Ebay...price gouging fees.

[Cooper A-2]

@Cooper A-2 nailed it. Use eBay as a show room and direct invoice your buyer. That way you are both protected and the seller avoids the greedbay fees. The only time I sell thru eBay is if I've got it marked up enough to cover the fees on a buy it now. I never auction things anymore. I used to and enjoyed some success but the penalty for not completing a transaction as a buyer is nothing, whereas the seller must re-list and this might raise suspicion in some buyers. PayPal invoice is fair and far more satisfactory. Even here, among this crowd, I would insist on an invoice, as both buyer and seller. It just makes the most sense.

Thx...you are welcome!

 

[TXFlyGuy]

I might be interested in some of those NOS tubes you have. Would you mind posting some details? Perhaps in the classifieds would be more appropriate so apologies for the possible derailing.

Coming soon to a classified listing near you!

 

[rocketeer]

I don't see what the gripe is about. I have both bought & sold on the bay & used paypal for all sorts of transactions & have no resentment paying their fees for the service they offer. Wish I could say the same for banks, they really are thieves.

I don't think it is the practice of charging for the services, it is really a matter of they take too much.
Charging listing and final value fair enough, Paypal taking a share to use their service? Hmmmm! Surely they take the money and invest it to make money, just like a bank. The only really unfair practice is taking a cut of the postage/shipping costs.
On the subject of shipping costs. Customers expect, even when buying from amateur sellers to only pay for the actual shipment and not the packaging or effort. if something costs me £3 to post I add on the cost of a padded envelope, if it comes to around 75p I round this up to a £1 for my effort. Is that so bad to make 25p on a sale?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

The only really unfair practice is taking a cut of the postage/shipping costs.

No not really. PayPal is handling the whole sum (sale price & postage) so it's normal they charge for the whole caboodle. That's how I see it anyway.

On the subject of shipping costs. Customers expect, even when buying from amateur sellers to only pay for the actual shipment and not the packaging or effort. if something costs me £3 to post I add on the cost of a padded envelope, if it comes to around 75p I round this up to a £1 for my effort. Is that so bad to make 25p on a sale?

No, there's no harm in making a few pence on postage. Some sellers though really do try it on with the shipping costs but all's fair in love & eBay, if you don't wanna pay what the seller is asking for, no one is forcing you to buy from them.

 

[rocketeer]

How about this one from the dreaded Paypal thieves.
I sold a pin badge to someone in Canada(i'm in the UK) only a total of £13, the seller left me positive feedback so I left same for them. At the very limit of the transaction resolution centre claim limit, the buyer told Paypal that the item was bought with an un authorised credit card, that I had to refund 100% of the money buyer paid and that the buyer need not return the item.
I can guess this is an automated answer as no reasonable reply was received and despite them saying they had not queried the item arriving if not ordered. I do try to support anyone with a complaint against Paypal and whenever I have queried sharp practices such as this I have only received negative replies on eBays community pages,and always in praise of paypal whatever they may do or charge. I guess these community members work for eBay and paypal.
The sheer fact you have to use paypal is bad enough and only in eBay's and Paypals financial interest. They may also block you from listing if you recommend alternative payment methods.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I guess it boils down to the kind of experiences one has had with eBay & PayPal, I've had good ones, even though I've had to open a few 'disputes' & had one opened against me, things were resolved in my favor.... so my view is err..hmmm....favorable ?
Similarly with postal services. You hear about people complaining all the time about 'the post' yet I've used various national postal services & never had a problem. Prehaps I've been lucky I don't know but it would be unfair of me to side with the complainants..........................for the time being anyway.

 

[Cooper A-2]

How about this one from the dreaded Paypal thieves.
I sold a pin badge to someone in Canada(i'm in the UK) only a total of £13, the seller left me positive feedback so I left same for them. At the very limit of the transaction resolution centre claim limit, the buyer told Paypal that the item was bought with an un authorised credit card, that I had to refund 100% of the money buyer paid and that the buyer need not return the item.
I can guess this is an automated answer as no reasonable reply was received and despite them saying they had not queried the item arriving if not ordered. I do try to support anyone with a complaint against Paypal and whenever I have queried sharp practices such as this I have only received negative replies on eBays community pages,and always in praise of paypal whatever they may do or charge. I guess these community members work for eBay and paypal.
The sheer fact you have to use paypal is bad enough and only in eBay's and Paypals financial interest. They may also block you from listing if you recommend alternative payment methods.

