Ebay are "Revising" the fee structure in May 2011

[tamiyoman 2]

Ok guys n Gals (specifically sellers but this will possibly have a knock on effect for buyers!).

Ebay sent me new details of "Revised" fee structure for May 2011, which is outlined basically for you below.All Tamiya/Kyosho RC parts etc are listed in the "Toys" section (i can hear some of you grating your teeth!)

As of May 2011 the fees change from/to.

£0.99 to £49.99 Was 9.9% Flat fee, will become 12% (a 21.21% increase!)

£50.00 to £599.99 Was £4.95 PLUS 5.9% will become 10% Flat Fee (a 69% increase!!!)

£600.00 or more was £37.40 plus 1.9% (for any amount over £600, so a £1000 Kit was charged £45, will become 10% and the same kit to sell will become £100 (a 222% increase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Oh but they have revised Listing fees for shop sellers from 20p (Shop items) down to 10p (50% decrease)

Consider the new structure as giving you £5 saving then charging you an average £8 more LMAO.

List 1000 items in your shop per month, it costs now £200 per month, from May it will cost £100 (£100 SAVING)

Sell 1000 items per month at average £10 each item it used to cost £990, from May it will cost £1200 (£210 increase)

So net Scenario for those 1000 items is its costing you £110 more per month more so NET increase is best part of 10%.

Auction listings for private sellers (which will be the majority of TC members (although some of you should be business sellers LMAO and you know who you are!)

Insertion Fees remain unchanged!!

Final value fees:-

£0.01 - £29.99 WAS 8.75% of the final selling price From MAY WILL BE 12% (37% increase)

£30 - £599.99 WAS £2.62 + 5.25% of the final selling price of £30 or more From MAY WILL BE 10% (On a £50 item was £3.14, From MAY WILL BE £5, (59% increase)

£600 or more £32.55 + 1.5% of the final selling price of £600 or more From MAY WILL BE 10%

So ebay are getting even greedier and they justify that by bringing us a copy of Amazons Shopping trolley/checkout (wwhooppeeeeeeee!!!).

What it looks like is that they are trying to get the MASSIVE amount of people selling on ebay with private accounts (who should have abusiness acount really) to change over and in the process charge those already business customers MORE!!

READ IT!!, BE DISGUSTED!!, SHRUG YOUR SHOULDERS AND DO NOTHING AS WHAT CAN WE DO??!!!, NOTHING!!!, NOT UNTIL ANOTHER E-SITE ESTABLISHES ITSELF AS A RELIABLE HIGH TRAFFIC SITE WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS TO GO AND HAS LOWER FEES, JEEZ IF I WAS A BILLIONAIRE I WOULD START MY OWN COMPANY, 10P LISTING FEES FOR ALL ITEMS THEN CHARGE FLAT 5%, IT WOULD MAKE AN ABSOLUTE KILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, BUT EBAY HAS A GRASP ON THE W/WIDE MARKET WHERE EVRYONE SEEMS LIKE AN EBAY ZOMBIE (MUST BUY ON EBAY, MUSY BUY ON EBAY!!!), UNTIL EBAY STOP THE GREE FACTOR, ITS JUST GONNA SEND DROVES OF SELLERS OVER TO AMAZON OR OTHER SITES, LIKE GOOGLE AUCTIONS PERHAPS?

[WW-nut 0]

If Ebay want to generate more money they should encourage more sellers, not charge existing Ebay users even more. Because what happens when fewer people sell due to these changes, less revenue for Ebay and they'll likely raise their prices again to cover the shortfall. A vicious circle and one which encourages me to sell everything now before the price increases.

What about Paypal Myles, do you know whether their prices will be changing at the same time?

[tamiyoman 2]

If Ebay want to generate more money they should encourage more sellers, not charge existing Ebay users even more. Because what happens when fewer people sell due to these changes, less revenue for Ebay and they'll likely raise their prices again to cover the shortfall. A vicious circle and one which encourages me to sell everything now before the price increases.

What about Paypal Myles, do you know whether their prices will be changing at the same time?

No idea about paypal mate, not been told anything yet about changes to paypal charges.

