I think ebay won`t stop!

[DMRick]

Its great that you feel that way but as you can see there are many who dont feel that way
*****
The people who signed the petition are a mere fraction of the amount of sellers on ebay, so while many feel that way, many others realize the cost of business goes up all the time. It was great when ebay had few fees, and paypal had none. But not a smart way to run a business. eBay offers so much more now than they did way back when they and I started. Paypal used to actually lose money (and you don't have to use Paypal, but I'd bet most feel they sell more using Paypal..so we'll have to pay for the priviledge..and while I'm grandfathered in right now at my lower rate, that too will shortly be going up). I always feel I have to spend money to make it, and as long as I make it, I'll spend it. You feel differently, and while you can find places like Yahoo or Overstock that are very cheap, in the long run, you may not make the amount of profit you would on eBay, with their many buyers. But if the new fees really make that much difference in your bottom line, then for you, the selling on eBay sounds like it's over. It's something you have to decide for yourself. I know my competitors would love to see me get discouraged and move on, but I don't intend to. The difference for me is slight, and I use gallery, 10 day auctions and buy it now. I raised my shipping/handling .50 to cover this.
I'm sorry it has hit your profits so much, and I h0pe you can find another venue to take eBay's place.
As far as raising the price with no justification, I have no idea if their workers have gotten raises, if their overhead has gone up, if they have to pay more now for webspace...I just have no way of knowing if it's justified or not. I'm sure some of my buyers might wonder if my new shipping/handling price is justified. I believe it is, but who knows, I may lose some sales, just like ebay may lose some sellers.

 

[DianeV]

I never said I wont or cant sell on ebay anymore and that is just the attitude I am worried about..the if you dont like it leave thing. I feel if someone isnt happy about the way something is going they have every right to complain and that doesnt mean they will necessarily leave ebay - they may just have to change how they do things and raise THEIR fees which many sellers do NOT like to have to do

Ebay makes alot of money off sellers and this latest round really had no explanation that made any sense to alot of sellers. I guess if it doesnt directly affect you then it isnt a big deal YET.

How long do you think you will be able to go on raising YOUR s/h fees to make up for the raising of ebays fees before buyers stop buying BECAUSE of the high s/h fees? I think about the future and how things have already changed so much. I read discussion boards and see how many buyers are already complaining about high s/h fees.

Just remember that just because it doesnt affect you right NOW too much that doesnt mean it wont in the future..

And with that..I dont want this to get "nasty" as its easy to see it could go that way..so I wont post anymore about this..

 

[Dancind]

Yes well that would make sense IF the site DID run smoothly all the time. I have never seen so many problems as lately on ebay and their website. I dont believe they need more money to run it more smoothly. I think they just need better programmers (and they dont cost that much!)

Maybe somebody already responded to this, but this problem started in mid December and has continued. From what I am reading, it is advertising and spyware on FeePay that is causing the listings to load so slow, and the time for the back button once you look at a listing is nuts! It isn't my computer or internet connection (DSL), it's Ebay! So something they have done to create more revenue (advertising) is making it really difficult for buyers to look at my auctions and bid on them. And this on top of fee increases.

 

[grlpwrd]

I think eBay's changes affect all of us. Some deals will be harder and harder to come by or the final prices will include a higher handling fee to offset the seller's fees. It's not going to be a buyer's market when the sellers are going to be squeezed out. It's an issue of supply and demand and we'll all feel it.

I have heard that PayPal effective next month is going to end the preference to accept non-credit card payments:

*** email notification from Paypal:

PayPal Preference Change Notification

Dear Lisa xxxxxxxxxxx,

We're writing to let you know about an upcoming change to your PayPal Payment Receiving Preferences. You have selected the account preference blocking customer payments funded by a credit card when the sender has a bank account registered with PayPal. This preference will be discontinued sometime after February 11th, 2005.

Why is this preference being discontinued?

