eBay Hates Its Small Sellers

[jimkf]

Ebay's fee structure has indeed gotten out of hand. Like others, I started selling about 20 years ago and was able to rehome a lot of stuff I knew I would never use. It funded my car hobby for a long time until I started seeing ebay's take get bigger and bigger. Most folks don't know that if you charge for shipping (instead of setting it to 'free') that ebay takes a cut of it as well. That started after Chinese sellers were caught selling a fifty dollar item for 99 cents and then charging fifty bucks to ship it to you. It means that selling an expensive to ship item actually costs you money to mail. Ebay saw to that by setting up their own shipping portal thru their website.

There are several 'Ebay hates its sellers' forums on the web and all have folks making valid points. The company is trying to squeeze every cent it can from sellers and would rather have the bigger 'sock vendor', as we call them around here, than the little guy trying to sell a couple of items now and then. Their policies and fee structure makes that clear.

Ebay has been great for exposure, leveling values of some items and driving up values of others, but one can only give them so much of the sale price until it become unprofitable to sell on the platform. FB Marketplace, club pages, Craigslist and pages like this one all have sellers and buyers but not the exposure the big guy gets.

I haven't sold on the platform in a few years and have no plans to restart.

Any horror stories from those who've used ebay? Selling? Buying?

 

[Hey-O]

With this train set thing I've got going on, I've bought a ton of stuff from them this last year. I've made a few mistakes when buying things, I've ate them. It's also buyer beware, some people want big money for junk or are just using it to clean out everything they don't want. I've been sent the wrong thing and could use it and was sent the right one, free shipping and a few bucks cheaper on both. They can run about the same price as my hobby shop down the street from me. I source what I need, wherever I can. For some, it's the store front they can't afford. Shipping is the killer. When I'm done with this train, I'll walk away again. I have over 300 buys. As far as I'm concerned, Amazon is the same thing, a shipping trap, 10 dollar item and ten dollars to ship. Some of this is as simple as not wanting to use a brick and mortar store to save money. If my hobby shop doesn't have it or can't get it, I use eBay. It is, what it is. Look what happened to Craigslist and facebook marketplace is getting strange, I'm told, I don't do facebook. Remember, not everyone is as honest as you and some of this can be a two way street. Have you ever heard me say I don't sell things, I give them away, that's why, I can't deal with stupid. The crazier the times get, the crazier the people get.

 

[padam]

Ebay is forcing the "accept free returns" because you are listing your item as "new" or "as new".
Try listing as used, then "free returns" goes away.
Just went through this myself.

I was able to fix the return problem by changing all of my new auto parts to used.
That will do for now, i guess.
Big thanks to Slipping727 for the tip.

 

[padam]

Ebay's fee structure has indeed gotten out of hand. Like others, I started selling about 20 years ago and was able to rehome a lot of stuff I knew I would never use. It funded my car hobby for a long time until I started seeing ebay's take get bigger and bigger. Most folks don't know that if you charge for shipping (instead of setting it to 'free') that ebay takes a cut of it as well. That started after Chinese sellers were caught selling a fifty dollar item for 99 cents and then charging fifty bucks to ship it to you. It means that selling an expensive to ship item actually costs you money to mail. Ebay saw to that by setting up their own shipping portal thru their website.

There are several 'Ebay hates its sellers' forums on the web and all have folks making valid points. The company is trying to squeeze every cent it can from sellers and would rather have the bigger 'sock vendor', as we call them around here, than the little guy trying to sell a couple of items now and then. Their policies and fee structure makes that clear.

Ebay has been great for exposure, leveling values of some items and driving up values of others, but one can only give them so much of the sale price until it become unprofitable to sell on the platform. FB Marketplace, club pages, Craigslist and pages like this one all have sellers and buyers but not the exposure the big guy gets.

I haven't sold on the platform in a few years and have no plans to restart.

Any horror stories from those who've used ebay? Selling? Buying?

