Final value fees are too high

[calisun14]

People selling on ebay aren't rich. Matter of fact, if we've resorted to selling our used items like an online yard sale, we're probably hurting for a little extra money. If ebay wasn't *constantly changing* little things here and there (which serve primarily to trip the user up) then the system would basically run itself--in which case, why do you need to take over 10% of the final value (does that even include taxes?) from a bunch of poor people's used junk? I get it, ebay is a marvel of a modern digital marketplace. I am in awe every single moment I'm on the site. But while used junk is only getting less valuable, fees are only ever increasing, and this isn't a consignment store. Ebay spends no time and makes no effort to mind inventory, and none of their space is being taken up by the same. With the massive amount of sales the site hosts every day, do you really need to take that much? From yard sales, by poor people? How much do you actually need, and how much is just because you can and everyone likes more money no matter how comfortable they already are?

If there was a less greedy alternative, I'd use it. Things always get worse never better for the people on the bottom, because those who have the means to bend the rules in their favor make sure they're never the ones to lose.

[fashunu4eeuh]

I don't resent eBay for its the fees it charges. I find them fair (for the most part) as I can reach a global market from my kitchen table in rural Texas. So I don't really sweat the expense of selling here. If I am doing it right, then it all gets passed on to the consumer.

[moondogblues]

I just have to share this:  New easy peasey IRS instructions.

1. How much was your income?

2. What were your deductions?

3. What was left?

4. Send it to us.

(I added)...thanks.  (Got this from the American Legion funny page.)

[downunder-61]

If there was a less greedy alternative, I'd use it.

......IF, being the operative word.

[inhawaii]

Final value fees are too high.

I agree.

I also think the price for a loaf of bread or a half gallon of milk is too high.

Buy bread and milk or don't buy bread and milk.

Sell on ebay or don;'t sell on ebay.

[dbfolks166mt]

     EBay is a business and like any business their main function is to maximize the profits for their shareholders. Like any business they have expenses and I am actually somewhat impressed that they have not increased FVF's on most categories in quite some time. 

     For me it comes down to whether I can attain a ROI I am happy with by selling on eBay. For some of the items I have that is possible but for some it is not, generally because of shipping costs or some other factor that makes my listing cost non-competitive in the eBay market place. Those items I sell on local forums where the buyer does not have to worry about shipping costs among other things.

     There are a LOT of alternatives to eBay you just have to search a bit to find them. Some of eBay's item restrictions, which seem to be constantly increasing, have actually forced me to other platforms and forums. I also have value thresholds that I will not exceed when I post on eBay due to the high risk of scamming. Those I sell through other methods where the risk is much less. Depending on what you are selling this can be a highly competitive market place that may not be suited for everyone. 

[baydistributionllc]

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@kabilab wrote:

nobody's_perfect opines--Maximizing profit is exactly how capitalism works. eBay's primary responsibility is to their stockholders, not to the sellers who use the site.

The above opinion completely sums up my thoughts. I first, unknowingly, became a capitalist in 1953 and have remained so for almost 70 yrs. I sell my products for the absolutely highest possible dollar. I DO NOT price my items to help out buyers, give them a good deal or be their buddy. Therefore, I do not expect e-Bay to ignore their shareholder obligation to increase profits.

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Buyers came to ebay looking for a good deal. Its a good deal place. You should give good deals. I try to give best deals. 
They money is made when you buy the item, not when you sell it.

[bryo_3145]

Then you factor in Tax.  God Bless America

[firesteel_surplus]

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@pwil-23 wrote:

Great selling strategy I need to implement!!  I constantly feel pressured by the "watchers" to lower my prices. What I realized of late, thanks to other Ebay sellers, is that I've lowered them to a point where they are commensurate with my shipping cost.  Maybe breaking even, but definitely not increasing my profit. 

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Don't feel pressured by anyone on ebay to do anything. I love watchers but I rarely send Offers to them. I have my stuff set at a BIN price with a Best Offer. If they want it at a cheaper price they can SOINTENLY (say that in a Curly 3-Stooges voice) submit one. You have much to learn Grasshopper (reference to that Kung Fu series in the 70s)

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[firesteel_surplus]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@pwil-23 wrote:

Great selling strategy I need to implement!!  I constantly feel pressured by the "watchers" to lower my prices. What I realized of late, thanks to other Ebay sellers, is that I've lowered them to a point where they are commensurate with my shipping cost.  Maybe breaking even, but definitely not increasing my profit. 

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Why?  If they are emailing you, tell them no.  If it is the mere fact you have watchers, then you are making something out of that, that is not likely intended.

I will sometimes watch something for weeks.  Depending on how fast I need it, or if I'm still shopping to see if that listing is the best one for me, or any number of other reasons, none of which am I trying to get the seller to lower their price.