According to analysis and input from PayPal members, the preference creates a negative customer experience when a buyer's credit card payment is rejected when attempting to pay for an item displaying the PayPal and credit card logos. This can lead to buyers dropping out of the payment process or refusing to pay as a result of having their credit card payment blocked.

What impact will removal of this preference have on sellers?

Rest assured, you should not be inconvenienced or experience any noticeable changes to the way you receive payments. In fact, removal of this preference will likely reduce the potential for nonpayment, as some buyers become confused by the preference and fail to complete their transaction.

How are sellers protected by PayPal?

You can feel secure with PayPal's industry-leading fraud prevention tools that help protect sellers from chargebacks and loss due to fraud. If you receive a chargeback, PayPal will review that chargeback and may dispute it on your behalf, saving you the time and hassle of having to do it yourself. In addition, PayPal provides up to $5,000 USD in annual chargeback protection at no additional cost when you follow the Seller Protection Policy.

Thank you for your commitment to PayPal.

Sincerely,
PayPal

Soon we will be forced to accept credit cards. Yes, it affects all of us because PayPal is owned by eBay. I guess a monopoly like ebay can do that.

BTW I have been selling on ebay since 1998 and I swear each year it gets worse. It's not enough that ebay's stock prices hits a bit over $100. They are getting greedier. I sell less on ebay and have since started my own scrapbooking design business and will start my own website.

I'm getting sick and tired of being and dimed to death.

 

[robsmom]

Yes well that would make sense IF the site DID run smoothly all the time. I have never seen so many problems as lately on ebay and their website. I dont believe they need more money to run it more smoothly. I think they just need better programmers (and they dont cost that much!)

You are obviously not in IT if you don't think programmers cost that much!! In all seriousness though, it is all about supply and demand. if enough people actually stopped selling and ebay didn't make enough money they would lower the prices. Being the size that they are, they have done the right market research to know that the profits they make from the increased price will be more than the lost profits on the sellers who leave.

 

[DianeV]

So basically bottomlime profits for ebay before satisfying customers/sellers? I think that is pretty sad if in fact that is how ebay is going to start being..maybe the day will come when sellers do get fed up and then that bottomline profit for ebay wont be so great.

By the way I know programmers are not cheap however they already are paying some who dont seem to know what they are doing..how much more would it cost to find someone who actually does?

 

[DMRick]

I'm just not having all these problems on eBay. My sales have been fine, so someone is finding my items. I still seem to get around quickly on eBay, and this week I'm away, so I'm using (gasp) dial up to conduct business. I haven't had any complaints from my buyers about eBay and I haven't had any downtimes. I'm actually pretty pleased with eBay this week

As far as my saying, if it isn't worth it to you, then this may not be the venue for you...that's the way it is in any business. I know if I was selling items that I either couldn't make up the fees in the s/h (obviously, at least to me, I realized my s/h was already way below other people's for the same item, so that was doable to me), or the profit wasn't enough to justify the rise in costs, I would quit. Just good business sense for me. This certainly isn't the first raise in fees, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I have no doubt that this was researched by eBay and they are ready to take their licks. I assume some stores must not be very profitable to them (where the biggest fee hike was) and they must realize some would plan to leave. I assume they know the people selling the most will still think the new price is OK, and they prob don't care (eBay is not, and has never been, a "touchy feely" company, but a company who was out to make money) if those who sell a small amount and can't afford the new prices, leave. Again, I assume it was a business/marketing decision, based on their bottom line.
If people are not making money on ebay, I still feel they have to look at wha they are selling. If you are not making enough to have a profit, and pay these new fees (which really impact those selling small cost items the most, which I assume means lots of small items costs more for eBay to have on their site than a few large items) then it may be time to either stop ebaying, or look around for an item with more profit and more bidders. I sure can remember the times when I could put up anything and get great bids, but with millions now selling on eBay and so many of the same items, that time has passed. Now it takes a lot more work and finangling to come up with something that will bring a high bid on eBay...and not all of us will succeed. It's just the nature of the business.
There are a lot of auction sites our there...and if you wonder why they don't make it, the reason is the sellers want to go where the buyers are. And the buyers are still at eBay. When Yahoo raised their prices and many many of us left, (including the buyers, since the choices went way down..and for me, well sales were down enough that the new fees didn't make sense for me) we went to what we thought was a better place..eBay. eBay continues to raise their prices and yet millions stay. Why? Because the buyers have stayed, and in spite of new fees, I'm still making money. I don't intend to stop listing, as long as I have sales enough to make up for the price. If that happened, then I sould leave...which is what some others will do, and it makes good business sense.

