posted on August 19, 2008 09:42:31 PM new
Also, they are not going to allow checks and money orders, only credit cards and paypal.
Just like they did in Australia. Geeez that stinks! Money orders means a dollar or two more for moi........uhhhhhhhh ya don't think the eBay wants more of the pie.
posted on August 19, 2008 09:46:11 PM new
I think right now, about 98% of my business comes from paypal. However, I do have a few good customers who pay with a check or money order. I hope I don't lose them. I'd love to see their official explanation on limiting how people pay us will somehow bring us more business. I think having more choices is better than fewer.
posted on August 19, 2008 09:53:14 PM new
The changes look fine except for the money order thing. My regular customers that pay like that will know what to do.
I hope I PRAY that the eBay teckys that tinkered with the interface or their API will get the #^%&# thang fixed before I snap!
Anywho , the big not so well kept "surprise" announcement should be made officially around 8 or 9 am EDT.
posted on August 19, 2008 09:57:18 PM new
Here is the Auctionbytes article:
eBay is introducing a host of changes it hopes will improve the site in time for the holiday shopping season. Most significantly, eBay will change its Buy It Now (BIN) fixed-price format, making it more like eBay Store-inventory, but with exposure in the main eBay.com core search results. It will also make changes to Finding (search), Shipping and Seller Standards. And in a move that was expected by many, it will change to an electronic checkout system, banning checks and money orders.
Like its eBay Store cousin, the BIN fixed-price format will be expanded to a 30-day duration. eBay will change Final Value Fees (FVFs) on a category-by-category basis, making them more in line with the current 12 percent FVF for Store inventory listings (but significantly higher than the current FVFs of the BIN Fixed-Price format). Two categories - Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, and Parts & Accessories - appear to be the hardest hit in terms of higher FVFs.
Unlike Store inventory format, which has very limited exposure in core, BIN fixed-price listings will remain in "core," meaning the listings will continue show up on eBay's main search results.
The insertion fee for BIN fixed-price listings will be a flat rate of 35 cents. The new fee is generally lower than the current 7-day fee for the same format, which ranged from 25 cents to $4, and is higher than Store fees. (There is special pricing in the media category, see other story in AuctionBytes.com.) Sellers may now also list multiple quantities of the same item for a single 35-cent listing fee; previously, multiple quantities resulted in higher listing fees.
eBay will make no changes to the fee structure for auctions and Store inventory format. Sellers may continue to list auction format listings with an optional BIN price for the same fee structure as exists today.
eBay's new BIN fixed-price format changes take effect September 16, 2008.
Dinesh Lathi of eBay's Selling Team said, "As a company, we're moving to success-based pricing, we are increasingly aligning our outcomes and our incentives with those of our sellers."
For items that sell for $25 or less, the FVFs decrease for items listed in the Computers & Networking; Cameras & Photos; and Electronics and Video Game Systems categories. However, once the pricing goes up to a certain level above $25, the FVFs actually increase in these categories due to higher percentage fees in the next tranche, and due to a restructuring of the tranches.
In all other categories, the FVFs are higher across each tranche, making for significantly higher commission fees in the BIN Fixed Price format, with FVFs in the Clothing, Shoes & Accessories and Parts & Accessories categories are the highest of all.
eBay will also make changes to Finding (search), Shipping and Seller Standards. And in a move that was expected by many, it will change to an electronic checkout system, banning checks and money orders. See today's other news stories in AuctionBytes.com for details.
eBay will host a Town Hall meeting on Friday, August 22, 2008, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm Pacific time.
posted on August 19, 2008 09:58:55 PM new
Next Auctionbytes article:
eBay Changes Fees for Fixed-Price Media Listings
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
August 20, 2008
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eBay announced major changes overnight, including a significant change to the BIN Fixed-Price format. The company created special fees for fixed-price listings in the media category and extended the duration from 7 days standard to 30 days.
Insertion Fees will be 15 cents for Fixed Price listings in Books, Music, DVDs & Movies and Video Games categories. It is also running a special promotion starting September 16 and running through the end of the year in which listing fees will be lowered to 5 cents when sellers use pre-filled item information (also called, Catalog).
The Final Value Fees (FVFs) for the media category will also be different than other categories in the BIN fixed-price format, with three tranches consisting of 15 percent for items between $1 - $50; 5 percent for the second tranche up to $1,000; and 2 percent for the third tranche for items over $1,000.01.
Sellers may now also list multiple quantities of the same item for a single 15-cent listing fee; previously, multiple quantities resulted in higher listing fees.
