cannot do that, then I suggest that you throw out your item, donate it, sell it elsewhere, put it in the attic or in the basement. It's dumb to sell here at a loss. Very dumb. Ebay is not the same as it was years ago. If using the auction format, remember that. There are just way too many sellers and NOT enough buyers. So start your auctions at the miminum price that will cover your fees and give you a profit. ALWAYS DISREGARD THE EBAY RECOMMENDED PRICES BECAUSE FOR SURE , YOU WILL SELL AT A LOSS. I got a recommendation the other day to start my ad at 1.00! No way Jose!

weschurch · ‎05-13-2019

@twnpopcards wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
@sharingtheland wrote:
The fees used to be as low as 1% and clearly published up front. They were never 10%.

In 2001, FVFs ranged from 1.5% to 5.25%. In 2005, FVFs increased to 8%. In 2011 (or so?), FVFs increased to 10% and I think that was also when the 10% fee on shipping was instituted. ....
The FVF on shipping was introduced in 2011, and at the same time the FVF rate for non-stores was set at 9%. It went up to 10% 2 years later.

Back when FVFs were lower, we didn't get regular free insertions, and if you go back far enough EVERYTHING had an extra listing fee -- even pictures were optional and cost 15 cents each in the olden days. And the FVF rates weren't THAT low. Here's a link to changes from 2008 -- if you didn't have a store, insertion fees were 20 cents and the FVF rate on the first $25 of the selling price went up from 5.25% to 8.75%. This was back in the "store vs core" days, and the basic FVF rate on the first $25 for stores went up from 10% to 12%.

https://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/basic/index.html#insertion
The difference was that Ebay had the traffic to warrant the higher fees. Now its more like a ghost town as more and more buyers get fed up with Ebays useless search engine that only shows them what Ebay wants them to see instead of what they are actually looking for. That is the problem that Ebay just cannot seem to grasp which is why they continue to lose market share to other sites. They continue to tout all the new buyers each quarter but most of those are just buyers opening more accounts so they can bypass the blocks they have on their other accounts or scammers opening new accounts to try and fleece the new sellers.

Correct, the traffic now is next to nothing compared to before. Ebay simply does not bring in the buyers to justify the 10% fee and 100's of other nickel and dime fees. On other sites the fees may be higher but the velocity of sales and ending prices can justify that.

Furthermore other sites like FB marketplace are rapidly gaining speed. I've spent more there in the last month than on Ebay. The younger generation loves it and the amount of stuff getting listed is really impressive. Its also simple and free. It just seems Ebay has become dated and is stuck on trying to survive on name alone.

lvsigngraphics · ‎07-18-2019

I agree, Fees are way too high. I just looked back because I wasn't really paying attention to them. Geez! And if I increase cost of item it sits there and never sells!.. especially with electronics.

Are there any alternatives to eBay? I guess I'll start looking.