Crikey! Ebay fees
Author
Discussion

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

13,829 posts

186 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
Well, won't be bothering

Haven't sold on eBay for a while, not anything of decent value anyway. Bit shocked at the fees now! Just sorting out an ad for selling my iMac and eBay want £30 for the lisitng fees (because I want a reserve), then want 10% of the final value (which I estimate would be 70-80 quid). Then PayPal will want their % when the money comes in and out (3.4%, so another 20 quid). So on a potential 700-800 quid sale costs are, in total, up to £130 (nearly 20%). Madness!

Even cheekier, the final value fee is actually based on item sale value + shipping, (which for an iMac, shipping would be a significant extra cost, but I was going for local pick up).

Begs the question how some can afford to sell anything at all on there, surely the fees eat their profits?

Gumtree it is then! (doing local pick up anyway, so perhaps thats a better avenue). any others?


iphonedyou

10,424 posts

188 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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I haven't bothered with eBay in years - Gumtree all the way, I've never had an issue.

soad

34,745 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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The fees might be pretty high to sell at a decent profit, but you know what they're when you list!
I doubt you'd have got as much as by using those robbers such as Cash Convertors/CEX etc.

All eBay has done is provided a useful website. They need some serious competition...

If your item goes missing: you pay. If the carrier breaks it: you should have packed it better and you pay.
If you describe it slightly wrong: you pay. If the buyer thinks they've maybe bid too high: you have to sort it out and beg your next highest to buy.

andy-xr

13,204 posts

235 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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I had the same fee-shock with a car, £85 to sell it in the end. Pissed me right off

glazbagun

15,381 posts

228 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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They can be a shock and are certainly enough to make me wonder how anyone can make any money on Ebay, but compared to real brick & mortar auction houses they're actually quite reasonable. At least with Ebay the buyer doesn't get hit with 20+% too. They must rake it in though. I'm amazed noone's really been able to grab some market share from them.

KingNothing

3,349 posts

184 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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If you're doing local pick up, you just cancel the ebay listing after the person who wants to buy it has contacted you, and you won't have to pay the fee's.

2gins

2,861 posts

193 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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They're now screening messages for likely phrases that appear to be trying to circumvent the fees via private deals.

anonymous-user

85 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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Ebay also own Gumtree do they not?

And yes; you now have to be very crafty to get a mobile number or personal email address to the buyer via their message system. Oh - I've just thought; why not print out your contact details and add them to one of the product photos you can upload?

In fact, design the wording and pricing for the imac on screen, take a photo with the iMac displaying the ad copy with your t&cs, upload that to eBay and and away you go!

Edited by abitlikefiennes on Wednesday 28th October 12:10

chibbard

1,554 posts

291 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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Don't see why anybody bothers with Ebay nowadays. I use facebook selling pages (sold a phone within an hour of posting the advert to pick up)and don't have any issues. I'll do anything to avoid postage too. Local selling pages is the way to go. I'm gonna give Shpock a try too !!

soad

34,745 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
abitlikefiennes said:
Ebay also own Gumtree do they not?
yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumtree

PAULJ5555

3,554 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
soad said:
abitlikefiennes said:
Ebay also own Gumtree do they not?
yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumtree
I thought ebay would have shut Gumtree down to make everyone go to ebay and make them pay fees.

Before Gumtree we had freeads and I don't even hnow if that still exists, we need some rivals to pull the prices down.


trickywoo

14,273 posts

261 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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I wouldn't sell anything of that value without it being cash on collection.

Paypal and ebay will refund a buyer at the drop of a hat with no comeback from the seller. Leaving you with no item and no money.

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

13,829 posts

186 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
chibbard said:
Don't see why anybody bothers with Ebay nowadays. I use facebook selling pages (sold a phone within an hour of posting the advert to pick up)and don't have any issues. I'll do anything to avoid postage too. Local selling pages is the way to go. I'm gonna give Shpock a try too !!
Never thought of facebook either. Might give that a try.

mr_fibuli

1,109 posts

226 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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Reserves are pricey and a bit pointless. List as buy it now, or with a high starting price - you should get 20 free listings per month, so that won't cost you anything. You won't get many bids though if limited to a local pickup, so I'd go with buy it now.

I often do a reverse auction - set a stupidly high buy it now and then reduce it gradually until someone bites. I often get a lot more than I expected this way.

Fastpedeller

4,374 posts

177 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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KingNothing said:
If you're doing local pick up, you just cancel the ebay listing after the person who wants to buy it has contacted you, and you won't have to pay the fee's.
It's that sort of behaviour that puts the fees up!
Likewise the peeps who used to sell something for £1 with £25 postage that led to the fees on postage.

elanfan

5,527 posts

258 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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Anyone used that newish thing they are now pushing with TV ads - Shpock?

No idea the fees there.

Gumtree will follow the eBay model eventually they'll strangle Friday ad and similar and once they've cornered that market the free ads will disappear.

daddy cool

4,108 posts

260 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
Fastpedeller said:
KingNothing said:
If you're doing local pick up, you just cancel the ebay listing after the person who wants to buy it has contacted you, and you won't have to pay the fee's.
It's that sort of behaviour that puts the fees up!
Likewise the peeps who used to sell something for £1 with £25 postage that led to the fees on postage.
It depends if they (or anyone else) has already bid. If not, then you might get away with it. But i was selling some alloys recently, had listing starting at £100. Guy came round with £180 cash. When i cancelled the auction (claiming i changed my mind) i was hit with a £10 "we-reckon-you-sold-outside-ebay" fee.

As for the postage, it now suggests how much postage should be. Because i wanted to send something via by preferred trackable courier (only 6-7 quid) it then hit me with a % on that! (I wasnt even making anything on the postage for myself)

Very rarely sell on there though - and generally cash on collection. Ive been stitched up before by buyers lying.

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

13,829 posts

186 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
elanfan said:
Anyone used that newish thing they are now pushing with TV ads - Shpock?

No idea the fees there.

Gumtree will follow the eBay model eventually they'll strangle Friday ad and similar and once they've cornered that market the free ads will disappear.
Had a brief look at Schpok or whatever its called because the way its marketed would seem to suggest its aimed at people who might be looking for fixie bikes and apple products. When I looked though it seemed a bit thin on the ground. Might be worth a squirt though.

Nickyboy

6,825 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
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I think the final value fee is capped though, i seem to remember it being capped at something like £40 though it was a long time ago i last looked at their fees

mondeoman

11,430 posts

297 months

Wednesday 28th October 2015
quotequote all
PAULJ5555 said:
soad said:
abitlikefiennes said:
Ebay also own Gumtree do they not?
yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumtree
I thought ebay would have shut Gumtree down to make everyone go to ebay and make them pay fees.

Before Gumtree we had freeads and I don't even hnow if that still exists, we need some rivals to pull the prices down.
Ebay is for businesses now, Gumtree for one-offs.