I cant afford you any more. 23 years on ebay and all I have to show for it is a $50 coupon.

[martinav]

I have been with ebay since 1997.  I have gone out of my way to adhere to policy, and be a good ebay community citizen.  I am just a regular guy, trying to get by in life.  This is not my business.  I use ebay to sell some older items to try to recover some of the costs so I can keep things fresh.  Early on, I had a great experience.  Fees were minimal, and I could get things sold and do pretty well.

That has changed in the last few years.  The ebay buyer community seems to have taken a different approach.  It seems the majority of people expect to low ball, and get major good deals.  This is great for the buyer, but it has made selling much more difficult.  Expectations have changed.

On top of that, the fee structure has become exceedingly expensive.  Back in the day, I believe final value fees were in the realm of 3%.  Based on another posting, this moved to around 7% in 2007.  Now, a whopping 10%.  Now where people are expecting to low ball offer, and then the 10% fee.  I simply cannot afford you any more.  

Here is the story.  I am selling an item currently listed at $3000.  It is a high end NAS system from QNAP.  It can be purchased new for just under $6000.  I have been trying to sell it for weeks, and I get a random low ball now and then.  Even at 50% of the price of new, and nearly perfect condition, I cant generate a sale.  I got some serious nibbles when I dropped the price to $3000.  Ouch!  

I'm taking a wash on this.  I approached ebay customer service and pleaded my case.  After 23 years of a flawless record, and selling over $100,000 of items.  I was hoping for a once in a lifetime waiver of the fee.  Not that I'm deserving of it any more than anyone else, but I was hoping with this kind of history that I could appeal to them for a break.  I was refused this by a supervisor. 

I do not want to sound ungrateful, but I was offered a $50 coupon.  I have not received it yet, and I may not now that I post this message.   But having never had an issue, and given the situation, I was very disappointed. l

Due to this very situation, I have removed all auctions above $100.  Except for the one that I may have a sale that generated this request.  I had two servers listed at $3000 that I would rather sell for less on Facebook Marketplace (0% fees) and give them the discount than to keep bloating up ebay's earnings. 

While down slightly, ebay had a great 1st quarter of over $2 billion in revenue.  I was hoping for a little lenience on the fee for once in nearly a quarter century of time with them.  

Sorry ebay, you really missed it with me this time.  I'll be here to get rid of some excess lower price items.  Other than that, I can no longer afford you.

[upgradedendmills]

Loyalty is a two way street. Just selling stuff here because there is no better market for it and reserving the good stuff for other markets to put a few extra bucks in your pocket probably doesn't endear you to eBay.

     I don't really think that not "bloating up eBay's earnings" is a logical approach to selling. In your own words, you have done well here in the past and I don't understand how a long time seller can want to throw that away for a few hundred bucks. Any special considerations given to one seller are certain to come at the expense of others.

     With that being said, there is a new program that allows new sellers to get out of all fees for 5 sales. It might serve to start a new account and go at this that way. 

[jameshen1]

Yes. You are special. They should totally waive the fees for you in this situation, but not for anyone else. Because you are so special.

That was sarcasm by the way. Lots of people sell way more expensive things on here and don't get the waiver. If you can't sell it here then sell it elsewhere. But asking eBay to make a special exception for you is pretty over the top.

[mtgraves7984]

I do not want to sound ungrateful, but I was offered a $50 coupon.

@martinav 

I don't want to sound whiney, but where is MY $50 coupon?

[mam98031]

ALL transactions on Ebay are business transactions.  You may not consider yourself a business, but there are NO personal transactions on Ebay.  Every single one is a business transaction.  And it is important for you to track your sales and expenses like you are a business whether you consider yourself one or not as you will need that information for your federal income taxes as this is income that should be claimed.

We ALL have to adhere to the rules of the site.  This isn't our site and we can't just do what we want.  This is Ebay's site, Ebay's rules.  We just rent some space here to sell our stuff.  But Ebay is the landlord so to speak the Ebay makes the rules we have to live by if we want to sell here.

Just as things get more expensive out in the rest of the world over time, Ebay isn't immune to that.  Their costs go up too.  In Ebay's defense, most categories have not see FVF rate increases in quite a few years.  Ebay has been coming up with other ways of increasing their income by offering various tools for us that are optional and have fees that go with using them.  Ebay offers us exposure to more buyers than any other site similar to Ebay can or does.  That should have value to you, I know it does to me.

Ebay has over 25 million sellers worldwide.  I'm unsure why you felt that out of all those sellers Ebay should make an exception for you on your FVF.  Personally I think that was a very unrealistic expectation you have.  Ebay has lots of sellers that have been here as long as you and sold as many and more $$s than you have.  I'm unsure as to why you feel that Ebay should make this kind of an exception for you.

