Discounts for Powersellers and the TRS program

[imbuzzy]

This message could have been continued in the previous thread titled "Power Seller Discount", but I figured it deserved the attention as a new thread.

I, along with others, seem to be confused regarding to what discounts are being applied to their invoice, so I contacted eBay through their live chat system to get some answers and clarification:

1) Since I am registered with eBay.ca, my Powerseller status is Canadian, thus ONLY my ebay.ca listings are applicable for the perspective Powerseller discount of FVF fees.

2) Since I have been able to achieve TRS status, I enjoy the 20% discount of FVF fees ONLY with my successful ebay.com listings.

3) If you have less than 400 sales in the last 3 months then eBay will look at your 12-months DSR

4) eBay.ca does not offer the latest perks that eBay.com has - such as up to 12 free images in certain categories, enlarged images, etc, etc

Points 1 & 2 are extremely important for those who incorporate the discounts into their business model

I am using all four points to decide whether to list in eBay.ca or eBay.com. It does not appear to be as simple as some have stated in the past. There is a huge difference in one's decision on which site to list their items and even register their membership with.

Since my Powerseller discounts fluctuate from 0% to 20%, I am willing to ignore that incentive and focus on my TRS rewards. I doubt that I could change my status from Canadian Powerseller to an American one to reap the benefits of having a possible total combined discount of 40%. Starting over with a newly registered eBay.com handle is a weak at best option, since one's selling reputation is lost and there is too many hurdles to jump with Paypal/eBay policies.

The simplest solution is to just ignore all this convoluted discount(s) system and just build a model based on no discounts. That way, the monthly treats that eBay gives you will be exactly that - treats. Considering it that way, Point #4 is the deciding factor and I shall only from now on post items on eBay.com

Others might other concerns such as shipping calculators, shipping services, etc. etc., but the majority of my items are sent by lettermail and thus have no concern as to which site is used for listing.

I hope that I have helped clarify some points that might have confused others - and I hope I have not confused others who thought they were thinking clear.

[recped]

#1 is not correct

Powerseller discounts apply to your account it doesn't matter which site you list on.

I am using all four points to decide whether to list in eBay.ca or eBay.com. It does not appear to be as simple as some have stated in the past. There is a huge difference in one's decision on which site to list their items and even register their membership with

Make your decision quickly because as of April it won't matter anymore.

[bcbeautiful]

So do I understand this correctly?
In April, the current P.S. program will be replaced with the TRS, as far as the discounts goes?
Right now, you have to list on .com to get the TRS discount, but can still get the P.S. discount. Or is the TRS available in addition to the P.S. discount?
Come April, it will not matter if I still list on .ca to get the TRS discount? Maximum discount is 20%?
I have re-read the announcements and forums and still am confused. Any help would be appreciated.

[imbuzzy]

"#1 is not correct"

I sure hope that you are correct and can elaborate because I asked the customer service rep on live chat very specifically about that and was told that my powerseller discounts only apply to my .ca listings - as stated on the invoice:
Power Seller Discount: You Saved 5% on Final Value Fees this Billing Cycle for listings on eBay.ca

Make your decision quickly because as of April it won't matter anymore.
Again, please elaborate on your statement. Yes, changes are to be made with DSRs and TSRs regarding shipping from Canadians, and yes, the 15% PS discount is going away, but will there be the same listing perks given to .ca listings as one can get from .com listings? This is an important matter - especially the 12 free images per listing that .com listings in certain categories enjoy. One no longer needs to find a third party picture hosting site or pay extra to eBay for pictures - unless, 12 pics do not suffice.

Make your decision quickly
To quote myself:
"I shall only from now on post items on eBay.com"
so there is no reason for me to decide quickly - unless you can shed some light on the issues I have brought to the table.

Many have asked in the past what the difference is between .ca and .com...
It appears at one time the answer was not too much
It also appears that now there is quite a bit (but only for the time being?)

[westernstargifts]

As a Canadian seller, can I qualify for US Top-rated seller status on other eBay sites?
Canadian PowerSellers who qualify for US Top-rated seller status will be eligible for the same benefits as US PowerSellers who are US Top-rated on eBay.com and eBay Motors.

You can list on .ca and still be a TRS if you sell to the U.S because your listings appear on .com.

The way I read it, TRS's will receive a 20% discount but the most a PS can receive if they are not a TRS is 5%.

But don't quote me on that.....they have me confused too.