 

[DMRick]

So basically bottomlime profits for ebay before satisfying customers/sellers?

I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean not having lower prices, which means happier sellers...then yup. If you mean they are raising prices and not adding anything to the site, or helping out sellers, I don't agree. eBay has come a very long way since they started, and they have put a lot of money into the site. eBay runs smoother than it has in years, the Sunday night blackout is no where near the problem (if at all) it used to be. Items get to search within minutes, instead of days or hours, turbo lister has had many positive upgrades, and site continues to get easier and easier to get around on. The tutorials for new sellers and buyers are really good ones (although that means I no longer get to make money teaching people ebay LOL!), and listing, including the shipping calculator just keeps getting easier.

So yup, they decided that even if customers are mad, they will raise the fees. Customers never like a pay hike.

 

[DianeV]

I guess I will have to beg to differ about the site running better then ever. I dont think so at all along with many others I hear about and see posting on the ebay bulletin boards...ebays problem is they dont understand if it aint broke dont fix it..they come up with all these new things but then they dont work right or people have to jump through hoops to figure them out..not much thought there I dont think

As far as the fees this time not mattering much to many I guess their stock dropping so much after the announcement didnt mean much did it? AND it made big news too..not the greatest PR for ebay

And I said I wasnt going to get into this anymore because I can see there is nothing thats going to change some peoples minds but I guess I still dont appreciate the if you dont like it leave attitude...I dont run my life that way and never will..if I dont like something I say so-- and it looks like I am not alone here

Have at it..I will give you the last word because I have been on ebay 7 years now and I know all about it..and what has happened etc...I know better

 

[DMRick]

I'm not saying that you have no right to complain. I did say I don't like the fee increased either, and I also grumbled. Then I realized, hey, I'm still making a good amount on eBay for a much smaller cost than having a store. I'm still doing better there, than on my website. And I don't mean to be rude about it..but really, what else is there to say other than, if you don't like the venue anymore, or you aren't going to make enough to pay your fees, there are other places to go to, although I think you'll find that eBay is THE place to be. I've tried others. I don't happen to think that rude (although you of course have a right to your opinion), I just happen to feel that's life. Every time eBay has made a change, even down to moving where search is a couple months ago, people complained (myself included). But as usual, the complaining went away, and it became business as usual. On the Vendio and Yahoo boards, there are hardly any more posts about it already (although there is a good thread titled Are you keeping your eBay Store, if anyone wants good reading). I got your point the first time that you have been there forever. That just means your were lucky enough to be there for the growing pains, when businesses often have cheaper rates and costs while they learn. My cable company did that, and now I pay a lot more. I've only been on eBay since April of 99, but I still remember when it was cheaper (but I also remember when bread was .05 a loaf, and gas was .25 a gallon), but again, it's their site, and while I don't know what precipitated this latest round of fees (and believe me, each time they have had a raise, there has been a public outcry..and each time people say, wow, it's never been as vocal), it's there, and I either have to live with it, or leave, and of course you (collective you, not you per se) can complain, but it would have to be a heck of a lot more than on that petition, and it would have to be a petition that doesn't allow repeated signings), or ..well, or what? Short term protests have not historically worked. One day of not buying gas to protest the increase, or one day of not listing on eBay will not make a difference..especially if you already filled your tank, or still listed the same items. It took a year and a half in the South of African Americans not riding the bus, to make a difference. I'm not willing to go that long without listing, are you?
Just an aside, Paypal was charging before eBay took them over. They did used to be free. I'd say that was before they found that people would immediately sweep their money out and they wouldn't be able to use the money for investment, etc. to recoup their costs. They apparently weren't making enough and went the way of fees. Most all of the auction places like Vendio used to be free also. I pay a ton in fees to Vendio, decided I didn't want to, changed and found the fees were worth it and now I'm back. We all complained (on Vendio) about the fees too, said we were leaving, some of us did, but a lot of us came back. It's just the curve life throws you sometimes.
Again, my suggestion (and I'm certainly not meaning to be rude..after all, the people on this board I consider my on line friends), to everyone on eBay is to look around and see what you can add to the items you already sell, that might bring more profit. If you sell a few items for $50 or $100, that you found at garage sales for $1, you won't mind the new fees at all. If you just can't make a decent profit on eBay with what you have to sell, your run there may be over.

