Final Selling Fees on eBay Is Way Too Much

Looking4Bargians on 07/12/2015 - 16:03

Hi All,

I have just sold few things ( Old XB1 games + Old XB1 Console) on ebay through Auction. I didn't get that much price i would like to have it but that's the part of process (Auction style)
But once all sold and payments done , the final payment from Ebay was 13% less which includes all ebay listing/selling/paypal fees.

if that is right, i am done with ebay then. I will not sell anything on it. might buy something occasionally.

is it correct or something wrong with calculation on ebay side ? Have you guys faced similar situation with ebay?

Should i contact ebay or suck it up and learnt the lesson on selling things on ebay. Should have used Gumtree ?

General Discussion

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Comments

  • Charity on 07/12/2015 - 19:39
    +3

    The fees are fair for the massive amount of buyers, IMO…

    but the real problem is the big "RETURN THE ITEM" button. This where sellers can be really screwed. 13% 100% screwed.

    On ebay, the transaction starts after you send the item!

  • wheretobuychocettes on 07/12/2015 - 19:39
    +1

    Where do you think they get all the money to do their XX% off or voucher offers?

    eBay became a household name with lots of the older generation turning there for their retail therapy needs as it's a trusted and secure experience.

    They now milk us for the privilege, then "give it back" to us in forms of promotions that just generate more sales and fees.

    Life is much better as a buyer than a seller. I'd recommend Gumtree for sales. :)

    • gimli on 07/12/2015 - 21:11

      They charge xxx%

  • MrFrugalSpend on 07/12/2015 - 19:50

    You shouldn't have paid listing fees unless you had already sold a heap of other things? The first ones are free each month.

    I just sold on ebay as well and have to agree the fee is a bit high, however they can charge that much money and still have heaps of listings so I guess that's the market economy if you want to sell your stuff, its free choice to use them. If you think about it, its actually kind of like them selling the items, moreso than you. They offer a substantial value add to connect with the buyers and get paid accordingly.

    • MetalPhreak on 08/12/2015 - 12:11

      Auction style listings usually aren't free, even if you pay the $50/month for a "store". That used to be $20 a month too. However, you do get lower % fees with a store. Still far too high fees but you can sell a lot of more obscure stuff on ebay for more than you'd get elsewhere (even after fees).

      For xbox games not really worth it.

      I've totally abandoned auction style listings now, especially pickup only stuff (WA here). Literally every person who's the highest bidder isn't in the state, doesn't pay, doesn't accept the cancellation request (yes, the buyer has to accept you cancelling their order), and if they don't respond you still pay final value fees. People are more than happy to dick you around because they can't read 2 lines of text before bidding.

      eBay is clearly pushing towards fixed price listings now rather than being an auction site. They are doing their best to get the bigger commercial sellers in. Big mistake IMO, as the whole thing was founded on providing a selling platform for the normal person.

      • argonide on 08/12/2015 - 14:08
        +1

        If a buyer doesn't respond to a cancellation case, the final value fees are refunded 10 days after the case is opened.

        • Looking4Bargians on 08/12/2015 - 14:47

          How many days Buyer has to respond on payment and then on cancellation case ?

        • argonide on 08/12/2015 - 15:19
          +1

          Unpaid Item Case
          If you haven't received payment within 4 days you can open an unpaid item case which gives the buyer another 4 days to pay, after which you can close the case and the fees will be automatically refunded. The buyer also receives an unpaid item strike if they do not pay (which can limit their ability to purchase on eBay if they receive 2 strikes).

          Cancellation Case
          To cancel a transaction, the buyer needs to agree to the cancellation. If they disagree, you still have to fulfill the order. If they do not respond to the case, it will automatically close after 10 days and the fees will be automatically refunded.

        • carwashhair on 08/12/2015 - 15:39

          @durd0008: And yet the 'unpaid item strike' is hardly even a slap on the wrist - because what company profits from turning away their own customers?

        • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:38

          @carwashhair: It used to be a 3 strikes and you're out policy but I think ebay have relaxed this restriction. I get NPBs all the time - so annoying!

