Final Value fee on shipping to Ebay sellers

[clothes2ewe]

This is ridiculous, I charge actual shipping and lose 1.42 which means it costs me that much more to sell on here. I called Ebay and they say it is t protect buyers from sellers who list items for 1 cent but charge 45.00 shipping on small items, but that has nothing to do with me. I am losing more than I am gaining on here, has anyone else noticed this change besides me. I alwys thought that when I bought something if I agreed on the terms I.E. price and shipping that it is a contract, but I guess I am wrong????

[pierrelebel]

The change of policy (charging FVF on the total amount of the transaction, including shipping charge but not the taxes) was announced earlier this year and eBay has sent sellers several messages on the subject.

Sellers obviously do not like the change.

Did you not get those messages?

[clothes2ewe]

No it is price gouging once again, think about it, who loses out and who gains, Ebay gets all te cash and we get the bone put to us. To me it only forces me to increase my costs as I have to cover the loss somewhere or leave, coutner productive poilicy for sure but a quick fix for them.

[hitokiri_ookima]

Indeed the situation sucks. Unfortuantely, Ebay has sent several emails about it to counter those who do charge exessive shipping charges (I for one as a buyer am happy for this)

Although as a seller, I dislike it a bit. When selling I charged a bit over to compensate but eventually I simply switched to Free Shipping and evaluate each item or bundle of items I sell accordingly.

To me as a seller only once every few years, I still sell here to get rid of stuff that I know still has a bit of value and is just sitting at home collecting dust.

All depends on what your needs are.

[cooltoycars]

Ebay is in business for ebay NOT for the sellers! Have you just figured that out? The solution is easy, simply pass the higer fees onto your customers! If your margins are that close then stop selling those items!

Maybe Ebay will wake up when they see the bottom line go down due to BS like this and sellers continue to leave!

[wiretowire2]

Ebay has become a BUYERS paradise!! A place where decent sellers get underserved negative feedbacks with no chance to defend, it is all a matter of opinion and revenge from the seller. So the seller was niave enough to except an outrageous shipping cost, I would say too bad for you , do your homework, but no ebay punishes honest sellers, you take your pkg to postoffice within 24 hrs... and the postal service is SLOW..oops forgot that's the sellers fault too, you don't like what you bought THE SELLERS fault too. According to ebay, if absolutely ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING goes wrong, including the buyer gets up on the wrong side of the bed the day your pkg arrives is all the SELLERS FAULT. I used to be a loyal seller on ebay UNTIL I GOT SCREWED over royaly.. I rec'd a broken item from a seller and ebay said too bad so sad, I shipped an item it was deliver within the 7 business days as promised I got a negative feedback that read.. too bad so sad I got the item free and you got a negative feedback haha.. ebay had made me refund them , when I asked for the neg. feedback to be retracked I was told it was their opinion. I even sent proof of delivery. Canada post is NOT the same as USA postal service, it takes longer and costs more to ship to USA than them to Canada, Ebay gouged my earnings with HIGH listing FEES, High Paypal fees, SHIPPING fees.. when I charge the actual cost of shipping I was told by ebay to lower my shipping fees.

I LEFT EBAY.. and I am now selling on kijiji and other sites FREE... these sites have class, and do not rip sellers off..I have met some great buyers, honest, trustworthy .. it has been a very pleasant experience. My advice is to leave this nasty place. I expect this comment to be removed by ebay as that is their style, my account will be suspended BIG DEAL if it makes you feel better, I WILL NOT BUY OR SELL on your disgusting site EVER again.. YOU ARE A COMPLETE RIP OFF!!!!! what was once a great place to sell, meet great people and have fun is now crap.

A VERY HAPPY SELLER WHO IS NO LONGER USING EBAY AFTER TIRED OF BEING RIPPED OFF.

[pierrelebel]

"and I am now selling on kijiji ... FREE... these sites have class"

Did you know Kijiji is 100% owned by eBay Inc?

[scifan57]

Ebay also owns part of craigslist as well.

[watch4mee]

I have no problem with sellers charging me the fees they have to pay to sell. Problem is the shipping rates have gone nuts.I can have a watch shipped for$5 and the next guy wants $35.Or how about the guy charging $90 to ship a $20 pair of shoes.Sellers charge what you must to cover your fees but I will no longer be raped by outrages shipping charges.When I ship I charge the shipping cost,a little bit of tape and packing isn't worth $30.

