MSE News: eBay sellers beware - its fees now eat into postage costs

campdave

sukraine wrote: »

I don't sell lines, I sell antique and vintage china, most of which is bulky and heavy. neither do I rely on Royal Mail, I've had to change despatch services three times this year due to price hikes. Frankly, I'm sick of adapting every few months to a new set of rules, new set of prices etc. I didn't start running my own business so I could be bossed around and bankrupted by an autocratic company who's sole raison d'etre seems to be to screw it's customers into the ground. Enjoy it if you must, keep twisting and ducking and diving with the rules changes, but don't keep suggesting that others on here are being unreasonable for complaining about being messed about at every turn. I read everything that Ebay send out and I've read everything on this thread but it's not been much help really, as like Ebay some of you are missing the point and operating on the basis that "I'm all right Jack" but they will find a way to mess it up for you as well.

They (Royal Mail) did mess it up for me, as I said. A profitable set of items was no longer viable to sell on ebay.

That's business, I adapted, changed what I sold and moved on. Privatisation of Royal Mail will mean price rises in the long term, of that I'm sure, and once Royal mail raise their prices, other couriers will do the same, so you'll be adapting again.

I don't like paying extra fees to ebay, but they have been mostly offset for me by the extra inclusive listings I get with my shop.

What help do you want on this thread? Several people have offered advice about listing on the international versions of ebay if a lot of your trade is abroad, which is help. It might not be what you want to hear, but it's help nonetheless.

RFW

sukraine wrote: »

I didn't start running my own business so I could be bossed around and bankrupted by an autocratic company who's sole raison d'etre seems to be to screw it's customers into the ground.

Whatever business you run and whoever you are you'll encounter similar companies or bodies. Truck drivers have it with petrol prices, shopkeepers with business rates, tap dancers with the price of shoes. I use Ebay, Amazon, my own website and a few other sales avenues, I do a large amount of marketing and it is often a struggle to make a decent profit. People I deal with move goalposts all the time, suppliers put up prices, consumers ask for discounts.

Kayster

steveE2 wrote: »

ebay.com do charge fvf on international postage BUT it is charged at the lowest domestic rate,so if you offer free domestic post there is no international charge.

That is OK if you are domiciled in the USA listing on ebay.com.
It does not help if you are resident in the UK but listing on ebay.com as "domestic postage" is to domestic USA addresses not to domestic UK addresses. So you would have to give free post to the USA to avoid FVF on postage to other areas of the world.

RFW

Kayster wrote: »

So you would have to give free post to the USA to avoid FVF on postage to other areas of the world.

That's how I've been doing it. Selling from the UK we're mostly not going to be able to compete with sellers based in the US but can in certain areas. As mentioned elsewhere on this thread lightweight smaller items are always going to be the most favourable. A few items we sell cost less than 50p extra to post to US as in UK so works for that. A low value heavy glass vase will not be worth it.

Brooker_Dave

RFW wrote: »

I looked at this and initially agreed that it was steep and unfair. Then again not everyone sells like that, £21 item, £68 postage it's not the best business model.

Provided there's good margin in the £21 item, the shipping cost does not enter the business model.

Brooker_Dave

sukraine wrote: »

I don't sell lines, I sell antique and vintage china, most of which is bulky and heavy. neither do I rely on Royal Mail, I've had to change despatch services three times this year due to price hikes. Frankly, I'm sick of adapting every few months to a new set of rules, new set of prices etc. I didn't start running my own business so I could be bossed around and bankrupted by an autocratic company who's sole raison d'etre seems to be to screw it's customers into the ground. Enjoy it if you must, keep twisting and ducking and diving with the rules changes, but don't keep suggesting that others on here are being unreasonable for complaining about being messed about at every turn. I read everything that Ebay send out and I've read everything on this thread but it's not been much help really, as like Ebay some of you are missing the point and operating on the basis that "I'm all right Jack" but they will find a way to mess it up for you as well.

Sooner or later they'll run out of users.

But even when they go bust RFW will claim that they wanted that to happen and everything is going well.

RFW

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Sooner or later they'll run out of users.

But even when they go bust RFW will claim that they wanted that to happen and everything is going well.

and you'll say "I told you so every year for the last 25 years".

RFW

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Provided there's good margin in the £21 item, the shipping cost does not enter the business model.

So the total price a buyer pays for a product is not a factor in how a business works? What an interesting concept.

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Sooner or later they'll run out of users.

But even when they go bust RFW will claim that they wanted that to happen and everything is going well.

One day I am sure your predictions will come true, meanwhile the business going through ebay carries on unchanged.

Brooker_Dave

RFW wrote: »

So the total price a buyer pays for a product is not a factor in how a business works? What an interesting concept.

Not really, if someone from some far flung country decided they want your gubbins, they get to pay the extra shipping, in the real world you make your profit on your £21 bit of junk and add a bit onto shipping.

In ebay world they take 2 lots of fees out of your shipping and ban you if they think you've loaded the shipping.

And then ebay wonder why all the customers they've stiffed have gone...

How not to run a business.

HTH.