      • MrFrugalSpend on 08/12/2015 - 19:21

        It certainty does seem to be a platform for online ordering from the big stores a lot now.
        Its been a while since i bought in Auction style.

        As for a platform for the normal person, eBay owns Gumtree too, so pushing people out to that for second hand goods probably

  • CheapskateQueen on 07/12/2015 - 21:48
    +1

    yeh the fees for ebay are STEEP!! you got charged correctly mate, it's just painful.

    i recently started selling some collectibles of an artist to downsize my collection and the ebay & paypal fees killed me. Bad enough I'll never recoup the postage I paid collecting the damn things in the first place!

    It's unfortunate, but depending on what you're selling, still better than nothing.

  • fozzie on 07/12/2015 - 23:19

    Yes mate correct, you can try selling on here first. I either sell Gumtree or ebay, if I sell on Gumtree much better as no fees.

  • DeafMutePretender on 07/12/2015 - 23:38
    +5

    Eh, it's your fault for not reading the selling fees page, for not taking the selling fee into account, and for not making the starting price the price you want for the item. That's the nature of auctions, sometimes the price will be below what you want, sometimes it will be higher.

    I'm afraid the answer to your query is suck it up, champ.

    • ronnknee on 08/12/2015 - 10:03

      Well said sir.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/12/2015 - 23:58
    +8

    Have you guys faced similar situation with ebay?

    Yes, and I stopped selling several years ago because of it. I was doing all the work - typing auctions, getting postage quotes, packaging. And every change they made to the site was frustration.

    Like already said above, gumtree - and don't accept paypal. Cash, direct deposit, or Oz Post money order only.

    The main thing I detest about gumtree is, sellers don't realise they're using THE INTERNET - not a newspaper! I've had so many sellers reply to my question/s with an email: "Phone me." Um… NO. I'm not paying $ to ring someone's mobile to have some simple questions answered - that I only had to ask in the first place, because they didn't put the most obvious of info in their listing! - It's listed online - you received my email - you typed a reply to phone - why not just answer the questions with a few more keystrokes!?

    • MrFrugalSpend on 08/12/2015 - 01:29
      +2

      I hear you, I hate ringing people. If its emailed there is a record if they turn out to have lied to you about what you bought

    • xuqi on 08/12/2015 - 23:57

      I just ignore such people. There will always be other interested.

  • Windows7forever on 08/12/2015 - 07:01

    I remember a few years back there was this great alternative to feebay called Oztion. It got bought out by the abominable carsales.com.au brand and rebranded into 'quick sales', subsequently turning to crap.

  • Hoju on 08/12/2015 - 08:00
    +2

    I hear you.

    For large items, $200+ i often work with the buyer after the sale.

    We might agree to cancel the transaction via eBay so I don't pay the ridiculous fees, and then I offer them free postage or something.

    I'm happy to pay 10% on smaller items but it gets to the point where it's ridiculous. They used to have a $49 cap on final value fees which was fair enough, now it's 10% up to $200 (?) AND they charge a final value fee on the postage charge too.

    Utter greed on their part and I'm delighted to exploit the system when I can and get a better result for both buyer and seller.

    • hazzad on 08/12/2015 - 08:14
      +4

      Unfortunately sellers bought final valuation fees on postage on themselves. They were selling items for 99 cents and charging the real price of the item under postage to avoid paying fees. Ebay was bound to work that one out. But it does suck. Would be fair if they waived it for people who charged fair value of postage to buyers. Guess its hard to monitor.

      • Chef-Johnson on 08/12/2015 - 08:55

        yeah i understand that one, but the thing that really fks me off is when you use a prepaid ebay australia post label, they know exactly how much postage costs you, and offering free post, so its bs you get charged commission on the postage.

        • MetalPhreak on 08/12/2015 - 12:15

          If it makes no difference whether you put the postage charge seperate or bundle it into the main price with "free shipping", you might as well use the more consumer appealing "Free Shipping" option. Guess why eBay made that change ;)

        • Chef-Johnson on 08/12/2015 - 12:24

          yeah exactly. what i mean is when you use the ebay/aus post label, they know exactly how much it costs you, so my item is selling for $60 and the label costs $7.15 final evaluation should be on $52.80 - i guess thats why they give you 10% off shipping labels through them. @MetalPhreak:

        • MetalPhreak on 08/12/2015 - 22:15

          @Chef-Johnson: Yeah makes sense why they do that 10% off shipping. On the other hand, you can charge much more for shipping than it actually costs for the label and eBay doesn't do anything about it either. In the end, the buyer just ends up paying more for postage because sellers account for the fee taken out.

