eBay

CmtyGuide@ebay.com · ‎03-14-2013

Discuss the 2013 Spring Seller Updates here!

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/ca/201303191308082.html

-- Edited by raphael@ebay.com at Mar 19, 2013 3:01 PM EDT

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rose-dee · ‎03-20-2013

How relevant is paying fees twice the same month on a few items?

Since 1000 listings can be expected to yield sales of $50,000, $100,000 or more, is that $2.80 really relevant?

Pierre, for me, at this point at least, it is relevant. I have a Basic store that will grow this year, since I'm finally able to devote more time to it, but it won't have the kind of turnover that will allow me to ignore these changes. I use GTC almost exclusively, and have done so for years, for the reasons you listed.

However, because I'm a small seller trying to grow, not shrink, I'm always watching for ways to cut little costs that may add up.

For example, if I switch to the new "perma-store" plan (which I feel I will have to), I'll save $4.00/month. I usually do my GTC listings on just 1 or 2 days a month - the rest of the time I'm busy designing and developing my products. So if I'm not careful, I can throw that $4.00 savings away - perhaps another $10/mo., potentially 7 months a year (say 50 GTC listings double-charged at $0.20 each month x 7 = ca. $70.00/yr) simply by not spreading my GTC listings out. I know $70 or $80 a year would be small change to a big-volume seller, but it's meaningful to me, especially other rising costs (like shipping) are also an issue.

If eBay tells us GTCs over my 150 free store limit will be double-tallied within the longer months, I'll have to start spreading out my GTC listings more. It's just that this nickel-and-diming, constant snip, snip, snip seems to be coming from every corner, so I'm trying to fend off the ones I can actually do something about. 😞

retro-photo · ‎03-20-2013

"The big picture: the new fee schedules are meant to raise more money for eBay."

Pierre, I'm 100% fine with that – I'm well aware that eBay is in the business of making money. That being said, I'm failing to see how the changes bring "lower fees for me" (like the email I received openly said in the subject).

Between the "lower" fees and the recent hike in Canada Post rates, I expect prices of items for sale on eBay.ca to go up across the board. Here's hoping the Canadian dollar doesn't go nuts anytime soon.

shovelboy2000 · ‎03-20-2013

I agree with ROSS and PIERRE about the cashgrab comment.

Unfortunately, where our responses are concerned, I see much more emphasis being placed on the issue of facilitated buyer subversion (paying too late to acquire an item you already bought) than where it belongs. The subversion is a serious matter for us, I understand, but the FVF issue is at the core of how Ebay, a private company, operates.

With consistently positive quarterly reports, revenue streams, and a stock price that, over the last year rivals Netflix's climb, Ebay has a responsibility to it's bread and butter, it's backbone. We, the sellers.

Having some FVFs go up and some go down is an excellent tactic to have us fight amongst ourselves and allow Ebay to avoid having to explain themselves for not reducing the FVFs across the board.

EVERYBODY should be paying less, on principle.

Any responsible, respectable private business or corporation rewards its supporters willingly. This actually attracts MORE new investment!!

The problem for us is that Ebay shares outstanding represent debt and the value of that debt (share price) cannot decline or the value of the company itself declines.

Perpetual Profits are the only way the company can keep its debt value perpetually increasing.

We will always pay more, every time Ebay changes its policies, until they have bought back all their outstanding shares.

Is Ebay too big to fail now too?

pierrelebel · ‎03-20-2013

"say 50 GTC listings double-charged at $0.20 each month x 7 = ca. $70.00/yr"

That is mathematically impossible.

The worst case is:

You list GTC on January 1st

It is renewed January 31

It is next renewed March 2nd (notice no fee in February) 🙂

It is next renewed April 1st

It is next renewed May 1st, etc...

At worst, items first listed GTC on January 1st to 5th will have ONE extra listing fee that year

Listings started on January 6th or later will not have any added listing fees that year: all of them will show 12 listing fees.

Since GTC are renewed every 30 days, precisely, le calendar dictates how often a listing will be renewed in the year. It cannot ever be more than 13 although most listings will be automatically relisted 12 times only .

rose-dee · ‎03-20-2013

"say 50 GTC listings double-charged at $0.20 each month x 7 = ca. $70.00/yr"

That is mathematically impossible.

