posted on May 30, 2008 06:40:28 PM new
Here's a link to Scot Wingo's blog about this: http://ebaystrategies.blogs.com/
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posted on May 30, 2008 07:07:06 PM new
Thanks for sharing Neglus... I hadn't heard this one yet! Geesh... all I can say is I'm glad I'm not that invested in eBay any more. What are they thinking these days???
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posted on May 30, 2008 07:25:57 PM new
I'm going to sell as much as I can while I still can, while quietly readying a very large email list of past purchasers. I should also be able to come up with close to 20,000 unique snail mail addresses for direct mailings.
posted on May 30, 2008 08:01:36 PM new
From the blog-
It's been a few years since the roll out of third party listers like isoldit (drop off stores) - what's the growth rate of third party listers vs. individuals.
A: I don't know. There are drop shops and there are trading assistants. We don't break that out. Consumers selling on eBay continues to be strong - eBay is the only place you can turn assets to cash in 14 days.//////////////////////////////
eBay is the only place you can turn assets to cash in 14 days.
No argument there!MAKE IT 7 DAYS OR LESS.
posted on May 30, 2008 08:33:44 PM new
Is schmuck something Fluffy sells? I thought it was something entirely different in high school. Edited to add, I don't like eBay playing Big Brother, but these items are generally small and the ceiling is quite generous (6 Euros= $9.32). It could also justify some sellers to raise S & H because eBay's ceiling of what it considers reasonable is no longer a secret.
[ edited by pixiamom on May 30, 2008 08:40 PM ]
posted on May 30, 2008 08:44:01 PM new
Emil says "schmuck" means jewelry in German.
The "urban dictionary" gives the following definitions of "shmuck" from Yiddish (notice difference in spelling):
1.Shmuck
The Foreskin that is removed from the Penis during a circumcision is the correct definition of shmuck.
2.shmuck
(Yiddish)
a) A penis.
b) An annoying person.
3.shmuck
(n) That portion of one's penis which is cut off during circumcision. A useless appendage.
posted on May 30, 2008 08:54:58 PM new
I think the point is that EBay is acting less and less like a venue and more and more like Amazon (Ebay seems to forget that unlike Amazon, EBay does not have anything to sell). First they require PayPal only in Australia and now they set s/h fees in Germany. We all know that eBay tests these things out in other markets before bringing to the US. It probably is only a matter of time ... certainly shows us more of the new eBay mindset at any rate. Boo-hiss EBay.
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posted on May 30, 2008 10:16:30 PM new
I don't speak German but I can read the handwriting on the wall.
Something else I've said for years: the interests of buyers and sellers are directly opposed, *unless* buyers get smart enough to realize that keeping certain sellers in business is in the buyer's best interest too.
Or put another way: a buyer's wet dream is a long street where every storefront is plastered with "Going Out of Business, everything 90 percent off" signs. It never seems to occur to them that the next business in that storefront may not have merchandise as relevant or prices as reasonable as the one they gleefully picked the bones of.
posted on May 31, 2008 05:32:00 AM new
Most of it seems to be small lightweight peripherals/audio etc., but then I see lamps and lighting under Home -- I'm in trouble unless my German is worse than I think. That one I don't understand.
posted on May 31, 2008 05:49:00 AM new
I think you are right about lamps - on there two times. Someone on Stores board looked up German postal rates and they are much cheaper than here:
"A package up to 5 lbs costs 3.90 Euro, up to 22lbs 6,90 Euro and up to 45 lbs 9.90 Euro.
These are prices we could only dream about.
Media mail is between 0.45 Euro to 0.85 Euro depending on weight."
posted on May 31, 2008 05:54:06 AM new
Instead of all of this craziness, why don't they lower the FVF and charge FVF on combined total S&H and Item Price?
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posted on May 31, 2008 05:55:42 AM new
Here is some information on shipping DVD from Germany to USA-
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I've sent a lot of packages of 1 or 2 DVDs from Germany to the US. First of all, forget about Fedex and UPS; they couldn't care less about small customers and UPS also couldn't care less about large customers. UPS Germany pretty much just exists to make UPS in the USA look good by comparison.
In Germany, DHL and Deutsche Post are effectively the same company -- when you send a large package with Deutsche Post, DHL is usually the courier. But you don't want to send a package, because Deutche Post is really not that expensive if what you are sending can go inside something vaguely envelope-shaped.