          Also, the eBay shipping labels using AusPost are actually very well priced. Much better than the old way of having to log in to the Click and Send website (or having to stockpile prepaid satchels at full price rather than pay as you need for labels).

        • sparkles on 09/12/2015 - 21:18

          @MetalPhreak: Agree, the eBay postage system is an improvement on Click & Send, and the prior system of buying satchels at the post office. You can't complain too much when they are giving you a postage discount making it quite a bit cheaper than the actual Aust Post shop.

          I simply incorporate the 10% fee into the postage I charge and it's still cheaper than buying the equivalent satchel at the post office and you get tracking as a bonus.

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:40

      Or you do pickup only and then cancel the sale after you get the cash to recoup your fees.

  • pana on 08/12/2015 - 08:53
    +6

    I remember when everyone complained about how there was no way to sell your old stuff. Now everyone is complaining about the cost of service that gives you the power to sell you anyone, anywhere in the world.

    Ebay are the middle man without eBay no one makes any money. Anyone in business would understand the idea of a referral fee, the fee that eBay charge 13% is cheap in the real world.

    The only reason you can sell your old XBOX games or whatever you have is because of eBay never forget that.

    • wyrmy on 08/12/2015 - 10:23

      There is a difference between a valuable service and business greed taking over when they have a monopoly. Seller fees are the #1 complaint now and people are leaving because of that.

      Unfortunately eBay owns Gumtree and its development was intentionally crippled since the buyout.

      This is a great time for competition to start creating eBay/Gumtree alternatives which will pickup in a few years.

      • pana on 08/12/2015 - 13:24
        -2

        "There is a difference between a valuable service and business greed taking over when they have a monopoly" the keyword there is BUSINESS. They are there to make money end of story. They are a listed company that has to answer to shareholders.

        This monopoly you talk about is something that early investors and founders have spent 100s of millions of dollars to create,they were not given anything they worked dam hard for everything they have.If you have read the story of eBay you would understand that. The acquisition of gumtree was yet again a BUSINESS decision to protect their own longterm interests.

        Companies that create new ways for people to do business are market leaders and in turn control most of the market share. As a flow on effect they can set the terms of how this new way of business is done.

        The sooner you understand this the better.

        • gimme on 09/12/2015 - 07:39
          +1

          Yea simple. Don't like it don't use it. There are alternatives.

        • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:41
          +1

          Talk about sympathy for the devil.

        • gimme on 09/12/2015 - 12:13

          Not sure what you mean. Ebay is a business not a charitable organisation. They can charge whatever they like and it's up to the customer to decide whether they would like to use their services or not.

          I stopped using ebay as a seller a while ago because of the fees. Vote with your feet.

    • highdealer on 08/12/2015 - 18:50
      +1

      The only reason you can sell your old XBOX games or whatever you have is because of eBay never forget that.

      Please!

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/classified

      • pana on 08/12/2015 - 19:53

        BLAHAHAHAHAHAHA….. YOU GOT ME…. , your a funny man.

        Give you an upvote

        • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2015 - 02:26

          I think his point is, there are plenty of other places to sell stuff. People want to sell on ebay - but ebay, which indeed did spend $$$ building a business - then made some of the dumbest business decisions seen - and they paid the price.

      • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:42

        Still, you get less screwed over on feebay than say, cash converters!
        It does require a bit of work though - listing, packing , posting, etc.

        • sparkles on 09/12/2015 - 21:21

          True. See what Cash Converters will give you for your games and suddenly the fees on eBay look like a steal!

    • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2015 - 02:18

      Ebay are the middle man without eBay no one makes any money.

      And in some cases with ebay the seller makes no money.

