Sold one item - ebay selling fee C$853.16!

[westcoastart2]

One more reason to get off ebay!

I sold a painting yesterday on ebay (ebay's role was to host it on their web site).

When I listed it, the ebay fees maxed out on a single item at US$250.   If I know the ebay fee would be $C853,16, there is no way I would have put it on ebay.

Last night it sold.   I knew ebay fees were going up, but a fee of $853.16 to sell one item, is too much.

That does not include the paypal fee (it hasn't been paid for yet, so I don't know how much that fee will be).

To rub salt in the wound.   I've been a top rated seller for ages, based on performance, and gross sales.

Sometime recently ebay added the new requirement to top rated sellers that they must have at least 100 transactions, per year, regardless of the gross sales receipts.

This month, ebay decided I didn't sell 100 items in the year prior (but not including the month in which this transaction occurred, only the 12 months prior), so I lost my 20% power seller discount.

Next month I'll be a top rated seller again based on sales volume.   

I understand ebay can make whatever nasty rules it wants, and we have to follow them.    However I really feel ripped off when an item is purchased in a month that will qualify for top rated seller status (based on sales volume), but is denied the discount because of sales volume in prior months.    Add to that the fact this item is being paid with a paypal echeck that won't clear until the next month (which will be top rated).    In law, the transaction doesn't occur until the date of the exchange event (ie payment).   

Put me done on the long list of people looking for an ebay alternative.

My ebay listings are prefect for their own web site.   

This is the last straw to make that happen.

Note to Ebay - buy taking too gready a share today, you will loose out of a much bigger share in the future.   That is very short term thinking on Ebay's part.

[pierrelebel]

"I don't.    "

Of course you do.  They all show up.  There is no difference between a listing by a store owner or one by a seller without a store.  Store owners can offer auction style listings or fixed price listings just like non store owners.

The differences are:

1) store owners pay a monthly fee

2) they pay lower fees- often very substantially lower (40% less in my business)

3) they have access to some programs not available to sellers without a store (Markdown Manager for example)

"I was under the impression that store items show up way down on the search standings list"

That was true ten years ago.  Not anymore.  There is no such thing as "store items" which we had until about six years ago where the listing fee was minimum but exposure questionable.  That was then, this is now.

Please take the time to review very carefully the link I supplied in my first post.

[cumos55]

I have not listed an auction since March 2006..

Store only for close to 9 years......   

Selling on eBay is like playing a board game..

It helps to know the rules of the game..... 

Always more rules ....that change regularly.....  and continually learning how to play the new game.....with each new rule....

[pierrelebel]

"Store only for close to 9 years......"

That is a misconception.

You mean:

1) you have a store and pay a monthly fee for the privilege

2) you do not list using the auction format

3) you list using the fixed price format

There is no such thing as "store listing" on eBay anymore.

[rose-dee]

---

@avionsunantiques wrote:

"This business of ebay taking 10%, as they do at the lower price points, is ridiculous in my view - given that we do all the work.    In comparison, I can put an item in an in person auction, negotiate a 5% sellers fee, and the auction does all the work.    Why pay more to ebay, and have to do all the work yourself!"    

I'm no apologist for eBay's fees, but I think the answer to that question is that the 10% represents the value of the worldwide exposure you get and the familiarity that buyers have with the eBay name.  It's true that an in-person auction house may give you a better deal on fees, but how much more likely are you to reach a large audience, not only once in a while, but every time you put an item up for sale?  

On eBay, you are in front of millions, maybe tens of millions, of people every time you list.  Of that number, the likelihood of just the right buyer (with the right amount of cash to buy) finding and purchasing your item is realistically far higher than a local auction that may attract a few thousand, even if they are a core of buyers that are particularly interested in collectibles, artwork, antiques and the like.  If you're selling valuable esoteric items, I would think the chances of making a sale are far greater here than in a live setting -- unless perhaps you have a Renoir and you're dealing with Christie's.  

I've done a fair amount of consignment selling in my day, and there, even with relatively rare antique items, consignee's fees can be outrageous -- certainly higher than eBay.  As others have mentioned, you could reduce your eBay commissions significantly (and at the same time create a "brand" for yourself on eBay) by opening a store.  If you're selling high-priced items, it's well worth it. 

"Lastly, the comment about Top rated seller requirements.     I am highly confident it used to be 100 transactions OR more than a certain number of sales volume.    Iv'e been top rated for longer than I an remember.

The change I'm referring to, is the replacement of the OR with an AND, or in the alternative, the removal of the AND, and just the firm requirement that you must do 100 or more transactions.    That has caught me by surprise, as I don't sell that many painting in a year, but the total sales volume will be higher than those who sell thousands of sub $10 items."

Perhaps someone can dig around in the old announcements and find out when the 100 transaction per year requirement was introduced, but I've had TRS for over 2 years now, and I'm certain it's been a requirement for all that time, at least for Global and US.  In other words, it was always dollar volume and 100 transactions in 12 months during all that time, so not a recent change. 

[cumos55]

There is no such thing as "store listing" on eBay anymore.

OK.....

