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"Shipping fee is a rip off no matter how you do the math"
False. I did the math, now, you do it.
Before the FVF on shipping came in, my total monthly fees averaged about 16.5%.
After the FVF on shipping came in, my fees have averaged 16.5%.
They raised one fee and lowered another.
Please explain your "rip off" to me, in dollar and sense.
@mr.elmwood wrote:"Shipping fee is a rip off no matter how you do the math"
False. I did the math, now, you do it.
Before the FVF on shipping came in, my total monthly fees averaged about 16.5%.
After the FVF on shipping came in, my fees have averaged 16.5%.
They raised one fee and lowered another.
Please explain your "rip off" to me, in dollar and sense.
Because I sell a lot of items that are $10 or less and the shipping is often equal or more than the item amount the fvf's on shipping hit me quite hard. On the other hand the reduction if fvf's on the item and the 20% discount effectively brought my fee down below what they had been, Combine that with all the free listing offers and my total fees are now only about 60% of what they were 5 or 6 years ago.
@2014sportsterguy wrote:
@mr.elmwood wrote:"Shipping fee is a rip off no matter how you do the math"
False. I did the math, now, you do it.
Before the FVF on shipping came in, my total monthly fees averaged about 16.5%.
After the FVF on shipping came in, my fees have averaged 16.5%.
They raised one fee and lowered another.
Please explain your "rip off" to me, in dollar and sense.
What part of rip off do you not get? Ebay introduced shipping fees to stop sellers from inflated shipping fees, there
for honest sellers with proper fees got charged fvf on shiping as well, it's a rip off for honest people.
Then, I am not honest? My % fees did not change. Please explain to me why my fees did not change.
What part of a ZERO change do you not understand?
@toby**bleep**zu wrote:
The math on that for me would be using a $30 game as an example
before shipping FVF - $23+$7 S&H - fvf 9% = $2.07 fee
Now $30 FVF 10% = $3.00 fee
No increase, really???
Some saw an increase, some saw a decrease, some saw essentially no change. I doubt there is any way of restructuring fees for millions of different sellers without having some that lose and some that win.
The two major rejigging events prior to the fvf on shipping were very costly for me while only modestly higher for others......such is life!
'ebay introduced shipping fees to stop sellers from inflated shipping fees, there for honest sellers with proper fees got charged fvf on shiping as well, it's a rip off for honest people."
Actually there is a large misconception out there that the change in fee policy was to punish sellers with high shipping charge trying to avoid paying FVFs. In my opinion, that is incorrect.
First of all, we need to remember that eBay is an American company with policies based on its knowledge of the American marketplace. In the USA, four years ago, online commerce was growing at a much faster pace than eBay's. The bulk of the growth was pulled by retailers promoting "free shipping" (shipping charge included in the price). eBay started promoting the concept of "free shipping" among its sellers.
However, one of the largest challenge came from many large sellers complaining that by offering "free shipping" (shipping included in the selling price) those sellers ended up paying higher FVFs to eBay than sellers invoicing their shipping charge separately where FVFs were not charged. Also, at the time, sellers selling through eBay's largest competitor were paying fees based on the total transaction value (including shipping).
So, based on its knowledge of the American marketplace (things are different in Canada) eBay introduced a new fee schedule for fixed price listings where FVFs were actually lowered by 1% or 2% depending on categories while the same lower fees would be charged on the shipping charge. So, on a typical transaction where the shipping charge represented 10% of the value of the transaction, there would be no fee increase to the seller.
For sellers already offering "free shipping", the lower FVFs would represent an actual saving. I know as I saved over $1,000 in fees the year the new schedule was implemented.
Sellers who charged more than 10% on average in shipping charge would see a fee increase.
This is where Canadians got the short end of the straw as shipping charge in Canada are generally much higher than in the USA - thanks to Canada Post. The result of the policy change was that many Canadian sellers stopped selling on eBay if the shipping charge was a high percentage of the selling price.
A by-product of the policy change was to eliminate much of the nonsense we previously saw on eBay with items selling for $1 with $70 shipping charge. It was not the reason why the fees were changed but that result was welcome.
Later, eBay continued to sweeten the pot for sellers offering "free shipping" (shipping included in the selling price) by giving 20% rebate to TRS on the selling price but not of the shipping charge for sellers charging shipping separately.
At the end of the day, looking at the long term, eBay's policy change was based on its understanding of the online marketplace: buyers want to buy "stuff" with "free shipping".
""Although your explanation is logical, I would be interested to know if your conclusions come through first-hand knowledge that the free shipping issue was eBay's reason for the policy change"
My earlier post was based on knowledge, not assumption nor inside knowledge.
"were an eBay "VIP" seller for some time"
???
I do not know what a VIP seller is at eBay, if there is such a thing.
Back many years ago, I was an early member of the eBay.com "Voice of the Customer" program ("Voices"). One of the few Canadians to make that team. As such, prior to joining I had to sign a 'non-disclosure" agreement where whatever information was acquired through the program would not be made public. I have respected that agreement.
Later, I was invited to join the eBay.com Stamp Advisory Committee as a charter member. Once again, I had to sign a 'non-disclosure" agreement where whatever information was acquired through the program would not be made public. I have respected that agreement.
Several years ago, I was invited by eBay.ca to join their "Canadian Profitability Initiative". Once again, I had to sign a 'non-disclosure" agreement where whatever information was acquired through the program would not be made public. I have respected that agreement.
The one thing I have learned from my close association over the years is "how eBay thinks" and some of the assumptions made on these discussion boards (both on eBay.,com and eBay.ca) are often just that: assumptions which have little to do with what eBay does and why it does it.
Because eBay is a public company, the information is generally available through financial channels such as EDGAR where all information must be disclosed:
It seems to me that prior to the time the FVFs on shipping were brought in, there wasn't a lot of free shipping offered on eBay anyway, most buyers expected to pay reasonable shipping costs, and the big commercial retailers (who had the ability to offer free shipping across the board) hadn't yet come on board.
At that time "free shipping" listing represented about 25% of all listings (I think it's more like half these days) but eBay was really pushing it hard and handing it out as the answer to what ills you. They got push-back from sellers who pointed out the conflict, "you want us to do free shipping yet you penalize us for it".
eBay may not listen to the tiny sellers like us but when the big boys push back they do.
"that's when more sellers started offering free shipping."
To understand why the policy changed at the time, it is worth remembering that changes were requested by American sellers.
Many large American businesses selling their products through eBay (as a venue) understood the changes taking place in online marketing at the time. "Free shipping" was not an eBay issue as such but a method of marketing requested by buyers when purchasing online.
Large businesses understood that and quickly converted their marketing to include shipping costs in the selling price when selling online to better compete.
Large businesses also understood that the cost of shipping for them is much smaller than for the small individual seller who pays full or near full retail for shipping material and methods. So, offering "free shipping" gives them a competitive edge.
Even in Canada, individual sellers cannot get from Canada Post or any other carrier the low rates obtained by large mail order businesses like Chapter (Indigo) for example.
Shipping costs have always been challenging for Canadians, more so for most small businesses and individuals using eBay as a venue to market their products. Somehow we have to find ways to work smarter to compete.
Not impossible... as many do indeed succeed.
@pierrelebel wrote:
I do not know what a VIP seller is at eBay, if there is such a thing.
???
I think you've just defined it -- or at least described it -- in your post above! 