      I used to collect several magazines. (A couple of sewing ones for my wife, some woodwork, Owner Builder, Grass Roots, and Earth Garden.) I started more than 15 years ago. Then ebay started a long line of greedy and silly changes.

      Previously I'd resell issues that weren't as good condition as sellers described. After ebay fees it cost me more money to sell them than I made. But if I started them at a higher price they didn't sell at all. And then I got nothing - but ebay made sure they still got paid from listing fees.

      So the rest of those rare issues went in the bin. And it's probably where the two very early issues I'm still missing went too - that someone else would have sold me one day.

      When I stopped reselling those - I also stopped selling all the bigger/exy items. So did lots of other people. ebay drove people away then wondered why their share price and profits went down. Answer: Their own greed.

      Those magazines I used to buy for $0.50-$6 are rarely listed now. When they were (I don't even look anymore), their starting price has to be so high for the seller to cover ebay fees, that I gave up collecting.

  • rgr on 08/12/2015 - 11:12
    +2

    had this (profanity) agree with me on a price for a graphics card on gumtree, and then he later writes back saying he's buying the parts for his nephew so he wants to know if we could agree on a price $10 less. what a dero.

    next guy asks me if i could send the card over first before he pays, because it's his first time buying from gumtree and is uncertain.

    you have a lot of idiots on that site but for some who are serious about buying, it's good.

  • cvas on 08/12/2015 - 11:23
    +7

    I love how Gimli is just going through and trolling comments

  • StuffnStuff on 08/12/2015 - 13:59

    I hate Ebay Fees too BUT that said, if you want only want to sell to locals in your area use Gumtree or have a garage sale. if you want access to the whole of Australia or even the world , use Ebay. Yes you pay for it but nothing is free these days. If you want a decent amount for your item don't list it as a 99cent start bid !. Would you auction your car/house for 99cents….of course not.

  • FittyFitty on 08/12/2015 - 14:30
    +2

    For future reference, put a set price with Best Offer and negotiate an offline deal with the highest offerer. It woiks!

  • 00 on 08/12/2015 - 14:35

    OzBargain Online Private Sales.

    eBay needs a competitor in Australia as we don't have a Craigslist

  • Mysterious on 08/12/2015 - 14:52
    +1

    I rarely sell on eBay now for this same reason. It just sucks knowing that if you sell something for $200 at least $25 of that will be gone. Especially if you've bought something first hand and then used it for a bit and want to sell it off second hand, you try to get a portion of your money back but then you realise you're going to lose a whole lot more due to fees. Gumtree is the way to go for me now although it requires more work to communicate a fair price. I can state as clearly as possible "FINAL PRICE $100" and I'll get people offering me $50. That's how it is on Gumtree I guess. I usually reply once saying "$100 firm" and leave it at that and then ignore messages afterwards.

  • save my dollarydoos on 08/12/2015 - 16:01

    Buy through Ebay

    Sell through Gumtree

    I've had personally no bad experiences buying and selling via both services there….

    One weird story I have is going out to buy a newer version of Xbox 360 with the in built wireless and 250 , was advertised with the 250 gig hard drive as I was about to leave, a few controllers and a number of games from a chap who was headed to New York to work. Wanted a very reasonable price for it. I didn't bother haggling.

    So I get there, pay him the money wish him well on his adventure - he was flying out the following day, all of a sudden he runs back to the car and says "God says to me (I saw a framed picture of jesus on the inside of the house) that you are a great guy, take the Xbox stuff and take your money back…)

    Kinda weirded me out not enough to pull over on the way home and talk to a friend about it.

    Anyway I get home, one of the two games was scratched to shit and unplayable and the xbox had no such hard drive - Annoying but I did get the whole lot for free.

    So I'm thinking either he didn't know about the xbox stuff and took pity on me showing up in my bogan VS commodore and thought I'd need the money more or maybe he didn't want me coming back to his parents house after realizing he didn't sell me the item as described…

    • Looking4Bargians on 08/12/2015 - 16:05

      So Scumtree is not 100% safe and you pay %13 fees for your satisfaction and security on EB.

      • save my dollarydoos on 08/12/2015 - 16:17

        think I remember I was asked if I wanted to inspect it / test it and I declined (Maybe after seeing the photo of Jesus?)