I think ebay seem to think as we are in a recession, with less people buying they need to charge more, it does not make sense really apart form that they are being greedy and profiteering, they cannot justify the new checkout system and then charging those increases.

I Suppose its a bit like UK VAT going from 15% upto 20% to help clear the UK national debt, but to help the conomy out of a recession we need to ENCOURAGE people to spend not give them a 5% reason not to!!, hey ho governments and companies that have greedy shareholders for you!!!!!!.

[Wez-li 1790]

Those increases are pretty shocking

[tamiyoman 2]

Those increases are pretty shocking

One of 3 things will happen:-

A, Sellers increase their prices by 10% to cover new fees.

B, Sellers swallow the increases (we have swallowed the last 3 increases by ebay, dont knwo about this one yet, will decide late april what we are doing!.

C, Sellers stop selling on ebay.

Well a 12% discount for Buying direct (I.E. NOT on ebay) is much more appealing than a 10% discount i suppose

This might even take some more sales away from ebay, that would be a good day!

[442xcar 2]

Here is another increase that needs to be highlighted. Ebay sent me a message telling me that they would be charging full selling fees on the total sale amount, to include the postage/shipping charges. Here is the part that has me laughing. They stated that they are doing this to "discourage" excessive shipping charges by sellers. Duh, What! Let me get this straight. Ebay is going to increase back end costs to sellers by charging a percentage on shipping, to try and reduce shipping charges paid by buyers? Huh? What? I think Ebay needs to put down their crack pipe and join the sober world. I can't get my own site up and running soon enough...............

[tamiyoman 2]

Here is another increase that needs to be highlighted. Ebay sent me a message telling me that they would be charging full selling fees on the total sale amount, to include the postage/shipping charges. Here is the part that has me laughing. They stated that they are doing this to "discourage" excessive shipping charges by sellers. Duh, What! Let me get this straight. Ebay is going to increase back end costs to sellers by charging a percentage on shipping, to try and reduce shipping charges paid by buyers? Huh? What? I think Ebay needs to put down their crack pipe and join the sober world. I can't get my own site up and running soon enough...............

I missed that one, cant see it in the May Update?, where did you see that?.

Currently you only get charged ebay fees on postage if its rolled into your price and you offer free postage (Thus ensuring you get an instant 5 star rating on postage cost, which is a good thing as most ebay buyers dont realise this rating is for "Despatch time ONLY" and in no way for "Delivery time, which (unless the seller is personally delivering items) he has ABSOLUTELY no control over!.

It is also a nice way for ebay to scam you out of 9.9% (12% from may) in fees.

Also just read this too.

"In May, the fee discount currently given to Above Standard PowerSellers will be retired. Only eBay Top-rated sellers who offer the best service continue to get up to 30% discount on final value fees.".

THIS IS ALSO NOT GOOD NEWS FOR MOST SELLERS, AS YOU ONLY NEED 3 BUYERS PER 3 MONTH PERIOD WHO DONT UNDERSTAND THE STARS SYSTEM AND LEAVE YOU A 1 OR 2 RATING (DUE TO THEIR ITEM BEING DELAYED BY "THEIR" COUNTRIES CUSTOMS DEPT (USA CUSTOMS WITH NEW POLICES HAS BEEN VERY SLOW IN LAST 2 MONTHS!) AND YOU CAN KISS GOODBYE TO YOUR DISCOUNT (OFF THE INCREASED FEES!!), SO BASICALLY THEY ARE giving and then TAKING AND TAKING AGAIN!!.

Oh and in case someone say "hey but you get 30% discount on your fees", let me make 2 things clear, to get 30% discount you need to be a TITANIUM powerseller (selling over £95,000 PER MONTH!!!!!!!), Now even someone the size of JR-RC would not qualify (he sells about £35,000 per month), so even someone that size would only qualify for a 25% discount (Thats IF he is TOP Rated, if he is not top rated he gets only 10% discount!).

Someone who sells 190 items per week only needs 1 person to leave a 1 or 2 star rating and thats it, discounts GONE, Top Rated status GONE, prices goin up by 5% to cover lost discounts.

It really is a stupid system, if we could GUARANTEE that 100% of buyers FULLY UNDERSTOOD the system and actually spoke to a seller about the problem BEFORE leaving feedback or rating, then it wold be VERY FAIR, but its not.