Listings started on January 6th or later will not have any added listing fees that year: all of them will show 12 listing fees.

Well Pierre, you have me there. I'm no mathematician, obviously. My talents are elsewhere. I'm one of those people who has to count the months on my fingers. Which is part of the reason I hate it when the kaleidoscope is shaken each year by eBay and the picture changes yet again...

To add one comment to what "shovelboy2000" was saying: we tend to focus on the details as they affect us individually, and you are right -- divide and conquer will work for eBay. What I see in the big picture, in the next few years, is eBay shoving sellers into the "auto-renewal" store system so that their revenue stream is a constant, known quantity.

Look at the changes just made -- what is eBay's big picture, their underlying strategy (as opposed to the spin it puts out to sellers about free listings and reduced fees)? The purpose of making it harder (read: more expensive) to sell on eBay off-the-cuff, or month-by-month is to ensure more sellers will voluntarily opt for the never-ending store plan (with its penalties for leaving), to create a permanent fee stream for eBay.

I would like to make a prediction: I will wager that 2 years from now, those "perma-store" subscriptions will be at least 10% higher than they are now, once the majority of month-by-month store sellers have crossed over. And that translates into more "safe" money for eBay. Perhaps Pierre knows how many store sellers eBay has world-wide -- this would be an interesting statistic for the mathematicians out there.

For now, I'm staying here, but if this trend continues, I may look elsewhere. I don't like auto-renewing, pay-to-get-out contracts of any kind.

poon8works · ‎03-20-2013

hello there

this "new" policy coming in force on April 2013 is negative for me.

I sell between $3-5000 per month on ebay - with most if not all listings over $50 each listing

and now ebay wants 10 % per sale flat rate. well with the way it was before; $5.50 for the first $50 - then 6 % for the rest - this new policy will definitely take more of my income from me.

Time to find a new website to list my auctions and take my business elsewhere

any one out there with suggestions !!

pierrelebel · ‎03-20-2013

"any one out there with suggestions !!"

Whether one likes it or not, eBay is it. There is no site anywhere with that many auction buyers (since you prefer to sell using the auction format).

Fees going up on eBay is nothing new. We all eventually get used to it.

whitelion2126 · ‎03-20-2013

Quite frankly the changes hurt the low volume sellers with FVF going from 9 to 10% on Auction Sales and from 5% to 10% on Buy Now.Makes no sense to list Buy Now with the Fee being the same now.Higher Fees for Low Volume Sellers mean Higher Prices for Buyers.I think I'll move to Amazon where the Total Fee is 8%,with no Pay Pal Fee.

pierrelebel · ‎03-20-2013

"I think I'll move to Amazon"

Good Luck to you.

Please come back in a few months and tell us how things are doing on Amazon.

rosscd57 · ‎03-20-2013

I just can't believe there is hardly any chatter on the wopping fee increase. Pierre may be right when he states (allbeit somewhat smugly):

"Whether one likes it or not, eBay is it. There is no site anywhere with that many auction buyers (since you prefer to sell using the auction format).

Fees going up on eBay is nothing new. We all eventually get used to it."

Here are what I think is reality:

Many sellers of more expensive items will stop selling.

Sellers that stay, will increase prices and end up selling less.

Buyers will buy elsewhere.

From the examples I ran on the calculator - just about everything priced over $80 gets a fee increase - allmost all at over 100% to a high of 153%

Ebay will become the online clearing house for Cheap junk from China.

__________________________________________________________

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

orionlink · ‎03-20-2013

this is not clear, or maybe it's just me, so can someone confirm.. someone from ebay i hope:

in the new changes, is ebay going to be eliminating auction style insertion fees based on starting price, and making all auction listings at 20 or so cents, depending on store level.. ?

thanks for the clarification ebay.

zee-chan-jpn-books · ‎03-20-2013

It has been many years since I have use the word STUPID for a new eBay policy.

This is one such instance. The change of policy is ill conceived and totally STUPID.

If sellers are willing to wait 2, 4, 7 or whatever number of days for payment from the buyer (many still pay by mail), eBay should NOT automatically override that policy.

Honestly, if I went into a clothing boutique, asked the owner to hold a dress for me for a day, and she agreed, then sold it to someone else in the meantime, I'd never, ever go back again.

