Increase in Minimum Promotion "Bribe" to 2% Hurts Sellers Already In Pain

[vssoutlet]

I found the eBay "promotion fee" shady to begin with. Essentially having to "bribe" eBay to show my listings feels like I am giving protection money to the local mob boss, so that I can stay in business.

Now, I see that eBay will essentially hide my listings way down on some page the user will never find, unless I not only continue to pay my protection money, but pay even more than I had to in the past. eBay has increased the minimum bribe from 1% to 2%. Doubling this fee at a time when sellers are suffering tremendously due to a dramatic slowdown in retail buying activity, REALLY hurts.

I believe, in these times, eBay should be REDUCING fees - sharing the pain with its loyal community of sellers. I've been selling on eBay for almost 25 years. And I feel like I am bearing all of the burden of both declining sales and increasing fees.

[katzrul15]

@vssoutlet 

Can you not increase your item listing cost to absorb from 1% to 2%?

1% for a item that sells for $25.00 + $10.00 shipping + 7% sales tax (total sale) $35.00 + $2.45 tax = $37.45 @ 1% = .38 cents

1% before the recent change would have been 1% on only $25.00 or .25 cents  (13 cents delta)

2% of $37.45 = .75 cents  - increase your handling fee .40 cents to cover the .37 cent delta.  

Realize that with the USPS shipping increases about to hit here shortly, it might seem like a lot and on a low-dollar item, it could be.  We raised our handling fee(s) slightly to work to offset.  

Good luck.  You are correct - it is ALL starting to ADD UP!

[solidguitar1961]

Shipping rates are killing sales

[katzrul15]

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@solidguitar1961 wrote:

Shipping rates are killing sales

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Yes and they go up again this month.  The timing for this increase is a POOR one!  No Joy with DeJoy!

[crazystuff4sale]

Promoted Listings, Bump fee, Ad fees or whatever you want to call them exist on a lot of online Marketplaces. Pretty much an industry wide thing now.

Speaking of fees in general - Ebay sets their fees to be competitive with other online Marketplaces but I don't expect them to be going down anywhere. Especially with the ever increasing number of people wanting to become online sellers.

[jahood1984]

Are there really buyers that don't click "price low to high" after search?  That's the only way I search.... 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@jahood1984  Yes, many. As with most sites, most people use the default, which, on ebay, is Best Match.

[partfinds]

@katzrul15

”$25.00 + $10.00 shipping + 7% sales tax (total sale) $35.00 + $2.45 tax = $37.45 ”

don’t we have to add final value fee to it of 12% first and penalty (service metrics) before adding advertising fee? 
37.45+12% (4.5)=$42 ?

[kingsley785]

Not everyone shops like that, people who are in a hurry, some people who can afford items, don't look at price like that, they buy mostly by recommendation and convenience.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@jahood1984 wrote:

Are there really buyers that don't click "price low to high" after search?  That's the only way I search.... 

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Me.

I search by closest zip code.  Yes, I prefer to support sellers closer to me, even if I pay more. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     I have never been suckered into the PL scheme but I am grateful for those that utilize it to increase eBay's revenue and keep them from considering increasing fees elsewhere. The shipping cost increases, combined with people returning to B&M stores, are having a bigger impact on my sales than anything else. The recent USPS surcharges on larger packages basically forced me to discontinue selling a few items simply because I could not price competitively and still sustain a decent ROI. 

[wildpitchsports]

I used to use it all the time, boosted my volume of sell through. Make some slight price adjustments, lump in the new shipping costs and you'll be fine.

Always research comps and undercut someone as long as you make money, money is money.

Better than a death pile.

[fuzzface50]

"Are there really buyers that don't click "price low to high" after search?  That's the only way I search...."

I never search cheapest foreign junk first. I want to bypass all that crap and those bad sellers that takes months to get here. I don't mind paying more and buying from good quality original items from sellers that know what they are doing i can have it here in a day or 2. . 

your mileage might vary depending on what items you like buying.  

[luckythewinner]

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@vssoutlet wrote:

Now, I see that eBay will essentially hide my listings way down on some page the user will never find, unless I not only continue to pay my protection money, but pay even more than I had to in the past.

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Items are not hidden if they are not promoted.

But if a search for your item puts it on a page "the user will never find", then it appears you are selling an item in a crowded field with a whole lot of competition.

My best selling item is only available from two other sellers, and I have never paid eBay to promote an item in my life.

[mandisattictoyz]

Then you are either not diversifying or you are in an over saturated market.  1% is not killing anything.  My average promoted cost is 7.5% and my sales since I’ve done that have made me almost a millionaire.