Sure hope ebay doesn't try this here!

[surplusdealdude]

eBay Australia Announces New Pricing, End of Store Inventory Format

http://auctionbytes.com/cab/cab/abn/y09/m07/i15/s01

eBay Australia is eliminating Store inventory format effective September 10, 2009, and is launching the 30-day fixed-price format that was introduced in the U.S. last year (link). eBay Australia said it was introducing new pricing packages for eBay Store owners to encourage them to list more Buy It Now (BIN) listings.

Subscription fees for Basic Stores will cost $19.95/month, up from $14.95/month. Currently, Store inventory format insertion fees cost between 10 - 50 cents, depending on the item price, but are not integrated into eBay.com search results. Beginning September 10th, Storeowner listings will appear integrated with non-Store items in search results and will cost 40 cents for all durations (3, 5, 7, 10, 30 day duration or Good Til Cancelled format). See eBay Australia's announcement for a breakdown of Final Value Fees. Current fees can be found on this page.

Store sellers pay 40 cents for the new 30-day fixed price format, which can contain multiple quantities. And as in the U.S., the more the Store owner sells from a single multiple-quantity listing, the greater the chances of it appearing higher in search results due to the Recent Sales algorithm in Best Match.

In the U.S., Store owners are still able to list items in Store Inventory format - meaning they appear in a distinct place on eBay.com search results pages, underneath regular format listings - for 3 cents for a 30-day listing (link).

eBay Australia is also making the Gallery feature free. The site said sellers who list in Auction or don't own an eBay Store should know there are no changes to the standard pricing.

PeSA Australia (the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance) issued a statement saying that the pricing changes eBay has released were a positive step forward. "We believe the changes put forward encourage long term growth on eBay for sellers and a better experience for buyers."

:_| -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[pierrelebel]

The first test was made a year ago on eBay.uk. For more information check this http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/storefees.html

Now Australia

I suspect it is coming to North America next year.

I have already moved over 600 listings from my eBay store to fixed price on eBay.com core site ($0.35 per listing) since eBay changed the fee structure last year. If eBay.com (and/or .ca) implements a fee structure similar to eBay.uk, it would mean moving my other 2200+ listings from store to core - higher fees - higher exposure.

[surplusdealdude]

I'd look at doing something similar if I could list all my UHMW as one listing and use their new "variations" thingy to spell out the different sizes - then I couldn't care.

But the stores have other benefits, like having a fixed spot to be able to direct customer to on an ongoing basis. All that benefit is going to be lost of they close the stores.

Luckily, I'm opening my own web store this year ( hopefully before fall). But a lot of sellers are going to go absolutely ballistic if this is done. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[surplusdealdude]

I just had a look at your link, Pierre.

It seems that ebay is attempting to do a back-door attempt to force sellers out of the basic store into the premium stores, judging by the discrepancy in listing fees.

I wonder if OZ is doing the same thing. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[surplusdealdude]

Yup, that's what they're doing.

ebay wants all of us to move to anchor stores.

Well, at least the stores are staying, anyway.:-( -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[pierrelebel]

"ebay wants all of us to move to anchor stores"

It may not be as bad as some may think, depending on the type and number of items in a store.

Using ebay.uk as an example, if I list all 2,800 items in a "featured" store (not "anchor"), it would most me, every month,
2,800 x £0.05 = £140.00
+ montlhy fee £50.00
Total £190.00 (about US$ 304.00)

Currently, I pay 600 x US$0.35 fixed price listings = US$210.00
+ 2,200 inventory store listings x average US$0.04 = US$ 88.00
+ monthly fee US$ 16.00
Total US$ 314.00

In addition, I would get substantially better visibility for 2,200 store inventory listings! and FVF are MUCH LOWER!

It would sure work for me! 🙂

[surplusdealdude]

Yeah, this might be a good thing after all.