A couple of years ago I got re-started selling on Ebay. Their payout structure now requires a link to your checking account. I tried everything I could to avoid doing that, but in the end I had to break down and open a checking account just for stuff like this. Through this little exercise I was attempting to use eBay's customer service. I almost gave up, but didn't want to hand those as@#$les the win, so kept at it.

Most of the stuff I'm trying to sell off is already paid for, so I will take what I can get for it and move on. It's obvious that eBay is no longer useful for the casual seller.

 

[YY1]

If you think dealing with potential and actual ebay buyers is difficult...

...wait 'till you deal with craigslist buyers.

If you think dealing with potential and actual craigslist buyers is difficult...

...wit 'till you deal with FB market place buyers.

 

[padam]

If you think dealing with potential and actual ebay buyers is difficult...

...wait 'till you deal with craigslist buyers.

If you think dealing with potential and actual craigslist buyers is difficult...

...wit 'till you deal with FB market place buyers.

Oh I’ve dealt with them all. Buying and selling.

Craigslist is the most predictable and easiest to spot scammers, just do everything through email until it’s actually time to meet. Of course that leaves out people who don’t/can’t use email.

FB marketplace is where most of the local activity is for second hand markets. It’s also the most dangerous for getting scammed or unalived. The platform is also complete garbage to use.

 

[YY1]

That's kinda what I said.

Also if you don't have email or for whatever reason refuse to use it, you are defeating/ignoring the main purpose of the entire craigslist platform.

...and potentially opening yourself up to even more phone scammers.

 

[Davefinan]

The timing of this thread is perfect. I sold an item this week for $375, eBay took $56 for themselves. It is criminal

I’m experiencing the same thing. I feel like I have to price it to cover their fees but then it becomes a tough sell.

 

[OKDart]

I was able to fix the return problem by changing all of my new auto parts to used.
That will do for now, i guess.
Big thanks to Slipping727 for the tip.

I started selling on eBay again this year, and ran into the same issue. Now I list everything as used, and if it's new, I'll just type new under the condition.

I had to search Google to figure that out, then I had to do a Google search to figure out where the seller hub was, then again on how to combine shipping.

Other than me being non-computer literate, I think eBay is better now than when I sold stuff in the past.

Old eBay scenario: take pictures, click on sell, go though every step and type out description, try and figure a price or a reserve, estimate weight and size of box, take to post office after it's sold and wait in line, find out the eBay shipping charged to the buyer was too little and I have to pay the 10-30% more out of pocket.

New eBay scenario: take pictures, search for a similar item on eBay, click "sell similar", change a few of the specs and upload your pics, print off shipping label when sold and drop off at post office (no waiting in line, and the shipping cost is usually in my favor).
It's been great, usually no contact with buyer, they buy it, I drop it off at the post office, couldn't be easier. I'll gladly pay eBay their fees for making it so easy.

eBay has a research feature in the seller hub that goes back 3 years on sold items, it also shows you what the "best offer" was in those scenarios. Better than just searching for "sold" listings.
Buying a thermal label printer is a MUST in my opinion. Buy some cheap poly bags and bubble mailers and re-use old boxes and you're off and running.

 

[Charged440]

You could sell something you got for free and still not make any money.

 

[jimbosride]

Pirate ship… It’s 1/2 the cost. I just shipped a fan shroud that USPS wanted over a $100 to ship for $25 through UPS using it.

Wow. Just ran what I shipped yesterday and it $16 less.

 

[kiwigtx]

If you think dealing with potential and actual ebay buyers is difficult...

...wait 'till you deal with craigslist buyers.

If you think dealing with potential and actual craigslist buyers is difficult...

...wit 'till you deal with FB market place buyers.

We used to do Garage Sales ....or you guys call them Yard Sales.....that became a nightmare eventually. Dealers walking around cherry-picking and offering a couple of bucks for stuff quite clearly worth hundreds or thousands.

I told one Arab looking guy to take the jacket off and f*** off out of my sight. It was a nice jacket.... prick was going to take it for $2, I ended up selling it for $40.

 

[Budnicks]

We used to do Garage Sales ....or you guys call them Yard Sales.....that became a nightmare eventually. Dealers walking around cherry-picking and offering a couple of bucks for stuff quite clearly worth hundreds or thousands.

