" It is very frustrating to me"
????
Where is the problem?
Typically, 70%-80% of transactions result in feedback being left by the buyer and seller.
Since you joined eBay fourteen years ago, you have received 778 feedback while leaving only 759.
I noticed that you wait for the buyer to leave feedback to reciprocate. That is THE problem.
Most sellers leave feedback immediate upon receipt of payment. With luck 70% to 80% of buyers will reciprocate.
"a polite friendly email asking for feedback and saying I will do the same for them'
Bad idea. One should not chase feedback, more so when yoiu have not yet left it for the buyer.
By the way, I took a look at one of your recently completed listing 160948103379.
My conclusion: way too many words.
The purpose of the description section in a listing is to sell the product and the service, not to write an essay on mail order business.
KISS - it works.
" "KIPP" might be better???"
OK - How about KISPP ?
Keep It Simple Pretty Please. 🙂
Simple being the key word here.
"I was hurt by Pierre's comments"
There was no intention to hurt.
I have always called it as I see it. The intention is to help. Sometimes it means telling folks things they do not want to hear. Sorry about that but I stand by every word in my earlier posts but will replace KISS by KISPP. 🙂 .
"Within Canada, .... letter mail is cheap but is only for paper items. "
That is incorrect. You can mail whatever you want as long as the envelope or package does not exceed 500g in weight and measurements of 380mm x 270mm x 20mm (20mm or about 3/4 inch is the most important measurement).
"All my items are gift wrapped, and include small genuine astronaut souvenirs of my brother's trips into space."
Personally, I would not mention that in the description. If you want to send your time and money to gift wrap your items, at no extra cost to the buyers, while a few may appreciate it I suspect most people buy for themselves and may feel their money was wasted on gift wrapping that was not needed.
Once again, I personally feel you use too many words. The description should sell the items, not the terms.
I also noticed in your listings:
"Will usually ship within 10 business days of receiving cleared payment"
10 business days = 2 weeks! That will not help you get sales. Since you sell stuff onm hand, there is no reason not to ship within one (preferably) or three (at most) business days. Sellers asking more than one business day are disadvantaged in Best Match (basic search on eBay).
Good Luck.
" letter mail is cheap but is only for paper items"
That restriction only applies for shipments leaving Canada.
"after reading what femmefan1946 and you said...."
What I wrote is not really important since I most likely do not buy your type of items. You have to look at it from the buyer's perspective.
Most buyers come here to buy, not to read a book. With a growing number of buyers and potential buyers using their smart phone instead of a computer to search and browse on eBay, there is very little information you can actually put on those telephone screen. KISPP.
Walk away for a few hours. Clear your head.
Come back tomorrow and take a look at what your competitors do in your categories. Check those with a high feedback rating, the professional sellers. Try to get a feel for what they sell, how they sell. Yes you will see a few who write long paragraphs full of terms and conditions and those who keep it "sweet and short". As a buyer, what would attract you? Ask friends and family members the same question (looking at your competitors, not your listings).
Good Luck.
"My post office constantly insists that inside a letter it has to be paper only"
The clerk is wrong. Period. Ask to speak to the supervisor or manager. Or call Canada Post 800 line to complain.
There is no restriction to "paper" or "documents" for lettermail within Canada other than weight and measurements.
"you forget I'm in a wheel chair"
I had not forgotten. However, you cannot wait two weeks to mail your buyers stuff purchased and paid. You should be able to make arrangements with someone to mail your parcels at least weekly, preferably twice a week.
And the delay may also explain why your are not receiving that much positive feedback. Folks buying online generally understand delays within the postal systems and Customs (if applicable) but they all expect quick shipment from the seller.
"do sellers add the eBay fees/commission to their item price,"
Yes.
In general terms, very active sellers simply look at the fees as a "cost of doing business". Typically, eBay and PayPal fees may average 16% to 20% for most sellers, a bit less if you are a TRS (20% discount on FVF).
The majority of transactions on eBay is from active professional sellers. They look at fees and gross margins differently than casual sellers. Personally, prior to closing my eBay store and retiring, I worked on big fat margins where I did not have to worry too much about small stuff like eBay/PayPal fees.
At the end of the day, like any retail business, you have to provide the buyer with perceived value. Is that item worth $50 (or whatever) to the buyer? Buyers do not care about your costs, the fees you pay or your overhead. They only and correctly care about the value you provide them for their money.
