Hi Everyone! Am I missing something or perhaps not thinking clearly? As a new seller, of personal items vs. wholesale>retail for profit, I'm already losing money on sales. This "Sale" would save you what $0.14 for the insertion fee, but... 1). As eveyone knows, buyers aren't thrilled with "reserves"; often skipping those lisitings. 2). Starting your listing at $0.99 or less puts you at the sole discretion of the "bidders du jour". 3). As I seen, in this economy, buyers are almost expecting the seller to pay them for buying the item! Even 50% off retail is leaving them cold. 4). To protect yourself you'd have to have a "Reserve" which cost $2.00 (I think). This is refunded IF the item sells; correct? 5). However, if the item does not sell/make it to the "Reserve" price, ebay makes $1.86 if the listing does not sell vs. just the original listing fee of ~$0.40, etc.
I am figuring this correctly? Thanks for double checking my logic &/or math.
You are correct that you are only saving 14 cents (media category) on this penny sale promotion, or 24 cents if not in the media category.
My opinion on 1 cent or 99 cent sales is they are a WASTE OF TIME.
I recently listed something at 99 cents because I wanted to get rid of it. It had already been listed twice before at 9.99 and 4.99 unsuccessfully.
Well, it sold for 99 cents. Paid for by Paypal. Postage was $4.60.
So if you take the listing fee, FVF fee, and Paypal fee on $5.59, I netted 24 cents. Consider I listed it twice before and the net LOSS is -60 cents or so.
Even had I not listed it twice before, net earnings of 24 cents to take pictures, list, pack, and take to PO, is a WASTE OF TIME.
Reserve fees are NO LONGER REFUNDED even if the item sells, so add that $2.00 to your costs.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: JeffS,
Hi JeffS! Thank you so much! I knew their spin of things such as "new/cheaper" insertion fees, (back ended with 3%+ increase in FVF), were baloney, but I just wanted to see if I was losing it all together or not. Thanks too for the info on the reserve fee not being refunded; even if bought. One more fee increase which was slipped into the mix; apparently not noticed by, at the minimum, myself.
Anyone having any luck elsewhere? Fenton Glass, bears, collectibles, &/or that "flea market" stuff that ebay doesn't like anymore. I read something last night about a UK site where sellers and buyers pay part of the FVF. Unfortunately there was no name in the article to direct you to the site-oops on their part. The problem seems to be the traffic, so if someone would create a bombshell site that all sellers could jump over to...listening Auctiva? We want you!!!
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