2015 Spring Seller Update

[raphael@ebay.com]

Hello everyone,

We've just released the details of the 2015 Spring Seller Update. You can read all the details here:

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/news/springupdate2015/index.html

Feel free to post any questions, I'll do my best to come here daily to answer as much as possible.

Happy Spring!

[deeeight]

Most sellers if you message them and ask if they'll ship USPS (or UPS/FedEx if that's what you want to use) directly, and NOT thru the GSP, they'll gladly do so. Myself the one time I actually used a store that insisted on the Global Program, they actually mailed it directly to me for much less than the listed shipping rate and ebay kept the extra "import" fees of course. There was no markings or labels on the package indicating any sort of tracking # that actually was valid (the one the global program provides never worked) or even that customs were actually paid already. In fact, the customs declaration green sticky label you see on a lot of USPS origin packages was checkboxed as "gift" $10.

[microcast_molds]

Thinking of packing ebay in again... Between the fees and Canada Post rates it's not even worth the trouble to line the pockets of ebay shareholders.

I still don't how applying final fees on shipping can be legal? More like racketeering IMO

[pocomocomputing]

Look into using Chit Chats Express in Mississauga to use USPS shipping to lower your shipping costs

http://chitchatsexpress.com/

Based on your listings location, you seem to be reasonable close to their Mississauga location.

[microcast_molds]

Very interesting service. Worth giving them a call. Thanks for posting.

[swarovskicc]

The ongoing "squeeze play" decisions made to get sellers to commit to an EBay shop are not in favour of anyone.
From 100 listings down to 20 will mean that many sellers won't be listing with EBay past the first 20. How does that help?

As has been mentioned already.... This is why sellers are moving to other sites .... Please listen to our comments...this marketplace is already on very thin ice!
No need to wait for concrete data to show you all that by next week.... Many of us will be focussing elsewhere for our sales.

Not very well thought out .....

[pierrelebel]

"will mean that many sellers won't be listing with EBay past the first 20."

"will be focussing elsewhere for our sales"

Why do individuals list on eBay?

1) because eBay has millions of qualified buyers coming to their site daily

2) they sell to earn money.

So, why do you see a problem paying a few cents to list your items on eBay?  Is the exposure you get not worth those few cents?

Until a few years ago, eBay was built by sellers paying a small fee to list on the site.  And then sellers paid an additional fee (FVF) if the item found a buyer.  Only recently have we seen this new development of sellers expecting to pay nothing to list their products and claiming they will move elsewhere if they have to pay a listing fee (eBay is largely to blame for this change of attitude.  It was caused by their ill-advised never ending "free listing" promotions, month after month.).

If some sellers feel their product is not worth the few cents required to offer them to the eBay buying public, then yes, they should go elsewhere.

Good Luck.

[aligolf]

Hello

Just wondering how the spring changes are really going to help me? It sure looks to me that ebay is trying to drive sellers like me to buy a store subscription.  It also seems to be profit and buyer driven.

I really do not want to have a store but I also do not want to pay insertion fees, I figure ebay already takes fair value from the money I make.

I had 100 free restrictive insertion fees listings, now I have 40? Also in those listings you have become increasingly restrictive.

What I want is more free listings, BUT get rid of the restrictions and allow me with these free listings to choose how I want to list the item. I think with my feedback and sales I have earned and deserve this! 

An example would be added cost for one and three day listings? I actually see good value in selling this way sometimes, especially if the item is desirable and hot at the moment.

I really have been scratching my head over the last year wondering who is making all these crazy decisions on your end??

Am I stupid and missing something??

[gijimbo]

More fees, more confusion, more hoops!  I have been selling on ebay for 16 years and is has become very convoluted now.   It's like dealing with Big Government, after I jump through all the hoops ebay has set up for us sellers there is little time left to list items.   I have been in the retail business for 32 years (16 on ebay) and I have 100% positive feedbacks with FIVE FULL STARS and 15,000+ transactions and ebay still treats me like a child.   I will never list anything really expensive on ebay due to all the chargebacks from dishonest buyers; funny how everyone received their items without incident in the old days but after ebay's one sided feedback changes the Post Office seems to lose everything, or item arrives broken or item mysteriously transforms into something else in transit.   All I ever do now is email buyers as to why USPS is slow and for other nonsense and it leaves me very little time to actually put items up for sale; I have a backlog of 3,000+ items to list but I never seem to get enough time to do so.  This, jumping through ebay hoops, chargebacks and other problems with ebay's template, has encouraged me to sell much of my stock elsewhere, certainly the most expensive items.   I would rather have everything for sale on ebay as it would be easier to deal with just one entity but it is just too time consuming and risky to do that nowadays.  KEEP IT SIMPLE EBAY, it worked far better back then and I always had 100% of my for saleitems listed.

gijimbo

[swarovskicc]

It's not just the listing fees ...it's also the commissions and on shipping also....add it all up and it becomes a much larger amount than most other marketplaces. Not all of us are looking to make millions with this hobby.
The commissions are easier to deal with when the listing costs nothing.

There is more hanky panky going on with ebays qualified buyers than I've ever experienced anyplace else. Non payment and hacked accounts. These frustrations add up to more inconveniences for the seller.

If I have a choice, I'd much rather pay the listing fee for a buy it now, than an auction....way less maintenance and better value ....other sites will allow a listing to go for a few months before renewing.

Exposure for sellers without an eBay shop is less.... Preference is given to those with shops on eBay...

I could go on, but won't.....the hobby seller on eBay is at a disadvantage.....and if you live outside the USA ...where most of my items are shipped to....the hills are higher to climb.

[pierrelebel]

".it's also the commissions and on shipping also."

There are many things you can do to lower the fees you pay eBay.

I took a quick look and find you shipping charge (within Canada) of Cdn$21 to ship a pair of sandals rather high.

You stated that most of your items are shipped to the USA.  As such, you could offer "free shipping" to Canada and there would be no FVFs charged on your shipping charge to the USA.

Etc... etc...

Sellers have found ways to minimize their eBay fees by understanding what they pay for and working with the system.

[spidergirlcari*67]

As more of a buyer than seller, past updates and changes have forced me to search for and purchase products elsewhere. It appears these recent changes are turning off more and more sellers. Good work, ebay. I can see my account here being used only to confirm the product is not available or fall off my chair laughing at the outrageous cost the remaining sellers are forced to ask in order to make any profit. Good luck with that.

[sunshinevee2013]

Just the typical greedy eBay intelligence at work. Incentive to sell is less and less all the time and incentive to switch selling venues is greater all the time.

[sunshinevee2013]

for seven years I sold on eBay under a different name with over 8,000 sales and 100% feedback rating. Now because of fees I have only listed 140 in 5 months and switched the bulk of sales to other sites whose fee schedules are very reasonable. Still enjoying my sales but at least eBay is not reaping to excessively high fees.