[it*s-not-me]

While a few sellers with high shipping charges pad shipping costs, most have opted to offer only higher priced options.

EBay decided to control this by charging FVFs on shipping, but IMO a better way would have been to require that sellers allow buyer to choose the method of shipping................ including First Class International from the States etc.

That would have solved the problem as well.

Then, if buyers opted not to purchase insurance etc., sellers would be free to add whichever services they chose to at their own expense.

That would have worked too.

When eBay chose to add FVFs to the cost of shipping they werent' realy helping the buyer or seller.

They were helping eBay.

[pierrelebel]

"That would have solved the problem as well"

???

This assumes an understanding of the problem.  It assumes the problem had to do with fee cheaters exclusively.  Not so.

eBay does have a credibility problem.  Often over the years they have been less than candid at times of major changes in fees or policies. That lack of credibility is part of the problem today.  Many folks do not believe eBay and its staff.

Simply stated, the change of policy where sellers pay fees on the total value of the transaction was made primarily to match what eBay's major competitors are doing (Amazon comes to mind).  It also helps show higher numbers to shareholders and investors.

A by-product of the change of policy is to minimize fee cheaters.  Another by-product is to induce sellers to absorb all or part of the shipping charge in the selling price, making it more inticing to buyers.

It is too easy to forget that FVF in general have been reduced - on average - to compensate for the FVF being charged on the value of the transaction, instead of the item only.

Many sellers who were already offering "free shipping" (shipping included in the price) saw their eBay fees go down.  eBay also created an added incentive by allowing TRS 20% discount in the value of the item only, not the shipping charge.

Finally, we must remember, like it or not, that eBay is American based and changes policies based on the American experience of its sellers and buyers.  Reality is that shipping costs within the USA are generally much lower than within Canada or from Canada to the USA.  There is nothing Canadian sellers can do to change that reality.  If we want to compete with American sellers in their country, it will cost us.

Nobody needs to sell on eBay.  If another venue is available to sell your wares more profitably, use it by all means.

[it*s-not-me]

This assumes an understanding of the problem.  It assumes the problem had to do with fee cheaters exclusively.  Not so.

Finally, we must remember, like it or not, that eBay is American based and changes policies based on the American experience of its sellers and buyers.  Reality is that shipping costs within the USA are generally much lower than within Canada or from Canada to the USA.  There is nothing Canadian sellers can do to change that reality.  If we want to compete with American sellers in their country, it will cost us.

Nobody needs to sell on eBay.  If another venue is available to sell your wares more profitably, use it by all means.

I should have said that it would have solved "MY" problem.

I'm so tired of shopping on eBay and the #1 reason is the cost of shipping.

US sellers do way better when shipping internationally.

They might not need us the way we need them....... but the items I buy sell for twice as much when shipped internationally.

EBay is an American company all right.  Where are the Canadain buyers?

Whey you encourage sellers to move from eBay........ we all know that's a loaded comment.

There is no place else.

[pierrelebel]

"Why you encourage sellers to move from eBay......"

I don't. I simply state, on a regular basis, that if a Canadian seller cannot profitably sell on eBay, there are many other options.  Nobody needs to sell here.

eBay is by far the venue with the most worldwide online audience for a Canadian sellers wishing to sell by mail using an online venue. However, it is costly and getting costlier every year. And complaining about it will not solve the problem.

Another observation that applies to many sellers worldwide, but more so in Canada because of high shipping costs, is trying to sell "stuff" that is not meant to be sold by mail.  Many items have too low a value to warrant the packing and shipping charge, let alone the marketing costs on eBay.

Successful mail order Canadian sellers have adapted, often by understanding they have to work on lower profit margins.  It has never been easy for Canadians to sell by mail and compete effectively against Americans.  It has very little to do with eBay. 

[femmefan1946]

but IMO a better way would have been to require that sellers allow buyer to choose the method of shipping................ including First Class International from the States etc.

This is possibly the dumbest idea I've heard in all the rants about the FVF on shipping fees.

As the simplest response, allowing the buyer to choose a method that cannot be insured or delivery confirmed, would mean that sellers would be left naked against phoney claims of non-delivery.

We already see problems brought here by sellers who acquiesced to buyer demands for cheaper Surface International shipping, whose businesses were destroyed by non-delivery claims, negative feedback , and trashed Stars for slow shipping.

