Reserve price fees

[stbehat]

Last month I listed an historical 1924 Douglas World Cruiser Circumnavigation collection with a reserve price of $15,000.  There was an accounting of listing fees, bold print fees, and that was it.  The collection generated little interest, two or three bids, I believe rose to $100, a fraction of what just one of the 8 frames costs.  At no point was I informed of a reserve price fee; had I, there would not have been a listing. The target price is $20,000.  A member since 2006, buying and selling with over 100 transactions, and a 100% rating, the first I heard of this was from PayPal.

Through the most laborious process on the planet, I was finally able to get a real live customer service agent.  She investigated, contacted higher authorization and unequivocally stated the $500 fee of $503 would be refunded.  Two weeks later I went through the same laborious process to contact an agent again, whom upon investigation said, again, unequivocally that the $500 refund was authorized and being processed. 

Not once have I ever been dissatisfied by eBay, and only once by a Seller.  This, for lack of upfront fee disclosure, has all the earmarks of a scam.  It is really discouraging selling anythin of significant value.

[varebelrose]

I looked under your completed listings and do not see this one.

[luckythewinner]

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@stbehat wrote:

At no point was I informed of a reserve price fee; had I, there would not have been a listing

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When I list an item, I am reminded THREE TIMES that there is a reserve price fee: 

1) Before you enter a reserve price, there is a note next to the box that says "fees apply" with an "information" link next to it that explains the fee.  

2) After you enter the reserve price, the "fees apply" text is replaced with the actual fee amount: 

3) And finally, right next the button to create the listing, there is a summary of the fees: 

Which listing form are you using that does not tell you what the fees for your listing are? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

eBay has always charged a fee for adding a Reserve on an auction-format listing.  Over the years ,the policy on refunds for that fee have varied.  But for many years, the policy has been that the Reserve fee, like all listing upgrade fees, is not refunded regardless of the outcome of the listing. Most sellers avoid this fee by just setting the opening bid at the lowest price they'd be willing to sell for. The maximum fee is $250, which you were apparently charged twice due to relisting the item.

Fees for sellers who don't have a Store: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=5203

[ittybitnot]

The "reserve" fee is charged whether or not your item sells.   Years ago, when it was initially available, it was to protect sellers from lower bids that were the result of a site outage. Now It is basically a money maker for ebay:  

$5.00 or 7.5% of reserve price, whichever is greater (maximum fee $250)
Charged whether or not your item sells

If you got charged $500, it sounds like you ran the listing twice. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@varebelrose wrote:

I looked under your completed listings and do not see this one.

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Unsold Completed listings only show up for 30 days. So if the listings ended before about March 19, they wouldn't show up in a basic search of Completeds.  If the seller provided a link or the listing number, it could be seen for 90 days.

[stevenslava]

Total RIP OFF the reserve fee scam I just got billed for $100s and item UNSOLD I had no idea they would do thsi

[downunder-61]

Which is why when you choose this option on this platform you must read all information on it as stated above - if you fail to do that you have no recourse nor real complaint.

I just got billed for $100s 

The most you could have been billed is $250 as it is capped, unless you continued to relist, sorry

[forward-motion]

Why run it as an auction? You would do much better with buy it now and best offer. 

[maxine*j]

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@stevenslava wrote:

Total RIP OFF the reserve fee scam I just got billed for $100s and item UNSOLD I had no idea they would do thsi

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It is not a rip-off or a scam.  It is not anything new.   I feel your pain, but you have to take the responsibility for this because it is entirely your own fault.

The fact that the fee is charged whether or not the item sells is one of the reasons few sellers use reserves. 

The other is that buyers hate them and will often just hit the back arrow when they see an auction with one.  Reserves also invite kind of nibble sport bidding that wastes everyone's time. 

=

[maxine*j]

For more and the same answers, refer to your other thread on this:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Can-I-get-Reserve-Fess-back/m-p/31949134#M1768077

[nuclearomen]

when you place a reserve ebay tells you the fee at the bottom of the listing where you choose to save as draft or list now. 
Word of advice is never do auction style listing with high reserve for items you haven't researched well and know you'll get it first. Better to start auctions with items less value or smaller opening bid. 

[stephenmorgan]

I am sure you will get your $500 fee back.  Your first call eBay said you would get it back and your follow up call again stated you would get it back.  The only problem is eBay keeps changing their forms so this will make it difficult to find where the credit is posted.  If you do not see the credit posted you may need to call eBay and ask them to tell you step by step how to get to the page that shows the credit is posted.

[ripiov94]

Hello to all, just to let you know - i am right now trying to post an item for auction and with a reserve fee. Nowhere on any page does it say what the fee will be. And there is no link, the information blurb can't be clicked. So basically i have no idea at all what the fee will be, and yet I am expected on this page to choose to accept whatever fee gets imposed.
This is coersive deception - i want to have a reserve, have to choose it right now, but have no way of knowing what it will cost.  Kinda reminds me of used-car sales pitches and timeshare presentations.

[nobody*s_perfect]

If you scroll to the bottom of the form, you will see a total for all of the listing fees (if any) with a little "i" to click on which will show you a breakdown of the fees.  eBay's new listing form makes everything as obscure and difficult as possible!

Here is a link to eBay's basic help page with fees for sellers who don't have a Store subscription. It explains that the nonrefundable fee for adding a "Reserve" on an auction is 7.5% of the Reserve price, with a minimum of $5.00 and a maximum of $250.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822

FYI, experienced sellers rarely or never choose to use a Reserve.  It's an unnecessary expense and sometimes potential bidders will just hit the back button when they wee that an auction has an unmet reserve.  Just start the bidding at the lowest price you'd be willing to sell for.