eBay Nudges Sellers to Lower Prices on Slow Movers

by: airbrake

I started receiving these NAG Emails starting about two weeks ago. If Ebay had not alienated their Sellers and Buyers, thus ruining their site, we would not be having this problem. Ebay, mind your own business and leave us alone.

by: BatmanOfOz

I remember those types of annoying prompts from years ago! Saying that 'similar items have sold for x$ to xxx$" and that I should Lower my price...which is Already at the Lower End! Ignored Them!! But still Very Aggravating!

by: etectra

""What we have to keep in mind is that that there are TONS of sellers who do have their items ridiculously overpriced."

Like eBay management, you are falsely assuming that eBay somehow determines the market value of anything. Plenty of other online venues, which is why eBay has lost millions of its users. In the last quarter of 2021 alone they lost 9% of all active buyers. Shopify has replaced eBay in the #2 spot.

Plenty of brick and mortar options such as a antique store where there are not shipping charges for the buyer.

"And eBay just keeps relisting those things, hosting them for free, so if the sellers never drop the prices, eBay will never cash in on platforming them."

So eBay stores are free now?

Perhaps you haven't noticed all the paid ads on eBay listings. eBay is getting free content to sell advertising space. They license sold item content to WorthPoint.

eBay also generates income from fools who pay to promote these listings.

"This is why they have always given all kinds of nudges to sell cheaper. "

Actually no. It is because eBay has always been run by its managers as a Ponzi scheme for its stock. Management wants to keep the stock prices up so when they sell stock they can retire as a millionaire. They are only concerned with short term profits at all costs. They could care less about eBay users or eBay as a company. This is same company telling sellers to list items for $.99 in auctions only for the items to sell for $.99. The same company telling sellers to ship items to Russia and Ukraine before the war - two of the most corrupt countries on earth. - because eBay management is only concerned about making its commission and not the seller.

Can you name one thing eBay management actually invented on its sites that was not actually invented by someone else? eBay simply copies ideas, steals ideas or buys the company that created it.

"At this point, we recommend making some tweaks to your listing to help it sell. Tap the + next to your item to learn what helped similar listings sell."

If you are using eBay website to list and manage listing you are like 26 years behind in technology as the first listing software came out in 1998. eBay used to have TurboLister, but dropped that because it does not want to spend the money on the app - instead they put the burden on third parties who then charge the seller.

How come a couple guys in Germany can create the best listing software (GarageSale) and eBay can't with billions in cash and thousands of employees?

"Free shipping"

Another one of eBay's massive consumer SCAMS!

In order to offer free shipping you need to bake the highest possible shipping charges into the price of item plus add a percentage to cover FVF on that shipping. This means you are forcing all potential buyers to pay the highest possible shipping costs. This also means you will need to edit every single unsold listing when prices go up to adjust for the new carrier rates. Calculated shipping delivers the lowest cost so why is eBay heavily promoting free shipping? Because it makes them more money. Free shipping also assumes the customer is too stupid to sort items by price where they will see that calculates shipping offers the lowest price.

Since some states do not charge sales tax on shipping, free shipping means the buyer will pay higher FVF as the shipping is baked into the cost of the items whereas if it was calculated shipping no FVF would be charged on the shipping.

"the same item listed by other Sellers, including fair shipping,"

I could care less what other sellers are doing in regards to shipping since with 26 years of experience plus additional years working for a wholesaler means I ship safely as opposed to many idiotic sellers who shove their item in a poly bag and take a gamble it will arrive safely just to save a bit on the weight.

I ignore all eBay messages and reminders as anything out of eBay's mouth is a lie or scam.

eBay could immediately lower the cost of every item on their site by stopping their FVF on shipping SCAM. They can verify the cost of shipping labels through eBay and through third parties and only charge FVF if this exceeds what was charged the buyer. Retail purchases of labels would be out as a way to encourage people to move to lower cost commercial labels. Everyone using online labels could lower their prices to commercial prices as there would be no commission on the labels.

But what has eBay done instead?

Change every seller's preferences to be enrolled with their new international selling program and require the sellers to opt out.

Change the way they bill buyers for multiple quantity items and not make any announcement or send any messages to sellers about this. This was changed from adding the shipping charges together to calculating the rate based on the combined weight. This lowered the price the buyer paid at the risk of short changing the seller on shipping due to dimensional rates.

Sociopathic Management and Employees is the Problem!

by: pace306

See when you use MAGIC(al innovations), you forget that lower prices = lower FVF's ... OOPS

Server space isnt eBays issue, its that it wants to "sell" ever item listed.

"True dat" that some sellers are lazy - bad pics, bad or no descriptions, and everyone wants to sell Pokemon cards - 1/2 are probably FAKE (eBay does a cr@p job policing fakes) and that all contributes to no sales.