        But I did end up with a free Xbox 360 , pads and a few games that did work.

        So yeah - different experiences to be had I guess.

        If neither avenue is suitable for you, then perhaps pawn shops are more up your alley? The classifieds in the paper? The pin up board at your local shopping centre?

        • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:46

          Maybe it was stolen goods and he freaked out thinking you would come back there to his house, especially if the item was not as described.

  • neonlight on 08/12/2015 - 16:20

    Wait until Auspost put up parcel postage again.

    All local sellers including casual sellers will be goners.

    Feebay will only be a paradise for importers and also posting from overseas not local.

    Thousands will lose out can't compete.

    Seeing letters will be $1 soon by another 42.86% (70 cents to $1). Parcel might follow soon then will be $21.35 ($14.95 now) to send something 1Kg to interstate

    • dazweeja on 08/12/2015 - 17:45

      The letter service is running at a loss while the parcel service is running at a profit. It doesn't follow that parcel prices will increase dramatically, especially when the letter service is a monopoly while the parcel service is in a reasonably competitive market, eg. Toll, DHL, FedEx, etc.

  • Rukiata on 08/12/2015 - 17:53

    gumtee is not safe someone stole my phone because i was trying to sell it on there then resold it to some idiot on gumtree, found the ad got my proof and got my phone back. gumtree is scary.

    • save my dollarydoos on 08/12/2015 - 18:09
      +3

      How did they steal your phone if you were selling it?

      Were you letting them take a test drive around the block or something

    • Zachary on 08/12/2015 - 21:32

      Probably left the door open(forgot to lock it or something) and had the address on the ad.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/12/2015 - 19:30

    It really is amazing.
    It's also amazing that they don't have any real competition. There's an enormous market that Ebay basically has 99% control over.

    Ebay's fees are simply ridiculous and if you have a problem with them, post here and tell us why. Someone from Ebay will see this.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2015 - 02:36

      They couldn't give a hoot. They used to have (prob still do) user forums - and people would scream this stuff at them for years, telling them what would happen - ebay completely ignored what people said - just said, "We think it's in the best interest, blah, blah… and the users were right.

  • ahly92 on 08/12/2015 - 20:10
    +1

    I just sold the smart TV I won via Gumtree. The guy payed cash ($3500) without even opening the box…but I was hesitent thinking the cash might be fake but all was good

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:48

      You did alright for yourself. Nice prize to win.

      • ahly92 on 09/12/2015 - 11:59

        THX…Hope you get lucky as i did :)

        • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 12:08

          I didn't know that the evil empire gave away free stuff. The biggest prize I have ever won in my life was about $500 and I was chaffed with myself.

  • 50cent on 08/12/2015 - 20:54
    +1

    I agree that eBay fees are higher but depending on what you're selling, and often a much higher price when selling on eBay as opposed to Gumtree

  • cashless on 08/12/2015 - 21:25
    +1

    Selling Apple stuff on feebay is still lucrative. No shortage of willing buyers happy to buy 2/3 year old tech

  • onlyletters on 08/12/2015 - 22:44

    I couldn't agree more with this thread, in addition to this, there is paypal so there goes all your profit.

  • tikei on 09/12/2015 - 00:24

    Yeah I learnt the same way as the op. Sold a machine for $500, fees ended up being more than $50. Ever since then I've included an extra 14% into my listing price. Also had another lesson where I listed postage at the real cost. EBay takes fees from postage as well :/ if you add 14% to the postage charge, buyers might give you low star rating so it's better to add the 14% postage fees onto the item price as well.

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:49

      But if you try recouping your fees by lifting the price you may find that your item won't sell i.e. over priced. It's a double-edged sword.

  • arcticfox007 on 09/12/2015 - 00:38
    -1

    Scenario:

    A $50 item

    Lets say fees are roughly

    $5 for ebay
    $1 for paypal
    $8 for post
    $3 for packing
    $1 for petrol and time
    50c for data and electricity
    50c food intake for getting it done

    Almost $20 gone.

    If you factor in the cost of the item and the magic beans you buy on the way home, you end up with a time wasting trip.