 

[ines248]

Good morning!
I hope everyone is felling okay! I have read all your replies. I forgot to mention that I`ve a member since 1997. So yes it`s the people`s fault that became a member in 1997 or when ebay started their bussiness that made ebay rich. I forgot to say that since I became a member I never opened my mouth to complain until now. I am a shy person that loves to read and read especially message boards.Anyway for the person that says to raise S/H fees to make up for the new fees. I want to say that I am a dumb person because I don`t think or do the math when bidding for an item with high shipping. But my question is how long or by how much do you think that you will be able to keep raising s/h before dumb people like me think that enough shipping is too much shipping without using math?
I am going to my point I read the ebay community discussion boards and I found this.(Click on ebay stores) Yeah we all know most the store are already being punished by ebay. I can not post the direct link cause I STILL don`t know if i can put links here, but here is part of the (post)info.....
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"PRW: Overstock.com Auctions Listings Jump 50% Following eBay Price Increases".......

"According to Overstock.com's V.P. of Auctions, Holly MacDonald-Korth, the
number of listings on Overstock.com Auctions increased 50% in the five days
since eBay's announcement.
"That's a significant jump. Clearly there's growing rancor among eBay's
community of sellers," she said."
To appeal to the thousands of disenfranchised eBay sellers,
MacDonald-Korth said Overstock.com will REDUCE its listing fees -- already
30% lower than eBay's -- by an additional 52% from Feb. 18 through March 18
to match eBay's 52% price INCREASE.
"We would have lowered our Gallery(TM) and Make-it-Mine(TM) fees, too, but
we already offer those features for free," MacDonald-Korth added.
In addition, each person who visits or registers with Overstock.com
Auctions on the day eBay's new fee structure takes effect will receive a
$10 credit toward Overstock.com Auctions listing fees.
Overstock.com launched Overstock.com Auctions in September 2004. A
comparison between Overstock.com Auctions' fees and eBay's fees (both
current and new) is available at....................
-----------------------------------------------------
I should change my post to:
I think ebay will be mad!

Anyway this is the budged board right?...Anybody wants 10.00 credit on FEb 18th to ...
You should go to ebay community discussion boards and click ebay stores forums for more info. Really, I found this at the ebay forums!
enjoy!
ines248

 

[DMRick]

I certainly don't think you or anyone is dumb, and I certainly hope no one on this board thinks so (however, it is up to the buyer to see the total cost before bidding). My s/h has always been lower than other people's selling the same items...I've just decided that because of the fees, it's time to get them more in line with my costs. I hope that people continue to shop on eBay as I do..by the total price. I never bid on an item that I think has inflated s/h,but as a businesswomen, I do expect people to have their costs taken care of. Obviously, if your (collective you, not you per se) shipping and handling is already high, you wouldn't be able to recoup your costs that way. I've always kept mine as low as possible, so I can. I actually started this week. I'm still very reasonable for my shipping/handling.