I got left a rating of 1 on postage cost today, the guy saw the advertised item on ebay with the fixed item price (£25+) and the fixed postage price (£5.95 REGISTERED Mailto mainland Europe, which complies with paypal policy!), he CHOSE to buy it at those advertised costs and then leaves a rating of 1 on postage cost!!!!!!!, i would not mind so much but he paid £5.95 registsred shipping and it cost me £6.87!!!!!! (we have not increasd shipping costs from last year when they went up 10%!!!)

I read somewhere on another forum that on ebay when a buyer enters into a contract to buy something at FIXED prices with VISIBLE FIXED shipping costs, its not ethical/legal to harm the sellers staus by leaving ratings that have a detrimental affect. Its like calling your local model shop, asking if they have a part in stock, they say yes, you ask how much, he say £25 for the part and then £3.50 postage (seems most model shops charge flat fee of £3.50 for evrything LMAO) then you get the item and say "Im not happy with the postage price", err why you did you agree to buy then?, and how then they start giving you grief about it??, it does not make sense.

If ebay are to get things right they need to ENSURE that if items are marked as despatched same/next day you get a 5 Star rating, free postage 5 star rating, item as per picture/description its a 5 star rating, until buyers understand this they should NOt be allowed to leave the ratings (I also belive that ANYONE with a feedback rating of less than 250 should not be ALLOWED to leave star ratings as it is generally these "newbies" who cost sellers dearly, for those buyers with feedback of less than 250 who buy regularly and understand they system, I apologise to you, im sure you know what your doing, but the majority dont!.

Right then, stepping down off soap box, very large rant well n truly over!!!!!.

[MadInventor 3884]

I certainly sympathise with all the business sellers out there, but I suspect that in the end it will be the buyer who gets hit by the bill. I will certainly be making sure I've made any big purchases I want to before May, so thanks for the 'Heads up'.

My primary reason for joining tamiyaclub was to be able to sell my unwanted model car bits cheaply, as I was put off by eBays excessive fees, both on Ebay and Paypal charges for accepting payment through paypal. My subscription fee has been well worth it, I have sold 6 cars in 9 months, as well as numerous batches of spare parts. I've also found that people seem to advertise here first before resorting to eBay, so in many cases we get first dibs on items before they go to a wider audience. So a big thumbs up from me for trading on this forum, it's easier, cheaper, and friendlier than eBay.

[442xcar 2]

Keep in mind that Ebay is just a Pimp. They keep us poor by taking all our money, and what do we get in return. Answer; bent over..........

[djmcnz 754]

its not ethical/legal to harm the sellers staus by leaving ratings that have a detrimental affect

One of the problems is that it's difficult as a buyer to know what actually harms a sellers status.

It's not unreasonable (for a buyer) to assume that the stars are just incremental fine grained degrees of the rating. So a positive/1 star is still a positive.

eBay does everybody a disservice by not explaining this properly. As a result I give a minimum of 3 stars for any positive feedback, realising that 1's and 2's are almost as bad as giving negative feedback.

[tamiyoman 2]

One of the problems is that it's difficult as a buyer to know what actually harms a sellers status.

It's not unreasonable (for a buyer) to assume that the stars are just incremental fine grained degrees of the rating. So a positive/1 star is still a positive.

eBay does everybody a disservice by not explaining this properly. As a result I give a minimum of 3 stars for any positive feedback, realising that 1's and 2's are almost as bad as giving negative feedback.

Simply put ebay star rating is as follows.

1 NEGATIVE/VERY BAD

2. NEGATIVENOT THAT GREAT

3. OK/AS EXPECTED

4. GOOD

5. EXCELLENT/VERY HAPPY

Stick with that and you will be on the mark.

I (as a seller) generally get 4 star average rating and lots of 5 stars (quick despatch/well packed/as described/ etc etc) we get a few 1 and 2 star ratings from buyers who either dont understand what they are doing or DO understand and do it anyway.