    Keep the item, give or sell to a friend cheap. You feel less violated that way.

    • vetopower on 09/12/2015 - 11:00
      +2

      Yeah, I hate how Ebay charges for 'petrol and time', 'data and electricity' and 'food intake'. That's why I prefer Gumtree.

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:51
      +1

      lol food intake?
      You have to eat regardless but I understand the point of time wasted etc.
      This has happened to me a few times - you sell something that you later regret because the cost-to-reward ratio is so small it makes the whole process futile.

      This is why in affluent areas you see perfectly good 'stuff' thrown out to landfill.
      It's just not worth most people's time to sell stuff for the meager return they get in exchange.

      • Untameable on 09/12/2015 - 20:42

        I get a good feeling seeing people happy from getting a bargain, and also knowing it doesn't go in the dump when it's perfectly good.

        Affluent people are weird. I guess they just feel happy from all the money they have and don't need anything else ^^

  • revolutio on 09/12/2015 - 06:37

    Up until recently, you used to be able to get away with recovering your eBay fees by initiating a cancellation request after the sale was complete. This now only works for non-PayPal payments, and it negatively impacts your seller rating. It was good while it lasted…

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:55

      eBay quickly wised up to that loop-hole.
      You can still do it for local pickup/cash sales but save it for a high $ sale. Not worth getting your account suspended over a few $ in fees you might be saving.

  • Geewhizz on 09/12/2015 - 07:00

    What annoys me is paying fees on shipping - TWICE if the buyer pays with Paypal.

    I realise the purpose of that is to get thse who put a ridiculously low buy price, but astronomical shipping, but when I'm charging for a regular satchel but sending express because Aust Post is so painfully slow, it puts a big hole in anything I've made on an inexpensive item.

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 11:56

      I can empathise with you. That small margin you'd make on shipping(packing & posting) is now all but eliminated.

      • Geewhizz on 10/12/2015 - 07:10

        There is NO margin when charging almost $2 less than what I am paying to post. All too often I've been seeing reports of Aust Post taking up to 5 or 6 weeks to deliver from the east Coast to the West.

  • CLoSeR on 09/12/2015 - 08:45

    Oh dear, if you find it expensive to use eBay then don't use it.

  • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 12:06

    Some alternatives to ebay/gumtree I find that work:
    * Cash Converters - generally they screw you over but sometimes they pay a decent quid for things, especially if you get a nice sales person or someone inexperienced at the counter who doesn't know the price of things. Quick easy money but standing in line can be painful. They generally only want mainstream consumer goods, not obscure stuff.
    * Garage sales - haven't had one for years but you should be able to get rid of some stuff although it takes a bit of work and you will likely lose a whole day to organise it and deal with people. Expect hagglers galore.
    * Use a forum to sell - e.g. OCAU or ozbargain sales forum. Generally slower to sell and people will haggle but it's free and you keep the item within a 'community' of like minded people.
    * Re-gift it - if it looks new, smells new and you think someone will love it and use it then wrap it up and put a nice card on the front. They won't know the difference.
    * Give it away - Ask around and see if that old friend or your uncle would make use of that spare DVD player that never gets used. I usually leave this option as a last resort. Hopefully they appreciate you giving them something for free. Or donate it to charity and feel good about yourself.

  • Mumbles on 09/12/2015 - 12:43
    +2

    Newsgroups were the first place I ever sold computer parts and I rarely lost money reselling the parts I had played with. Serious buyers would eagerly respond the same day. Many times the buyers would even compete with each other or beg me not to sell to others.

    Those days are long gone. Back then 3D gaming consoles (eg. Playstation 1, XBox 1, Dreamcast) were expensive because the manufacturers actually made most of their profit off of console sales and not much on games. PC gaming hardware was so expensive and underpowered for 3D gaming. Intel asked ridiculous prices for new PC hardware (remember prices for RAMBUS memory or Intel SLOT 1 CPU's?). There was huge demand for affordable gaming which meant a vibrant second hand market.

    Now days Sony and XBox make a loss on their gaming consoles and profit from the sale of new games. It impacts on the 2nd hand resale value for the owner. Nobody wants to buy a superseded game. (eg. Gran Turismo 5, GTA4, Battlefield).

