Support the little guys

[calicorecordsandcds]

Why don't the big companies i.e. the ones with 100s of thousand of listings stop with the auto pricing and driving the prices down so low that the small businesses cannot sell here.  Why do you have to be the bottom price all the time.  And whats up with multiple listings by same seller on same item to drive other sellers off front page?  And whats up with multiple accounts for selling?  Avoiding Ebay fees?  Greed is an ugly thing.  I would be happy to not have to be fighting auto pricing and to share the bottom price with every person listing item imagine that our profit imagine would skyrocket for all of us.  Yes you would have to share the buyers but, you would make much more a copy.
I have seen that the ones guilty of being price **bleep** are the big time companies at least in the music departments.  Some are Distributors that sell B2B then price out the very people they sell to online.  Greed.
I wish ebay would step in and put some limits on these companies so they can still make sales but, not strangle the little guys.

[johnrj1226]

Spot on right - Henry Ford and Sam Walton (Walmart founder) was  driven in the belief Volume is every thing in business.

Competition will keep  you  honest and creative. Government controls don't subscribe to that end.

[calicorecordsandcds]

No it is actually not and if you read returns are free in cases except buyers remorse i.e. they just decide they don't like the item.  

[itscalledapostingid]

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@calicorecordsandcds wrote:

No it is actually not and if you read returns are free in cases except buyers remorse i.e. they just decide they don't like the item.  

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Re-stocking fees are no longer allowed on ebay. That's a fact.

You are avoiding fees by reaping the rewards of TRS+ discount but not honoring the free return policy by stating there's a Re-stocking fee. Also search manipulation.

[calicorecordsandcds]

Ok I will bite why did they get in trouble?  because they were not price whor#ing one another?  What I am getting at is when you have a distributor that sells a CD ( I will keep it nameless) for 4.80 B2B to Retailers and the very same seller is selling online for 5.20 on in most cases multiple accounts and has a scummy auto pricer that pops 4 times a day.......that is just wrong.  It is dishonest to his customers on the distribution side and most of all to the people trying to make a living selling online.  Further there is nothing wrong if sellers all mark say an album at 29.95 and the that is the lowest price but several sellers have that price.  What is wrong is when a major distributor the largest. prices it so low that no one else can come close.  That is just wrong and is happening right now on Ebay.  The guys doing it are the very ones that are saying they are supporting sellers.  No they are dipping both ends of the barrel.  If I get my distribution started in future I will stop selling online 100% and only support those who do.  I will not compete against my customers.

Do we all purchase at same prices NO! of course not but, we are close to one another.  Distibutors however do.  And we can never compete with them in most cases.  I think ebay should put some limitations on distributors who have multiple accounts and price war items below what any small business can even come close to.  i.e. you should either be a distributor or a seller not both.

[itscalledapostingid]

They got in big trouble with federal govt. due to their price fixing scheme.

[itscalledapostingid]

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-amazon-marketplace-sellers-plead-guilty-price-fixing-dvds-and-b...

[calicorecordsandcds]

I to have noticed some of this I have also noticed that some have worked the system to avoid ebay fees i.e. they have several accounts with different store fronts in order to avoid listing fees in direct violation of ebay policy.  It was not hard to notice.  These are the same sellers in music that are pricing on most items so low that my distributor cannot sell to me cheap enough that I cannot lose money on Ebay.  In some cases they are beating his price (he has really great prices).  I found one the biggest supplier that has multiple accounts with 120,000 to 200,000 items each account in some cases they are listing on a single item with all accounts.  Further they are using auto pricer that pops Mutiple times a day.  I get auto pricers I do but, when you pop it mutliple times a day for 1 cent below the lowest price.  At least do 5 cents that I could respect not much but some.

[itscalledapostingid]

Having multiple stores is not against ebay rules. Charging a restocking fee is against the rules.

[calicorecordsandcds]

artificially inflating prices to avoid giving consumers a choice, for the sole purpose of benefitting those involved in the fraudulent scheme, is a violation of federal law. These guilty pleas should serve as a warning to other like-minded criminals.”

This is not where I am going with this and if your read this this is actually what I am complaining about to some degree.  I am not saying to raise prices we are all going to sell at different levels based on our sales, cost, needs, ect.  But when a distributors comes in with multiple accounts and price Whor$s the hell out of everyone else that is wrong I am glad to share the lowest price on ebay with anyone.  If I get under sold then I will match that price but, when distributors come into play it is a loser always.  I am very happy some times to not have to be the lowest price.  I am not saying that we need to inflate price at all which is what this article deals with i.e. false inflation to make more profit.

[itscalledapostingid]

Price fixing is an agreement (written, verbal, or inferred from conduct) among competitors to raise, lower, maintain, or stabilize prices or price levels.

The article was about Price Fixing which is illegal.

[onlinecentral]

Many sellers have written, "You make your profit when you acquire the item. You get paid when the item sells".

Message 3: When distributors are selling on Ebay for $2 more than I can get an item B2B wholesale that is just wrong.

Message 34: When you have a distributor that sells a CD for $4.80 B2B to Retailers and the very same seller is selling online for $5.20

Message 34: You should either be a distributor or a seller not both.

Message 37: These are the same sellers in music that are pricing on most items so low that my distributor cannot sell to me cheap enough that I cannot lose money on Ebay.

By your own admission, you are unable to acquire inventory with a satisfactory profit margin.

Your options:
a) Struggle along with an unsatisfactory profit margin, for an indefinite number of years, until you get distributor level purchasing power to increase your margin.
b) Go back to the drawing board and figure out other items in different categories.
c) Expecting eBay to manipulate sell prices to Support The Little Guy is not an option.

[d.amber]

I would never get into selling CD's but I wanted to mention that what the price a person sell for will depend on what they paid for the item.  

For example, the goodwill outlet store sell CD's at $.20 a pound.  I've found some really nice and even sealed CD from bands I really like in mint condition.  Small sellers can find the same thing.  Prices are simply based on what you paid for the item and what the acceptable profit margin in for you is.

[coolections]

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@calicorecordsandcds wrote:

I to have noticed some of this I have also noticed that some have worked the system to avoid ebay fees i.e. they have several accounts with different store fronts in order to avoid listing fees in direct violation of ebay policy.

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@calicorecordsandcds 

That is not against Ebay rules. Those sellers you keep complaining about are doing nothing wrong.

[coolections]

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@calicorecordsandcds wrote:

artificially inflating prices to avoid giving consumers a choice, for the sole purpose of benefitting those involved in the fraudulent scheme, is a violation of federal law. These guilty pleas should serve as a warning to other like-minded criminals.”

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I know internet lawyers always try making their own rules but you are wrong.

[fuzzface50]

support the little guys?

I hope you are supporting the little mom ad pop stores in your area versus walmart, target, home depot, etc.

I hope you are supporting your little mom and pop resturaunts versus big chains like olive garden, mcd's, etc

if you are not, why should others just because it fits your needs?

by the way I try buying from the little guys here when I get a chance. I look for sellers without a store.  but because I am waiting for things to change before I spend foolish money, I haven't shopped here this summer yet so I guess I have no skin in this game at the present time.