Fees are too high

[darwinfarms]

I recently became a licensed nursery. Online plants sales are becoming a new thing. Originally I had planned to just do my sales through ebay. It seemed like it simplified things enough and I could still make money.

..then i get my first invoice for fees..

It is just too much. By Spring of 2018, if I continued to do 90% of my sales through ebay as I had planned.. I am going to be writing some LARGE checks to Ebay. For this amount I could build a website, cover cc transactions, AND pay to have traffic directed my way.

It's just, too, much. You gotta lower the fees before I will make Ebay part of my plan going forward. I'll be using it for the slow season this fall and winter.. But when Spring comes, no way am I going to cut ebay in this high on my sales. With Paypal 13%?!?!? Are you kidding me??

Bigcommerce, here I come.

[nowthatsjustducky]

Asking price at the very minimum should be something like:

Desired Profit+Product Cost+eBay Fees+PayPal Fees

Follow a formula like that and the fees should be inconsequential, since your buyers are paying them for you.

[nawlinsron2]

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/ebay/holders?ltr=1

Lower fees?....Fees support these ebay director stockholder holdings...at $36/share

Next wish???

[audioarchive]

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@jobbercoins wrote:
100percent agree .hard to make a profit

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Not really. You just have to know basic math and be smart enough to know if your product is viable to sell here.

[86ascmclaren]

Final value fee on shipping? how stupid

[wfloridafinds]

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@darwinfarms wrote:

I recently became a licensed nursery. Online plants sales are becoming a new thing. Originally I had planned to just do my sales through ebay. It seemed like it simplified things enough and I could still make money.

..then i get my first invoice for fees..

It is just too much. By Spring of 2018, if I continued to do 90% of my sales through ebay as I had planned.. I am going to be writing some LARGE checks to Ebay. For this amount I could build a website, cover cc transactions, AND pay to have traffic directed my way.

It's just, too, much. You gotta lower the fees before I will make Ebay part of my plan going forward. I'll be using it for the slow season this fall and winter.. But when Spring comes, no way am I going to cut ebay in this high on my sales. With Paypal 13%?!?!? Are you kidding me??

Bigcommerce, here I come.

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13% too high?

Online venues such as eBay are the cheapest way to run a business

ebay is not the cheapest but not the most expensive

u also only pays fees if it sells

no sales, no fees

i have done it all

shows, fleas, malls, auctions...

i know of no other business like eBay that lets me display my merchandise at no cost.

sure u can create ur own website.

even believe you can build one for free.

U think u can bring as much traffic to ur site as eBay does to ur listed items?

u can also do that cheaply and fast?

Good luck with that...

guess to each his own.

seems to be too much work.

eBay is what has always worked best for me.

other venues do good as well but the cost or these venues is a lot more expensive (sales or no sales).

[fuzzface50]

so are you only charging a 13% markup on your nursery products? 

Why should ebay?

i don't know of any business that can survive on a 13% markup only. Companies need to cover insurance, utilities, payroll, etc.  some places have a 250% markup but after they figure in all their hidden expenses then they are walking out with only around 7-10% profit but when you deal in volume that is fine.

[dhbookds]

Thread is from 2017......poster is not, apparently has not listed in some time.....

alan@ebay

[tofu107]

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@86ascmclaren wrote:

Final value fee on shipping? how stupid

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what Ebay does is moving part of the item FVF to shipping,once upon a time,there is no FVF on shipping,but sellers abused its policy by asking 99 cents for an item and $65 for shipping to avoid item FVF ,so Ebay came up with FVF for shipping.

same math.

The asking price of many items on EBAY is somewhere between wholesale and retail,you have less overhead ,esp fixed overhead like someone stated,you dont have to get dressed up and be at the store,store is open ever day 24 hours a day and your traffic is not limited to local ,it is worldwide.

If all you can afford to pay (ebay and paypal) is 6%,you better tweak your business model. 

[stuff4divas]

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@86ascmclaren wrote:

Final value fee on shipping? how stupid

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Not stupid, back 'in the day' some sellers whould charge .99c for an item and $300 shipping to get out of paying the fees.

I didn't agree to charge all sellers fvf on shipping for those who were in compliance, but what the heck, I have no power on what eBay decides 😞

[luckythewinner]

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@darwinfarms wrote:

I had planned to just do my sales through ebay.

{snip}

..then i get my first invoice for fees..

 {snip}

You gotta lower the fees before I will make Ebay part of my plan going forward.

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IMHO checking the eBay fee schedule before using eBay should have been part of your "plan" from the start. 

[tofu107]

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@stuff4divas wrote:

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@86ascmclaren wrote:

Final value fee on shipping? how stupid

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Not stupid, back 'in the day' some sellers whould charge .99c for an item and $300 shipping to get out of paying the fees.

I didn't agree to charge all sellers fvf on shipping for those who were in compliance, but what the heck, I have no power on what eBay decides 😞

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Ebay shifted some of the item FVF over to shipping,you pay the same

[tofu107]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@darwinfarms wrote:

I had planned to just do my sales through ebay.

{snip}

..then i get my first invoice for fees..

 {snip}

You gotta lower the fees before I will make Ebay part of my plan going forward.

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IMHO checking the eBay fee schedule before using eBay should have been part of your "plan" from the start. 

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OP can afford to pay 6%,there is no way he can do so on Ebay,even top rated plus seller who gets 10% back with item FVF cannot bring his fee down to 6%.

if y ou have a Paypal MC business debit card to use as a credit card,you get 1% cash rebate from paypal,but thats just 1%

[audioarchive]

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@86ascmclaren wrote:

Final value fee on shipping? how stupid

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With such a well structured argument and infallible logic behind that statement, who could disagree?