Amazon Marketplace Administration Fees

richie7_2

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this before but I've just done a check of the forums and couldn't find anything...

Anyway, does anyone else on here who sells videos on Amazon understand why they charge such a high "administration fee" when you sell anything? I can't actually understand quite what its for seeing as how I'm the one paying for the postage and doing all the leg work and they take a reasonable cut on the sale price in the first place?!? Since the new Royal Mail prices came into effect the cost to post videos has gone up by about 50% whereas the postage credit you get from Amazon is exactly the same as before. Since I don't post my stuff out using work's franking machine like some people I know (ahem!) there are occasions where I'd be better off just binning stuff (or recycling of course!) because I couldn't cover my costs by trying to sell it.

I know video tapes are pretty much dead but I've got a fair few and am a bit skint and if the "administration fee" (sorry, I like putting the quotes just because I dunno what the hell it's supposed to be for!!!) was more like it is for books and DVDs (8 times less and cheaper to post as well) then I could actually at least make something! I've contacted Amazon but I'm not even sure if I'll get a reply. I just can't understand their justification for charging so much specifically for videos.

Sorry if I'm just ranting but couldn't we all gang up and have a mass moan at them or something?

mishkanorman

they charge it because they can !

I find amazon much better than Ebay as the payment is processed and received before i even know about it, no worry over how are they going to pay or if they even will !! Thats where part of the charge comes from, also running and maintaining such a big site must take a lot, it does seem a bit high on low value items but really i feel its worth the hassle it saves me. i am sick of ebay muppets


mishka

mah_jong

I dare not think how much it would cost to list all my books on ebay , yes much prefer Amazon, no need to worry over pic, description, price etc, its all so much easier!!!

And just as you forget about them you get another sale!!! Brilliant!

richie7_2

I agree with what you're saying but I still can't see how they justify charging different levels of admin fees (on top of the fees they charge for the sale) depending on what type of item it is.

I used to sell all my videos on eBay but have switched more to selling on Amazon because it is a hell of lot easier and there's less chance of people messing you around but with the new Royal Mail costs it's really made me look into just what I'm being charged for when I sell. They are taking a large chunk of the sale price already and it's not as if they are doing the post and packing themselves anyway!

apprentice_tycoon

I'm basking in the afterglow of a £35 sale of a BBC audio CD (the Navy Lark if anyone is interested) so for today Amazon can do no wrong but I can see your point - just playing Devils Advocaat here (as Delboy would say) by Amazon selling everyone elses stuff they are giving up the opportunity to sell something new to the buyer, they must look at all the 1p books that are listed as new and wonder how they can ever sell the full priced ones

soolin

I have pulled virtually all my videos from Amazon now as the postae rates mean I can't make any profit on them and it wasn't worth storing them. As my local charity shops will no longer accept vids I've had to leave them in the Oxfam book bin at the recycling place...I know I shouldn't but I couldn't bear to just bin them.

Soo

Agutka

Surely there must be someone out there who would like the millions of videos we're throwing out here in the UK. Abroad? Children's homes? Language schools? I find it really hard to throw stuff away that is in good condition. Oxfam exports right? They could ask for old VCRs - these definitely just go straight to the dump. Hate waste (which explains the state of my house)


OP, I hope Amazon email you back. They have lots of excellent reasons to charge their fees, as long as they are transparent and even across the board.