We'll have to see when we see what the terms of the .com switch are released. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[plasmaco]

There is still the problem of where do you send the buyers from off-eBay...

Although, I did list some items with GTC 30 day fixed price, and I only update the quantities. It's been there since about a hundred sales, with a pageview to sales ratio of 12 to 1.

But a store URL was/is more permanent...

We'll see what will happen, but up to now I could adapt to all eBay changes. Kicking or screaming, but I made it work in the end...

Dude, if you list the plastic as multiple choice listings, do you think people will bother to "browse" the available sizes? I mean, now if I look for a 2x2x16 inch piece of Delrin, or UHMWPE piece, I don't even bother looking at listings that have no dimensions. What you gonna list under? UHWM plastic - various quantities - ?

Think about it !

[surplusdealdude]

There is still the problem of where do you send the buyers from off-eBay...

Well, it looks like the stores are still going to exist - ebay just wants us to upgrade them to the next level.

It'll be nice to have everything in search, though and even worth paying a bit more for. When they tried that in 2006, the store owners reported massive increases in sales.

Dude, if you list the plastic as multiple choice listings, do you think people will bother to "browse" the available sizes?

Yeah, that's an issue. I haven't seen how they are setting that up as yet and perhaps I would go 1" thick delrin ( all sizes), 1.5" thick delrin ( all sizes) and so on.

I haven't worked out the details yet - I've got a "to do" list the size of a roll of wallpaper right now and most of it has to be done by September.:O -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[pierrelebel]

" I've got a "to do" list... "

When I sold my computer training business and "retired" in 1997, Mary prepared a "job jar" for me. It is still there, still full, proudly displayed on the shelf..... unopened! 😉

[surplusdealdude]

lol.

Unfortunately, my job jar is self-inflicted, so I can't really make excuses for not doing them.

Not that I don't try, mind you...:-D

Well, I'd better get back to doing the government paperwork.:_| -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[westernstargifts]

> " I've got a "to do" list... "
>
> When I sold my computer training business and "retired" in 1997, Mary prepared a "job jar" for me. It is still there, still full, proudly displayed on the shelf..... unopened! 😉


Hmmm......My DH is retiring at the end of this week. I started a "to do" list for him last week. I noticed that he added some things to the list that were definitely not his territory.

I'll have to find another way....lol.

But seriously, I would not have time to do my eBay business without his help around the house. I don't know what we will do when we get another computer and get him started on eBay.

[surplusdealdude]

Well, make sure that one of you never bids on the other's auctions, that's for sure.:^O -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[westernstargifts]

Maybe I should block him!!]:)

[surplusdealdude]

Actually a good idea and for both of you.

That way, you can't inadvertently cross the line.

I hear ebay comes down like a brick wall on people that even do it accidentally. There were stories about people using other people's computers for bidding and ebay nailed them for shilling.

So stay on your own computers - ebay has IP codes and they watch them. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan

[dipmicro]

I was wondering about that ... a test BuyNow purchase from myself under different account would be allowed ?

[surplusdealdude]

a test BuyNow purchase from myself under different account would be allowed ?

The safe answer is "no".

LEGALLY, it's not shilling, because there's no attempt to defraud another person, since it's a straight purchase.

If you left yourself positive feedback, they'd nail you for feedback manipulation, though.

ebay goes through periods where they conduct crusades against shilling. Right now, I'm starting to see signs that another crusade is due and then they nail anybody they even suspect of shilling. If you tried that, you'd get nailed.

As well, there are computer algorithms running that detect shilling. Programs are only as good as the programmers, and there have been cases where people got nailed and, from the information the boards were presented, it looked like ebay had made a mistake. We might have got a version of the facts as well that wasn't the truth - you never know.

Here is ebay's policy on it;

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/seller-shill-bidding.html

As always, it's just a policy, and policies depends on interpretation.

If you buy your own stuff, you're walking a thin line. I wouldn't risk it. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Carl Sagan