"You can never predict eBay fees,. . . ."
eBay's Final Value Fees (FVFs) are always predictable. But you have to know how to read and understand these words:
The FVFs are a percentage of the Total Amount Paid By The Buyer.
If you learn nothing else today, please, please, for the sake of all that is holy in your own faith tradition, learn the meaning of those six words in the order shown, and what they mean to eBay's Final Value Fees:
Total. Amount. Paid. By. The. Buyer.
". . . . they are based on buyer location, not item location."
The fee percentages in eBay's fee structure vary based only on category, not buyer location or item location or phase of the moon or any other "magic."
These fees, for U.S.-based sellers, range from 3% or so for certain heavy-equipment categories, to 6.35% for guitars and bass guitars, to 13.25% for the majority of categories, up to 15% for jewelry, watches, and watch parts. There are even additional variations within those categories.
" . . . . . I am on the east coast, a 10-pound item will cost close to $40 to ship to California Buyers,. . . . ."
Oh! You're talking about shipping costs! Gosh, you didn't start your post with any clue you were going to talk about shipping costs!
Yes, of course, shipping costs will vary based on the size and weight of the package and the distance it has to travel. And whether the buyer wants the Thing shipped via FedEx for next day delivery, in which case that buyer had better be ready to pay the higher fee for that service from FedEx.
BTW, this is also nothing new. I think even the Wells Fargo Wagons may have charged more to deliver Raisins From Fresno to Boston, Massachusetts, than to River City, Iowa.
". . . . and they have to pay 13.3% in tax while Delaware buyers would pay $10 shipping and a 6.3% tax. You are getting the same amount for the product in either case but more fees to the CA. case."
Are you talking now about sales tax? Within the same sentence as shipping costs? I'm aging; it's hard to keep up.
Yes, it's true that sales taxes vary wildly and widely throughout the 45 states that do have state-wide sales taxes; and don't forget Alaska which has no state-wide sales tax but does have some cities and/or counties that do impose sales taxes.
I've highlighted your interesting information about Delaware and its sales tax, which you state is 6.3%.
This is news to me. Was this something that went into effect recently, prior to today, Friday 9-29-23? I haven't seen any mention of it on the news. Maybe it's not as important as a(nother) looming government shutdown, the guilty plea of the first of 19 defendants in a high-profile Atlanta, Georgia, criminal case, and the sudden death of one of my state's U.S. senators.
Last I heard, the state of Delaware imposes no sales tax. Their sales tax percentage is 0.000000%.
Maybe you can help me understand how, as you state, a Delaware buyer would pay a 6.3% tax.
". . . . It's not always 13.5 or 15%, . . . . ."
True. As explained above, for U.S. eBay sellers, the FVF percentage varies from roughly 3% to 15%, based on the category of Thing being sold.
". . . . it's not in your control, . . . . ."
Well, in a manner of speaking, the FVF you would have to pay, as a seller, is kind of completely in your control. If I could list only One Thing, and had to decide between an usable old guitar and a pair of diamond stud earrings that might sell for equal amounts, I would probably choose to list the guitar. Why? Because the FVF on a guitar is 6.35% and the FVF on diamond earrings is 15%.
Control. Choice. Which both require Knowledge and the Understanding of Words.
". . . . and with promotions, it's out of control."
Again, I gotta disagree with you on this point. It seems to me that the percentage fee on Promoted Listings is absolutely in the control of the seller. I choose not to use Promoted Listings, but I know a lot of people do. Don't you have to type in a number, a percentage, in the Item Listing form?
So, you choooooose to "promote" at 5% or 7% or 12%. You have full control over the number you type into that space. And, of course, then, YOU, the seller, gotta pay eBay that percentage.
"lol" because I really need a laugh today.