Fixed Price in a store....  All by definition...

[pierrelebel]

"Fixed Price in a store....  "

A fixed price listing may be by a seller with a store or a seller without a store.

The listings work exactly the same way and are seen the same way in search results.

The only substantial differences are related to fees charged by eBay (link supplied earlier).  Sellers with a store (paying a monthly fee) pay lower Final Value fees and benefit of a lower cap for very expensive items.

Unfortunately many sellers, as evidenced by the original poster's comments, still see "fixed price" listings as "store listings" with less visibility.  "Store listings" as such no longer exist. Things have changed a lot on eBay in the last ten years. 

Today, the eBay world is divided into sellers with a store and sellers without a store.  The vast majority of listings on eBay are from sellers with an eBay store, mostly due to lower fees.

Then listings are divided into two groups, regardless whether the seller has a store or not:

1) Fixed price listings (about 85% to 90% of all listings)

2) Auction format listings (about 10% to 15% of all listings).  Auction format may come with a "Buy-it-Now (BIN)" option where the "Buy-it-Now" price must be at least 30% higher than the auction starting price.

Now, this is today.  What will it be next year?  in 2020?  Who knows?

[gorillascalesca]

Your FVF on that was actually pretty decent considering its $13k sale. That is better than some ppl do in a month and we pay over a grand in selling fees per month.

[pierrelebel]

The problem here is that the seller missed the recent announcement that the maximum fee would be increased from US$250 to US$750, effective last month:

http://announcements.ebay.ca/2014/10/23/7642/

"Fee update for sellers without an eBay Stores subscription. The maximum standard final value fee—the maximum fee sellers without an eBay Stores subscription will pay per sold item—will be raised from $250 to $750. This change only affects items that sell for more than $2,500.

Note: The current $250 maximum final value fee for sellers with an eBay Stores subscription is not changing. "

PS - In the "good old days" eBay charged only 1% FVF for value over $1,000. That was then, this is now.

[mr.elmwood]

For ten years of selling, 3485 seller FB, the OP does not get to say "I didn't know".

A three year old gets to say "I dunno".

This is simply mind boggling.

[Anonymous]

You mean this seller actually think he would pay the final value fees on the starting price of $250.00 not on the sold price?

As for sold for nearly $12,000, I would say final value fees of $800.00 is much lower.  I think with 12% final value fee on the sold price would be around $1,670.  Or am I wrong?

I wish the seller would be that clear as the way he sounds as he sold the item for $250.00 and charged $850.00 for final value fees.  No need to confuse us, should have make it very clearly like the sold price not the starting price.  Sigh!  I am glad that it is not for $250.00.  But still it is lower, like half than $1.670.00.

[pierrelebel]

"Or am I wrong?"

You may be looking at the wrong transaction or answering to the wrong thread.

It was a Buy it Now (not an auction), there is no "starting price of $250 - not sure where that came from),  "with 12% final value fee" - again not sure where 12% comes from - the fee charged was - as stated above - the correct one according to the fee schedule: US$750.00 which is the new cap. 

Link to fee schedule was provided earlier

[mr.elmwood]

Honey, no. The seller thought the FVF was capped at $250 regardless of selling price.

[pierrelebel]

recped - you are so right !

[pierrelebel]

"For ten years of selling....,"

In fairness the change from US$250 maximum fee to US$750 maximum fee was made less than a month ago.

[nuvistors]

Perhaps you should stick to yard sales !

Consignment fees  at an art auction are FAR  more than the commission you were charged by ebay.

[avionsunantiques]

Perhaps you should stick to yard sales !

Consignment fees  at an art auction are FAR  more than the commission you were charged by ebay.

FYI, Christies and Sotheby`s are both 5%, and that can be negotiated to a lower level.    Thats less than ebay, not Far More as you claim.

Yard sales are a good place to find used garden tools (if you need them), but little else.

[nuvistors]

FYI   From forbes magazine 2013

Sotheby’s announced today that it will be increasing its buyer’s premium, the amount of commission buyers pay Sotheby’s on top of the hammer price of works sold at auction.

From March 15, buyers at auction will pay 25% on the first $100,000 of the hammer price, 20% on the portion of hammer price above $100,000 up to and including $2 million and 12% on any remaining amount above $2 million. The auction house said this would mean an increase of 2% or less for 98% of buyers on the final purchase price.

[tremblay514]

Try something I saw on another selling website: the buyer pays selling fees and paypal fees !!!

[pierrelebel]

"the buyer pays selling fees and paypal fees !!!"

It is not unusual for many public auctioneers to charge buyers a "buyers fee" in addition to whatever fees are charged to the consignee (seller).

Many also charge a fee to the buyer if a credit card is used for payment.  It is quite legitimate in that industry.

[nuvistors]

---

@tremblay514 wrote:

Try something I saw on another selling website: the buyer pays selling fees and paypal fees !!!

---

Directly or indirectly the buyer pays the selling fees on all purchases.   Some venues take the money directly from the buyer and some venues  have the buyers give the money to the sellers before collecting it from the sellers.    In all cases the money comes from the  buyer  for the auction fees.