eBay did it again.

[kjsphoto]

WEll I opened an eBay sore a few months ago and now I may have to close it after they once again raised fees.

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Starting Price
$0.01 -- 24.99 new fee 5¢ current fee 2¢
$25.00 and higher new fee 10¢ current fee 2¢

They also increased the selling fees also.

Selling Price
$0.01 -- 25.00 new 10% current 8%
$25.01 -- 100.00 new 7% current 5%
$100.01 -- 1,000.00 new 5% current (no change) 5%
$1,000.01 and higher new 3% current (no change) 3%

They are getting out of control. For a small business barely struggling to make it month to month this is just absurd.

How much more greedy are they going to get. This is a huge increase. The way I see it the only ones that win at eBay are eBay. I am tired of the hikes that seem all to often.

Just an FYI for anyone selling on eBay.

 

[resummerfield]

But what is the alternative? Ebay has captured the market for the small (an even not so small) items. If you don't sell on Ebay, where else will you sell to reach that large market?

 

[david b]

Yep...feebay. It is getting ridiculous.

 

[kjsphoto]

There are a few places but if poeple dont leave ebay those others places wont be able to create traffic. I am sick and tired of the fee increases and will start lookign for other oppturnities. They are getting too expensive as everyone that buys there wants it cheap.

 

[PatTrent]

There are a few places but if poeple dont leave ebay those others places wont be able to create traffic. I am sick and tired of the fee increases and will start lookign for other oppturnities. They are getting too expensive as everyone that buys there wants it cheap.

Please be sure and let us know when you find those other opportunities!

 

[Markok765]

Please be sure and let us know when you find those other opportunities!

The apug classifieds. welcome to apug!

 

[kjsphoto]

To start;

apug-gallery.com
base.google.com
artbyus.com
craiglist.com
artauctions.com

etc... There are a ton of them....

If more people would use these sites and promote them then eBay would go away an realize that the sellers are sick of it..

 

[Donald Miller]

Looks to me like an 8% increase on the lower priced items. I have no idea if an $8.00 increase on a $100 item would cause a purchaser to not buy or not.

If someone is selling a really great and unique item then I would think that the increase could be added to the sales price.

Most conventional auctions charge at least 10% for real estate and 30% for lower priced items like personal property. In addition a conventional auction house will charge for sales bills and all advertising expenses in addition to the percentages I quoted above. Besides that a conventional auction house does not have the exposure that Ebay has.

When I compare this to the increase in the price of gasolline, complaining about this seems to be like pole vaulting over mouse turds.

I have no alliance with Ebay.

 

[rjs003]

Last time I sent something to the local auction house it was 35% from the selling price plus a 10% buyer premium. The auction house is the only one making any money.

 

[david b]

Well, look at the profits ebay is making. It is huge.

 

[Harrigan]

Ebay is getting on my nerves too. I recently listed and viable payment method as Western Union Transfer and the action was not allowed to be put up with WU as a payment method! I had to word it WU transfer or ebay would not allow me to list my item! Perhaps in the future you also be limited to only taking paypal as payment. I believe Ebay bought paypal so all those fees are also going right in their pockets.

 

[BrianShaw]

Haven't you heard of the eBay rebate program. Buy stock and find out more!

 

[wfwhitaker]

WEll I opened an eBay sore a few months ago...

Opening sores is painful and sometimes messy. Or was this just a Freudian slip?

 

[david b]

I figure I lose 10% between the ebay and paypal fees. One of the easiest and most risky ways of decreasing fees is to start the auction at 99 cents with no reserve and no buy it now.

 

[kjsphoto]

Well it feels like a sore! lol yeah typo for sure...

My problem is that with eBay you are now paying over 10% to list and sell an item plus another 3-5%+ in paypal fees (which they also get) for a store and with the stores they are not promoting them in the searches. If they had your items in the main searches then I would not have a issue but it is like they are taking money to just take it with no marketing. They want to push eBay express and for someone starting out you have to have over 100 positive unique feedbacks or you cant be apart of the new service.

 

[resummerfield]

I figure I lose 10% between the ebay and paypal fees. One of the easiest and most risky ways of decreasing fees is to start the auction at 99 cents with no reserve and no buy it now.

That's the way I list things, and I average slightly over 7% in Ebay/PayPal fees. It's just a cost of doing business.

 

[kjsphoto]

Another update;

http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m07/i20/s01

 

[kjsphoto]

Other sites to list at;

http://www.highbidder.com looks like an up and coming site and also check out
Dead Link Removed

And for fees check out this for eBay and this is before the price increase;
http://www.powersellersunite.com/ebayfeechart.php#store

 

[copake_ham]

Their fee structure seems intended to chase away small ticket item sellers of items like camera and cell phone batteries etc. I guess from eBay's perspective a listing for low priced goods takes up as much server space etc. as one for megamillion dollar houses!

It's good to see alternative sites start to get up an running. Nothing like healthy competition to keep prices in line!

 

[PatTrent]

Last time I sent something to the local auction house it was 35% from the selling price plus a 10% buyer premium. The auction house is the only one making any money.

Yes, but then again in that situation the auction house is doing all the work. On eBay, we do all the work! They just provide the forum, although it's a well exposed one.

Pat

 

[resummerfield]

At the present time, the alternative sites to Ebay just don't have the market exposure and the safeguards (for both buyer and seller) that Ebay has developed. I don't like Ebay either, but I use Ebay because I can get the highest prices there.

 

[kjsphoto]

Not me. Most of the people looking for art / photographs don’t want to spend over $20 which is a joke for traditional prints. You can have your prices high but you will not sell a thing. $40-50 you can get but when you start breaking that mark kiss sales goodbye.