I told one Arab looking guy to take the jacket off and f*** off out of my sight. It was a nice jacket.... prick was going to take it for $2, I ended up selling it for $40.

We have a crapload of yard & garage sales up here, starts about Apr.-May till like late Nov.-early Dec.
unless it's snowing or raining

My neighbors across the street does it annually,
their family, their father's & the inlaws,
& the grandfather (Tom who used to live there) & the son Tommy's houses,
like 5 of them all family
locally, with in like 5-ish miles of each other,
down Pheonix Lake area
all gather stuff & sell it at Tommy's place across the street,
few miles more up country here

they must list it or advertise pretty well
& the son Shea makes some nice signage, to direct people from the main road in,
great turnouts too
I'm amazed how much they sell...

 

[YY1]

For the record- us Yanks call them "yard sales" if they are in a yard, and "garage sales" if they are in a garage.

Funny, I know.

 

[Cojohnso1]

E-bay
Flea Bag

hates the buyers doesn't protect them ever

Once upon a time. One could buy from Craigslist. Rub with some love and talents. Then sell on E-bay. And actually make a coin or two. Not today. Like the days of scrap yard glory before online sales? Those days have come to an end. I blame too much auction showings that brings everyone believing their stuff Is Barrett Jackson gold. I'm sure there are other factors. But the buying/selling platforms are taking advantage.

Every good thing eventually gets exploited.

 

[64BEL]

We used to do Garage Sales ....or you guys call them Yard Sales.....that became a nightmare eventually. Dealers walking around cherry-picking and offering a couple of bucks for stuff quite clearly worth hundreds or thousands.

I told one Arab looking guy to take the jacket off and f*** off out of my sight. It was a nice jacket.... prick was going to take it for $2, I ended up selling it for $40.

I won't participate in any more garage sales. We had one 10 years ago to get rid of stuff after our mom passed away. Everybody wants to deal. My wife told me that a woman actually offered a quarter for some trinket that was priced at .50 cents. I told her it was good that I wasn't there at the time, because I would have thrown it onto the ground and smashed it to bits in front of that woman's face rather than give it to her for a quarter.

 

[RemCharger]

I won't participate in any more garage sales. We had one 10 years ago to get rid of stuff after our mom passed away. Everybody wants to deal. My wife told me that a woman actually offered a quarter for some trinket that was priced at .50 cents. I told her it was good that I wasn't there at the time, because I would have thrown it onto the ground and smashed it to bits in front of that woman's face rather than give it to her for a quarter.

The satisfaction is worth much much more than 50 cents.

 

[kiwigtx]

I won't participate in any more garage sales. We had one 10 years ago to get rid of stuff after our mom passed away. Everybody wants to deal. My wife told me that a woman actually offered a quarter for some trinket that was priced at .50 cents. I told her it was good that I wasn't there at the time, because I would have thrown it onto the ground and smashed it to bits in front of that woman's face rather than give it to her for a quarter.

I would have done the same. In fact my BIL used to get into really good arguments and tell people to go away ....he was selling really good stuff...most electronics - Panasonic gear back in the day.
His stuff sold fast, but he didn't mess around haggling.
The funniest one was my brother sold a crappy pair of jandals (flip-flops) that he found on the beach.... for $3. The guy buying took his own ones off and left them behind. My brother sold those also.

 

[YY1]

Let me start by saying ...with all due respect...

Isn't the point of a garage sale to get rid of items you no longer want, or want to store, with making a few bucks as a side benefit?

I'd laugh my fool head off if someone having a garage sale threatened to smash an item I made an offer on.

 

[padam]

Let me start by saying ...with all due respect...

Isn't the point of a garage sale to get rid of items you no longer want, or want to store, with making a few bucks as a side benefit?

I'd laugh my fool head off if someone having a garage sale threatened to smash an item I made an offer on.

I figure, why pay more than I have to. Some people don’t like to haggle. My wife will offer half at garage sales like that. But when she is selling her crafts at a show, no haggling allowed!