Stupid is such a strong word. How about ridiculous or idiotic or even ignorant?

To eBay: I have been okay with payment within 7 days for the past 3 years, and sometimes longer if the buyer sent a polite message asking so. I have only had 5 non-paying bidders in the past 3 years and it's negligible for me. I would like my stars to stay 5.0 like they are right now. Remove that IDIOTIC new policy please. It's RIDICULOUS.

Like many sellers above mentioned, that "Require Immediate Payment" that had been around for a while already solved the problem for people who couldn't risk non-paying bidders. I'm willing to offer my buyers the flexibility to pay later and that's why I never bothered with the "require immediate payment" function. Why are you removing that choice for me when I didn't even ask for it?

Items purchased from eBay,ca will continue to have the current 'Sold When the Buyer Commits to Buy' flow.

How about change that to "items LISTED on ebay.ca will continue to have the current 'Sold When the Buyer Commits to Buy' flow" ? I would love to keep my flexibility. I don't want to waste hours to remove the "payment accepted within 7 days" statement from all my listings. Only about 10% of my buyers buy from .CA, so that means this inconsiderate new policy will affect 90% of my sale.

I can sorta accept the overall FVF rate increase from 9% to 10% - yes, it's a lot, but eBay is out there to make money, that everyone knows. But that policy change above is just plainly asking for trouble.

If I get any ticked off eBay buyer because of this new policy (they buy something, can't pay until a week later, and in the mean time someone walks in, pays and leaves with said item...) I'll likely drop this eBay selling hobby and stick to my full time job.

saskconnection · ‎03-21-2013

eBay strikes again - Some deal!!. As an anchor store my actual listing fees are going up by 50%. The 2500 free listings is a trivial bonus compared to the 66% increase in the listing fee from 3c to 5c for each buy-it-now item in my store.

How is this supposed to help me grow my business on eBay?

Rather than encouraging me to list more on eBay, this fee hike will encourage me to move my inventory to other websites.

imbuzzy · ‎03-21-2013

"Beginning in May, eligible fixed price listings and auction-style listings purchased with Buy It Now will remain for sale until a buyer has paid for the item."

Meanwhile, my email notification says it starts in June, and just now (being in March), I made a BIN purchase from an auction on ebay.ca that warned me that the item was still up for grabs until I completed checkout!

Talk about real consistency here (and mixed messages too)!!!

wonderlandfarmca · ‎03-23-2013

I sell only a few items a month, however I have kept a store for years, if I choose to switch and close the store, will I still be able to use Turbo Lister to do bulk listings and to be able to take advantage of the templates I have set up

skylarstuff · ‎03-23-2013

the cancellation fees are here

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

dont change your mind after a month!!

There must be a mistake in that announcement......it shows the following example

March 22, 2013 You sign up for a yearly Stores subscription. Your Stores benefits start immediately, including your free-insertion-fee listing allotment for the month of March.

How can this be if the program only starts May 1 2013. Is this false advertising? or can one truly benefit by signing up today....or is that even possible?

pierrelebel · ‎03-23-2013

Good catch!

I wonder if that mistake has been pointed out on the Discussion boards set up on eBay.com where they had hundreds of threads and thousands of posts.

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum/2013-Spring-Seller/5200000027

pierrelebel · ‎03-24-2013

I found this interesting comment by a "pink" on the eBay.com board:

"eBay will continue to offer listing promotions on an ongoing basis that are additional to the 50 free listings- make sure your marketing preferences in My eBay are set to get these notifications."

It would almost imply that casual sellers who are not eBay store subscriber and currently use the fifty "free auction listings" would have little incentive to pay for a monthly *(or annual) store subcription.

If a seller sells $1,600 or less a month, the 1% "saving" in FVF would not make up for the $16 monthly store fee.

Somehoe, this comment by an eBay employe - if true - reduces the incentive to subscribe to an eBay store.

pierrelebel · ‎03-24-2013

skylarstuff - your question had been answered here last Wednesday:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/2013-Spring-Seller/New-Store-Fees/5200142427

Sorry for the confusion. Store fees will begin May 1. March 22nd was used as an example. However based on feedback we have modified the example dates to minimize confusion. The page has been updated.