eBay

bilge21 · ‎05-05-2010

First rant for me ever...

Just checked my Seller's Dashboard and noticed that 30-day Shipping and Handling Charges DSR was at 4.97. I'm like HUH?? All my items are FREE shipping so how could some dum-dum ding my shipping DSR??

My other 30-day DSRs are:

Item as Described - 4.98
Communication 5.00
Shipping Time - 5.00

3-month averages are all 4.98s except for shipping time which was 5.00.

12-month averages are 4.94, 4.94, 4.97, and 4.98.

If a seller is offering free shipping, a buyer should NOT be able to set the Shipping Charge DSR.

Ebay, pay attention!

I also noticed that since I opened my store, my Ebay fees are up. In february, I did almost $2300 in sales, and my total invoice after discounts was $127. For April, I did about $2100 in sales and my invoice was $169???

I know, I know. I opened the store, but that was the basic store and the first 30 days were supposed to be free right?

In comparing invoices, I noticed that my FVFs went up. Where my FVF for a $30 cartridge in February was $1.80, last month it was $2.40!

Something is wrong here. (grumble)

Rant over.

craftycatsattic · ‎05-05-2010

Your April invoice would have had the new fee structure for your store. Got this from the original announcement:

"Sign up now, before March 29, and pay no additional monthly fee until April!"

momoftwingles2 · ‎05-05-2010

Final Value Fees went up as well!

Store referral credits are gone!!!!

Everything has changed! Well, not everything...but lots!

Susan
momoftwingles2

westernstargifts · ‎05-05-2010

Giving free shipping does very little for your shipping charge DSR. My rating last year when I offered free shipping on all Light Packet items was no better than it is now...and I no longer offer free shipping.

Originally free shipping was supposed to give you a boost in search. I found that initially it did give you better placement but doesn't have much effect now.

axe_n_gear_music · ‎05-05-2010

After some extensive trial and error, I found that free shipping did very little to boost sales, and alot to reduce profit. Sure it attracts a few more buyers, so I found that if you offer a few items with free shipping, then that would bring some of the more frugal buyers a little closer to making a purchase.

The rest though?? I raised my shipping prices, and offered free combined shipping, so they can order as many items as they want, and just pay the one shipping price of the one item with the highest amount.

If they only want one item? Then in most cases I charge the same. Even on the small stuff I find you have to make 3 or 4 bucks per shipment to cover your packaging and time etc, otherwise you are doing all the work for nothing.
Plus, eBay does not make any $ on shipping, but we should, even if its only a small amount to cover our expenses.
Better to sell something for 10 dollars and charge 4 dollars for shipping, than charge 14 dollars and give free shipping. You'll pay less FVF and pocket more money, and still be extremely reasonable to your buyers.

Cheers,
AXE

pierrelebel · ‎05-05-2010

"Store referral credits are gone!!!! "

Yes, that one really hurts. 😞

Got almost $1,000 in referral credits (from link on my website) last year.

momoftwingles2 · ‎05-06-2010

Hi Pierre,

Yeah...the loss of store referral credits hit me hard. I would see between $180 to $200 each month in credits.

Now....well you know!

Susan
momoftwingles2

cottonwoodindustries · ‎05-06-2010

"Giving free shipping does very little for your shipping charge DSR."

I always inform the customer what they saved with FREE SHIPPING, seems to work for me. My DSR for shipping cost has steadily gone up.

westernstargifts · ‎05-06-2010

That is an excellent idea. However I know that most sellers who offer free shipping raise their prices to compensate. In my case, II can't do that because my competitor keeps lowering prices AND giving free shipping.

My shipping DSR is still good enough to get my 20% discount every month. If it should dip down below the required level for the discount, the amount I would lose would not be as much as I collect for shipping. And I don't pay FVF on my S/H.

cottonwoodindustries · ‎05-06-2010

"That is an excellent idea. However I know that most sellers who offer free shipping raise their prices to compensate. In my case, II can't do that because my competitor keeps lowering prices AND giving free shipping. "

I do not care about my competitors, I sell at a price that is fair to me not them, and you know what. I sell lots of stuff that is way more expensive than theirs and I am doing alright.....

A few years ago I had a competitor on the other side of Canada, I tried to compete with her. I kept wondering how she could make money at those prices because I sure was not......well she doesn't sell my stuff anymore and instead of selling that item at $29.99 and losing money, my price is $85.00 - $125 and I love it.

If I worried about what the other guy is doing, I would have a ulcer or 2. Instead I have used it to my advantage. In the past couple of years, customer satisfaction is on top of my LIST not my competition.

Could have sunk or swim, I decided I wanted to swim.

Good Luck in whatever you do : )

westernstargifts · ‎05-07-2010

Thanks cottonwood.

Actually I have been selling more than the competition lately and at higher prices. I have been selling my products successfully elsewhere at higher prices, in most cases, for the past 11 years. It doesn't make any sense to me to sell them for drastically reduced prices on eBay when I have proven that you can get the same prices for them here. Why anyone would invest a huge amount of money in stock and then sell the products for not much more than cost is beyond me. The only reason I can see is that he is still trying to put me out of business and that "ain't gonna happen".

Fortunately I can swim!

Good luck to you too.:-)

cottonwoodindustries · ‎05-07-2010

"The only reason I can see is that he is still trying to put me out of business and that "ain't gonna happen".

Well this is where you can SHINE,

As someone said in another post, DON'T even acknowledge the other person. The computer has a great button known as the DELETE BUTTON and you know it really works GREAT. Use it, and often. They know they can get under your skin. I say turn the other cheek.......don't even mention anything in your description about your competition, they seem to feed on that........

I changed the way I do business in the last year, where I invested in some business cards, and started repackaging the things I am selling, using my business card as a label stapled to the outside of my packaging. My business cards - states my website, my business name and what I sell. With eBay allowing us so many FREE Pictures. One of those pictures, may contain some of those repackaged items. (your competition can't copy that)

That new business card is included in every transaction I make. Has it helped......time will tell......:^O

I just thought I would try something new the other day, facebook and twitter, I just got some new customers, hmmm. What do you know.......imagine the possibilities.........(of course at the moment I really do not know much about twitter but a word here and there seems to draw people)

Well that is my 2 cents for today.......

Hey everyone, have a great day.......