The two envelope-based options are "Maxibrief International Luft" or "Maxibrief International Land". What I do is get an A4-sized envelope with bubble-pack lining, put the DVDs in a single good case with a lightweight cardboard stiffener, and fold the envelope in half (and tape the sides down). I haven't had one (out of 60 or so) show up broken.
A Maxibrief has the following dimensions/prices:
Minimum length is 140mm and minimum height is 90mm,
Length + width + height = no more than 900mm,
If weight is under 100g it costs €4 by land or air
If weight is between 100g-500g it will be €6 by land and €8 by air.
To stay on the safe side, keep the package width under 20mm. I think that just applies to national shipments, but it's best not to make the mail carrier think that he or she has to make a judgement call as to whether it's a letter or a package.
Packages with heavier weight and larger dimensions are considered a Päckchen or Paket and become more expensive (your LPs might be pricey because of the large dimensions and weight -- I think it will probably be €12.90 if you send it by land, 2x that by air).
You can verify this with the free handbook you can get at the post office, or online at http://www.post.de. The site also has an English option.
BTW, at the post office, they can give you a little green sticker on which you can declare the contents and value. I would definitely do this (or go and get a bunch of them at once so you can send them with the mailboxes later), since customs hangups are seriously annoying, and sometimes expensive.
posted on May 31, 2008 06:01:26 AM new
So,if he is right,then a small package from Germany to USA costs 4 Euro dollars ($6 US dollars).
I can ship a small 2 oz. package to most countries for US $1.80.
So,may be it is worth the extra 10 cents to have our listing shows up on their Ebay site.
*
Google does not hire stupid people.
posted on May 31, 2008 06:07:24 AM new
Instead of all of this craziness, why don't they lower the FVF and charge FVF on combined total S&H and Item Price?
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This is what they charge on Yahoo Shopping,but Yahoo shops do not make money on shipping,they make money on the merchandise.
There are some Chinese sellers from China who offer free shipping on item starting at 99 cents but charge a bundle on insurance !
So,what next,Ebay will come up with a list of insurance fees!
posted on May 31, 2008 06:59:14 AM new
Methinks we are all missing the real POINT ("Me and my Shadow...") here!
A few months ago, when the new CEO (clown-in-chief) took over, I commented on the idea that his plan is to turn feeBay into just another AMAZON wannabe...
Am I prophetic or what?
feeBay NEEDS NEW income streams, and they ain't getting that from listings!
I'm positive that this schmuck (or "putz" if ye prefers) looks at AMAZON and DROOLS over:
1) AMAZON PAYMENTS - there is only ONE payment on AMAZON, and they get a cut on every transaction...
and...
2) SHIPPING: AMAZON determines HOW MUCH the buyer pays, AND AMAZON determines how much to pay YOU, the seller, AFTER THEY TAKE THEIR CUT!
Believe me, I see the writing on the wall (although that could just be Ralphie's paw prints?):
Within 12 MONTHS, feeBay will:
1) Eliminate ALL payment methods except PAYPAL -- payment will be handled thru feeBay, and you will have NO say in the matter...
and...
2) SHIPPING will be determined & dictated by feeBay -- they will collect the fees + take a CUT out of those fees + Pay you a crumb or 2, but NEVER an amount that covers yer shipping EXPENSES...
posted on May 31, 2008 07:17:21 AM new
Exactly Tom. What really burns me is that all of this "disruptive innovation" is really just disruption and very little innovation. The goal is to model the site after an existing (Amazon) business plan. Why not just DO it all at once and be done with it? The process is KILLING everyone.
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posted on May 31, 2008 07:42:20 AM new
But why is Ebay dictating shipping fee?
Because there is so much abuse going on ,list an item at 9-99 cents and charge high shipping fee so Ebay is getting almost zero on FVF.
Now sellers would state insurance is mandatory and then self insure to pocket the insurance premium.
Where does it end?
There are too many sellers on Ebay,everyone anyone can be a seller,raise the barrier of doing business and we will see less competition,but Ebay wants the cake and eat it too,it wants more listings so set the entry barrier low (listing fee has been reduced to 35 cents) and then carp about not getting enough FVF.
