I haven't sold anything on ebay for at least 2 years. You got me thinking to check my selling rating. I have really only sold maby 15 items and had a above average status and 100% rating. I know seller ratings on ebay doesn't mean much because iv'e seen alot of sellers beat the system. Now I don't have a seller rating because of the time that I haven't sold anything. They wan't me to sell an item to get it back.
Sold couple items over the weekend. Just over 100$ of which the fees will probably take 15%. Then theres the box at .70 and the postage of 4.00
Bought an item I really needed for my Buick, then saw he had something else I was interested in. Slipped my e-mail to him past the eBay sentinels, and did a 2-way deal on stuff on the side that netted me my 2 purchases plus $20 profit on stuff I sold him I got for nothing. No fees.
still hit and miss sold two amplifiers and they set for weeks before finally purchased. ive got heat pump parts im going to end up scrapping because i cant sell them. ive had so many money problems as of late i need to offload a ton of stuff but its taking forever.
Interesting discussion. I gave up on ebay in 2009. A combination of nothing selling, the recession, and the fees that continued, despite nothing selling. In hindsight, should have set up a store, then. But was working all the time, graveyard to boot, trying to take engineering coursework as an older person, etc. Not organized to sell successfully. Was simply loading five items a week using the old "auction format". It did work in the early - mid 00's, one could simply load items on ebay, and often half of them sold. However, after the first heady decade ('96-'06) the auction format flaws became prominent. Which is the "needle in the haystack" problem. A store is superior, in almost all situations, the stuff sits there until it is seen, instead of a "fleeting listing" that has to be seen in a limited time window.
More examples (and it certainly may merely be my age showing) : A heater valve seal - literally a typical O-ring. $13 + $6.60 shipping? Then there'll be the tax- another buck & a quarter... just about $21 for ONE O-ring. Why can't they stick it in a regular 1st class envelope and charge a dollar shipping? Mail dude will pick it up at the end of their driveway. I have hundreds on hand so I don't need it, but; sheesh! I'm watching a heater control valve for my car- there are 5 or 7 of them on Ebay, ranging from $100 - $250. But no one buys them- there are zero in the 'sold' filter when you search. I offered the $100 one a bid of $75; no response. That's their right, of course... but a simple look would lay it on the line (It's currently listed for at least the 3rd time) - no one is buying; You can resist it again & again & again or... sell it / make some money.
I always use first class mail or priority. If I dont have a tracking number theres no proof I sent it out and no way to track it when the customer says they never got it. Its not foolproof but still a paper trail to follow. Some items I put inside a christmas card. If I just put a stamp on it and send it out theres no way to know when and where it goes. Its 3-4$ to mail a card but will cost another 10$ if I have to send out a second one due to no proof I shipped it or if it was delivered.
They suck...fee wise. Sold a $15 item, sent by ebays so called reduced postage acct., small priority flat rate ($8.25) box, received payout of $11.53 Their fees hit you for the total item cost, plus tax buyer paid, plus postage amount, plus their .30c item fee. Seems that's a fee when it's all said & done of 23.1% Not their 13.5% they say....
I gave up selling there years ago. I would rather sell here or other enthusiast sites for a less but no hassle or over the top add on fee's.
still about the only game in town sadly. the competor sites like offer up just do not get the traffic for small stuff and fb is only good to sell a big item.
I understand the world wide marketplace, but you pay percentage fees on postage and sales tax paid by buyer? Little greedy I would say.
