eBay Sticker Shock

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fantine33
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Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:15 pm

eBay Sticker Shock

#1 Post by fantine33 » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:23 am

Prepare yourselves, eBayers! I just got my first taste of the new fees.

I had a SCO accepted this morning, and the FVF on $25.00 was $2.19. Last night, it was $1.31! I don't think I really grasped just how much of a hike this was in dollars and cents.

I'm not a real prolific ebayer but, to put it in perspective, my FVF fees for February (so far) are $83.00. Adding another $70.00 a month onto that is a pretty big chunk.

It's only a matter of time before they crank up the Paypal fees, especially since they force sellers to accept it now. I've been there long enough to where that doesn't apply to me, but I take Paypal only for other reasons. Add to that the Post Office raising their prices AGAIN this May after they basically doubled them last May, and I may have to join the ranks who say 'enough is enough'.

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Bixby17
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Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:10 pm

Re: eBay Sticker Shock

#2 Post by Bixby17 » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:38 am

fantine33 wrote:Prepare yourselves, eBayers! I just got my first taste of the new fees.

I had a SCO accepted this morning, and the FVF on $25.00 was $2.19. Last night, it was $1.31! I don't think I really grasped just how much of a hike this was in dollars and cents.

I'm not a real prolific ebayer but, to put it in perspective, my FVF fees for February (so far) are $83.00. Adding another $70.00 a month onto that is a pretty big chunk.

It's only a matter of time before they crank up the Paypal fees, especially since they force sellers to accept it now. I've been there long enough to where that doesn't apply to me, but I take Paypal only for other reasons. Add to that the Post Office raising their prices AGAIN this May after they basically doubled them last May, and I may have to join the ranks who say 'enough is enough'.
I'm sorry the Ebay boycott didn't have more effect.

I'm not a seller, but it seems to me that what Ebay does isn't so unique that nobody else on the web could do it for less. I hope that happens if they continue their fee hike.

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gsabc
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Re: eBay Sticker Shock

#3 Post by gsabc » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:25 pm

Bixby17 wrote:
fantine33 wrote:Prepare yourselves, eBayers! I just got my first taste of the new fees.

I had a SCO accepted this morning, and the FVF on $25.00 was $2.19. Last night, it was $1.31! I don't think I really grasped just how much of a hike this was in dollars and cents.

I'm not a real prolific ebayer but, to put it in perspective, my FVF fees for February (so far) are $83.00. Adding another $70.00 a month onto that is a pretty big chunk.

It's only a matter of time before they crank up the Paypal fees, especially since they force sellers to accept it now. I've been there long enough to where that doesn't apply to me, but I take Paypal only for other reasons. Add to that the Post Office raising their prices AGAIN this May after they basically doubled them last May, and I may have to join the ranks who say 'enough is enough'.
I'm sorry the Ebay boycott didn't have more effect.

I'm not a seller, but it seems to me that what Ebay does isn't so unique that nobody else on the web could do it for less. I hope that happens if they continue their fee hike.
Amazon and Yahoo both tried it, and gave it up as a lost cause. You need a huge amount of server space and broadband access to make this work on any serviceable basis. That's why the market entry hurdle is so high. There are niche and specialty market auction sites, to be sure, but none with as broad a market as eBay. Those sites usually have much higher fees and commissions, and won't accept low-value items at all.

Besides, do you really think any similar "online flea market" would charge that much less? The rates would go in lockstep, as the airline fares do now. The only question would be who would jump first.

Much like Microslush and Amazon, eBay has become the 800-pound gorilla in its field. Whatever it wants ...
I just ordered chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.

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fantine33
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Re: eBay Sticker Shock

#4 Post by fantine33 » Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:27 am

Bixby17 wrote:I'm sorry the Ebay boycott didn't have more effect.

I'm not a seller, but it seems to me that what Ebay does isn't so unique that nobody else on the web could do it for less. I hope that happens if they continue their fee hike.
There are a few auction sites that are trying to break in. Some are free to list, some don't charge when you sell and some just have a one time fee no matter how long your item is up.

The main problem is it's a Catch 22 type situation. In order to have buyers, you have to have a lot of product and sellers with rep. In order to have a lot of sellers using the site, there has to be a large buying pool. So which comes first? If anyone can do it, I think it will be google. They've got well known branding, plenty of cash and google checkout. Which eBay won't let you use, because they have you over a barrel with Paypal.

I also think a key will be to somehow import your seller rep from eBay. That's one reason I've shied away from even trying some other sites even with no fees, because it's rather daunting to start from scratch.

It's almost inevitable that there will a straw that breaks the eBay back. Whether this is it or not is up to somebody else pulling a Napolean and picking up the crown out of the gutter.

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