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posted on August 19, 2008 09:59:39 PM new
Next AB article:
eBay Changes Search, Bans Checks & Money Orders
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
August 20, 2008
AddThis Social Bookmark Button
eBay made major announcements overnight, including major fee changes to its Buy-It-Now Fixed Price listing format effective September 16, 2008 (see today's other news stories in AuctionBytes.com for details). eBay said it would also make changes to Finding (search), Shipping and Seller Standards. And in a move that was expected by many, it will move to an electronic checkout system, banning checks and money orders.
Finding
eBay is making two major changes to Finding (also called Search). First, it will change the mix of inventory on the site and will score fixed-price and auction listings separately in Best Match, but display them together on the search results pages. eBay's Jeff King of the Finding Team said this allows it to give greater weight to Time Ending Soonest to auction formats, which would be irrelevant to fixed-price listings.
In addition, eBay will expose auction or fixed-price listings more heavily in search results, depending on the category. For example, it would likely show more auction listings than fixed-price listings in collectibles categories. The changes are designed to ensure that auction listings are not buried underneath Fixed-Price listings.
eBay will also create a new factor for its Best Match search algorithm for fixed-price listings only, called "Recent Sales." This will reward multiple-quantity listings that have had recent sales over single- and multiple-quantity listings with fewer or no recent sales. eBay will continue to use factors such as DSRs (Detailed Seller Ratings) and shipping, in its Best Match algorithm. In addition, factors will be given different weights in different categories, as is done today. King said, "We let buyers tell us what's relevant," with eBay mining data based on buyer behavior.
Changes to finding will go into effect on September 16, 2008.
Seller Standards
Beginning November 1, 2008, eBay will require sellers to have a minimum DSR of 4.3 across the board. eBay's Dinesh Lathi said this will affect a very small percentage of sellers.
Payments
eBay is moving to an electronic Checkout system, banning checks, money orders and postal orders. Accepted payment methods will include merchant credit card accounts, ProPay, and PayPal, effective late October.
Shipping
Lathi said eBay is "actively looking to bring shipping costs into the realm of the reasonable," stating that shipping is important to buyers, who will go elsewhere if shipping is high, and will draw in buyers if shipping costs are reasonable. In the Media category only, eBay will put limits on Shipping & Handling charges, effective mid-October. It will vary by specific subcategories.
In certain "edge cases," Lathi said, such as an 80-pack DVD, there will be a safety valve: sellers will have the option of using the shipping calculator if the caps are not appropriate. The shipping caps will apply to the first shipping service. eBay did not have details about the caps available to reporters on Tuesday.
Where shipping caps apply only to the Media category, eBay will give incentives to sellers to offer free shipping in all categories. It will give items with free shipping more exposure in search, and will offer additional discounts on FVFs (Final Value Fees). The discount will apply to individual listings, so sellers can choose which listings, if any, on which to offer free shipping.
posted on August 19, 2008 10:03:06 PM new
Way too much to handle right now. I am going to bed. I can't afford to list FP at 35 cents. It doesn't lower most of my listing fees - just potentially adds FVF. What a mess.
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posted on August 19, 2008 10:08:45 PM new
One thing for sure is that this definitely favors those with an inventory of many of the same items. For me, it looks like it is going to be a very large positive change, because I mainly sell in the media categories (so we are looking at 15 cents vs. 35 cents) and I also tend to have quantity of a particular item. Right now, I am really limited for fixed price, say I want to list 10 items at $9.99 each, that would cause my starting fee to be $2.00, for only 7 day exposure. Now, I am going to be able to list for 15 cents for 30 days. That's pretty huge.
For non media sellers, and particularly those who have 1 of a single item, I can't see how this is going to be such a good thing.
posted on August 19, 2008 10:35:59 PM new
SO.....
1. Why would I keep my Store open? I LIKE my Store and I really don't want to close it.
2. The Shipping Costs presents a real problem when we are dealing with all different items that do not cost the same for shipping as they weigh differently. I think that Merrie will concur with that and possibly others who sell Antiques & larger collectibles..
3.Payment changes do not present a problem for me. I switched to accepting PayPal only several months ago as I was so fed up with receiving Money orders that could not be cashed in Canada and so far I have had no problems. 98% of my Buyers paid that way anyway.
I am tired and need to sleep on this news to see whether it would be of any benefit to me.
posted on August 20, 2008 03:36:38 AM new
Anyone else remember eBay OUTRIGHT LYING TO US when they said that they had no intention to apply the payment changes they TRIED (and failed) to implement in Australia, to us in the United States? I am DONE with eBay. You CAN NOT TRUST them. You CAN NOT build a business plan. I guess I just have a couple of months to try and come up with some way to clear out my inventory. Anything that doesn't sell, I'll just donate to some charity and take a write-off on my taxes. It just isn't worth it anymore. Real nice of eBay to make these changes in time to $%$% up the holiday season.
