'eBay Called Me Yesterday' - Are Shipping Costs Too High?

by: imaglitch

Today I ended 5 of my eBay listings because they sold on other platforms.  All of those listings had free shipping.  I don't think high shipping costs are the problem.

by: GetAGrip

I think fleecebay FVF rates are to high. Maybe they should consider lowering them and the seller could lower their shipping fees. We charge actual shipping and refund any overpayment and if the buyer wants to whining about it we will just cancel the whole order and tell them that they would make us a lot happier if they took their useless backsides and purchased elsewhere and then block the slugs.

by: terry55

Ebay should be worried about high shipping costs! I'm only selling half the inventory I did 5 years ago, anything under $5, there's no profit in it. Shipping for fishing rods has more then double in less then 2 years.

by: Fruitylovesyou

Tinker tinker I smell a stinker

by: COVID-19

Well, isn't this interesting! eBay cold-calling sellers? And yet when sellers actually need help, eBay purposely hides its phone number(s) so that sellers would have to dig and dig. And then after all of the digging, sellers get the pleasure of waiting and waiting to eventually get dismally incompetent "help" that basically lie to them so they'll believed they have been "helped" and hang up.

by: Snapped

Chutzpah, that’s what that is.  With a big ol’ glass of hypocrisy to wash it down.  

by: UB

Ebay should be worried about attracting more buyers to actually search Ebay by buying commercials etc.and also fix the search engine. Also, should be pushing Congress on why Congress has fixed the Temu and Shien issues from skirting tariffs.  

by: UB

***Ebay should be worried about attracting more buyers to actually search Ebay by buying commercials etc.and also fix the search engine. Also, should be pushing Congress on why Congress HAS NOT fixed Temu and Shein from skirting tariffs.

by: Rexford

Hilarious. The company that takes a chunk of what sellers charge for shipping criticizing sellers shipping prices. The company that makes more money when the carriers raise shipping fees several times per year.

Talk about a lack of self awareness AND hypocricy.

by: ebayout

Suspicion Confirmed: eBay outsources their accounting.
NOBODY there knows how profit is determined.

by: pace306

I hope the op answered in broken English, put them on hold for awhile and then said “sorry I can’t help you- it’s in the TOS “

Or, told them politely that interference in their business is a Trademark infringement and that you plan on filing suit against them (aka your OWN Vero compliant )

by: comments

I think it would be a great counter to say. Yes, I agree my shipping costs are very high. The reason is because ebay has been ineffective at negotiating favorable rates with the shipping carriers.

Additionally, costs of selling have nearly doubled in the last two years. FVF's have gone up a quarter percent. The minimum promoted listings standard doubled. Even worse than that is the fact that ebay stopped showing relevant ads to buyers favoring over priced listings based solely on the ad rate selected. Repeat buyers have stopped buying because ebay stopped showing your customers your promoted listings to drive more sales to the seller who earned the sale.

Ebay is slowly decaying and each time the leadership changes they still march steadfast down the path of failure. I see every day the millions of dollars ebay leaves on the table and it absolutely kills me.

Visibility is only given to the sellers of treash because they are the only ones who can afford the 20% "suggested" ad rates. IF I found my items in the garbage I would have no problem increasing my ad spend.

Promoted listings Advanced is just a scam with search engine spiders draining your budget. At 5 cents a click it cost about $800 per realized sale over the last 90 days. The success of this product will be short lived if improvements are not made. I will no longer keep trying to force the rhombicosidodecahedron peg into the round hole and have ended all campaigns. Who ever though less sales could be more profitable and yet here we are!

by: comments

Oh also the fee increase on paying for fees on the portion of actual shipping costs and the sales tax without warning or ability to assess to true cost of the sale when buying inventory.

by: ZZ

I've had buyers complain about the high price of shipping and ask me to ship it more cheaply. If eBay called me with the same question I would tell them to call the Post Office, same as I tell the buyers.
I don't fault eBay for charging the FVF on shipping. In case you weren't selling before they started that, there were thousands of lightweight items listed for $.01 with $100 shipping. That's why. Charging the FVF on sales tax is a different story, since the seller is not involved. It sounds illegal to me. Any lawyers out there?

by: None Such

What I charge for shipping is my business.  If buyers find shipping too high, they won't buy.  But the constant push from eBay in the past and still today to get sellers to offer free shipping or ultra low cost shipping creates buyer expectations that are unrealistic.  Shipping costs.  I'm content to forgo sales to some buyers with unrealistic demands.  I have many buyers who are perfectly happy to pay for shipping on items I sell, whether on eBay or other platforms.  I happily combine and rebate excess shipping paid when buyers find that eBay makes it too difficult to add items to cart and ask for an invoice with combined shipping.  

by: 1st Armored Div. 1971-1973

I am probably one who charges the most for shipping for what I sell but I give my buyers value for their money. All items are at USPS within 1 business day but normally within a few hours, packed extremely well to prevent damage, and my buyers appreciate it. This does not come cheap but they are willing to pay for value and I give them value.

If there is a complaint about shipping costs it is international and I do not use Ebay shipping. Mainly because Ebay blocks my "militaria photos" from international shipping. I used Ebay shipping for years but now I am verboten...

by: Chicago48

I think fleecebay FVF rates are to high. Maybe they should consider lowering them and the seller could lower their shipping fees
^^People have been complaining about this for decades.  Nothing will change.  However, what I would suggest is that EB incorporate more AI/robots in its operations.  Keep the human customer services and community boards.  Very helpful.  But I think EB can find more savings and thereby streamline their operations and the website needs a revamp.

by: LJW

I pass my "savings" along but I still get steady complaints that "my" shipping costs are too high! I agree that shipping costs are high, but when I pass along my savings, I end up paying part of the shipping because or the FVF on shipping. Fees in general are going to kill Ebay. In just 12 months my advertising fees have gone from 2% to 17+%. That won't last long.  

by: CBW

Don't waste time and money by passing on your Ebay shipping discount. If a buyer wants the item they'll pay the shipping costs. Most buyers search lowest plus shipping anyways.  

by: Steverd

Our shipping problem is on multiple items, why doesn't combined shipping ever work for me? I had to refund someone $100 that ebay over charged on shipping this weekend? I have my combined shipping rules turned on and its still messed up. Just doesn't make sense.