I have only ever given a 1 rating as a buyer to one seller in all the things i have bought in last 12 months and that was down to a US seller charging me $17 for a small item and it cost him $4.20, when i asked about it he quoted "Filling in customs forms etc", to which i replied i fill out 40 of those a day and it takes about 10 seconds, I SAID IT SEEMED A BIT MUCH FOR 10 SECONDS WORK!.

He said that was that and I was not getting a shipping refund and was not very pleasant, so he got 1 star rating for postage cost and 5 for speed of despatch (next day), he also got a 1 for communication and a Positive feedback stating "PAID $17 SHIPPING,COST $4.20, POSTAGE PROFITEER, OTHERWISE OK".

Which i think was fair enuff and deserved.

[Origineelreclamebord 45]

You're really talking shocking amounts of money here! Seriously, that they are currently one of the market-leaders when it comes to auction websites doesn't mean they have to do whatever they can to stop online stores from being profitable!

[WW-nut 0]

I got left a rating of 1 on postage cost today, the guy saw the advertised item on ebay with the fixed item price (£25+) and the fixed postage price (£5.95 REGISTERED Mailto mainland Europe, which complies with paypal policy!), he CHOSE to buy it at those advertised costs and then leaves a rating of 1 on postage cost!!!!!!!, i would not mind so much but he paid £5.95 registsred shipping and it cost me £6.87!!!!!! (we have not increasd shipping costs from last year when they went up 10%!!!)

I read somewhere on another forum that on ebay when a buyer enters into a contract to buy something at FIXED prices with VISIBLE FIXED shipping costs, its not ethical/legal to harm the sellers staus by leaving ratings that have a detrimental affect. Its like calling your local model shop, asking if they have a part in stock, they say yes, you ask how much, he say £25 for the part and then £3.50 postage (seems most model shops charge flat fee of £3.50 for evrything LMAO) then you get the item and say "Im not happy with the postage price", err why you did you agree to buy then?, and how then they start giving you grief about it??, it does not make sense.

I have only ever given a 1 rating as a buyer to one seller in all the things i have bought in last 12 months and that was down to a US seller charging me $17 for a small item and it cost him $4.20, when i asked about it he quoted "Filling in customs forms etc", to which i replied i fill out 40 of those a day and it takes about 10 seconds, I SAID IT SEEMED A BIT MUCH FOR 10 SECONDS WORK!.

He said that was that and I was not getting a shipping refund and was not very pleasant, so he got 1 star rating for postage cost and 5 for speed of despatch (next day), he also got a 1 for communication and a Positive feedback stating "PAID $17 SHIPPING,COST $4.20, POSTAGE PROFITEER, OTHERWISE OK".

Which i think was fair enuff and deserved.

Myles,

If you read both quotes, surely if you take your own advise you CHOSE to purchase the item with $17 shipping so shouldn't you have given him 5 stars????

Though a serious question - I thought star ratings where anonomous so how do you know the number of stars each buyer leaves?

[Rob Buckle 1]

Not sure why people complain about ebay. If you don't like it then don't list/purchase there. At the end of the day, whoever started up ebay did so to earn money, pure and simple...and as much money as possible.

There can be no doubt that the introduction of these latest measures by ebay are an attempt to squeeze yet more pennies from those that interact with the site. Are ebay's fees overly high? Posssibly, though I have heard it said that you would pay similar percentages in a real auction, and the latter obviously does not have the worldwide exposure that ebay does, Sotheby's excepted!

You can consider ebay's fees unethical/unfair all you like, but implementing measures that increase profit is nothing less than the correct business decision.

[tamiyoman 2]

Myles,

If you read both quotes, surely if you take your own advise you CHOSE to purchase the item with $17 shipping so shouldn't you have given him 5 stars????

Though a serious question - I thought star ratings where anonomous so how do you know the number of stars each buyer leaves?

I think if you re-read both of my quotes you would see a BIG difference.

I Charged £5.95, it cost ME £6.87 and i got a 1 star rating

I was Charged $17, It cost the seller cost $4.20, I was GROSSLY OVERCHARGED, thats profiteering, maybe you missed that point?.

If the guy had charged me $7 I would not have minded, but $13 over, is a bit much

[tamiyoman 2]

Not sure why people complain about ebay. If you don't like it then don't list/purchase there. At the end of the day, whoever started up ebay did so to earn money, pure and simple...and as much money as possible.

