Ebay has made some changes, it’s true, which may (or may not) affect a shopper’s buying habits. Sellers are vulnerable to these changes, of course, but it’s hard to say whether buyers are even aware of them.
My experience differs from yours. Personally, the eBay fees do not seem out of line. For the amount of exposure i get globally, i believe the 12.5% is reasonable. I sell to many different countries so the final value fees do not bother me. They have always been passed along.
My costs are rolled into an item’s price, along with free shipping and returns. Haven't needed to raise prices as my merchandise cost is negligible, so i needn’t compensate for poor selling decisions on the front end.
Btw, took a look at your listings. You are going to have some problems selling jewelry with misspelled gemstone names. For example, Item # 132587110021. The title reads, “Ernestos Extraterrestial Amathyst blue lapiz Ring size 9 3/4”. The stones are amethyst and lapis. And it is extraterrestrial . I see multiple listings with incorrectly spelled keywords.
I know some sellers misspell keywords on purpose, but when selling nice jewelry, a listing needs to show professionalism and inspire confidence in the buyer. This does not.
