The Official EBay Discussion Thread

[stitchdup]

20 minutes ago, PatW said:

Yes the same problem we have here in the UK with Amazon. Small items, one huge box!

I ordered a new large cutting mat on amazon, instead of rolling it up they sent it flat packed in a box bigger than my tv arrived in

[Straightliner59]

Have you seen shipping costs on model railroad items (nut/bolt/washer castings, etc.)? An item that will easily fit into a standard, letter-sized envelope costs about $6. It seems to be standard, with them, no matter where you get it from.

[slusher]

On 12/20/2021 at 6:58 AM, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

Here's my recent eBay experience. I wanted to buy three packs of Evergreen half round styrene. I found a seller and decided I would buy the three pieces through their eBay store. I put items in the shopping cart and noticed shipping was $30 in change! Figuring another seller would have a better freight rate, I checked one other seller's store. Same freight charge. As a 'buy it now' the price of each item was around $5.00 with $2.99 shipping. So, I placed three different transactions from the same seller for the items I wanted. It came to about $15 in merchandise and $9 in shipping (I really wish I had a local hobby shop I could just drive over to, but I don't)....

Here's what arrived...

Three big boxes, each with one item in it. As a point of size reference, those packing slips are standard 8" x11" pieces of paper.... -RRR

 

I feel the pain also..nothing but Hobby Lobby..

 

[Mike999]

On 12/20/2021 at 7:58 AM, Rocking Rodney Rat said:

Here's my recent eBay experience. I wanted to buy three packs of Evergreen half round styrene. I found a seller and decided I would buy the three pieces through their eBay store. I put items in the shopping cart and noticed shipping was $30 in change! Figuring another seller would have a better freight rate, I checked one other seller's store. Same freight charge. As a 'buy it now' the price of each item was around $5.00 with $2.99 shipping. So, I placed three different transactions from the same seller for the items I wanted. It came to about $15 in merchandise and $9 in shipping (I really wish I had a local hobby shop I could just drive over to, but I don't)....

I've sold on eBay for many years, and it has always had a problem with one person buying multiple items.  It treats every purchase as separate, and charges shipping on each item.  It's really aggravating. 

A few months ago, one of my buyers bought 2 kits and eBay charged him $23.90 for shipping.  When I went to the Post Office, the actual shipping charge was $14.20.  I refunded him $9.70 thru PayPal. I always refund excess shipping if it's more than a couple of bucks.  

This might work: next time put all the items in the Cart.  Then message the seller and ask for combined shipping, before you click "Buy It Now."

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Mike999
goof

[hedotwo]

On 12/20/2021 at 4:44 PM, stitchdup said:

I ordered a new large cutting mat on amazon, instead of rolling it up they sent it flat packed in a box bigger than my tv arrived in

I think we all have stories to tell about Amazon packing 😉

[vamach1]

On 12/20/2021 at 5:55 PM, Straightliner59 said:

Have you seen shipping costs on model railroad items (nut/bolt/washer castings, etc.)? An item that will easily fit into a standard, letter-sized envelope costs about $6. It seems to be standard, with them, no matter where you get it from.

It’s the “shipping and handling” to pump up the sellers profit.  I find it ridiculous that people are willing to buy something in the store (like Hotwheels cars) for $1 and sell them for $2.  The time involved for the sale less the fees Ebay and PayPal charge make selling one item not worth it.  A seller can probably ship five cars for the price of one and Ebay does give the seller a discount on USPS priority mail which may not be passed onto the buyer.  It seems like nobody want to ship decals or thin items in a standard envelope.  The USPS charges a minimum amount for a small envelope if it is over the maximum thickness or for a small box.  I always try to combine purchases from the same vendor only if they combine shipping.  I’ve ordered stuff from Europe and paid less for shipping than what some of the major online places charge.

[stitchdup]

I've been noticing a delay when you use paypal. It used to take the money straight away but now it can be 5 days later they take it. Its particularly annoying cos you think they've already taken the money but then find out they haven't when you get groceries and your card gets rejected. 