    What's worse for depreciation is that manufacturers and 3rd party refurbishment is a huge industry. eg. EB Games, GraysOnline, JB HiFi, Apple, Dell, factory seconds outlets, etc. Individual private sellers are not just competing with eBay sellers they are up against an entire industry.

  • aussie-bargainer on 09/12/2015 - 14:30

    I had similar experience. Ebay sent me email that there is no fee to list the item. I sold camera lens and they charged 10%.
    I argued about free listing and later they gave me 10% back saying since this was your first time on ebay we are waiving the charges.

    try this out.

    • Lord Ra on 09/12/2015 - 22:49

      What this actually is, I will explain. When you list an item, if it costs more then a preset amount, say, 0.99c, then you pay a listing fees. This is free on gum tree. EBay also let's you list for free from time to time. Losing fees are calculated as a percentage value of the amount that you want. So say you start your bid at $100, your listing fees maybe, for example, 5% of that, so $5. Then when you make a sale, you pay those fees too. Plus PayPal a 3.5% commission for this.

      The only way you can use eBay and PayPal and NOT pay fees is if you can convince the buyer to cancel the transaction and then you'll Get eBay fees back. Not paypal as the buyers isn't returning the item.

  • Elnato on 09/12/2015 - 14:33

    eBay - 10% on the item, then another 10% of postage costs
    Paypal - 2.6% + 30 cents per transaction

    It is a bit of a rip off, but think off the exposure and security you get when using eBay/Paypal

    Theres different store packages that lessen fees but cost money each month, plus theres the option of adding a visa to mitigate paypal fees, but only viable if your a small business.

    We need more competition in the online reselling sites, eBay would make a killing atm

  • tap on 09/12/2015 - 15:05

    You're basically paying 10% for the exposure and reach to possible buyers. Once you accept and factor the 10% in, you won't feel so bad.

  • Lord Ra on 09/12/2015 - 16:22

    It's been that way for AGES mate.

    • Looking4Bargians on 09/12/2015 - 16:23

      Won't be selling on Feebay again

      • netsurfer on 09/12/2015 - 17:44
        +1

        It is one of the selling options, an expensive one though. Yes, the fees are too high (hence the nickname feeBay). It is okay to sell items you no longer want on feeBay if you don't have time to deal with phone calls and negotiating with potential buyers. Unless you have a way to get cheap items, it is unlikely you can actually make profit selling items on feeBay (buyers visit feeBay expect bargains). If that 10-12% fee is important to you, then avoid feeBay.

        With feeBay, once the item is sold, you get notified right away (assuming you have a smart phone). You can also link it to click and send so you can generate the postage label. Basically, it is time vs some money saved. I know a lot of people don't like PayPal because of the fees. However, for me, it is better to get the payment quickly, rather than checking bank account every few hours.

  • TurkishDelight on 09/12/2015 - 19:51
    +2

    Maybe I will make a website FreeBay.

  • Untameable on 09/12/2015 - 20:40

    I thought eBay & PayPal fees combined were 30%. I must have misread an email they sent a few years ago.

    Now that you've told me they're only 15% I feel more inclined to use them!

    • Windows7forever on 09/12/2015 - 20:46

      Considering it used to only be about 5%, that's still a threefold jump in fees.

  • kwijybo on 09/12/2015 - 21:05
    +1

    The one thing I do like with eBay is postage label printing. $7.15 to send anything (up to 1kg) in a Bx1 box and $11.90 for a Bx2 (3kg). Takes away a bit of the pain from the selling fees.

    I've only just started using Gumtree but haven't found it to be anything amazing so far.

    • Mikinoz on 10/12/2015 - 16:14

      The amazing part is no fees!

      After selling 2 cars, and loads of crap on scumtree its great not getting monthly invoices.

      But meh each to their own

  • dsm ninja on 10/12/2015 - 02:30
    +2

    Pay $50 a month for a store pay 20c 'Buy it now listings' a month or sometimes free and item list it stays in your store till it sells.

    I Haven't listed in Auction format for years, just not worth it.

