eBay

2nd-time-around-jewelry · ‎05-10-2017

Looks to me like sellers are being hammered left & right with increases in fees, taxes, the lowering of final value fees from 20% to 10% for TRS. I can't see any incentives anymore for someone to be a seller on eBay now. Also buyers are covered for almost everything by eBay & PayPal so they can be dishonest if they want as they know they can get away with it. I have been selling on eBay about 15 years & used to enjoy it but now it is quite disappointing & frustrating.

reallynicestamps · ‎05-11-2017

What is your shoptheft rate?

WalMart, as I have been saying way too often lately, has a shoptheft/shrinkage rate of about 1.28%.

Are your losses greater or less?

It's not personal, it's business.

But there does come a time when we decide to retire or to pursue other goals.

hlmacdon · ‎05-11-2017

@reallynicestamps wrote:
What is your shoptheft rate?
WalMart, as I have been saying way too often lately, has a shoptheft/shrinkage rate of about 1.28%.
Are your losses greater or less?
It's not personal, it's business.
But there does come a time when we decide to retire or to pursue other goals.

Not to mention these challenges will still be there, wherever you sell online, with whatever merchant account provider you deal with.

pocomocomputing · ‎05-11-2017

@dustmite007 wrote:
Looks to me like sellers are being hammered left & right with increases in fees, taxes, the lowering of final value fees from 20% to 10% for TRS. I can't see any incentives anymore for someone to be a seller on eBay now. Also buyers are covered for almost everything by eBay & PayPal so they can be dishonest if they want as they know they can get away with it. I have been selling on eBay about 15 years & used to enjoy it but now it is quite disappointing & frustrating.

The changes in fees has made selling low cost items a bit harder but the biggest issue I have is Canada Post shipping costs. I used to sell a lot of items using Light Packet USA and Light Packet International. The rates for these services have gone from $2.50 CDN to $6.84 in the past five years (for minimum weight of 100 grams to 200 grams).

When the Light Packet USA rate was $2.50 CDN and using discount postage stamps to have a cost at 60% to 70% of the $2.50 ($1.50 to $1.85 CDN), I could sell items at $5 CDN with free shipping to the USA and Canada. The Light Packet USA service was quick and reliable with items arriving in 4-5 days. This made me very competitive with USA sellers on cost and shipping time.

As the Light Packet rates went up and up, I could no longer sell items at $5 CDN with free shipping to the USA and make a profit. I could not raise the prices because the price for the items I sold would not be competitive. I cannot sell these low cost items together at a higher price because they would exceed the 200 gram weight limit. I would have to move to Small Packet services and I do not think the items would sell. Also Light Packet USA shipping times seem to be a 5-10 days now and is no longer quick

The huge increase in Light Packet rates in the past years ended selling low cost items outside of Canada using Light Packet. I know I could cheat and use Letter-post USA at $2.95 for 100 grams and $5.15 for 200 grams but this service is not for selling goods. LOL, putting on 20+ low denomination discount postage stamps would make them very conspicuous for checking by Canada Post.

So last year I just gave up on selling on eBay last year when the Light Packet USA 200 gram rate went to $5.70 CDN. I was really surprised that with another huge increase to $6.84 this January really killing off Light Packet USA for me.

dutchman48 · ‎05-11-2017

I am in the same boat with light packet.

Also getting late shipping dings from US Buyers as well as INR and I think it has to do with what CP charges and when they get it.

I even had one just file INR to get his postage costs back because he told me they were ridiculous even after I send the CP link

Postage costs worldwide are increasing and all cheaper stuff won't work for much longer.

Makes it even worse when Ebay and Paypal both take a chunk of the shipping and now tax on top of that.

My days here may be numbered as we are getting nickel and dime to death and sales are like molasses.

Maybe time to go where there are no store fees, can list free, and pay a lower FVF only on the sale price, and not shipping.

May not sell as much, but won't have $60/month store as well as the listing program costs. My sales for the last week are under $50 now.

dutchman48 · ‎05-11-2017

@hlmacdon wrote:
@reallynicestamps wrote:
What is your shoptheft rate?
WalMart, as I have been saying way too often lately, has a shoptheft/shrinkage rate of about 1.28%.
Are your losses greater or less?
It's not personal, it's business.
But there does come a time when we decide to retire or to pursue other goals.
Not to mention these challenges will still be there, wherever you sell online, with whatever merchant account provider you deal with.

But on Ebay do you get the privilege of paying return postage for a scammer to return garbage or rented items.

reallynicestamps · ‎05-11-2017

Perhaps I'm just a sunny little optimist, but I believe most people are honest and most complaints are valid.

The complaint about scammers returning a rock are in my opinion, mostly urban legends.

hlmacdon · ‎05-11-2017

@dutchman48 wrote:

Postage costs worldwide are increasing and all cheaper stuff won't work for much longer.

Pretty much a universal problem these days. I ship primarily with USPS and the increases to international first class have had a huge impact on sales to those markets, and we've seen domestic first class increasing slightly as well. The reciprocal agreements between UPU members really need addressing moving forward as some of thse increases have been to subsidize the losses on processing of incoming international mail.

zee-chan · ‎05-11-2017

"I even had one just file INR to get his postage costs back because he told me they were ridiculous even after I send the CP link."

Wow what a jerk. I guess in these scenarios using "free shipping" works because the buyer wouldn't know how much of it goes into postage.

I actually have complained to a seller before (years ago) who charged something like $10 postage flat rate, when I got my item it's smaller than I expected (I was thinking it must be pretty heavy to be $10), so I messaged the seller how It's unreasonable to charge $10 when it costed him $3 to ship (fact, I know my Japan Post rates well) and the seller refunded the entire postage to me (I was expecting partial).

Back on topic, I think I'd probably stop selling here soon too, or just turn all of my listings into lots instead of listing as individual books. The taxes aside, I don't like the idea of eBay at taking our photos to use for their catalogues. So I figured if I'm selling lots only then they can't take my photos.

reallynicestamps · ‎05-11-2017

"free shipping" works because the buyer wouldn't know how much of it goes into postage.

I don't know if it is still possible, but at one point one of the advantages of using PP shipping labels was that they did not show the postage.

The problem was that the postage showing on Canada Post labels was not what the seller paid. That amount included fuel fees and GST.

And every now and again, a seller got negged for S&H of $1.50 but a postage label that said $1.27. (Or the like.)

Many people lack a sense of proportion.

Which is also why I post the by the minute minimum wage so often.

Time is money. Hissy fits are too expensive to bother with.

the idea of eBay at taking our photos to use for their catalogues.

My books and patterns are all pretty scruffy.

And the stamps, with the exception of postage lots, are going to be unique.

But for anyone with new products, this is a bad idea and may even contravene copyright law.

lady.stark · ‎05-11-2017

@reallynicestamps wrote:

But for anyone with new products, this is a bad idea and may even contravene copyright law.

I was thinking the same thing when I read about this new change. It is against the law to use someone else's photo without paying for the right to do so. Will eBay give us money to use our photos?

Selling in lots might be an option to consider... I have so much to think about with this new seller update.