Ebay is not responsible nor takes no responsibility for how and why you price your items the way you do.  That is all on you.  If you don't price your item high enough or sell it for as much as you'd like, that is all up to you.  Ebay plays no part in those decisions.  So why would Ebay take a financial hit by forgiving your FVFs because you didn't get as much money as you had hoped for on the item?

You weren't singled out on that coupon.  ALL store owners with a Basic or above store received the coupons.  The email was pretty clear as to why they extended this VERY nice gesture to it's sellers.  You posting this post has NOTHING to do with the coupon either.  You won't be getting the coupon because you don't have a store.  So no need to watch for one.  But again it has NOTHING to do with this post and everything to do with the fact you don't have a store.

Ebay is a for profit company just as you are.  I just think you have unrealistic expectations of what Ebay should do for you.

[mam98031]

---

@mtgraves7984 wrote:

I do not want to sound ungrateful, but I was offered a $50 coupon.

@martinav 

I don't want to sound whiney, but where is MY $50 coupon?

---

The OP won't get one.  They don't have a store.  At least not on the account they are posting with.

[martinav]

@upgradedendmills,

It seems you partially get my point.  It all boils down to math, and how things have changed, yet the exposure to buyers has not improved, and the expectations of buyers for garage sale deals has increased.  Basically, ebay costs, and my ability to afford what it offers balanced with the fees, the curves have crossed.  

One such change is ebay bucks.  This is great for ebay, because it continually recirculates monies through their system.  However, in the end, it costs sellers.  Those percentage points come right out of my fees.  Id rather have no ebay bucks, and lesser fees.  Plus, I'm forced to use the bucks or they expire.  Anywho, I dont blame ebay for doing it, but its one more mathematical thing not in my favor.

For others that didnt get my point.  This was my last ditch to try to make this large sale work for me.  The unwillingness to do me a favor ONCE in a quarter century... sure, technically it is an exception.  But whatever... the unwillingness is just what it took for me to give it up.  I'm already over the cost/benefit curve.  So, I'm out.  

I can do my own math, and its my personal justification.  Those firmly ensconced in the ebay system may also want a similar benefit, but thats your personal thing too.  

[martinav]

@jameshen1 ,

Your stinging sarcasm was obvious.  That was clear from the start.  

What you said is exactly my point.  I am going to sell elsewhere.  My story is just the journey I have taken, and how the evolution of ebay, and the buyer community has come to the point where it no longer works.  

Its not over the top to ask.  I did so very respectfully.  I did not push them, or demand it.  However, I did state my disappointment kindly.  As my messages here.  I will always respect by default, until disrespected.   Sometimes, its just a matter of asking.  Not asking, in a proper manner, may leave you without something that you might have been able to achieve otherwise.  

This situation was just the final straw that made it clear that I can no longer afford ebay.  The benefit/cost balance is no longer in my favor.  So, like you suggest, I will be selling elsewhere.

[go-bad-chicken]

IMO You need to take a closer look at purchasing a Basic Store subscription at the month to month rate of $27.95 if you believe that this server will sell in the next month or two.

The FVF for your server if you are a store subscriber at the time that it sells is 4%. So if you are fairly certain that this server will sell for $3,000 within the next month or two then purchasing a month to month Basic store subscription at $27.95 per month makes sense.

You would end up paying $120.00 in FVF + the $27.95 for the monthly store subscription, for a total of $147.95 vs. the $300 in FVF that you will pay without a store subscription. And if it takes 2 months to sell then your total cost would be $175.90 vs. $300. You would also receive a $25 voucher/coupon for eBay shipping supplies due to the fact that you would be a Basic Store subscriber.

Store selling fees

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/store-selling-fees?id=4122 

Most Computers/Tablets & Networking categories, including Tablet & eBook Reader Accs > Memory Card & USB Adapters. Except: 6.15%

• Desktops & All-In-Ones
• Laptops & Netbooks
• Tablets & eBook Readers
• Computer Components & Parts:
  • CPUs/Processors
  • Memory (RAM)
  • Motherboards
  • Motherboards & CPU combos
• Drives, Storage & Blank Media > Hard Drives (HDD, SDD & NAS)
• Monitors, Projectors & Accessories > Monitors
• Printers, Scanners, & Supplies > Printers

4%

[gwzcomps]

That is a sweet NAS. The type of thing I need right now, but would never utilize to its fullest potential. Have you considered it isn't selling right now because most businesses have shut down due to the pandemic? 90% of the people that would buy that would either be a business or a reseller. The average home user wouldn't have $3000 to spend on a driveless NAS when they can get something with drives that would suit their needs for less.