Another super example that Paypal protects the buyer even if he is a crook and that Paypal allows ( sponsors) the buyer to very badly sr..w the seller...
Sorry bro, but thousands of cases like yours and for much higher amounts...
Scr..w Paypal!

 

[rocketeer]

Fair comment mate.
There will always be folks whom will try it on. What really bugs me is the way eBay/Paypal 99% of the time will side with the buyer. I feel they feel it is easier to keep a customer happy than a seller though both are needed as a team so to speak. Taking away the right of a seller to leave negative feedback for bad buyers is a big mistake as far as I am concerned, again benefitting the buyer by 'threatening', Take it back or I will leave you negative feedback. This can of course work both ways so would be fair to remove feedback altogether. Though then we could not see how good our sales on either side were.

 

[Cooper A-2]

Fair comment mate.
There will always be folks whom will try it on. What really bugs me is the way eBay/Paypal 99% of the time will side with the buyer. I feel they feel it is easier to keep a customer happy than a seller though both are needed as a team so to speak. Taking away the right of a seller to leave negative feedback for bad buyers is a big mistake as far as I am concerned, again benefitting the buyer by 'threatening', Take it back or I will leave you negative feedback. This can of course work both ways so would be fair to remove feedback altogether. Though then we could not see how good our sales on either side were.

I am 1000% with you!

 

[Americanaaa Mark]

Ebay is only worth buying from if you can get a lowball offer accepted.

Too risky to sell anything worth a large sum of money cause they are terrible at protecting their sellers. Also all the fees make it not worth it.

 

[Cooper A-2]

Ebay is only worth buying from if you can get a lowball offer accepted.

Too risky to sell anything worth a large sum of money cause they are terrible at protecting their sellers. Also all the fees make it not worth it.

...right...and or strictly refuse Paypal...then you only pay the fees for the Ebay deal.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

...right...and or strictly refuse Paypal...then you only pay the fees for the Ebay deal.

As the buyer, you do not incur any PayPal fees. This only applies to the entity receiving the funds.

 

[Cooper A-2]

As the buyer, you do not incur any PayPal fees. This only applies to the entity receiving the funds.

Agree, but I was refering as a seller (unprotected & "discriminated" by Paypal)...
Furthermore, I noticed that during last two years the Paypal acceptance as a seller... here ( in TFL) as well as elsewhere (surely Ebay where in EU sites almost no private seller accepts Paypal anymore...) dropped steadyly. Reasons valid and given in this thread plus several others...

 

[willyto]

Agree, but I was refering as a seller (unprotected & "discriminated" by Paypal)...
Furthermore, I noticed that during last two years the Paypal acceptance as a seller... here ( in TFL) as well as elsewhere (surely Ebay where in EU sites almost no private seller accepts Paypal anymore...) dropped steadyly. Reasons valid and given in this thread plus several others...

I have yet to find one seller that has interesting items for me that doesn't accept Paypal.

 

[Cooper A-2]

I have yet to find one seller that has interesting items for me that doesn't accept Paypal.

Lucky you! I see many...

 

[rocketeer]

I have yet to find one seller that has interesting items for me that doesn't accept Paypal.

Buy my stuff Willy, I could do with a nice ride down to Barcelona. It'l have to be in the summer though

 

[Cooper A-2]

Buy my stuff Willy, I could do with a nice ride down to Barcelona. It'l have to be in the summer though

Same offer from me.

 

[captzak]

Ebay charges a flat 10% of the total cost (item + shipping). Then if you ship through ebay you get a 10% discount on shipping.
Paypal then charges 2.9% plus a $.30 per transaction fee. They're taking about $.13 per dollar. Not a bad deal, you just have to be savvy in regards to shipping costs.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Ebay charges a flat 10% of the total cost (item + shipping). Then if you ship through ebay you get a 10% discount on shipping.
Paypal then charges 2.9% plus a $.30 per transaction fee. They're taking about $.13 per dollar. Not a bad deal, you just have to be savvy in regards to shipping costs.

That is 13%. Too much, way too much. Real estate agents only charge an average 6%, and they do actual work.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Auction house will take up to 25% of the sale price & you have to add onto that; insurance, storage & cataloging fees & some auctioneers will take a percentage for withdrawn or unsold items + VAT of course were applicable. In comparison, eBay's percentage doesn't sound too bad.