eBay

usagal99 · ‎05-03-2023

why are we being charged fees on shipping, we dont gain anything from that.

ms.rodriguez* · ‎05-04-2023

Why should Macy's pay a fee on YOUR shipping fees and YOUR sales taxes when you use a Visa at a Macy's store or website? It's the cost of doing business. Macy's does not whine and complain on a website on a policy that is industry wide everywhere in the world. Instead Macy's focuses on making sure that their sale price cover ALL of their fees! Do what Macy's does!

This topic is brought up nearly every day on these boards. And yes, I know that the credit fees that are charged to Macy's are LESS than the Ebay fees. Again, just make sure that your prices cover your fees otherwise, just toss them into the garbage or donate them.

mybigsale · ‎05-04-2023

You are confusing a transaction fee with a transaction fee PLUS COMMISSION.

After eBay started managed payments eBay just added the transaction fee AND COMMISSION together. This incorrect math causes a transaction fee PLUS COMMISSION to be charged on parts of the transaction that should only be charged a transaction fee. In this case, the State Tax.

Macy's does not do this and it is NOT industry wide everywhere in the world.

I believe eBay is the only one that charges 13.25% (FVF=transaction Fee PLUS COMMISSION) on State Tax. Everyone else just charges the 1-3% transaction fee on State Tax.

monster-deals · ‎05-04-2023

@dhbookds wrote:
why are we being charged fees on shipping

because you agreed to that when you listed.

That isn't why, there is no way to NOT agree to it. The reason is because they can and they want the money.

Is it fair?

Not in the slightest.

Is it going to change?

Not in the slightest.

meadowfairy · ‎05-04-2023

It is stated right in Ebay's policy. For partial refunds, Ebay doesn't refund the fees. I even called Ebay about it yesterday, and they read the policy. Ebay also charges foreign transaction fees for confirmed shipping addresses in the USA but with accounts in a foreign country. I had this happen 3 times. The seller lives in China, but their confirmed shipping address is in the USA. When I get my payout, it has the foreign transactions fees. I called Ebay about it, and it is right in their policy. If the account is in a foreign country, regardless of where it is shipped, there will be foreign transaction fees.

As for the errors when requesting an invoice, I received errors EVERY time I bought multiple buy it now and multiple OBO from any seller. The sellers even had on their account they combine shipping, but the error says I can't ask for an invoice.

monica-sells · ‎05-04-2023

"...For partial refunds, Ebay doesn't refund the fees. I even called Ebay about it yesterday, and they read the policy..."

.......really?

!ebay-refund-fees.jpg

"...Ebay also charges foreign transaction fees for confirmed shipping addresses in the USA but with accounts in a foreign country..."

and in related news....Barack Obama defeated Arizona Senator John McCain in November 2008 US presidential election....yes, it has been that long that we have been getting charged international transaction fees...welcome to the party.....

"...The seller lives in China, but their confirmed shipping address is in the USA..."

Are you the buyer or the seller?

stephenmorgan · ‎05-04-2023

@meadowfairy wrote:
Originally Ebay didn't charge fees on shipping. So, sellers decided to scam their way out of paying final value fees. Say a seller has an item worth $200. The seller would list the item for $1 with $220 for shipping (the $20 for actual shipping). Ebay would only be able to charge fees on $1. Because sellers were doing this, Ebay started the fees on shipping.

This is not why they do it now. They do it because they can.

If eBay only wanted to make sure they are not cheated out of their proper commission because of inflated shipping cost they could easily not charge a fee on shipping when it is purchased thru their system.

stephenmorgan · ‎05-04-2023

@joliztoyco wrote:
Excellent Point. Especially now that everyone uses Ebay shipping. Ebay knows exactly what it costs to ship your auction. And if you charged your buyer 50 dollars for shipping and it costs 8 bucks, eBay could easily levy a FVF on your total auction as well as "time off" for trying to scam the system. And if a seller doesn't want to use eBay shipping, they can pay the FVF on their shipping.
That's on them...

I remember in the past eBay had a section in its Rules/Policies where it was stated amounts for maximum or excessive or shipping amounts. I do not know if this still exists but if it does then I could understand charging a fee beyond those limits. In other words, no fee if you shipping is within these limits.

stephenmorgan · ‎05-04-2023

@inhawaii wrote:
Where do you draw the line as to what is a reasonable/unreasonable shipping charge?
Too many variables.

At one time eBay policy did draw the line. It was stated in Policy under Max Shipping Fees. Do not know if this still exists.

coolections · ‎05-04-2023

@dryophelia wrote:
@usagal99

Surely, with 11,000+ feedback as a seller, this is not news to you. You know the fees are on any sales tax, as well, don’t you? Good news though. All fees are deductible on your income tax.