 

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

2 hours ago, Mike999 said:

I've sold on eBay for many years, and it has always had a problem with one person buying multiple items.  It treats every purchase as separate, and charges shipping on each item.  It's really aggravating. 

A few months ago, one of my buyers bought 2 kits and eBay charged him $23.90 for shipping.  When I went to the Post Office, the actual shipping charge was $14.20.  I refunded him $9.70 thru PayPal. I always refund excess shipping if it's more than a couple of bucks.  

This might work: next time put all the items in the Cart.  Then message the seller and ask for combined shipping, before you click "Buy It Now."

 

Thanks, Mike. I should have done that. Thanks for the tip. I just hate to see the waste of materials and cost, etc... -RRR

[bbowser]

I just lost out on an item because PayPal took so long, the seller sold it to someone else and refunded my purchase

[peteski]

41 minutes ago, bbowser said:

I just lost out on an item because PayPal took so long, the seller sold it to someone else and refunded my purchase

That makes no sense. PayPal delivers the payment to eBay instantly. Then nowadays eBay seems to hold onto the money for some period before crediting the seller.  What happened to you sounds shady.

[bbowser]

3 hours ago, peteski said:

That makes no sense. PayPal delivers the payment to eBay instantly. Then nowadays eBay seems to hold onto the money for some period before crediting the seller.  What happened to you sounds shady.

I thought so too, but at least they refunded the payment.  Shipping costs are getting out of control as well.

[DPNM]

Sellers can generate an invoice to one set amount on multiple purchases. You need to contact them. I send them a list, including the item numbers, before I purchase and ask them to give me a combined shipping cost.  If that cost is reasonable I will make the purchase. At least I know the exact cost that way.

On 12/22/2021 at 4:44 PM, bbowser said:

I just lost out on an item because PayPal took so long, the seller sold it to someone else and refunded my purchase

I don't understand this either. I use PP to pay for my eBay purchases. I keep no money in my PP account. It is deducted from my debit card. There is a delay, usually about 5 minutes, before the item shows as paid on my eBay Purchase page. 

[bbowser]

3 hours ago, DPNM said:

Sellers can generate an invoice to one set amount on multiple purchases. You need to contact them. I send them a list, including the item numbers, before I purchase and ask them to give me a combined shipping cost.  If that cost is reasonable I will make the purchase. At least I know the exact cost that way.

I don't understand this either. I use PP to pay for my eBay purchases. I keep no money in my PP account. It is deducted from my debit card. There is a delay, usually about 5 minutes, before the item shows as paid on my eBay Purchase page. 

I don't know, maybe the seller sold it or removed the item before I paid, all I know is I bought it but didn't get it.

[PowerPlant]

I’m pretty much done with ebay. Firstly their commission for sales is completely insane at around 25 percent (shipping costs included, which is ridiculous), and since they stopped working with PayPal their payouts for my sold items were a nightmare and took forever. They requested private bank statements and whatnot before they would release my money, and now they also want me to have a backup account uploaded. How many bank accounts/credit cards does one have?  Terrible service and manipulation with one’s earnings, but hey, at least it’s expensive 🙄

Never again.

[stitchdup]

2 hours ago, PowerPlant said:

I’m pretty much done with ebay. Firstly their commission for sales is completely insane at around 25 percent (shipping costs included, which is ridiculous), and since they stopped working with PayPal their payouts for my sold items were a nightmare and took forever. They requested private bank statements and whatnot before they would release my money, and now they also want me to have a backup account uploaded. How many bank accounts/credit cards does one have?  Terrible service and manipulation with one’s earnings, but hey, at least it’s expensive 🙄

Never again.

Thars the reason I wont sell on ebay. I've already been hacked once by doing that on a trusted site with all the padlocks and ssid stuff. No

way will i ever give ebay my account details. Besides isn't the first rule of the internet NOT to give out too much personal information?

