eBay Makes Major Fee and Feedback Changes in New Spring Release

by: Jeff@eBay

@Marie - The free listings apply to Auction and/or Fixed Price listings, including GTC listings.

by: winter-garden

OK, folks - Here's what really matters. The Final Value Fees are increasing to a flat amount of 9% (no longer tiered) for MOST categories, including ALL the categories I sell in.  I used the fee illustrator for a dozen sample transactions.  My FVF increases by an average of 30%.  So even though I will be paying nothing, or less, for insertions, I will be PAYING MUCH MORE to ebay every month.  OF COURSE!!!  Who would expect anything different from greedy ebay.  I love the way they always send out updates that suggest there's something good for sellers happening, and BURY the increase in costs with double-speak.  

by: Cavewomansman22

Right under where it says "Anchor Store" on the rate plans page, it says that "If you list in Books, DVDs & Movies, Music & Video Games additional listing fee is only 5¢ for fixed price." For now, anyway. This month was supposed to be when they were going to decide whether or not they were going to let it go back up to where it had been a few years ago.

by: Marie

@Jeff@Ebay

I'm aware of that and I'm trying to get the word out there the best that I can just as a regular member of Ebay.  But there is no where in the announcement that states that, which is a huge problem.

I believe you will have sellers assuming that since they are NOT covered in invitational promotions that they aren't covered in these free listings.  Personally I think that is a reasonable assumption.  It's wrong, but it is reasonable and I think there will be a whole lot of sellers assuming that.  How are they to know different if Ebay doesn't tell them.  Ebay has told them all along that they don't count in free listing promotions.  I see confusion on the horizon that doesn't need to be there.

by: Jeff@eBay

@Marie - We're announcing the free listing changes today and are highlighting that the free listings apply to Auctions and to all Fixed Price listings.

We'll also be promoting the free listings for all sellers consistently as we ramp up to the policies going live, so hopefully we'll be able to minimize any confusion. Thanks.

by: papergoy

To Jeff from eBay- here's the question in a nutshell- I have a store- let's say (and I'm completely making these numbers up) with 300 items- of which 10 renew daily.  I get 250 items free.  I list 5 items a day at auction through the month.  What am I paying fees on- do I get 150 free auction listings and then the remaining 100 are GTC?  Do I get the first 250 items listed (which would be 5 auction and 10 store per day) and then after that I pay the full boat?  Is it figured as we go, or is it figured at the end of the billing period with the actual auctions being given to us free first and then the balance being GTC?  That will change how I approach my listings obviously.

by: Steevo

@winter-garden,

Not if nothing sells, and if ebay keeps tampering with the search so nothing sells (which is what it's like for us right now) the FVF will cost you nothing!  

So that's lower, right?   Heh.  

Jeff@ebay, what can you do to make our sales work better?  That's the problem I have.  I spent time with seller outreach (wasted time IMHO).  They told me to do all the things I am already doing.  

by: 16mmfilmseller

@papergoy - I can't answer for ebay, but from reading the thread on the ebay forum, it appears to me that it's first come first served for the free listings, and GTC listings count EACH TIME they are relisted - so 1 the first time you list it, and then 1 30 days later when it renews.  

by: Jeff@eBay

@Cavewomansman22 - Books, DVDs & movies, music & video games listing fees are remaining at 5 cents for any fixed price listings after your allotment of free listings are used up.

by: Marie

Thank you Jeff

by: Jeff@eBay

@papergoy - 16mm has it right that the free listings are first listed, first used up until you use up your allotment of free listings.

by: papergoy

To 16mm, if that is true, then the more wily sellers will load up on listings at the beginning of the billing cycle (will list a ton of auctions) to save that money then only list store during the month, and so on.  Not sure if that's what eBay wants- a plethora of auctions at one time and then a lot fewer, but that would be the wisest thing to do with the price structure in place.  

by: papergoy

Thanks Jeff.  Guess who is listing auctions only at the beginning of a given billing cycle.

by: WOODJUNGLE! ON EBAY

Regarding feedback: Yes, there will be some vindication for sellers for winning cases. Feedback will be removed if the buyer loses a case.  I wish they would grandfather that new policy. I have a situation that  just occurred to me  where that would apply and will be livid if they don't. However, I can see this bringing ALL sorts of complaints from buyers for completely silencing them for losing a case.  I have my share fair of bad buyers but completely invalidating their feedback for losing a case is going to be interesting to watch. I also think Jeff@ebay should get a Ecommerce policy violation for trying to post an external link here, or perhaps even a posting restriction.

by: Anonymous Annie

David Steiner Rocks!

by: David Steiner

Actually, I think it's great that Jeff has come back and provided answers to people's questions.

by: Massachusets Howler

I ask my fellow sellers:

WHEN EVER has there been a true "fee decrease" from ebay?

MH

by: quirkyantiques

@jeff@ebay-nice job in pointedly skirting the fact that all of us savvy sellers are pointing out that this is more of the same old Ebay smoke and mirrors-how about addressing the fact that far from fees decreasing-the FVF structure will now mean about 100% increase in fees for anything other than a $10 book? How about addressing the fact that a basic store subscription will increase by 30% on a monthly basis and the fact that sellers who commit to a year to get the $15.95 price it currently is, will get hit by an "early termination fee" of the remaining balance of what they WOULD have paid for the entire year when they decide to close the store after a few billing cycles? I, for one will be CLOSING my newly opened Ebay store at the end of the month.

by: WOODJUNGLE! ON EBAY

I have had one of the roughest weeks ever with Ebay and the their CSRs and feel  more than ever that I am being treated like dirt, hence my comment.  The new feedback measures are just more evidence as to how broken that system is and how incompetent or unwilling they are to make it right.  

by: 16mmfilmseller

@papergoy -
Does it really matter anymore whether you list auction or fixed price? Based on the new system, the FVFs for auctions and fixed price listings are going to be the same, and the insertion fees for auctions (if I understand correctly) are going to be compacted down to a single fee regardless of the starting price. Fee will be the same for non-store holders, and a nickle more for store holders -- so even if you did 150 free fixed and then paid for 150 auctions, we're only talking about $7.50 difference for a basic store holder. For a non-store holder, there is no difference. Only if you are an anchor store holder listing 2500 items might it start making a substantial difference ($125)