So I got the annual itch last week to upgrade my computer, and Micro Center is having a killer sale on CPUs, so I decided to take the plunge and sell some of my old parts on FeeBay. Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of eBay, but I mean, you know, it gets the job done. I’m usually able to find obscure things that I can’t locally, and the relatively few times I’ve sold anything I’ve mostly had a decent experience. Even through the myriad fee increases I didn’t really complain.
But now, eBay has outdone even its own evil money-grubbing self. The site is currently promoting “5 Free Insertion Fees Every 30 Days,” which sounds appealing, but is actually a very friendly sounding way of telling you that they’re about to bend you over and jam a stick in your ass. A knobby one too.
Under eBay’s normal fee structure, you pay an insertion fee based on your starting or reserve price, a fee that starts at $0.10 and maxes out at $4.00. Then when your item sells, you are assessed a Final Value Fee based on the sale price, normally 8.75% of the first $25.00 ($2.19 max), 3.5% of any remaining portion from $25.01-$1,000 ($34.13 max), and then 1.5% of anything still remaining over $1,000.
So I sold a processor for $162.99. I should have been assessed a $0.15 insertion fee, and $7.02 in Final Value Fees for a total of $7.17.
Of course, eBay, in its infinite Godlike benevolent kindness, extended to me a free insertion fee. Under the terms of the “promotion,” the Final Value Fee formula changes to a flat 8.75% (max $20). So instead of paying $7.17, I was assessed a fee of $14.26! In return for kindly waiving $0.15, they charged me an extra $7.24.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see where I could decline the “promotion.” You may not see it either. You know why? Because you can’t—unless you “list your item and end it early then relist it 5 times”:
You will always come out worse off under the “promotion” for anything you sell that closes at $448 or below, which means just about everybody is worse off. I’m not sure I’ve ever sold anything for more than that.
The only way to get around the promotion, I have since found (other than our helpful CSR’s plan here), is to use a third-party lister. Of course, they obviously won't come out and tell you.
Fuck you, eBay. If you want to charge higher fees, fine, but hiding it in a "promotion" is just plain douchebag, pure and simple.
12 comments:
In all honesty, you need to send this info and all the work you've done to Lifehacker or Gizmodo or something like that. Not that your blog is not rad, but I don't think it has the readership that they do. eBay should be blasted for that totally misleading garbage.
I'm waiting for my beloved free market to step up with a good replacement, because that is absolute trash. I'm disappointed.
Douche move, eBay.
You know, I've been going back and forth about submitting this to The Consumerist, but I'd probably get blasted for using eBay in the first place. Decisions, decisions.
You know, I was upset over the calendar days EBAY used for the "promotion," and found myself charged insertion fees because they don't go by calendar months (1st to 31st). After reading this excellent article, it appears they've done me a favor. Thanks so much!
Hey, appreciate the kind words!
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I had the same thing happen to me. I sold 5 items for between 100 and 200.00. Saved a whopping .75 and then was charged an additional 46.00 - when I called to complain and ask if I could have this option removed I was told "no"!
This is why so many sellers are looking at other sites to sell on! I'm now selling mostly on etsy.com because It's easy and the cost are low and up front.
If only I had an ounce of skill to make things that I could sell on Etsy!
Opulently I agree but I think the brief should secure more info then it has.
Same here. I calculated that they turned my saved 15 cents into a whopping 83% profit compared to the regular auction style items. I filed a complaint with the BBB, we'll see how it goes.
This is ridiculous. I've been using ebay for years and this new pricing scam is horrible. I just talked to the live chat rep who said you can't opt out of it unless you use an "ebay tool". The ebay tools page lists SYI and Turbolister. Turbolister is junk software that I would never install. SYI is the online tool (that you would normally use). The chat rep then said you'd still get charged the extra, then recommended listing, ending and relisting my item 5 times. What a joke.
Almost anything you sell under a couple hundreds dollars will have double the final value fee. This is very deceptive. I hope to God they don't mess with Paypal anymore. I've about had it with ebay.
They're still telling people to relist their items 5 times? Does nobody there realize how stupid that sounds?
BTW, Turbolister is indeed the buggiest, ugliest software ever invented. They should be ashamed of that garbage.
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