Profits Shrinking??? Change the Fee Payees!

It is unfortunately illegal in many states to charge a payment surcharge for accepting a credit card. Some businesses (e.g., online ticket brokers) get around this by referring to it as a convenience processing and handling fee. In any event, it is also a violation of Ebay policy. The problem with raising the price of your item to offset these fees just gives both Ebay and PayPal more fees (a tax on a tax, so to speak). I don't think there is anyway around it.

However, I do think it is inappropriate for PayPal/credit cards to take a piece of the sales tax or shipping & handling fee on a transaction. That should be just as illegal.

that's True, on the item's Selling price, yes, but not on the Total Sale including Shipping and Handling, I AGREE. btw: That is a weird law, I mean who cares, where the payment is coming From, as long as they get it? silly politics, huh?

Visa/Mastercard does not allow you to charge customers for fees/ This is not eby's policy, but a policy by the credit card companies. You can though charge a packaging and handling fee, to help cover this cost.

I agree with your premise. It is getting harder to make a profit with all the fees we pay on eBay. In fact, I haven't listed on eBay for quite a while because with slow sales and fees, it is difficult to make a profit if your item doesn't sell or sells for way below what it is worth. eBay is not as simple and easy as it once was. They need to give their sellers a break, but instead we are the ones paying all the fees. That is why many of us are dropping out or being very selective about what we list. I am not going to up my shipping or handling fees to make up for all the charges eBay imposes on me as that is a sure turnoff for buyers. I want my shipping costs as cheap as I can make them and I don't charge a handling fee. Nothing makes me shy away from a listing as much as a seller charging exhorbitantly high shipping or handling charges! PayPal should absorb the costs for credit card usage, not the seller! Now, let's see if anyone is listening from PayPal...NOT!

That's Why Blogs are HERE :-) when I wrote Ebay about soem of my gripes they said, you need to post it on a blog and thier associates then go thru and take note at what thier members are saying. LOL we'll see.

I don't know who they have going through the blogs...but the people who who read the emails sent to the top dogs are useless. I have written several lengthy emails in the past to the two people at the top of the Ebay corporate pyramid (Meg Whitman and Bill Cobb). I received boilerplate responses back from their staff members who obviously cannot read or comprehend basic issues. One of the emails was entitled "Quality control issues with Ebay software changes", and it went into great detail (with specific examples and dates) about how Ebay's right and left hands of technical support, development and customer service don't communicate or test out system changes thoroughly enough before putting them into production, and how the online help screens do not accurately reflect how the system works after a change is made. The response was something like "Thank you for your words of appreciation about Ebay continuing improvements to its system. Always check the message postings and online help to ensure you keep abreast of the new features availoable through the enhancements we implement."

I dont think we should have to pay eather but that is why I charge a handling fee that is low but covers those cost plus a small persentage of what it cost to package it

I see Ebay is raising fees again..LOL
Next will be Paypal which is ALSO Ebay.

I think Ebay should lower THEIR fees. I am sure they make plenty. I also have had a problem with a seller and it was the seller's fault. I paid him and then the item was not recievable. So, he returned my money and then opened a dispute on Ebay. I let him by with not telling the complete truth about the situation. Then I get a message like we are first graders that I could be reprimanded.
I have been a very good buyer, timely and never not paid a seller. I have the highest compliments from the seller's due to my honest buying, pruchasing and paying timely efforts.

I really dont need e-bay. I am a good customer and I would think they would want good customers. I am making ebay and the seller money. Ok, sorry to get off on that tangent. But, I can find these items other places than Ebay.

So, back to the original concern. Ebay has to many stupid rules and they need to make it more financially beneficial for both the buyer and the seller.

In a brick and mortar store (credit card, debit fees) are charged to the customer they just don't know it its added in on the price. Now paypal takes their money from the seller. What buyers don't realize paypal takes from the entire payment amount. So they are taking a fee from the postage the buyer pays. So if I charge exact postage I lose as the seller. If it cost 7 dollars to mail it and paypal takes a portion of that for fees I just screwed myself, because I have to make up the rest. Ebay on the other hand will suspend you for "overcharging" for postage. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. This is so wrong.

I think something is seriously happening, I am not sure if it is Oil and Gas or people are just sick of eBay, or what - My sales at this time in Novemeber, this close to XMAS are at the worst they have EVER been since 1999 - My Weekly profit during this traditional "PEAK" season on eBay is down 50 to 60% compared to previoss years, I am striking out an all angles and with all products, if this does not change I believe by next spring summer traditional SLOW DOWN season I will be unemployed and not on eBay all together. There is something going on, the economy or people are just sick of eBay, or to many sellers and not enough buyers. My Downhill slump started last March, continued through the summer (WORST EVER SINCE 1999) and now this is unreal, I am doing worse now in the PEAK ebay season then I did in the summer. For me eBay is not looking promising as my career in the near future.
***VANKATOS***

Hello, it is me ***VANKATOS*** again, here is what is baffling to me. I sell Real GOld Jewelry, Gold is over $830 an ounce - I have lowered my prices to $29.95 to $32.95 for Solid Gold Diamond Rings, BRAND NEW IN THE BOX ! ANd I do not get watchers, nibbles and even more rre a sale. I spend $4 to list it and at the end of 1 week I got 12 views - My Gosh 12 views ??? $4 in listing fees for 12 people to look at it ? On my other Jewelry account I recently spent $30 to list as featured plus with bold. Gave away real gold diamond gem Rings for $29.95 each a whopping (500) people viewed my combinded auctions and not 1 of them spent $29.95 and only 7 watchers out of (500) views which cost me $60 $30 X 2 for 2 auctions to list. A year or 2 ago I was selling 20 to 45 a week of those $29.95 auctions for gold diamond gem rings at $36.95 now I can't give one away. I cannot believe (500) People are all that poor, and they had no way to communicate with each other and decide to punish me with no sales. So again I do not know what to make, except me and my family are suffering bad, cause ebay does not produce for me like it once did, with all seller accounts I barely average $150 to $200 a week GROSS NET - This is horrible, and it has been very depressing, first of all I sell Diamond Rings that should be at least $99 each, and that is a bargain, but I would NEVER get a sale at that price on eBay NEVER ! I have tried it, so I try to give them away for $29.95 to $32.95 and I still don't get a sale, when I do I make NOTHING after Pay Pal eBay fees, listing fees, GAS to go to Post Office, I mean this is horrible, I am TRULY sad, my career is evaporating on eBay , I NEVER saw this coming, gold is an all time high, and I can't give away rings on here for $29.95 to $32.95 which I might add I barely make anything, I just want to recoup some of the money I spent on this jewelry. eBay is my life, I have a disability, and eBay was a Godsend, now I am going down the tubes with it for some rea

Well, I have somewhat cornered the problem, but you have to use fixed price because that way you know what your fees will be, they let you add on -handling- to your shipping. and when people ask me why my price is so high, I just email and break it down for them, shipping, cost of packaging, and fees. once they see the picture, most are like, oh ok. Seems that logo FREE to Join, fools most newbies, who do not realize sellers have to pay allot of fees.