There can be no doubt that the introduction of these latest measures by ebay are an attempt to squeeze yet more pennies from those that interact with the site. Are ebay's fees overly high? Posssibly, though I have heard it said that you would pay similar percentages in a real auction, and the latter obviously does not have the worldwide exposure that ebay does, Sotheby's excepted!

You can consider ebay's fees unethical/unfair all you like, but implementing measures that increase profit is nothing less than the correct business decision.

I have no problem with increasing fees, but MINIMUM 20% increase and as much as 222% is a tad over the top, all that and the world is in a recession.

Ebay can do what they like as there is no competition, when there is some im sure fee hikes wont be commonplace to that extent.

I hear on Amazon its 10%, on other auction sites, no listing fees and only 5%

Auction houses cancharge a %age or a Flat fee so depends what your selling

[Rob Buckle 1]

I have no problem with increasing fees, but MINIMUM 20% increase and as much as 222% is a tad over the top, all that and the world is in a recession.

Business is business. You of all people should know that. 222% is many times 20%, no doubt about it, but quoting percentages out of context is liable to mislead some. 222% of 1p, for example, is only 2.22p. Nobody would complain at such a vast percentage increase in that as a fee.

Ebay can do what they like as there is no competition, when there is some im sure fee hikes wont be commonplace to that extent.

No doubt, but can you really blame them? It's just good business, par for the course, call it what you will.

If ebay finds that the introduction of the latest measures reduces their profit you can be sure they will miraculously decide to drop them. If they find they are haemorrhaging members to competing online auction websites they will reduce fees/give incentives to squeeze out the competition and return customers to themselves. Why isn't this obvious to everyone?

I hear on Amazon its 10%, on other auction sites, no listing fees and only 5%

You must know what I would respond with here...

[tamiyoman 2]

Business is business. You of all people should know that. 222% is many times 20%, no doubt about it, but quoting percentages out of context is liable to mislead some. 222% of 1p, for example, is only 2.22p. Nobody would complain at such a vast percentage increase in that as a fee.

No doubt, but can you really blame them? It's just good business, par for the course, call it what you will.

If ebay finds that the introduction of the latest measures reduces their profit you can be sure they will miraculously decide to drop them. If they find they are haemorrhaging members to competing online auction websites they will reduce fees/give incentives to squeeze out the competition and return customers to themselves. Why isn't this obvious to everyone?

You must know what I would respond with here...

OK put into context for people, anyone selling a £1000 kit would have paid £45, from May it will cost £100, theres a %age increase for you

Regards ebay, nothing to do with profit increase, more to do with GREED.

[Rob Buckle 1]

OK put into context for people, anyone selling a £1000 kit would have paid £45, from May it will cost £100...

So sell the kit for ~£1050 or absorb the additional fees and reduce your own profit margin. Either way, the choice is yours, just as it is your choice to list/purchase on ebay.

You are not being coerced. If you feel so principled about the situation then it is clear that you should cease any further dealings with such a disreputable company.

Regards ebay, nothing to do with profit increase, more to do with GREED.

Aren't the two words synonomous?

[tamiyoman 2]

So sell the kit for ~£1050 or absorb the additional fees and reduce your own profit margin. Either way, the choice is yours, just as it is your choice to list/purchase on ebay.

You are not being coerced. If you feel so principled about the situation then it is clear that you should cease any further dealings with such a disreputable company.

Aren't the two words synonomous?

Looks like TC has an Ebay employee

[Rob Buckle 1]

Looks like TC has an Ebay employee

Ha! Not at all. I just don't see the point in complaining about something you have no control over. Sorry if my posts come across as harsh - I'm not having a go at anyone - but the reality of the situation really is a case of 'like it or lump it'.

Cheers,

Rob

[tamiyoman 2]

Ha! Not at all. I just don't see the point in complaining about something you have no control over. Sorry if my posts come across as harsh - I'm not having a go at anyone - but the reality of the situation really is a case of 'like it or lump it'.

Cheers,

Rob

Hey if none of us complained and tried to force change it might as well be a dictatorship and free trade is not like that, shout out and be heard