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posted on August 20, 2008 05:02:09 AM new
Now they want ALL of the pie (PayPal only payments)!! I will have to see how this all sorts out. I am a small seller, not power seller, but I want to like to sell on eBay. It is more like a cash calf now than a cash cow.
posted on August 20, 2008 06:46:51 AM new
On my way out the door, so will be brief, unlike Ebay, WTF!! Did these people work for the IRS prior to Ebay?? So many rules, so many silly changes. So much aggravation. PITA!!
You are right otteropp: shipping is a real hassle. I am tired of those ATTENTION notices. How can they tell if my shipping charges are in line?? They do not know the size, shape, weight. I DO!! I put in weights when it is appropriate, but sometimes it is not. We're discussed this before.
It is a beautiful day here. I am going to visit relatives and forget about this mess for now.
posted on August 20, 2008 07:31:39 AM new
As for the PayPal or merchant account only. . .now would be the time to contact your local representative. The feds have been looking for ways to declassify eBay as only a venue and this just may be their cracked open door. If they couldn't get away with it in Australia, what makes them think they'll do it here? If we all sit silently by doing nothing but complaining on the boards, they will get away with it. I, for one, am not going to sit silently by.
posted on August 20, 2008 09:32:00 AM new
Maybe it's time to make it an election issue. With the Democratic and Republican conventions just days away, what better time to bring it up.
posted on August 20, 2008 09:58:28 AM new
Don't be fooled. This is just another ebay fee hike. And a huge one at that.
FVF's are now 12% plus .35 listing fees!!!!
Makes me glad that I have been going in a different direction. With ebay continuously pushing it's sellers away, it's a wonder that more haven't left in droves. My website is doing better than ever and I still accept and will always accept cash, checks, money orders, and most importantly, Google Checkout.
[ edited by barparts on Aug 20, 2008 01:25 PM ]
Check out the one for bulk lots of magazines! It's a mere $8.00!!! Magazines can't be shipped media mail (they have to go bound-printed, or parcel post 'cause of advertising) There's no way that sellers can list lots of 50+ magazines and cover their shipping costs!
I guess eBay's determined to not only lose me as a seller... but as a buyer too! Good thing I worked a deal with a seller off-ebay to provide me with an almost unlimited supply of magazines as needed.
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posted on August 20, 2008 04:14:23 PM new
Regarding caps on books - currently I'm selling many of my son's law books. Have you ever hefted one? Most students need texts ASAP and the cap doesn't even begin to cover the Media Rate or a Priority Rate. I gather the cap applies to all shipping methods?
posted on August 20, 2008 05:39:26 PM new
colseng,
Wrong... using the shipping calculator will only let you charge UP TO the shipping cap (but not exceed)
And you're right... it covers all shipping methods... so I don't see how this is beneficial to bidders. What seller in their right mind is going to agree to ship an item priority at those rates?
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posted on August 20, 2008 05:48:25 PM new
"using the shipping calculator will only let you charge UP TO the shipping cap (but not exceed)"
Not true. You can exceed the limit but they'll be watching to ensure that your item "differs from the assumptions."
"How will the shipping calculator work with these shipping limits?
We recommend the shipping calculator to be used for items that are being sold in a bundle, quantity, or larger/heavier than the average item listed in the category you are listing in. We will monitor items using the shipping calculator to make sure that those that are over the limit differ from the assumptions that we used to establish the maximum shipping costs."
posted on August 20, 2008 06:01:13 PM new
my mistake... not that eBay's making these changes easy to understand...
Of course... (the way I'm interpreting it) if you do use the shipping calculator, you're opening yourself up to the mercy of the eBay gods to determine whether or not to keep your listing up...
I don't trust them now... and I won't trust them then...
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posted on August 20, 2008 07:13:31 PM new
I don't need time to digest this.
It's simply a HUGE fee hike for me, in Ebay doublespeak disguised as a lowering of fees.
It's gonna' drive away high ticket item sellers. I guess Ebay will be filled with postcards, DVD's and garage sale crap.
.
.
Does Ebay think that they're Sotheby's or Christies. I can auction stuff cheaper with them at this point.
.
.
And mid-range, for regular items that sell for $100-500, it's a huge fee hike.
.
The only way to make money from this is to go long Ebay stock for the next 6 months, as Wall Street will like this. Then after 6 months and the figures come down on how many $100+ sellers have abandonded ship, go short.
posted on August 21, 2008 08:16:56 AM new
Well not if this isn't another kick in the pants. Its not enough that eBay has to pee down my leg and then try to tell me that its raining. NOW they want to chase away my buyers. What are these idiots thinking? Yoy wanna make more money eBay fire all those over paid fata$$es that come up with this crap.