    Sell things that no one else sells.Seek products quality products that are discontinued for shady reasons. You have to work for it like a job /listings /pics/ descriptions a few times a week + 2-3hours a day packing and lodging , For me it is profitable platform.

    • Charity on 12/12/2015 - 03:22

      you still have to pay final value fees, right? if you sold a $100 item, how much would the fee be?

      • Looking4Bargians on 14/12/2015 - 09:49

        i think roughly around $10 -$12 if you are using paypal.

        • Charity on 15/12/2015 - 02:25

          I wanted to know what benefit Ninja is getting for his $50 a month… if it was less fees it might be worth it…

  • Ryballs on 10/12/2015 - 16:28

    I just sold a camera on eBay and it was a bloody nightmare.

    At the start it was going really well. After 10 days the winning bid was $350 (I had only expected around $250). The winner then messages me straight away and tells me they don't want it anymore and wants a refund.

    Not wanting bad feedback or dispute (eBay's system really favours the buyer) I said fine and refunded. Since didn't want to wait another 10 days to relist I messaged each of the top bidders one by one and asked if they are still interested.

    2nd highest that bid around $300 said no, 3rd highest said okay but only at their bid which was $250. I said fine as that's the amount I had originally expected anyway.

    We agreed I'll relist as make an offer, you offer $250, I'll accept, done. Dude then makes an offer of $245. By this time I'm so over it I didn't care. I accepted for $5 less than we agreed and vowed to never sell on eBay again.

    I find the fees to be reasonable, it's the buyers who are a royal pain in the arse.

    • netsurfer on 10/12/2015 - 17:07

      Some information for you. I used to use auctions from way back, but not anymore. While you generally get better final price (not always though), you do have to deal with late payments (buyers have all sorts of interesting excuses), change of mind, unpaid buyers, people requesting for a buy it now option with an extremely low offer.

      For items you really want to sell on eBay and don't want the fuss, use Buy It Now with fixed price + immediate payment required (PayPal). I am willing to set a cheap price (I normally do a research on past sales and set my price to at least match the lowest sold price, if not lower). Sure, there will be less people interested. However, it is better to sell to serious buyers whom don't want the fuss to bid in auctions (often in the last minute). Happy to sell to them at a reasonable, if not bargain price.

      You don't want to waste time sorting out the auction mess and it is best to find buyers in the same boat (they are happy to buy the item now at the price). Buyers on FeeBay have changed a lot. Nowadays, you get all sorts of buyers.

  • hidollar on 10/12/2015 - 19:09

    yes too much, except the paypal fee and final value fee you have to take more responsibility than gumtree. next time try a cash on pickup listing .

  • [Deactivated] on 11/12/2015 - 09:17

    Has anyone sussed out what Aliexpress charges for selling?
    I've recently bought two large price items from Aussie sellers through Aliexpress. Shipping took about a week.

    More importantly nowadays I find Ebay has an unintelligent, less user-friendly user interface, like Woolies has chosen, and buy 90% of gear off Aliexpress. More pleasant, plus it's usually cheaper.

    Anyway does anyone know if we can sell stuff on Aliexpress? Probably only new items I guess. Looks like the seller section is in chinese, so no idea.

  • Windows98 on 11/12/2015 - 10:21

    Ebay fees are too high
    Paypal fees are too high
    Ebay is a monopoly
    Paypal doesn't protect you as a buyer
    Paypal doesn't protect you as a seller
    Auspost costs are rising
    Gumtree is full of time wasters
    Gumtree is full of paypal scammers

    Anyone in here that has said the above - have a garage sale and go away from the internet

    The sheer number of buyers on ebay cannot be found anywhere else, and the ease and protection of paypal when dealing with posted sales makes buying a lot safer and hassle free than it was before it started.

    As for " Ebay being a monopoly", that's a good thing for sellers, it means all the potential buyers are in one location and you don't need to pay for other services to advertise to more people

    People have this mentality that they own an item and are entitled to all profits from it's worth.
    When you sell on ebay, you're becoming a store/shop,and there are costs involved with running any shop. Start your own business and try to keep costs below the 15% that ebay and paypal charge.

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