This would open a gateway for scamming buyers, a gate that is already off the latch.

[it*s-not-me]

"Why you encourage sellers to move from eBay......"

I don't. I simply state, on a regular basis, that if a Canadian seller cannot profitably sell on eBay, there are many other options.  Nobody needs to sell here.

Another observation that applies to many sellers worldwide, but more so in Canada because of high shipping costs, is trying to sell "stuff" that is not meant to be sold by mail. Many items have too low a value to warrant the packing and shipping charge, let alone the marketing costs on eBay.

Successful mail order Canadian sellers have adapted, often by understanding they have to work on lower profit margins.  It has never been easy for Canadians to sell by mail and compete effectively against Americans.  It has very little to do with eBay.

I didn't ask "why you encourage sellers to move from eBay..""

I said it's a loaded question......... for all the reasons you stated.

You're exactly right....... I'm amazed at how many sellers list items that make no sense to me.

However........... that said: I could never understand how someone could make money selling stamps here at a few dollars a stamp............

but you did very well with stamps.

[it*s-not-me]

This is possibly the dumbest idea I've heard in all the rants about the FVF on shipping fees.

As the simplest response, allowing the buyer to choose a method that cannot be insured or delivery confirmed, would mean that sellers would be left naked against phoney claims of non-delivery.

We already see problems brought here by sellers who acquiesced to buyer demands for cheaper Surface International shipping, whose businesses were destroyed by non-delivery claims, negative feedback , and trashed Stars for slow shipping.

This would open a gateway for scamming buyers, a gate that is already off the latch.

Ooops    X-(  ........... is it that dumb?

The way I see it as a buyer is that insurance, delivery confirmation etc.etc. don't benefit me at all so why should I buy stuff I don't want?

I just want my item.

IMO if a seller wants those perks for him or herself then the seller should pay for it........ not me as a buyer.

As a seller that's exactly what I do.

[marnotom!]

The way I see it as a buyer is that insurance, delivery confirmation etc.etc. don't benefit me at all so why should I buy stuff I don't want?

I just want my item.

IMO if a seller wants those perks for him or herself then the seller should pay for it........ not me as a buyer.

If you don't pay it in the shipping costs, you'll likely end up paying for it in the item price itself as a good seller will just shift these expenses around.  I don't see this as being advantageous to a buyer.

[it*s-not-me]

The way I see it as a buyer is that insurance, delivery confirmation etc.etc. don't benefit me at all so why should I buy stuff I don't want?

I just want my item.

IMO if a seller wants those perks for him or herself then the seller should pay for it........ not me as a buyer.

If you don't pay it in the shipping costs, you'll likely end up paying for it in the item price itself as a good seller will just shift these expenses around.  I don't see this as being advantageous to a buyer.

It would be my preference to pay a higher item cost than to be faced with the constant hassles over shipping.

International selling makes it too difficult to do away with shipping charges, but IMO that would be best.

In other words......... I'd way prefer that sellers list so that shipping costs are always part of item costs.

For me as a buyer it's much easier to deal with psychologically.

I hate wasting money and to me higher then necessary shipping costs are a waste of my money.

Sellers see it differently so let them pay for it.

IMO this goes hand in hand with Pierre's comment  that some items are not meant for on line sales.

If the seller can't absorb the shipping cost, then perhaps the item isn't meant for eBay.

[scifan57]

Ooops    X-(  ........... is it that dumb?

The way I see it as a buyer is that insurance, delivery confirmation etc.etc. don't benefit me at all so why should I buy stuff I don't want?

I just want my item.

IMO if a seller wants those perks for him or herself then the seller should pay for it........ not me as a buyer.

As a seller that's exactly what I do.

I happen to agree with femmefan,it is the seller who chooses the shipping method,not the buyer.Why should a seller be forced to allow a buyer to choose a shipping method that offers no protection to the seller in case of item not received disputes?

[it*s-not-me]

I get that most sellers won't agree... but the reason is as stated above:

The buyer has nothing to gain by purchasing those perks.

They are for the seller's benefit alone.

No educated buyer would purchase those options if given the choice.

A few might choose to pay to get an item a little faster and those perks may be part of the service ........ but those buyers are rare.

Is it really right to force buyers to purchase something they do not want?