eBay started the gig economy and is proof that it doesn't benefit the people doing the work

[jason_incognito]

Lie to people and tell them they have freedom and they are in control. 

At the same time scheme and set rules so that they actually have no control. 

Take everything, and force the little guy to absorb any losses. If there is money to be made, the fees are obviously too low.

Relay stories of a big sale so that people will trudge along with peanut sales waiting for that one score that will never come.

When will everybody wake up?

How many people here clear $100 a week? Why do we keep doing this?

Why do we take a deep breath, clear our bad thoughts and send the email..... "I apologize that I dropped the ball and took 21 hours to ship out your item. The delay is totally unacceptable. You are totally justified in being as angry as you are. I have sent the $25 refund that you have asked for. I only hope that $25 can at least allow you to begin the healing process from not having your item shipped the minute you used buy it now. Again, I hope you can forgive me"

When what I want to send is...." the auction clearly has a 3 day handling. If you would read and understand what you are buying, this could all have been avoided"

Who benefits from my good customer service? Who pays out the $25? Who is the sucker here?

[jason_incognito]

Oh, and I haven't sent any email, but I'm leaning toward this

"the auction has a 3 day handling that was disclosed in the listing. Your item has shipped. Tracking shows it......."

[slideshopper]

Bitter much?

[jason_incognito]

Show me where I'm wrong?

We make maybe 10% profit, but have the full exposure to any liability. 

eBay takes 10% (at least) and have complete immunity from any liability. If the customer wants a "courtesy" refund, who makes it? Not eBay. They won't step in and give their customer $25 for a 1 day handling. If I don't, I get the neg.

What a great system.

[slideshopper]

10% margin means you bought wrong and has nothing to do with eBay.  I would have to shoot myself for running a 10% margin. I run around 500% margin and have great customers all on eBay. I do not do courtesy refunds and ship within 4 days of payment.  

[ittybitnot]

." the auction clearly has a 3 day handling.

No, it doesn't.  You forgot ebay removed that information.  

[pburn]

You seem so unhappy in all the threads you start.

[lindyslucky]

How the "gig economy" started is probably a question for the ages.

Freedom? We had much more autonomy in our B&M.

But, no one is free from all sorts of issues of business and life. (Our experience)

For us, most customers on ebay  have been good ones.

Who knows if they are pleased, since few leave feedback any more.

We cringe when we see how ebay grooms customers to unrealistic expectations.

Our sales, now at one or two a week, are not enough...or the items to attract difficult  people much.

We quit selling clothing because of that, not awful customers, but unreasonable expectations. Buying clothing online is just hard, not the same as in a B&M.

But, making $$? In our case, you are absolutely correct. We started 4 years ago thinking we could make $100 in a few hour a week selling collectibles, OOAK items. 

Rarely have we met this goal. And the hours are beyond counting.

Ebay is Just one of the things we have tried, although we still debate what we could find to sell here.

Right now, not buying more. (The thrill of the hunt is the fun part) Sourcing, prices on things out there are just too high.

Ebay sales prices are often used as a benchmark in all kinds of source areas. From thrift stores to yard sales. This ignores the effort(and $$$) needed to find, list, package.  

Yes, that big find is a dream for all. We have had a few fun high $$ sales. Everyone talks about those & there is much publicity about big scores. Because ITS UNUSUAL. Big lottery wins get on the news too. 

Our  things up for sale right now are mostly low dollar items. We have cherry picked what we have listed. And of course sold higher dollar, quick selling items first.

Theoretical Sell item  for $8, customer pays  $10 for shipping, so customer pays $18 total. We end up with $5 and change before cost of item. Having at least an hour in each item sourcing, research, photos, listing, packaging.

And keeping up with changing ebay rules, worse, keeping up with postal rates.

Just not a way to make $$.

Frustrated, disappointed, not bitter.

We are woke.

[quayvar]

Guess the other person that replied doesn't understand that it is an unpleasant experience. Hang in there, and know that some of us do understand. Some buyers just expect us to magically beam their item to them or something 

Off topic, but noticed the quote. Colin Kaepernick has a right to his opinions, but used the wrong platform in my opinion. I'm not a sports fan, but if I paid to see a game, that's what I would want to see. Not some personal protest.

[lindyslucky]

Ebay removed handling time On listings??

Goes to show, one can make a huge effort to stay up on things & still not know what we need to.

[jason_incognito]

Up until just a few months ago I was accused of being an eBay employee ..............

It will happen to everybody. People, particularly unreasonable people, will wear you down.

If you sell collectibles, you just don't understand how it is out there. People can be awful. People can be stupid. Who buys something on the 28th for an event on the 3rd?

[lindyslucky]

Shipping within four days of payment?? 

Thought it could be no more than three?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong!!!

[joesoucie22012]

eBay takes Alot of hard work. Instead of posting this don't you think that you should be working on your listings? 

[lindyslucky]

He probably is unhappy when he posts.

Probably mostly unhappy when he's working on (for) eBay.

Usually, me too.

People generally don't share , "hey I'm so happy"😄😄😄

But, Jason is a ROCKSTAR!! 

Im sure that raises his happy level.

I don't know what I am any more!! In many respects. 

😄😄😄😄😄

(That's 5 face  happy!! All this is meant to be tongue in cheek)

[m60driver]

First, a 100% gross profit margin is what you receive when you sell a widget that has no cost, so a 500% gross profit margin is meaningless.  Second, you sell in a  small niche market with very low valued items so you should have very high margins to justify your time.  The few items I sell for below $10 have little to no cost for me.  There are many small niches on Ebay, yours included, that don't easily compare to more mainstream selling.  And third, and somewhat parenthetically but perhaps most importantly, I would be reluctant to label a slide of a man with his wife and daughter and slides of girlfriends as even possibly being hookers.