 

[PowerPlant]

27 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

Thars the reason I wont sell on ebay. I've already been hacked once by doing that on a trusted site with all the padlocks and ssid stuff. No

way will i ever give ebay my account details. Besides isn't the first rule of the internet NOT to give out too much personal information?

 

That is exactly what I thought. I sent the bank statement, which I already felt was major intrusion of my privacy. And then they wanted info for a credit card on top of that, so they could “charge an alternate source” in case there is no money on my verified bank account when I make a purchase (?) And all of that for a “mere” 25 percent commission on my sold items, including shipping costs. Yes, they take commission on shipping. Unbelievable! Daytime robbery if I’ve ever seen one!

[stitchdup]

2 minutes ago, PowerPlant said:

That is exactly what I thought. I sent the bank statement, which I already felt was major intrusion of my privacy. And then they wanted info for a credit card on top of that, so they could “charge an alternate source” in case there is no money on my verified bank account when I make a purchase (?) And all of that for a “mere” 25 percent commission on my sold items, including shipping costs. Yes, they take commission on shipping. Unbelievable! Daytime robbery if I’ve ever seen one!

I wont buy unless the seller uses paypal now, once i used my card through their payment system and it was a week before they took the money

[PowerPlant]

9 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

I wont buy unless the seller uses paypal now, once i used my card through their payment system and it was a week before they took the money

I use paypal, but ebay will no longer deposit funds into my paypal because they are not working with them anymore (?) it is still possible to make purchases via paypal, however, so I really don’t get it. Either way, in order to release funds for my sold items, they requested all sorts of private bank info. I did finally get the money after much back and forth, but they now also want credit card info for “future purposes”, whatever that means, and even if I was willing to give it, I do not own a credit card 🙄 they could not have made it more complicated, and it used to be quite user friendly. Way to mess up a decent concept! 
So bye bye ebay as far as I am concerned.

Edited January 3, 2022 by PowerPlant

[DPNM]

I've pretty much quit selling on feeBay too. Last I checked they charge 12.55% on each item sold, including the shipping cost. They also charge 30 cents per sale on top of that?!?

I have two items listed now. One I will remove tonight unless someone buys it first. I listed it yesterday hoping it would sell fast as I could use the cash. By tonight it won't make much difference as I get my paycheck Thursday. By the time I'd see the money on this sale from feeBay, usually 2 to 4 days later, I won't need it anymore. It's an item I plan to give to my niece now anyhow.

The other item I have listed is a high priced thing that is at a price where, if it sells, I will break even on it after the selling fees. I have the same item listed elsewhere for $50 less as that is my actual break even point . If it sells on eBay fine. If not, oh well. I will NOT lower my price to sell it.

[PowerPlant]

3 hours ago, DPNM said:

I've pretty much quit selling on feeBay too. Last I checked they charge 12.55% on each item sold, including the shipping cost. They also charge 30 cents per sale on top of that?!?

I have two items listed now. One I will remove tonight unless someone buys it first. I listed it yesterday hoping it would sell fast as I could use the cash. By tonight it won't make much difference as I get my paycheck Thursday. By the time I'd see the money on this sale from feeBay, usually 2 to 4 days later, I won't need it anymore. It's an item I plan to give to my niece now anyhow.

The other item I have listed is a high priced thing that is at a price where, if it sells, I will break even on it after the selling fees. I have the same item listed elsewhere for $50 less as that is my actual break even point . If it sells on eBay fine. If not, oh well. I will NOT lower my price to sell it.