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And on the other hand to add to my reply from earlier...I have received offers from sellers from sales I've watched and bought. Just bought one this morning in fact. From someone on this board. And I think it was someone I was arguing with. But they had something I was looking for and I put a Watch on it, they sent an Offer last night and I thought...ah heck....why not....

And they made the sale....

Over 2 bucks. (Note...I mean they lowered the price by $2 and made the sale. It was a 30-some dollar item.)

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[firesteel_surplus]

@calisun14 

I really don't find ebay's fees out of line for the audience I am reaching. I live in a town of 15,000. The nearest big city is Sioux Falls of 200,000 people and then after that it gets pretty sparse. Minneapolis up North. Kansas City, Des Moines, Oklahoma City down south. Denver to the west. To reach THAT audience, I need ebay which opens me up to the whole of the rest of the 48 United States (sorry AK and HI...no offense...). It's the only way my business in a town of 15,000 people can work.

Do you want to know how many sales I have had in the state of South Dakota in the last five years? I think two. Do you know how many I've had across the rest of the 48? Hundreds.

Do you  know what it would cost me to hire a bookkeeper to sell to all those municipalities across all the towns I sell to and keep track of all those taxes? I am going to guess thousands of dollars. Do you know the anxieties I'd have if I HAD to do it? Do you know what ebay charges me to keep track of all those taxes? 12.9% on the sales tax which for me...probably adds up to maybe a few hundred dollars. Yeah...they charge the 12.9% on the sale and shipping but I feel they are charging me the 12.9% on the taxes to track the taxes for ME. My personal own little bookkeeper.

And the great thing is...if I make a sale in SD...guess what? Who collects the SD state sales tax? Ebay. When I file my SD sales tax report...guess how much I report every quarter? $0. Guess how long it takes me to file my SD sales tax report? It takes me longer to log into my computer than to file the report.

Without ebay, I could list on FB Marketplace for my local area of Sioux Falls but for what I sell and the quantities, I would never move the stuff. Every time I get POd at ebay I go look at Amazon and Mercari and guess what? I come back here because honestly this is still the best alternative.

Over the years, I've gotten a TV station and a radio station back on-line because of some obscure piece of electronic board that I ended up with on a part out that I did. Both cases was a "I'll pay for overnight shipping and buy it at your BIN price if you can ship it TONITE!" Well golly...that didn't take me long to jump all over that and get them invoiced. That one part paid for the whole invoice purchase on both occasions.

I've turned a $375 purchase into $6000. I've turned a $2000 purchase into $300. Who says you cannot even be a magician on ebay?

I'm not bragging on any of this. Just laying it out what one person can do in a town of 15,000 people getting charged 12.9% on a sale. The ones of us that have been here since the beginning (1995) have been paying +or- 12.9 since then.  It really hasn't changed much.

I see these posts weekly complaining about ebay fees. Complain all you want. Call me an ebay cheerleader. I'll go rah-rah for them on this part of it. I don't own stock and I won't dress up in a cheerleader uniform. I won't look good in a skirt.

You'll just have to trust me on that.

Mike

Firesteel Surplus

[chapeau-noir]

@firesteel_surplus  

I won't dress up in a cheerleader uniform. I won't look good in a skirt.

You'll just have to trust me on that.

Now I just KNOW that's not true! 

 

[ms.rodriguez*]

Before deciding to break even , just end the listing and toss out the item or donate it.  Do NOT work for free.  That is dumb.  

[ms.rodriguez*]

The fees have not gone up that much.  The shipping yes but if you are charging exact shipping on your items, then you are losing money on the shipping.   The fees on some categories have gone up.  For example, clothing is 15%.  Anyway,  keep in mind that things are tough for many people.  Next week, I need at least 1,200 in my checking account for an oil delivery.  Goodluck.

[lonebuck-books]

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@mam98031 wrote:

Ebay is a for profit company.  This is why they exist, to make money.  It is the way in the USA.  If Ebay is "greedy" for earning money, then every single seller should be called the same "greedy", as we are all here to make money.

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..... and so would every employee who earns more than their expenses of living from their employer.  I always remember what a co-worker told me when I was complaining about all the money the company I worked for was making off of my labor.  He asked me what I thought the company should be making off of my labor and like good little union employee I was I quickly said a tiny percentage, maybe 2-3%.  He then asked me would it be fair if my boss required me to give him an exact accounting of my personal monthly expenses and then they would base my pay on a "tiny percentage" over that amount?  Of course I said no.  He also asked me if I was willing to pay off some of the company debts if they went out of business? Again, no.  He said "so it is okay for you to make a 'profit' with your paycheck taking none of the risk of the owner but it isn't okay for the company you work for to make a profit when they have all the risk?"

That was when I got my first lesson that not only is the company in business to make a profit, so was I as an employee.  It's been 40 years since that conversation, 20 of those years as a business owner and I never forgot that lesson.  Companies are in it to make a profit..... period.  So is every seller on this site..... period.

[laststopgeneralstore]

Hahahahahah, these threads keep getting better and better.