Keyword Spamming? and Shipping inflation?

[djbullet2005]

Hello everyone, I'll introduce myself first, my name is Bulut, long time reader first time poster. Became a powerseller not too long ago.

Here's my situation:

So I had over 40 listings removed for "Keyword Spamming" then when I fix the supposedly keyword spams, I get them knocked off again for "inflated shipping price"

So let me start off with the keyword spamming. I used "Like New". Now I understand if eBay automatically removes items that say "like adidas etc." when the item being sold is a Nike shoe. Is "Like New" really keyword spamming? I'm using an adverb not an adjective here.


Secondly, I believe I'm charging a fair price for shipping. I want to get rid of a stack of dvds so I can generate some more feedback. I started with .99 cent no one bid on them so I thought I speed up the process and make it a BIN price at $0.99 what a bargain! So my shipping price was fair since I'm in Canada, Shipping costs between $5-9 depending on where the person is located so I just put them at $9.95 which includes a small handling fee and the bubble envelope.

What am I doing wrong here?

[zarzuella]

99 cent BIN's are going to ring bells at eBay. Go back to auctions.

[katiusciav]

hey bulut-sounds like you're a victim of 'keywords', 9.95 for shipping is totally fair!! and since when is 'like new' suspicious?!?! i understand and actually appreciate ebay's attempts at cleaning out the bad ones, but when keywords like yours come up, they should examine each auction thoroughly..if what you described is true, i honestly don't see anything wrong.
i would write to them expressing my concerns..

[recped]

You can't use "like new" in the title, it's ok in the description. Using "like" in the title associated with many words will get your listing pulled (robots don't read they just pull).

If you are selling single DVD's $9.95 for shipping is a complete rip off and with a BIN of 99 cents it's obvious to even a 2 year old that it's fee avoidance. Exactly how do you justify 5 bucks "handling" for local pick-up?
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

[katiusciav]

9.95 shipping isn't for one-its for "a stack" of dvd's.

[zarzuella]

No, he wanted to 'get rid of a stack' but listed them individually.
.99 cent BIN with $9.99 shipping will get you nailed for fee avoidance.

[katiusciav]

oooohh..i thought it was a stack all at once..!!
ummmmmm, i think 9.95 shipping is a little high then bullut..? for one dvd?
i NEVER overcharge on shipping to make up for the price i want, i always list for what i want (or less of course if i know there will be bids), and in some cases, have reimbursed buyers for mistaken shipping costs. its just the safe way to go..

[djbullet2005]

Thanks everyone, you are correct, I lowered my shipping price and our DVD’s selling more consistently.

As for the keywords, i thought i throw in the cast since "like" does not get searched and if someone wants "new" they might just click the "new" button to filter their searches.

I had a customer ask about why I charge local pick up fee. Here is the exact response I gave them:


"As you can see we are an eBay trading assistant, we like to keep our inventory in a remote location for security reasons and convenience. The local pickup fee is to ship the item to Kitchener from storage (close to the US). To save shipping costs and avoid brokerage fees to our US customers, we travel over the border to ship our items. This also gives our customers a peace of mind knowing that their items won't be stolen. We are planning on taking eBay to another level so right now we are actually running out of an office in Kitchener as a private drop off location with a goal to open to the public next year. I hope this cleared up any questions you may have about why we charge a pick up fee. Thanks and good luck!

Bulut"

I have seen some sellers charge up to $150 for local pickup. Their justification was "Freight Fee". These items were pocket bikes etc. shipped from China.