[upgradedendmills]

Just for a different perspective. After reading your post, I looked around my kitchen and living room quickly. In my kitchen still boxed up I have a dozen nice tin car models that I have purchased over the last month or so for between $35-$75 each and underneath my kitchen table I have stacks and stacks of really enjoyable books I have purchased over the last year or so. I have read most of these and will resell them on eBay at 4X-5X markup when I get to it. There is a beautiful handmade spice cabinet on the wall that incorporates 1920's headlight lenses I found on eBay. Between machinist's tools and antique nic-nacs, there is probably $15K worth of eBay inventory in totes stacked up in my living room. All of these items were directly purchased with the proceeds of my eBay sales over the last year or so. Sometimes I find myself working for $5/hour, other times it is $200/hour. It averages out very nicely and I do well.

     If you only took your sales for the last two weeks or prospective sales for the next two weeks it would be a phony number, good or bad. If you look at it over 23 years, it should even out and make you pleased. If, at any time over those 23 years, you have had an exceptional year and offered to give eBay an additional few hundred bucks as an unexpected bonus, I understand how you could expect help from them now. If not, it is what it is.

     Sincere best wishes wherever else you decide to go.

[inhawaii]

I've been going to the same supermarket for over 20 years.  In the past 20+ years i have spent thousands and  thousands of dollars with them. I calculated it to be more than  $100,000. 

The other day i went in and asked for a free loaf of bread.  They said no.  I was hoping they would make an exception for me since i'm such a good customer.  They still said no. 

All they would give me was measly coupon for 50 cents off a half gallon if milk.  

[atikovi]

---

@martinav wrote:

I'm taking a wash on this.  I approached ebay customer service and pleaded my case.  After 23 years of a flawless record, and selling over $100,000 of items.  I was hoping for a once in a lifetime waiver of the fee.  Not that I'm deserving of it any more than anyone else, but I was hoping with this kind of history that I could appeal to them for a break.  I was refused this by a supervisor. 

---

Well, according to Ebay, I've sold over $1,000,000 in a shorter period of time. Maybe I should ask for a comp?

@martinav wrote:

I am going to sell elsewhere.  My story is just the journey I have taken, and how the evolution of ebay, and the buyer community has come to the point where it no longer works.  

---

Where else? Craigslist, Facebook? That $3,000 computer thingy. Maybe 1 out 1,000 people here even know what it's for and even less would have any use for it. Corporate buyers would only purchase that new with a service contract included. Old computer equipment drops in value quickly. A 4 or 5 year old laptop that cost $1000 new might only bring $200 now.

[martinav]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

I've been going to the same supermarket for over 20 years.  In the past 20+ years i have spent thousands and  thousands of dollars with them. I calculated it to be more than  $100,000. 

The other day i went in and asked for a free loaf of bread.  They said no.  I was hoping they would make an exception for me since i'm such a good customer.  They still said no. 

All they would give me was measly coupon for 50 cents off a half gallon if milk.  

---

Genius.  Why didnt I think of that?

[martinav]

---

@go-bad-chicken wrote:

IMO You need to take a closer look at purchasing a Basic Store subscription at the month to month rate of $27.95 if you believe that this server will sell in the next month or two.

The FVF for your server if you are a store subscriber at the time that it sells is 4%. So if you are fairly certain that this server will sell for $3,000 within the next month or two then purchasing a month to month Basic store subscription at $27.95 per month makes sense.

You would end up paying $120.00 in FVF + the $27.95 for the monthly store subscription, for a total of $147.95 vs. the $300 in FVF that you will pay without a store subscription. And if it takes 2 months to sell then your total cost would be $175.90 vs. $300. You would also receive a $25 voucher/coupon for eBay shipping supplies due to the fact that you would be a Basic Store subscriber.

Store selling fees

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/store-selling-fees?id=4122 

Most Computers/Tablets & Networking categories, including Tablet & eBook Reader Accs > Memory Card & USB Adapters. Except: 6.15%

• Desktops & All-In-Ones
• Laptops & Netbooks
• Tablets & eBook Readers
• Computer Components & Parts:
  • CPUs/Processors
  • Memory (RAM)
  • Motherboards
  • Motherboards & CPU combos
• Drives, Storage & Blank Media > Hard Drives (HDD, SDD & NAS)
• Monitors, Projectors & Accessories > Monitors
• Printers, Scanners, & Supplies > Printers

4%

---

@go-bad-chicken ,

Now, this is actually a worthwhile response!  You know, I have been doing the same thing for so long, I had never studied any other plans.  If I were selling more, I would actually consider this.  Unfortunately, since my selling is so intermittent, it would probably end up costing more.  

Seriously, though.  You provide a good suggestion here.  Thanks for sending this, and not a bunch of snark that many others have sent.  

Many thanks.