What are the evil new eBay rules/fees?

[Otto]

I keep seeing posts where folks say they won't be using eBay anymore due to new fees and rules. I'm curious what these are. I haven't sold anything on eBay in years but might have to think about it so I'd love to know what I'm looking at.

[ARMOURER ERIC]

Essentially, they are extending there cut to the amount that is collected for shipping. In return, in July, they will reduce the percentage cut. If you ship international, the cut will only apply to the additional postage it takes to ship international. They are doing this to:

A) Make More Money

B) Satisfy buyers who, in a recent survey stated that 75% preferred listings that offered free shipping (but the survey did not mention anything about a higher possible base price)

C) Continue to reinvent themselves as an Amazon clone

D) End cheating by sellers who use outrageous shipping as a fee avoidance method, fro example, recently, I was shopping for a Verizon compatible iPhone, 1/3 of the listings were starting bid of 99 cents, no reserve, with a $550 shipping fee. Also, recently, somone was reselling a set of my arms, starting bid $45, had an $80 reserve, but had an $80 shipping charge for pacel post, my arms fit in a priority large flat rate for $17.

The changes take effect on the 17th or 19th of April, in theory, it should knock the foreign sellers off the armor/SCA category I sell under. I adjusted my prices to reflect free shipping, except for the legs, since all my other stuff fits in flat rate boxes.

So far, there has been no mass exodus from ebay, and me getting back on the road merchanting, it has been a painful reminder just how much more it costs to sell at events vs ebay

[Otto]

Thanks Eric...

I like event selling too... but my truck is probably not reliable for the travel needed. (it's 20 years old and holds "no" oil due to BAD leaks) So, I really can't event sell for now... not til I get my truck fixed

I may have to look into eBay again.

[Charles Alexander]

eBay sucks, and the fees are higher, but it isn't that bad.

Paying about .50 for a $15 dollar auction. With paypal fees on top of that it still sucks, but with eBay you can at least get a sale.

[The Iron Dwarf]

on a buy it now paid by paypal the fees are close to 15% in total.
I also sell on ebid and pay 2% though I can do it for free there.
and on ebay you still have fees to pay if unsold unlike on ebid where listing is free.

sold 3 items on ebid this weekend and nothing on ebay.
at an event I sold a forge, 2 fireboxes, a folding pan, lots of tools and the surplus fuel at the end this weekend

[Cian of Storvik]

I think the fees for eBay auction items, rather than 'buy it now' fixed price items, tend to hover around 12.25% to 13.0% of the item when you figure in paypal. All auctions default to paypal payments, and most people make use of it due to the fact that they can use credit cards and get the money back gaurantee.
Sellers are responsible for a modest listing fee, which in effect is exhorbitant if the item is a small dollar item. Plus sellers pay a 9% total value fee at the end of the auction. In addition, Paypal charges a modest flat fee ($0.30) plus an additional 1.9% to 2.9% of the total money exchanged which includes the shipping payment.
For example, if you list an item with a starting bid of $199, and it gets bid upto $300, you will wind-up paying $37 plus change between eBay and paypal. That is something you need to quantify if the item cost you $200 to make.
It also doesn't take into account packing materials and other shipping material costs that you wind-up paying for out of pocket. The last time I purchased a modest sized box, packing peanuts and tape, I think I spent $15-$18.
-Cian