quote:Originally posted by Magie Noire:
Aside from creating and advertising the heck out of your own website there are limited 'real' options.
That's just the way it is. eBay IS greedy. No surprise, most corporations are. It's the nature of the beast, the American way. Sad but true.
A merchant has to tap dance to the ever changing landscape known as eBay or move on.
In my mind, the worst thing eBay did to sellers in a long time was raising the gallery fee. Now that my friends was sticking it to us but good! The .35 gallery charge is outrageous! Of course, everyone uses it. It really is too bad we couldn't get a huge percentage of sellers to refuse to use gallery until it was lowered to a reasonable fee. This is the evil let out of the eBay box that is costing everyone A LOT of bank.
The .05 doesn't really affect me. I list all BIN/BO listing over $9.99. I rarely do auctions anymore. I've learned they're inferior for what I'm selling. My average sale is under $50.00. So, I lucked out on this last hike. I'm thinking a store increase is coming this summer.
If one does come, they had better offer AMAZING options for me to stay. As it is now, I plan on getting a website. I have to build a customer base first, and so on.
All I know is this, I buy most of my items for .99 cents and I sell them on average for $20 or so. I know of no place else to do it with the same coverage other than, eBay. For all their BS, it is still the place for me.
My 2 cents.
Good to see you Mags. I was thinking of dropping you a Happy New Year Good Luck email...but time got away from me.
I'm in complete agreeance. Most of the items I sell are a pennance and the closing price well covers the cost of my sales and store. The nickel doesn't hurt but the dadgum gallery fee is bending us over and they know it.
HOWEVER...the summer will bring store rate increases and you know it, doncha? eBay=LSOSBs.
Mags...get that Googlecheckout account up and running. Free for the year 2007 to accept payments. AND Google has now set up searches first with sales that accept Googlecheckout.
So if you build your own website...you're Gucci Suit blah blah blah will come up first due to your acceptance of Googlecheck as versus your eBay auction for the same item.
In the meantime, make an html page with your Googlecheckout so you can personalize each invoice. AND if your customer needs to be invoiced...ahhhhhhhhhhhh....send em a Googlecheckout. Save the Paypal fees and line your pocket.
The checkout process with eBay whose to know how you invoice your customers, right? You just can't advertize that you accept it..noway, nohow as you know.
Thanks for the two cents and nice to see you.
Someone on ASM was looking for a GPS system and was sent Mike's/SPOs way..hope he got the sale.
My Best,
Donna