When Did Ebay Become Such a Rip Off

motorguy

Flyonthewall wrote: »

I never said that. I wait for listing offers for a reason - I don't want to pay higher fee costs and I want to end up with more money for what I sell. I also said to get the best price you need to look at different ways of selling.

However, their fees are around the same as others like Amazon (if not lower) and I get why companies charge what they do. They have costs, they're offering a service, they want a profit.

You seem to think I worship ebay or something and I can't work out why. At no point have I said they're all amazing and we must all sell on there because their fees are such good value. I simply answered why the fees are the price they are - something you already knew anyway.

We both agree they have costs and the fees are there to cover it. Same goes for the auction houses. Doesn't mean either of us like Athe fees.

You have said their ridiculous charges to private customers are totally justifiable because ebay have costs.

I dont agree with that, because they dont charge their fees evenly, and they are heavily skewed against private sellers and small businesses.

You can come up with various reasons as to why they're fair and really nice chaps, but the reality is, they are stiffing you in a system heavily skewed in favour of ebay, paypal and the customer in that order.

And this nonsense that "oh well amazon charge similar" so it must be fair. Bit coincidental that the two biggest players charge roughly the same when they wouldnt have the same cost bases? OR do they know how much they can squeeze the market?

motorguy

RFW wrote: »

if you can't afford to sell a £2 CD on Ebay, then don't.

Its not a matter of not being able to afford to sell something on ebay, its WHY support a system that is so heavily skewed now away from the seller?

"No, you cant leave feedback on the buyer, as that might ruin the buyers experience if you were honest about them"
"No, you have to accept a refund pretty much no matter what, and YOU have to pay for it"
"No, we wont side with you even if you're right, we'll side with the customer"
"No, dont force the customer to return the item, let them keep it as its a better customer experience"
"If you disagree with the customer, we'll give the customer their money back and then take it from you"
"If you dont like what we say, or you fail to meet our standards, we'll ban you from selling".

OR you could just flog it on gumtree, or facebook or to an internet buyer or at a car boot sale and not have any of this nonsense.

wealdroam

motorguy wrote: »

RFW wrote: »

If you're into costs, then it costs Ebay the same to manage a £2 item you sell as a £200 item Argos sells.

Not quite -

• Argos have to buy the stock
• Argos have to store the stock
• Argos have to worry about depreciation on the stock
• Argos have bricks and mortar retail outlets
• Argos have to finance the purchase of their stock
• Argos have to deal with price fluctuations
• Argos are a bricks and mortar company with an internet bolt on

Why have you introduced Argos's costs?

RFW was talking about Ebay's costs, not Argos' costs.

RFW

motorguy wrote: »

Its not a matter of not being able to afford to sell something on ebay, its WHY support a system that is so heavily skewed now away from the seller?

OR you could just flog it on gumtree, or facebook or to an internet buyer or at a car boot sale and not have any of this nonsense.

Do that then and stop moaning:D

Flyonthewall

motorguy wrote: »

Because it doesnt cost them anywhere near in fees what they charge consumers. Simples.

They've been able to stiff sellers for years with high fees when sellers effectively had no choice. However now private sellers have choices.

Yeah, that's the idea of business. To make as much profit as possible.

lol people have always had a choice. Carboots, newspaper ads, sell to friends/family. Even before the Internet people had different ways to be able to sell or, for that matter, the choice not to sell if they didn't like the options.

They clearly state the fees and no one is forced to use ebay so they're not really stiffing people. They asking a price, high as it may be, for offering a service and people can take it or not.

Ebays fees are high. Period. Unnecessarily high for private sellers.

Now you can be a bleating lamb and continue to support an organisation that is going out of its way to stiff you, OR you can do what lots of people are doing and using other options - of which there are now many.

How am I supporting them? I waited until I got 75% off fees twice recently before listing for the first time in ages and ages (and even then it would have been because of another deal). I've got stuff on Amazon. I've traded games in.

I'm hardly giving them all my money and being totally loyal to them...

Ah but they're not a fixed rate - they're only a fixed rate for private sellers. Big business sellers get a totally different rate. If they wanted to be fair, why not charge a blanket charge for everybody?

We were talking about private sellers...

Business sellers have choices too. They don't have to pay that rate.

motorguy wrote: »

You have said their ridiculous charges to private customers are totally justifiable because ebay have costs.

I dont agree with that, because they dont charge their fees evenly, and they are heavily skewed against private sellers and small businesses.

You can come up with various reasons as to why they're fair and really nice chaps, but the reality is, they are stiffing you in a system heavily skewed in favour of ebay, paypal and the customer in that order.

I'm not justifying it, I'm explaining why they are what they are. Never said they were fair either.

Of course they are, they're a business who want profit. Most businesses would do the same - why wouldn't they? That's how they stay successful and keep growing.

And this nonsense that "oh well amazon charge similar" so it must be fair. Bit coincidental that the two biggest players charge roughly the same when they wouldnt have the same cost bases? OR do they know how much they can squeeze the market?

Doesn't make it fair, it's just business. No need to undercut each other as both get many sellers, often on both platforms. They both know the market and other options and charge as much as they can based on that (because, again, as a business it'd be stupid to charge lower when they can make more).

motorguy

wealdroam wrote: »

Why have you introduced Argos's costs?

RFW was talking about Ebay's costs, not Argos' costs.

There was a comparator made between ebay and argos - i was showing the difference in the business models.

motorguy

RFW wrote: »

Do that then and stop moaning:D

I do :beer:

motorguy

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Yeah, that's the idea of business. To make as much profit as possible.

lol people have always had a choice. Carboots, newspaper ads, sell to friends/family. Even before the Internet people had different ways to be able to sell or, for that matter, the choice not to sell if they didn't like the options.

They clearly state the fees and no one is forced to use ebay so they're not really stiffing people. They asking a price, high as it may be, for offering a service and people can take it or not.



How am I supporting them? I waited until I got 75% off fees twice recently before listing for the first time in ages and ages (and even then it would have been because of another deal). I've got stuff on Amazon. I've traded games in.

I'm hardly giving them all my money and being totally loyal to them...



We were talking about private sellers...

Business sellers have choices too. They don't have to pay that rate.



I'm not justifying it, I'm explaining why they are what they are. Never said they were fair either.

Of course they are, they're a business who want profit. Most businesses would do the same - why wouldn't they? That's how they stay successful and keep growing.



Doesn't make it fair, it's just business. No need to undercut each other as both get many sellers, often on both platforms. They both know the market and other options and charge as much as they can based on that (because, again, as a business it'd be stupid to charge lower when they can make more).

So actually you're in agreement with me -

Ebays fees are higher than we'd want or could be, however you can either accept that, or use the many alternatives that have sprung up?

RFW

motorguy wrote: »

There was a comparator made between ebay and argos - i was showing the difference in the business models.

No, wealdroam was right.
If you sell a £2 item on Ebay, it costs the same in Ebay staff as it costs for them to manage a £200 item. The point of bringing Argos into it was that they have their own customer service and support, so in reality Argos are far easier for them to manage as they don't have to intervene as much.

Flyonthewall

motorguy wrote: »

So actually you're in agreement with me -

Ebays fees are higher than we'd want or could be, however you can either accept that, or use the many alternatives that have sprung up?

Yes. That's what I've been saying.

There have always been a number of alternatives, it's just the internet now gives us even more options.