The REAL truth though is ... eBay just doesnt have the buyers it used to. And, while Posh, Mercari and Vinted dont amount to much - each site takes eyeballs off eBay .... but they sorted wanted it that way. If you clog up the screen with stupid ads ... you take the fun away from it all ...

eBay - how about YOU lower your prices?

by: etectra

Lets look at eBay's 100% incompetence in regards to Ground Advantage.

On July 9 of 2023 USPS released its newest Price List.

The biggest change was that USPS combined the following services into USPS Ground Advantage - Retail.

First-Class Package service - Retail
USPS Retail Ground

It combined the following services into USPS Ground Advantage (commercial):

First-Class Package Service (commercial)
Parcel Select (commercial)

On eBay its a common practice to set your eBay shipping discount preferences to charge customers the USPS retail rate while you pay the commercial rate, with the difference paying for FVF on the shipping.

Prior to July 9, 2023, eBay had Parcel Select as a shipping service on its listing form and within 3rd party listing software such as GarageSale. This meant you could have your preferences set to charge retail but override this on individual listings and charge the commercial rate by selecting Parcel Select.

After July 9, 2023, eBay only added USPS Ground Advantage as a shipping option, with the customer being charged the retail rate or commercial rate based solely on your eBay shipping discount preferences. There was no USPS Ground Advantage (commercial) option on the listing form or in 3rd party software to override your eBay shipping discount preferences.

You would want to use this override option when the retail price of a USPS service is too high and you need to charge the commercial rate on the listing. You would simply increase the price of your item by 20% of the maximum possible shipping cost to cover FVF on shipping.

In a recent example I have a larger sized item on which I would block Alaska, Hawaii and US Protectorates. Shipping would be limited to the Lower 48 States. The maximum shipping zone would be 8 thus the maximum shipping cost via Ground Advantage (commercial) would be $42.90. I would simple increase the price of my item by 20% of $42.90 to cover the maximum possible FVF on shipping.

But there is no way to charge the calculated commercial rate on this item as my eBay preferences for many other items has to remain charging the retail retail. There is no option to override this any longer on individual listings as eBay failed to add a USPS Ground Advantage (commercial) option within its listing process.

No one is going to pay the retail rate, which is $74.65 for zone 8. UPS Ground is not an option as the commercial rate for that is $92.95.

eBay's current response to this was the same as when I brought it up immediately after USPS's changes back in 2023 - they simply lie and give me the runaround. Even worse eBay had foreknowledge of changes that were to made by USPS and did nothing to properly address the issue.

eBay claimed...

I was not seeing the option as it was the third party software I use to upload listings.

It was their contract with USPS.

They had no idea there was a commercial and retail version of Ground Advantage.

There was never an option to select Parcel Select or otherwise override your eBay shipping preferences on individual listings.

Simply play stupid and tell you they need to investigate hoping that you just hangup while they are actually helping other customers online.

100% sociopaths and they wonder why they've lost so many buyers and sellers.

eBay needs to have its USPS contract terminated - their FVF SCAM alone is reason enough. Postal discounts are a privilege and not a right and eBay has only used them to abuse and use others.

by: Rexford

No, no, and no.  I choose when I lower my prices.

I have noticed that they now even have a field asking what you paid for the item.   A big nunya to that field.

by: etectra

"I have noticed that they now even have a field asking what you paid for the item.   A big nunya to that field."

LOL, Yes!

Reminds me of the day they started to put selling limits on accounts. It took awhile for this to reach my account as I have a older account. The rep wanted to know where I got my goods from. I told her it was none of her business.

by: Snapped

“ I have noticed that they now even have a field asking what you paid for the item.   A big nunya to that field. “

Tell ‘em you have no idea what this whole ordeal will cost regarding YOUR item until eBay finishes taking their rake off the top, (and above the top), and you add in the final cost of the ‘free’ shipping.  

A Big Nunya would be an excellent name for a rock band too.

by: RKTOYS

If eBay wants lower prices, all it has to do is lower fees.  Eliminating the FVF on shipping would be an excellent start.  Too bad they'll never _ever_ lower fees a single cent.

by: BargainzBabylon

Huge giant posts by the opinionated here could be summed up in - "Just ignore the emails" - I don't even see them, they go to a junk email account.  

by: Nonesuch

"It is because eBay has always been run by its managers as a Ponzi scheme for its stock. Management wants to keep the stock prices up so when they sell stock they can retire as a millionaire. They are only concerned with short term profits at all costs."

Absolutely right!  One only has to look at the massive stock buybacks every quarter to pump up the share price and counter for Wall Street the tepid or negative trends in actual sales on eBay and eBay revenue.