As far as overstock, I'm been selling there (if you want to call it that) since they started. Unfortunately, so far, no one has actually paid for the item they have bid on, so $10 free won't mean anything to me. I've stopped lisitng, until they find a way to make people care, if they don't pay for the item they have bid on. I had a lot of hopes for them, and I'll still be willing to post aucitons there, if things change. I'd also rather pay the listing fee on a venue that I only have to list once or twice, rather than over and over and over. More bidders (like eBay) means I make more money. I'm in it for the money.

To the person who said eBay's stock went down when this was announced. Ebay's stock, like stock in general started to go down the last week of December, before the announcement. Here is a chart you can look at

http://aolsvc.pf.aol.com/us/quotes/...=07/30/04&todate=01/18/05&freq=1&timeframe=10

It's stil not low enough to be a buying oportunity for me.

Don't take me wrong folks. I'd rather fees be low, or even nothing. But when life gives you a punch like this, unless you own the company, you don't have a lot of choices. So rather than make myself sick over it, I worked to find out how I can still have the profit I want to have. The last time they raised fees, I went to a higher buy it now...this time I raised the shipping/handling .50.

Look at the price of lumber. I just got a new roof, so I know of what I speak. Just because lumber went wayyyy up, contractors and roofers didn't stop building. They found other ways to bring their costs down and of course set their prices higher. That's what we have to do to survive in the world where prices almost always go up, and seldom go down. Do we have to like it? No, I'm not saying that. But why make myself upset over something that I can't change.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I certainly don't think you or anyone is dumb, and I certainly hope no one on this board thinks so (however, it is up to the buyer to see the total cost before bidding). My s/h has always been lower than other people's selling the same items...I've just decided that because of the fees, it's time to get them more in line with my costs. I hope that people continue to shop on eBay as I do..by the total price. I never bid on an item that I think has inflated s/h,but as a businesswomen, I do expect people to have their costs taken care of. Obviously, if your (collective you, not you per se) shipping and handling is already high, you wouldn't be able to recoup your costs that way. I've always kept mine as low as possible, so I can. I actually started this week. I'm still very reasonable for my shipping/handling.
change.

From a selling standpoint that makes perfect sense, overhead goes up so raise your prices to compensate. The problem is that ebay is a market for new and used items and while this may work fine for some sellers, if you're selling something that's available other places, clothing for instance, or used items you're going to lose buyers who say "well, with shipping being that expensive I can go to a brick and mortar or other website and pay the same price brand new." I'm one of those buyers! While I can understand why the prices are higher, it doesn't mean I'm going to pay them and I think alot of people are going to stop shopping ebay for the same reason, it's not going to be worth it anymore.

On the other hand, I can see where this might take ebay back to where it was before when it was really a market for more hard to find items and that would work to some sellers' advantage. Unfortunately not mine .

 

[DMRick]

I totally agree with you, that some items won't work on eBay anymore. It used to be that because there weren't a lot of any one item on eBay, the items commanded a higher price (even what I sell used to have only three sellers and sold for $30-40. Now there are about 50 sellers, and it sells for just a tad above lisitng price, about $20. The old price was wonderful..the new price still gives me a fair profit). Now, if you sell something that can easily be gotten at your local mall, you just won't get a higher price (although remember, there is a large population that can't get to a mall, and if you are willing to ship overseas, a lot of clothing still will sell good). Some people were struggling before, I know. I read the lists. I'm always looking for something new, or unusual for eBay to combat that and get people looking at what I'm selling, even though only a small protion of my items will be the unusual. I just want them to look and see what I have..that's half the battle, getting them to your sellers list..
eBay may return to being for the more unusual item. It may have run it's course for the common item, because it's no longer cheap to sell there. But if they have done the research, can we really blame eBay for raising their prices, when overhead is going up for everyone?