fee relief due to slumping sales

[bruce.carlson]

Hi - does anyone know if ebay will be offering any kind of fee relief due to slumping sales because of the corona virus?  I may have to cancel my store subscription because I'm not making enough money to pay the fees!!

My sales were down over 35% in 2019 and 2020 is off to a VERY slow start

bruce

[kensgiftshop]

I've seen a few of these post, because sales are slow, why don't Ebay give us this and give us that.

When I signed up to sell, I don't remember anything that said I was guaranteed to make a living here and have sales all the time.

Sales have been slow before and they will again, it's something you need to learn to plan for.

If the items you have are not selling right now, think about changing to items that will sell.

[bruce.carlson]

thanks for your response ken but I think you are missing the point.  turn on your television and you will see congressmen and women debating on how many trillions of dollars (yes that's trillions with a T) to give to employees and businesses to help them through these troubling times.  I watched the CEO of etsy the other day pleading for the government to include their sellers in the assistance package.  Where is the ebay leadership during all of this??  All I (we) were asking for was some assistance from ebay, a company that makes billions of dollars a quarter on the products that we bring to their marketplace.

I saw the email from ebay on March 20th and I think that is a great start.  BTW I have no problem paying for items that I sell on ebay, but how about a break on the .10 listing fee PER item they charge after you hit the store maximum.  when you list and auto renew 1000's of items a month that can add up quick.  I feel like I'm getting nickel and dimed to death and given the times we are in it hurts that much more, especially when sales have slowed.  Anyway, thanks for your response and good luck!

[fun-snowbunny]

They should be doing some free listings right now. I've been watching Ebay stock go down everyday.  Today it's the same thing.  You would think they would want more things listed and free listings would do it!  People are home right now!

[bruce.carlson]

I guess ebay was listening to us snowbunny... I just got a promotional offer for 50,000 free fixed listings!! I've never received any offer like that before (it was always like 500 listings)

THANK YOU EBAY!!!

bruce

[bggameboy]

Hi Bruce,

Sadly, there is no meaningful relief being offered, even upon request.

Ebay offers 30 day delayed monthly payment, IF you remove the Automatic Payment option for fees.

However, if you remove Auto Payment of fees, that also means you can't list any new items.

No help at all. That will make my family predicament worse.

Best of luck to you. Troy

[bggameboy]

Ebay fees are the equivalent of "rent" for a brick and mortar store.

Many American real estate owners and banks are offering their business occupants relief of rent and mortgage payments.

No difference at all. It certainly is Ebay's decision. However at this time, relief is far from an unreasonable request.

Respectfully, Troy

[bggameboy]

Ebay just informed me an announcement about fee relief is coming tomorrow March 25.

Troy

[scoobydoobydoo!!!]

If you subscribe to a store, eBay has offered 25,000 free listings in March and 25,000 free listings in April. That's some relief. I got a message today detailing how they are trying to help. Like you, my sale took a hit. 

[skyem8836]

Ebay should offer relief because there billionaires and small business owners don't exactly have the same finances to get through a slump. Also businesses carry insurances for crisis situations and the government is helping them also.  Hello people. 

[mr.corrupt]

Not quite, our death percentage is 2.5% give or take.
Very few recovered, many many cases are still active.
So our death rate has surpassed drastically the estimated percentage you were thinking.
I do agree with the poster, sales have taken a massive hit, bills and stuff due, I'm unable to pay my fees, asked them for help, just to hold off for a little bit on my fees, got no response.
So I had to turn off my automatic payments from PayPal towards eBay so they couldn't get their money otherwise my bank would have bounced badly

[drusalina]

With 6.6 million people filing for Unemployment and more on the way, I don't think that eBay will be doing any fee relief.  The only way they can make money now is with GTC, and some small  number of sales. 

[ispirestore]

What are your thoughts now?

[pinksakura2000]

I am not sure if extra free listings will help you sell more but good luck. Meanwhile if your sales continue to not do well, perhaps close the store when you have a chance (I heard that it's an annual subscription?). When the coronavirus is gone then you can reopen a store at anytime. You will loose some free listings but at this rate, eBay is giving out listings for free anyways.

P.S. Final value fee will be forever 10% unless there are short period of promo for half off when items are sold $50+ etc.

[kittykat.949]

God helps those who help themselves.

[mrdutch1001]

eBay provides a selling platform on which to offer products for sale and it is up to the seller to use the tools & features provided to make the site work for them. It is not eBay's responsibility to make sure each and every seller sells...that is the seller's job.

Successful online selling is about the product; it's uniqueness, quality, price points, supply & demand, target market, & so forth.

selling on eBay or on any selling venue for that matter, is not a necessity of life. Sellers who choose to sell online and then make it their necessity, are doing so by choice...

there are choices in life and those choices need to be adjusted and adapted to whatever situations occur along the way.

All sellers should be prepared for those  slow times and have a plan of action in place for how to help themselves along the way when there is a shortfall...

Adjust, adapt and keeping moving along...

Stay calm and carry on as best as you can!