eBay

cartoonsinabox · ‎06-25-2005

Has anyone started using or considering to use the new PROSTORE by EBAY ? I was thinking of using this new service to start my onw website store. Has anyone started using it. If you have good experience or even negative please let me know.
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cartoonsinabox · ‎07-04-2005

If your problem is all about finding a secure cart that charges GST and QST. I have a solution for you called Syspark. Go to www.syspark.net

catseye* · ‎07-05-2005

between 0.5% - 1.5%. I would wager a guess and say that it will be closer to the 1.5% for us high volume sellers.

it's the other way around, actually. Only the smallest (unusuable) store gets the 1.5% rate, everyone else gets the .5%.

*JMHO* - to be taken with a grain of salt!

crazy.laptops · ‎07-06-2005

For professional website design & implimentation check these guys out http://www2.clicshop.com/ (Canadian co. by the way)

If google decided to compete with eBay that might shake ebay out of their arrogance... google has the Capital, brand recognition, respect and could give eBay a run for their money if they ever become so inclined.

later.

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-06-2005

MPD - The items you are selling in your webstore would eventually come up, your unique domain should come up as well in the searches. Search engine spyders will eventually find your store, and the more you refresh you content and the more traffic you draw, the higher up your rankings will be (scored that info in a recent understanding search engines seminar)

I agree that it would be far more logical to create your own eccomerce website. You can always link to your eBay auction from there. Yes the templated eBay store will save you money up front (my 1st fully automated eccomerce site cost $2000 USD + a $2000 security deposit to my bank for their payment gate way services). The credit card fees for me are 1.8%, monthly fees for all around hosting, merchant accounts, etc...are about $65 CAD, plus the site is much more professional looking than some template and you have a lot more freedom outside of eBay listing policies and boundaries.
Nowadays you can integrate PayPal with your website and use a number of other means to avoid the security deposit.

So you do the math - eBay's 1.5% + merchant fees + $250 a month, plus creative restrictions vs My one time start up cost of $2000 (much less for many others) + $20-65/mo hosting and merchant service fees) + 1.9% Credit Card fee (less for high volume sellers)

The independant route would definatly pay off in the long run.

modern_tech_solutions

javax.swing · ‎07-06-2005

How did you get a merchant rate of 1.8% for an online business?

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-06-2005

Javax - Sorry that should have been 1.9%

That rate is based on a monthly sales volume of $1500 CAD and less. If you have a larger sales volume on your website the rate is less.

My physical merchant services rate on my original account is 3.5% for tradeshows, and for customers paying by credit card over the phone or when picking up an item.

I use TD Merchant Services and Beanstream which is a division of TD Onlinemart for online credit card processing.

modern_tech_solutions

javax.swing · ‎07-06-2005

Sorry, I'm not following...your rate is 3.5% for physical processing, but 1.9% when entered via your website? Wow. If these are standard rates I'll have to look into this.

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-06-2005

That's right Javax. I would have thought that it would be the other way around since the online processing is higher chargeback risks. But remember I had to put down a $2000 security deposit as well.

javax.swing · ‎07-06-2005

Ahh that's true. I'll look into this some more. Thanks for the ideas.

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-07-2005

Javax - Are you from the Toronto area? I may have some additional resources for you

modern_tech_solutions

chuck111fishing · ‎07-10-2005

Tired of spending on extra advertising there programs out there that will small ad you can link to 300 differents sites for free. Believe or not thats what i'm doing. Keep on change adding links is the only way to continue to sell

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-11-2005

Wow! Unbelievable! A spammer on the Candian PS boards...

modern_tech_solutions

javax.swing · ‎07-11-2005

I am in the Toronto area, yes. I want to start doing online CD through my website but would prefer not to do it with PayPal.

javax.swing · ‎07-11-2005

I've been looking at ProStores now, and the integration with Canada Post, PayPal, tax calculation, and interfacing with Quickbooks, which is my accounting package of choice, is superb. The features list looks good, so my question is what can compete with all of this.

whoscloset · ‎07-11-2005

The features list looks good, so my question is what can compete with all of this.

Something that won't eventually cost you all of your profits like ebay does now.

Monique

javax.swing · ‎07-11-2005

Half a percent commission isn't that much. Nor is $30/month if it'll integrate with Quickbooks saving me the time of entering everything twice.

scouttech-outfitters · ‎07-11-2005

What was all of this about Prostores costing up to $250 a month that Sunset posted about then?

I have not yet visited the site but will have a gander before I say anymore against the Prostores idea..

I would have actually said Simply Accounting Webstores integrated with the Sales package would kick the crap out of that but apparently it has been discontinued now...I'll be looking in to that as well...

Also Javax, almost any site can be integrated with Canada Post and PayPal, one thing is many people still do not have PayPal accounts and pay with credit cards through online payment forms.

Some packages such as OS Commerce also let you import your files into your accounting program as well...

Before I comment anymore though I'll take a look at the prostores in the next day or 2 and compare to one of my eccomerce sites..

modern_tech_solutions

whoscloset · ‎07-11-2005

Half a percent commission isn't that much.

I agree. It's what it will cost once ebay has established it that I'm worried about. They have a certain history of increasing their cut when the going looks good.

Monique

javax.swing · ‎07-12-2005

PayPal just introduced taking credit cards directly through your website, no need for an account. I don't know if it's available to Canada or not, but it's on the right side of the homepage.

It's the Quickbooks thing really that's got me all giddy. I thought selling hundreds of CDs would be a huge chore and I'd spend my time doing data entry, but this looks promising.

I'm not sure to what degree they integrate with Canada Post though. PowerSeller shipping rates help, but man oh man is it a long way to Gold from Silver. Argh. I want one more level CP discount!