I just calculated, I sold my last item for 180 usd plus 30 usd shipping, so 210 usd total, and ebay issued me a payout of 165 usd, so they took 45 dollars total… not quite 25 percent, but if my math works well it’s 21.5 percent approx… still way too much, so now I don’t understand how come they charged you “only” 12.55 percent? Makes no sense. Either way, it’s pure thievery, and I don’t recall it being so expensive. Not using it ever again, I’ll stick with facebook groups. Who needs useless middlemen such as ebay anyway? 🙄

[Dave Van]

FYI to all who use ebay, paypal or Venmo. If you sell and the total sales, via any of the above, is a total of $600 or more A YEAR, you will be reported to the IRS and need to file a 1099K and report the income. Even if you took a HUGE loss on the item it will be called income. 

[DPNM]

2 hours ago, PowerPlant said:

I just calculated, I sold my last item for 180 usd plus 30 usd shipping, so 210 usd total, and ebay issued me a payout of 165 usd, so they took 45 dollars total… not quite 25 percent, but if my math works well it’s 21.5 percent approx… still way too much, so now I don’t understand how come they charged you “only” 12.55 percent? Makes no sense. Either way, it’s pure thievery, and I don’t recall it being so expensive. Not using it ever again, I’ll stick with facebook groups. Who needs useless middlemen such as ebay anyway? 🙄

I just noticed you are in Europe. That may make a huge difference with their selling fees as I am in the US. I was going by this (scroll down to the chart):

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822

Even at 12.55% plus the extra 30 cents, for who knows what, it's more than I care to give them. It used to be a flat 10% which was still too much but at least easy to figure. I do get 100 insertions at no charge per month so that would make a difference if you are charged for them.

I'm not on FB and have no plans to ever join it so selling there is not an option.

Edited January 3, 2022 by DPNM

[PowerPlant]

14 hours ago, DPNM said:

I just noticed you are in Europe. That may make a huge difference with their selling fees as I am in the US. I was going by this (scroll down to the chart):

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822

Even at 12.55% plus the extra 30 cents, for who knows what, it's more than I care to give them. It used to be a flat 10% which was still too much but at least easy to figure. I do get 100 insertions at no charge per month so that would make a difference if you are charged for them.

I'm not on FB and have no plans to ever join it so selling there is not an option.

I didn’t get charged for insertion, and difference is almost 50 percent, give or take… and that is completely unreasonable, especially considering all the grief they’ve been giving me with verifying my bank info over and over again, before releasing my earnings. And now also wanting backup account info (which I do not have) “just in case”. In case of what?? Ridiculous! Way to drive users away. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by PowerPlant

[Ace-Garageguy]

42 minutes ago, PowerPlant said:

...Ridiculous! Way to drive users away. 

eBay is a prime example of what is happening to businesses and institutions worldwide.

Useless dwerps who couldn't have built whatever in the first place come in in droves, thinking they can make whatever they target "better", and end up ruining something that worked fine.

[DPNM]

I did some research on my account last night. 

I'll preface by saying eBay now collects state sales tax for many of the of the US states. I pay 6% sales tax on every purchase I make on eBay. Before eBay started collecting state sales tax, as a seller, I was only required to charge sales tax to buyers in Pennsylvania.

I have sold about 5 items since this new program went into effect. I found that eBay includes the cost of sales tax in with what my item sold for and to ship it. eBay gets the state tax money, I don't see a dime of it. How does that work? I'm paying a percentage for the sale on tax money I do not receive.

I'll give one example:

 

Fees based on

$67.75

 

• Item price
  $50.00
   
• Shipping and handling
  $15.00
   
• Sales tax
  $2.75
   
• Fees based on

   

  $67.75
   

• Total fees for item
  • Final Value Fee

    -$8.50

    Variable percentage • Crafts category

    Rate for $0.00 - $7,500.00

    $67.75×12.55% =-$8.50

Final Value Fee

-$0.30

Per order fixed amount

 

Total fees

-$8.80

Learn more about eBay selling fees policy

 

This was a non Pennsylvanian buyer. Without the tax I should have been charged on $65. The sale price and shipping. That cost would have been $8.16. So they added 64 cents to their coffers. Not much until you consider how many sales per day there are. A small percentage would add up considerably.

Anyone know a good class action lawyer?