eBay

ammolitehunter · ‎07-24-2016

Here is a sample of the mess Ebay has created for its Ebay.ca listers who list in CAD.

I had a pendant listed for $499CAD and here is a customer reaction from a US buyer when she tried to pay for it.

Who is right or wrong is irrelevant--what is relevant is that this never happened when listings were in USD.

"Well when I went to pay for it, it was billing for $499.00.

The price that I was buying it for that was stated on the picture was $382.96.

I have emailed Ebay three times to try to find out why the discrepancy ?

Am, I paying the US currency rate or the Canadian?

I am so sorry But I have tried to get to the bottom of this.

I was buying it for $382.96 and when I went to pay for it the price jumped to this $499.00 amount?"

I am still trying to resolve this with the buyer who is pretty miffed.

musicyouneed · ‎07-24-2016

I believe you hit the nail on the head. I don't think that a lot of Americans know anything about Canadian currency. Oh sure there are ones that do, but for the most part, the majority just hits the back button.

marnotom! · ‎07-25-2016

Yup, this is a big reason why my wife and I listed in US dollars on the .com site both before and after the .ca site's development.

Americans don't generally have much reason to purchase items in another currency so they don't have much experience doing so. Besides, the US dollar, for all the beating it's been taking, is the closest thing we have to a "universal" currency. Most people in most countries have some idea of what their currency is worth compared to a US buck.

Having said that, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I still remember one irate US eBay buyer accusing my wife and me of trying to make "extra" money by listing in US dollars rather than Canadian dollars. He figured that we were somehow making an "extra" three bucks on a US$6.00 compact disc.

I think he was probably also a little cheesed that he wasn't getting the deal that he thought he was getting on the disc.

retroman_studios · ‎07-25-2016

It wouldn't take much for PayPal or eBay to make some changes to how the transaction is processed, and let a customer know the nature of the exchange rate.

Like for example, let the customer know that the auction amount was 499 Canadian, once converted to US dollars that will be $300.00 etc, and show them this in a way so they understand.

It's the oldest rule in the book, you adapt to service your customers. If your customer will only pay in US Dollars, you sell in US Dollars. It's really simple.

They should enable US Dollars for Canadians when we specify USA as a shipping destination, that would be a good compromise.

cumos55 · ‎07-25-2016

You can list in Canadian dollars... and then

You can always send `them an invoice in US dollars through Paypal

Perhaps provide an explanation in listings

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With a listing in US dollars, Canadian buyers would be hesitant in buying if they assume the price when expressed in Canadian dollars has not been adjusted as the exchange rate changed

As the exchange rate changed all prices in US dollars were adjusted by me such that the Canadian dollar price today was about the same as it was three years ago before the exchange rate started to change dramatically..

Three years ago Canadian buyers were 80 % of sales..... With the exchange rate at about $1.30 Canadian equal to $1.00 US My sales to US buyers were about 40 to 45 % of total sales.

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What is being sold and whether the US market is a seller's primary target could be a factor in how a buyer understands the exchange rate. Some people just understand the exchange rate better than others.....

One must conclude that buyers will adjust ...Time will tell

My primary inventory is books dealing with Canadian history...... and with the exchange rate as it is today.... American buyers bought up a lot of this category as well as other non-history categories.... Canadian buyers were most likely hesitant at buying as noted above.

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With the change of listings from US to Canadian dollars and the subsequent unstable situation with Canada Post there has been no real time to determine if listings in Canadian dollars would sell.

I was open for 5 days in mid June and sold 5 books.... three books were sold to Canadian Buyers and two to US buyers.... A sixth book was sold to a Canadian buyer who bought a book and immediately cancelled the transaction

Staying on vacation is allowing me to build up my number of listings on eBay...... and... giving me some vacation time... from parcel preparation.... some "free time" I have not had in years...

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With listings in Canadian dollars, Canadian buyers should not hesitate in buying... while US buyers... those that understand the new reality..... should continue to buy... if only because of the low price in US dollars.

For those of us that changed listings from US to Canadian dollars, this next year should be a transition phase.....

ammolitehunter · ‎07-25-2016

Half my listings are in CAD and half in USD [non compliant and will me moved to .com when they get the tool fixed.]

All new listings going back a couple of months are in USD.

Eventually I will have the lot in USD on .com because a Canadian shop that has 90% US customers and lists in CAD--contrary to what Ebay claims--will--i believe-- suffer lost sales.

cumos55 · ‎07-25-2016

Change the listings without the use of the tool.... one listings at a time if necessary

Anyone who has tried to use the tool, and reported here... found the Migration Tool to be a ... Big headache

August is coming fast where all listing in US dollars on eBay Canada will be removed/ended

Anonymous · ‎07-25-2016

Shouldn't eBay show your listing in US funds as well? When I bid or buy on eBay.com, the Canadian funds shows with US funds so I knew how much I would be paying in Canadian funds if I bid or buy on eBay.com.

pierrelebel · ‎07-25-2016

"Shouldn't eBay show your listing in US funds as well? "

eBay does for all listings shown and viewed on eBay.com

It does not matter if the seller uses Canadian dollars or British Pounds or euro, eBay.com uses the equivalent US dollars on the search result pages.

Now, when you look at the listing page on eBay.com, two amounts will be shown for items listed in currency other than US dollars: the currency of the listing and (in smaller type) the equivalent US dollars

After a buyer has made a purchase, PayPal will only show the currency of the listing at time of payment.

As far as American buyers being confused with currency, I have never once come across such buyer on eBay or other venues I used or my own website.

marnotom! · ‎07-25-2016

@pierrelebel wrote:

As far as American buyers being confused with currency, I have never once come across such buyer on eBay or other venues I used or my own website.

Well, Pierre, given that what you sell is an unofficial form of currency, I'd be very surprised if you have had many buyers who had trouble wrapping their heads around anything other than the US dollar.

tobyshitzu · ‎07-25-2016

Ive never had an american mention currency, and ive had lots of buyers clueless on every other possible aspect of the trasaction or product

ammolitehunter · ‎07-26-2016

Re:

"As far as American buyers being confused with currency, I have never once come across such buyer on eBay or other venues I used or my own website."

Well good for you--but my previously posted verbatim confused response from an American buyer still stands.

I have also had to deal with several confused US buyers on the phone.

You can rationalize all you want and defend ebay all you want but it still remains that this move leaves scores of unhappy .ca shop owners and LOTS of confused US potential buyers.

We don't even know how many dismissed our offers and moved on.

marnotom! · ‎07-26-2016

@ammolitehunter wrote:

Re:

"As far as American buyers being confused with currency, I have never once come across such buyer on eBay or other venues I used or my own website."

Well good for you--but my previously posted verbatim confused response from an American buyer still stands.

I have also had to deal with several confused US buyers on the phone.

You can rationalize all you want and defend ebay all you want but it still remains that this move leaves scores of unhappy .ca shop owners and LOTS of confused US potential buyers.

We don't even know how many dismissed our offers and moved on.

How was Pierre defending eBay? All his post was was an explanation of how alternate currencies are displayed on the .com site and a brief summation of his personal experiences with listing in Canadian dollars.

I appreciate that you find this change frustrating, as do many of us, but let's not muddy the waters by labelling factual explanations and anecdotes as "defences of eBay". Pierre's statement was not a dismissal or negation of your experiences.

billybee99 · ‎07-26-2016

I have had one exactly like that as well. Same quote from my customer "the price jumped on me when I paid". I had to send a couple of emails trying to explain the currency difference - it worked out but it is a pain.