What about other categories,like pottery and chinaware and toys and figurines,will Ebay ask us to specify weight and then give us a range of how much we can charge by weight?
Then sellers will overstate the weight of the item,then what would EBAY do?
Ask us to specify the material and measurement and then figure what the weight is?
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Google does not hire stupid people.
[ edited by hwahwa on May 31, 2008 07:44 AM ]
posted on May 31, 2008 07:49:59 AM new
Paypal only may not be a bad idea,I have seen cases where sellers have dubious description of an item(I showed it to a friend of mine who is an expert and he said it is real jade,ivory,gold,bronze etc and then ask for money order only,no Paypal).
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Google does not hire stupid people.
posted on May 31, 2008 07:54:27 AM new
Tom,
AMZN model does not work that well on EBAY-AMZN has inventory while Ebay does not.
Also no one has such a diversified range of products to offer like Ebay,how do you dictate shipping of an item such as 'Ghost in a Jar'?
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Google does not hire stupid people.
posted on May 31, 2008 07:55:55 AM new
hwa - Ebay already has restrictions in place about insurance and excessive shipping charges:
Excessive Shipping Charges Policy
Sellers may charge reasonable shipping and handling fees to cover the costs for mailing, packaging, and handling the items they are selling. While eBay will not prescribe exactly what a seller may or may not charge, eBay will rely on member reports and its own discretion to determine whether or not a seller’s shipping, handling, packaging, and/or insurance charges are excessive. Shipping and handling fees may not be listed as a percentage of the final sale price.
Sellers who want to be sure they are in compliance with this policy may charge actual shipping costs plus actual packaging materials cost (or less).
In addition to the final listing price, sellers are permitted to charge:
Actual Shipping cost: This is the actual cost (i.e. postage) for shipping the item.
Handling Fee: Actual packaging materials costs may be charged. A handling fee in addition to actual shipping cost may be charged if it is not excessive.
Insurance: Sellers offering insurance may only charge the actual fee for insurance. No additional amount may be added, such as “self-insurance”. Sellers who do not use a licensed 3rd party insurance company may not require buyers to purchase insurance. This is a violation of state law.
Tax: Only actual applicable federal, state, country, city, VAT, and equivalent taxes may be charged.
For cross border transactions, sellers may not collect tariffs and duties. However, buyers may be responsible for actual, applicable tariffs, and duties as requested by respective country laws.
Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:
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Listing cancellation
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Limits on account privileges
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Account suspension
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Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
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Loss of PowerSeller status
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posted on May 31, 2008 08:07:07 AM new
So, given the postal rates in Germany, those max shipping fees seem quite generous, actually. I wasn't thinking about how small Europe is -- I can ship a large heavy item to a contiguous state here for not very much.
As a buyer, I'm continually surprised at how high many shipping rates really are in many categories, china is one. A question will often get me the "real" rate, sometimes half of what's quoted. That's from sellers with lots of FB and a long history on eBay. For example, I bought two pieces from someone. Quoted shipping was $28 each (she did make a mistake -- sometimes sellers click large package since it's not a "small" package). Final shipping for both, $11.20. She still had a couple of bucks left for handling etc.
posted on May 31, 2008 08:14:07 AM new
This is because you asked,and the seller backed down,many do not ask.
No one really state they are self insuring the package on their item description or tell the buyer aftermath,but they just take a chance.
If they pay insurance and seller uncheck the insurance box while printing the shipping label online,the seller can tell them he uses U-PIC or DSI,they have no way of verifying.
But then of course they can turn around and scam the seller .
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Google does not hire stupid people.
[ edited by hwahwa on May 31, 2008 08:14 AM ]
posted on May 31, 2008 08:38:55 AM new
My point was that in many categories, not just the obvious, shipping charges really are higher than they should be even with handling and materials.
posted on May 31, 2008 02:31:36 PM new
Then before you decide whether it is too high or too low,look at the asking price,decide how high you would bid on the item and add it to shipping,then ask your self if it is too high or too low.
An item coming from China starting at 9 cents,with free shipping,you know he is going to sock you with fee(s) and yep,it is called insurance and shipping & handling.
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Google does not hire stupid people.
posted on May 31, 2008 02:33:30 PM new
What happens if you place your item in a different category?is that category avoidance,would the listing be removed?
[ edited by neglus on May 30, 2008 06:38 PM ]
