Fee avoidance

AlexisV

Copying descriptions is not on, but reporting for a bit of fee avoidance is a bit in-the-playground.

Ebay make so much money, what's wrong with putting the real price as postage?

It sounds like ingenuity to me.

frivolous_fay

AlexisV wrote:

Copying descriptions is not on, but reporting for a bit of fee avoidance is a bit in-the-playground.

Ebay make so much money, what's wrong with putting the real price as postage?

It sounds like ingenuity to me.

So you buy an antique from an ingenious seller. You pay 1p + £99.99 postage.

It arrives smashed to bits. You ask for a refund.

Seller refunds you 1p.

StaffsSW

As much as I disagree with postal gouging, I fully understand why it goes on.

What I do not understand is why eBay do not charge an FVF on the total transaction value including postage, or even to reduce the FVF if Free Postage is offered??

The offer tomorrow will be a major cash cow for ebay - loads of people selling off their junk, just with higher start prices to cover the postage, which means higher end prices, and higher FVF revenue for theifBay.

On the subject of Fee Circumvention - TheifBay have now taken exception to extending the duration of auctions with no bids.

It disrupts the buying experience... Actually no, it disrupts the listing fee revenue.

callmelinda

AlexisV wrote:

Copying descriptions is not on, but reporting for a bit of fee avoidance is a bit in-the-playground.

Ebay make so much money, what's wrong with putting the real price as postage?

It sounds like ingenuity to me.

Fay's answer shows what could happen if you bought on this kind of transaction (ie, a real problem for the buyer potentially). Also, if your item gets lost in the post and you file a claim, aren't you only claiming for the value of the goods and don't you need to show evidence of the paypal transaction? It would show the value was 1p. So you're screwed there too?

I also think the question of how much eBay makes is irrelevant. In the end, if anyone feels eBay makes too much money and they're not happy with that, they shouldn't use eBay.

If they choose to use eBay, then they agree to a set of actions which make it fair for everyone who participates. They pay eBay to allow potentially millions of people to see their goods when they list. They pay eBay a % when it sells. What's wrong about that? Whatever you feel about the % charge, it's stated so you've decided it's ok. If it's not ok, don't abuse the site and the other people trying to sell. Just don't use the site period.

If people used the site in the way they agreed to on signing up, the buyer clearly sees the value of the goods and can see that price of postage is fair. The seller isn't gaining any advantage over any other seller selling the same thing if they use the same playing field on which to sell.

Microsoft makes more money than anyone probably but it's not up to me to decide that just because they're rich, it's ok to get round their requirement of purchasing a product key to use their software. It can't be left to people to make up their own minds what's fair or not judged upon a company's earnings and act upon them in the way they see fit, especially when it can harm other innocent people.

AlexisV

So you buy an antique from an ingenious seller. You pay 1p + £99.99 postage.

It arrives smashed to bits. You ask for a refund.

Seller refunds you 1p.

That's a legal issue. However the price has been split, a small claims court would look very dimly upon a 1p refund for a £100 item.

If a seller would be prepared to only refund 1p, they would equally likely not give any refund at all.

If they choose to use eBay, then they agree to a set of actions which make it fair for everyone who participates. They pay eBay to allow potentially millions of people to see their goods when they list. They pay eBay a % when it sells. What's wrong about that?

So if ebay suddenly increased their percentage to 50% per sale, that would be acceptable?

callmelinda

AlexisV wrote:

So if ebay suddenly increased their percentage to 50% per sale, that would be acceptable?

They can't change it without you knowing, so if you know the fee and you "agree" to it by using their site, yes it is technically acceptable.

Would I use eBay if they did this? No, because I personally wouldn't find it an acceptable fee to be paying. But if other users were happy with it, it's not for me to decide what I want the fee to be and abuse the site and the other users.

As I said, my decision is whether I want to use eBay with the fees they charge. If I decide I do, I cannnot then decide that the fees are actually too high and that it's ok for me to, in essence, set the fees myself.