Monthly or Yearly Store Fees??

[pjcdn2005]

When you decide whether or not it is a good idea to sign up for a yearly subscription, keep in mind that if you downgrade the level of your store or close it, there is an early termination fee.

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/news/feesupdate2013tandc.html

For example, If you have a basic store yearly subscription and then after 6 months decide that you want to close the store, you will pay an early termination fee of $31.90.

$15.95 x 6 = $95.70  (payed for the first 6 months.) Add $31.90 early termination fee = $127.60

That works out to $21.27/month for 3 months

If you close your basic store after 3 months with a yearly subscription, with the early termination fee the monthly rate would have been $31.90

If you have a yearly subscription and you downgrade to a lower yearly Stores type prior to last calendar month of the subscription, you're charged an early termination fee.

I'm not 100% clear on whether the early termination fees are the same amount for downgrading as they are for cancelling a store a but since there is only one fee schedule listed on that page, I'll assume for now that the fees are the same whether you terminate or downgrade.

If you had a yearly subscription for a premium store and want to close your store or downgrade to a basic store after 6 months...

$49.95 x 6 = $299.70

Plus termination fee after 6 months $99.90 = $399.60

$66.60/month

If you downgrade or close your premium store after 3 months, the cost would work out to $99.90/month

Again...I'm assuming that the downgrading fee is the same as the cancellation early termination fee. Please correct me if I am wrong in that assumption.

I'm not saying that a yearly subscription is a bad idea but I just want to give a head's up to those who don't realize there are extra fees if you change something before the year is up.

[pocomocomputing]

I find it ironic that eBay wants to give out a yearly subscription on fees when the fee structure and benefits with a store can change change drastically each year in the spring with the Spring Seller Update announcements. Not much of a problem for sellers opting in to the yearly plan this month or next couple of months because by the time the Spring announcement comes, they can opt out and pay the penalty. But for anyone going yearly in Jan of Feb next year with a looming change in eBay in a month or two is not a good move.

eBay changes it site so often (at least twice a year with Seller Updates) I would be hesitant to have a yearly store plan. The savings are just not enough to justify the penalty for getting out of the yearly plan.

My opinions.