Not sure if I should upgrade my store subscription level. Please Advise!

[ktronics]

Okay, so I have the starter store subscription and currently have around 170 items or so. I do plan on adding more and was thinking of upgrading to the basic subscription, but I'm a little confused because it says at least 250 items. So does that mean If I upgrade and have under 250 items I won't qualify for some of the reduced fees? For example, the zero insertion fee.  Do I have to pay the .30 after my first 100 items until I hit 250 or more listings? Should I just wait until I have more than 250 items and upgrade? Should I maybe not upgrade at all? It's not like I'm getting tons of sales or anything and I am having to relist items often. What do you guys think? Any help would be great. Thanks in advance!

[slippinjimmy]

Basic Store - 250 Fixed Price listings included you can use as many or as few as you like.

You also get 100 Auction Listings but the categories are limited, if you don't list in the specified categories they are useless.

Just do the math and don't forget the (slightly) reduced FVF's for a Store (except the starter store). If you are paying for the "extra" 70 now then you are probably already paying more than what a Basic Store costs.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@slippinjimmy wrote: ... You also get 100 Auction Listings but the categories are limited ...

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Basic stores get 250 free auction insertionss. Categories listed here, the same limits as for Starter stores:

 http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/storefees.html

[ktronics]

Okay guys, thanks for the help! I wasn't sure and wanted to get my moneys worth. I don't do many auctions, just fixed price. So if I'm under 250 listing with the Stater subscription, still no insertion fee, right? Just making sure, but I will check on things to see how much I've been paying. Thanks again for the help. You guys are great!

[ktronics]

Okay, big thanks for the help!

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@ktronics wrote: ... So if I'm under 250 listing with the Stater subscription, still no insertion fee, right? ...

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With the Basic subscription, you pay no insertion fee for any of your first 250.   It works exactly the same as if you don't use up all 100 of your free Starter insertions.

[calntom]

With a basic store, you get 250 free listings and then they charge $.25 per listing after you use 250 free listings.

[juststuffisell]

So, if your sales support/justify the expense of the next size up store, then yes, you should upgrade.

The number of listing you use from your store does not impact fees.

The most important bit of advise I can offer - given ebay policies change frequently and experience can change dramatically - do NOT do the annual store subscription. You do not want to be locked in for 12 months with eBay. On a month to month, if things change, you can reduce the size of your store, or cancel it entirely without worrying about early termination fees.

Yes, monthly costs more, but it also means you are not a slave to eBay.

Cheers

[jtro8059]

Also, as many people have been talking about, with the new rules about Good Til Cancelled listings, just remember that whenever your listings roll over it will take away from your free listings.

So, if you were to list say 200 items on the first of a 31 day month.... Say 20 items sell, on the 31st, 180 items will automatically relist. So -50 you didn't use, you will be charged an insertion fee for 130 items. This isn't going to happen every month, but inevitably some items will roll over. At .30 each, that would be an extra almost $40 in fees. Something to think about. I don't intend to ever have more than 250 items listed at a time, and I will have to watch for months where I will be double charged for the item listing twice. I will be forced to end those items as I refuse to pay insertion fees for items I can list for free a day later.

[extrememobility · Accepted solution]

I was looking at your items and noticed you have mostly low value items aside from a couple, do you make any money at all??? as far as open a store it will cost you more won`t it?  You can think about it but DON`t Do it!    LOL"

[ktronics]

Wow! A lot of helpful advice here, big thanks to everyone for the help. Yeah, I do have a lot of low priced items and I plan on redoing them and bundling up the items so I can make a bit more. So far most of the low priced items I haven't relisted until then. Well that's the plan for now. But I do sell other higher priced items, like game consoles and stuff.  I've made about $1700 in sales for the past 31 days, so I figured that wasn't too bad for extra money. But I'm working on it and will take all the advice given to me. Thanks guys!

[castlemagicmemories]

The most important bit of advise I can offer - given ebay policies change frequently and experience can change dramatically - do NOT do the annual store subscription. You do not want to be locked in for 12 months with eBay. On a month to month, if things change, you can reduce the size of your store, or cancel it entirely without worrying about early termination fees.

Exactly what I was going to say.  The early termination fee can be very hefty for the 12 month store commitment.

[castlemagicmemories]

I'm glad you found advice here helpful, and wish you the best of selling success going forward.  

[ktronics]

Yes, very helpful and I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to explain things to me. Again, big thanks!