BEWARE OF SELLING LOW VALUE ITEMS ON EBAY!!!!!! DON'T DO IT

ayeates

Just so you know, it's really not worth it - not sure what it was like before the recent change to the way in they make payments (paypal is no longer involved) but ebay are literally taking almost all of the money you make when selling low value items.  For example, I put a number of items up with starting bid of 99p - a few didn't make it past that mark.......................... ebay have charged me 80 pence in fees for selling these 99p items if you can believe it.  So I just want to give people a heads up that they shouldn't bother at all selling low price items on here now - and don't set your starting bid too low.  I literally made 19 pence on each of these items and it cost me more than that in petrol to get to the post office to send them!

Hasbeen

I sell on Ebay. Have you actually read the t&c regarding regarding fees?

But perhaps posting on the correct forum would give you more advice?  As Below. 
Ebay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales

Listing fees

*Private sellers can list for free on eBay. After using your monthly allocation of 1,000 free listings (or more if you have an eBay Shop), you'll be charged 35p for each new listing created.

Learn more about how free listings work, including the terms and exclusions for those listings.

Final value fees

When your item sells, you pay 10% of the final transaction value, including taxes and postage. We call this a final value fee. We cap final value fees so you'll never pay more than £250 for a single item.

If your item doesn't sell you usually don't pay a final value fee. However, if you offer or reference your contact information to another user or ask a buyer for their contact information, in the context of buying or selling outside of eBay, we charge a final value fee for introducing you to the buyer. In this case, the final value fee is based on the higher of the fixed price, auction start price, Buy it now price, reserve price or the price identified between the buyer and seller.

ayeates

I have spoken to ebay about it personally and they have acknowledged it is a problem and are looking to do something about it - but they don't know when this is likely to happen.  So people just shouldn't bother in the meantime.

ayeates

All my listings were free by the way - the 80 pence was final sales fees.

Hasbeen

ayeates said:

All my listings were free by the way - the 80 pence was final sales fees.

Sorry do not understand how that works. I never sell items at 99p we have a bin? 99p is usually start price in auction.

But you stated your 99p items never made it to 99p some did? So what was your total sales, money in?

But you were charged 80p in fees? per item or for a multitude amounting to ££££?

From Ebay
"When your item sells, you pay 10% of the final transaction value, including taxes and postage."

So what was the combined total of your sales? as per above??

molerat

The final fee would have also been added to the postage just as it always has been (for a long time anyway) and also includes the fee you would have previously paid to Paypal, there is little difference in what you pay now to what you paid under the old system.  Small value items are disproportionately charged due to the 30p transaction fee but that is the same with Paypal.  Another non story here.

Ebay Payments 12.8% + 30p

Via Paypal 10% + 2.9% + 30p so actually more expensive

ayeates

99p was the start price of the auction item if you read my post properly.  I don't really think I should be giving out explicit financial details on here to be honest, that's none of your business.  Again if you read my post I gave an example of one particular item which sold (at the auction start price!) of 99p   I was charged 80 pence in fees against that item.  I can't really say it much more clearly than that (there were a few but not many) - anything of a lower value the ratio between ebay and the customer is now really poor though since they started paying directly.  This was only an example.  I think this stems from the new fixed item fee plus the fact they charge you selling fees on postage and packing costs, even though you don't actually receive that money, it goes straight to the post office or to Hermes.................plus a percentage of the sales fee.  I have sold on ebay for years and years but it's just not worth it anymore.

I'm glad you have a bin, there really is no need to be so rude and mock people trying to supplement their income.  I obviously didn't plan to sell the item at 99p but you win some items and you lose some.  What I object to is ebay taking 80% of sales profit for any item as this is nothing short of extortion and I wanted to warn people about it.  

ayeates

Besides recycling is the responsible and sustainable option you shouldn't put so much stuff in the bin.................!

NBLondon

As molerat explains...  If the item sells for 99p; the fees are disproportionately large; If it sells for £99; it's a smaller proportion.
Solution: Sell better stuff?  Don't start at 99p if you're not prepared to risk selling it for 99p

Thrugelmir

Ebay obviously would prefer their market place not to resemble a flea market. Which factors into their pricing structure. A very different site compared to when it first launched. 

Hasbeen

ayeates said:ayeates said:

Besides recycling is the responsible and sustainable option you shouldn't put so much stuff in the bin.................!

99p was the start price of the auction item if you read my post properly.  I don't really think I should be giving out explicit financial details on here to be honest, that's none of your business.  Again if you read my post I gave an example of one particular item which sold (at the auction start price!) of 99p   I was charged 80 pence in fees against that item.  I can't really say it much more clearly than that (there were a few but not many) - anything of a lower value the ratio between ebay and the customer is now really poor though since they started paying directly.  This was only an example.  I think this stems from the new fixed item fee plus the fact they charge you selling fees on postage and packing costs, even though you don't actually receive that money, it goes straight to the post office or to Hermes.................plus a percentage of the sales fee.  I have sold on ebay for years and years but it's just not worth it anymore.

I'm glad you have a bin, there really is no need to be so rude and mock people trying to supplement their income.  I obviously didn't plan to sell the item at 99p but you win some items and you lose some.  What I object to is ebay taking 80% of sales profit for any item as this is nothing short of extortion and I wanted to warn people about it.  

My rubbish is put into a bin to be recycled. Yours you try and sell on ebay. Good for you to try and earn some extra money. 

Perhaps if you continue and invest in a range of products you will do so much more. But it is a time consuming business.

I do not sell items at 99p that's a starting bid on some of my lower priced items which are usually cheap goods.

When I first started, I sold a £15 product for 99p as I forgot to put in a reserve. Only 1 bid. I honoured the deal. happy customer, my loss.

To be a power seller you have to do so much more. LOL

Good Luck!