My guess is the OP already knows about the fees and is just expressing his displeasure, which he should. Before Ebay started charging on everything including the kitchen sink the fees were 10% if I remember correctly. Now they are charge around 20%. If Ebay was ethical they would have lowered the percent when the doubled the fees.

dbfolks166mt · ‎05-04-2023

@sakic92710

@inhawaii

I'm not sure if you were around in those days but it was rampant. I think a lot more than 1%.

It's also hard to police.

Where do you draw the line as to what is a reasonable/unreasonable shipping charge?

Too many variables.

Those days are over. Today, eBay knows what sellers using eBay shipping actually pay for shipping. eBay could easily ask services like Pirateship to update eBay with the actual shipping costs when they update the tracking number. The only variable would be a fair solution to sellers who pay at a physical shipping location, not too hard a problem.

It would be very ease for eBay to take out the amount sellers actually pay before charging a commission. They could easily collect a fair transaction fee on that portion.

When SOME sellers "robbed" eBay, eBay came up with a solution that punished everyone.

Now that eBay can have an easy solution that protects their interests from losing fees AND protects those sellers who were never guilty; It's a bad idea?

Bottom line, eBay is collecting commissions where they shouldn't and there could be an EASY solution. I don't understand how when sellers unfairly got around paying eBay fees it was more or less robbery, but when eBay reverses the tables and takes commissions that they don't deserve it is just business?

That was a rhetorical question. This is not about morality; it's about business. eBay makes more profit, and most sellers accept it because eBay has done it for a long time. So, no surprise most sellers also accept eBay earning a commission on State Tax.

And while we're at it earning the AD Fee on State Tax and Shipping which eBay just started last June. What is the logic (fairness) in that (besides eBay profit)?

EBay is a publically traded company and their only job is to maximize value to their shareholders. Sure eBay could remove the application of fees to shipping, and sales tax for that matter and put in a "reasonable shipping checker" but what do you think their action would be to maintain revenues and seller value? My guess is they would raise the FVF's across the board. Be careful what you ask for.

stephenmorgan · ‎05-04-2023

@monster-deals wrote:
@dhbookds wrote:
why are we being charged fees on shipping

because you agreed to that when you listed.
That isn't why, there is no way to NOT agree to it. The reason is because they can and they want the money.

Is it fair?

Not in the slightest.

Is it going to change?

Not in the slightest.

It is unlikely to change however it could change.

If eBay lost enough revenue then removing some fees could be a way to win back customers. Sort of like how they reduced fees with their newest international shipping as a means to gain more international sales.

marnotom! · ‎05-04-2023

@coolections wrote:

My guess is the OP already knows about the fees and is just expressing his displeasure, which he should. Before Ebay started charging on everything including the kitchen sink the fees were 10% if I remember correctly. Now they are charge around 20%. If Ebay was ethical they would have lowered the percent when the doubled the fees.

I’m pretty sure eBay dropped the FVF percentages when they started charging fees on the shipping amount, just as it adjusted them when MP was unleashed to make allowances for the fees being charged on the entire transaction amount.

dbfolks166mt · ‎05-04-2023

You are confusing a transaction fee with a transaction fee PLUS COMMISSION.

After eBay started managed payments eBay just added the transaction fee AND COMMISSION together. This incorrect math causes a transaction fee PLUS COMMISSION to be charged on parts of the transaction that should only be charged a transaction fee. In this case, the State Tax.

Macy's does not do this and it is NOT industry wide everywhere in the world.

I believe eBay is the only one that charges 13.25% (FVF=transaction Fee PLUS COMMISSION) on State Tax. Everyone else just charges the 1-3% transaction fee on State Tax.

My canned response to the canned postings about the FVF being applied to sales tax.

I have always considered the eBay FVF's on sales tax to be the best accounting bargain around. If you sell a $100 item to a buyer in a state with 8% sales tax the FVF on the $8.00 in sales tax amounts to 13.25% * $8.00 or $1.08 if you are promoting at 2% that adds another $.16 so the total FVF on the sales tax is $1.24.

For that $1.24 eBay keeps track of the 10,000 various state, county, city, parish, municipality..... sales tax rates, and laws, and applies and collects the proper sales tax from the buyer. The sales tax percentage may also vary depending on the type of items you are selling since some states, counties, cities…. Tax different items differently. Food and clothing for example. EBay then remit those collected funds to the 45 states with sales tax laws on whatever periodic basis is required. There is NO WAY I want to take on that burden as a seller for $1.24 +/- out of a $100 sale. "

coolections · ‎05-04-2023

Nope. they DOUBLED the fees.

dbfolks166mt · ‎05-04-2023

It is stated right in Ebay's policy. For partial refunds, Ebay doesn't refund the fees. I even called Ebay about it yesterday, and they read the policy.

If you called eBay customer service God only knows what they told you and how accurate it was. Customer support is useless these days. Not sure what they were reading but the following is from the policy.