[imbuzzy]

bcbeautiful:

As far as I know, both programs are being modified soon. The PS program is not being replaced. The TRS program is for .com and Canadians are welcome to enjoy the benefits ONLY for .com listings.
From my conversation with eBay, it became clear that you cannot list on .com and enjoy both discounts if you are a Canadian powerseller. You only receive the TRS discount.
As far as your question regarding April, I cannot answer that with any feeling of certainty since I did not discuss that issue with eBay directly.

I invite others to confirm or deny what I have said and I also ask (like I have in the previous thread) why my 5% PS discount is LESS than my 20% TRS discount for the same billing month on the same FVF fees. What part of the simple math am I stumbling on?

Since nobody answered me before, I felt motivated to ask eBay. They answered me and I felt obliged to repeat the information to all.

[imbuzzy]

westernstargifts:

You can list on .ca and still be a TRS if you sell to the U.S because your listings appear on .com.

Yes, you are correct. That is how I got my TRS. But by listing only on .ca, all I got was the badge - no TRS discount

[westernstargifts]

#1 is not correct

Powerseller discounts apply to your account it doesn't matter which site you list on.

I am using all four points to decide whether to list in eBay.ca or eBay.com. It does not appear to be as simple as some have stated in the past. There is a huge difference in one's decision on which site to list their items and even register their membership with

Make your decision quickly because as of April it won't matter anymore.

So what did you mean by that recped?

I called eBay myself and the rep, after spending a few minutes reading through the new policies, told me that I would be better off listing on .com because only items listed on .com would qualify for a TRS discount.

[surplusdealdude]

You guys are going to drive yourselves crazy over these discounts.

This is what I do.

I make sure that I am making a satisfactory profit from my products, not from any discount.

Then I stop worrying about the discounts. If I get them, fine. If I don't, fine.

It's not worth all the stress.

[pjcdn2005]

I believe that recped means that in April, there will be powerseller discounts on .ca

LINK
Starting April 2010, there will be a new discount structure for PowerSellers on eBay.ca, eBay.com and Motors:

* For listings listed on eBay.com and eBay Motors: 5% for PowerSellers and 20% for PowerSellers with US Top-rated seller status
* For listings listed on eBay.ca: 5% for PowerSellers and 20% of PowerSellers reaching US Top-rated equivalent standards based on transactions with all buyers, not just US buyers.

I asked Kalvin from ebay about this on the selling board as I was confused about how it works. ( and still am slightly confused) If you look at posts 46 and 47, that will give you more information. LINK

[imbuzzy]

surplusdealdude:
I fully agree with you .

pjcdn2005:
Thanks for trying to clear the air. I find it quite interesting that Pierre's question in the same thread that you linked above was not concisely answered (Post #9):
For example, my monthly invoice currently shows both TRS rebate (for .com listings?) and PowerSeller rabate (for .ca listings?)

I saw the anomaly regarding discount dispersion on my invoices immediately and waited a couple of months to see if it was a trend. Once I was satisfied that my grade 5 mathematics were not in error and that there was an plausible reason why my 5% and 15% discounts were greater than my 20% discounts I decided to confirm it with eBay and let the rest of you know about it.

Things are changing in a couple of months, so this will (perhaps) all become mute. However, I do feel compelled to share part of the transcript from my chat with eBay that pertains to this topic:

1/22/2010 11:53:30 PM Lea P. Thanks for waiting. I see now.
The top Rated Seller discount only applies to your US listings and it looks like you have less sold items in the US so the discount is less than your PowerSeller discount.
1/22/2010 11:53:47 PM imbuzzy that's what i was expecting...
1/22/2010 11:54:08 PM imbuzzy I have switched over to .com listing for now ...
1/22/2010 11:54:21 PM imbuzzy 2 more questions if you don't mind?
1/22/2010 11:54:47 PM Lea P. Sure.
1/22/2010 11:55:05 PM Lea P. The discounts were for your December sales.
1/22/2010 11:55:21 PM imbuzzy On the invoice it states that I Saved 15% on Final Value Fees this Billing Cycle for listings on eBay.ca - does my Powerseller discount only apply to .ca listings?
1/22/2010 11:56:23 PM imbuzzy if so, i am in a situation where TRS for .com and Powerseller discounts for.ca
1/22/2010 11:56:51 PM Lea P. Yes, that's correct. We don't have a TRS program yet for Canada site.
1/22/2010 11:57:26 PM imbuzzy so the powerseller discounts on apply to .ca listings?
1/22/2010 11:58:21 PM Lea P. Yes that only applies to your .ca listings as shown on the invoice.
1/22/2010 11:58:38 PM imbuzzy sorry that "on" should be "only"


In conclusion, I saw a lot of misinformation being stated and I wanted others that might use the discounts as part of their business model/strategy to be informed.