Responding to 113:

Hey, I admitted it: I was dumb!

You pay more, you get more. That's a principle I understand. My point, perhaps stated poorly, was that the pink reply diminished the value of the (arguably) stingy thing I have -- not very diplomatic.

Also, my own searches included stores, so I never felt that as a buyer I was missing opportunities. I imagine most savvy buyers turn on the option to search stores.

As for you paying 35 cents each in order to obtain a competitive advantage, you will now be competing with millions of others who upgrade from 3 cents to 5 cents. Our increase in costs might be covered by an increase in sales. But your decrease in costs might be lessened by a decrease in sales, which would occur because of the all the newly arriving former 3-centers.

Again, eBay has the right, etc., etc. But the spin they put on it is most amusing.

Responding to the pink reply above:

Is eBay admitting that the 3-cent listings have been essentially worthless and discriminated against in buyer searches?

It would seem so, since we're being told that a 20-cent listing will make an item more visible.

I guess I was a little bit dumb to think that I could trust eBay to give me something for my meager, but assured $40 per month for 800 items.

Now the 800 items will cost me $90 per month, and eBay is comforting me with the thought that my years of $40 were a waste of money -- NOW eBay will come through for me!

Well, even this is not such a comfort: If eBay is making many MILLIONS of former 3-cent items more visible, along with mine being made more visible, then my competitive situation is the same.

I will be saving 25% on my fees. We list all FP35 listings, to increase exposure. Did .03 store inventory listings in our other store, and didn't like them at all. Currently (based on 1000 items per month, which is our average): 1000 x .35 = $350 plus $16 for basic store = $366 New Structure: 1000 x .05 = $50 plus $50 for premium store = $100 Our average Ebay bill including FVF is $1050 per month. Our FVF have not changed (clothing, shoes, accessories). So new total will be less than $800. HUGE savings for us.

Check out my cooking blog: http://cookingupsomethingspecial.blogspot.com/

I've been selling via auction since 9-08 and auction/store combo since 1-09. (Space-Coast-Vintage!!) Using the fee illustrator my monthly cost wil be $64 if I dont subscribe to the basic store format., and $66 if I keep my "Basic" store. The $66 estimate is calculated using a very modest anticipation in sales increasing and reducing my store inventory from 100 items (all the $5 stuff) to 50 items (stuff with an asking price of $10 give or take) .
My heart goes out to the countless peple who depend on eBay as their main income. Reading all their comments is alarming! I do this as a hobby with plans to increase my sales and inventory as my experience and ambition allows. Its appalling to read some of the comments left behind by selfish and inconsiderate sellers who glot and brag "sweet, sweet, sweet!" etc.
The only silver lining I can see to any of this , for me and hopefully for others, is that this change will cause me to explore other venues and possibly change completely or at least diversify to Amazon, Bonazle, Ranch or one of the other online sale sights.
P.S. Auctiva is a great 3rd party listing sight I pay $9.99 monthly for their service and think its well worth it!
Good luck and Best Wishes to all those suffering through this. Hopefully I will see you on the otherside be it here or our next online selling opportunity.
Jerry "thewalzexperience" Walz

well for me I am going to river where the water taste like wine and jump in the water and stay drunk all the time

oops, didn't catch the FVF change from 3.5% to 4% and 1.5% to 2% on the upper values...doh!

Who can afford 299.95 for an anchor store?

I will have to open a store just to keep my FVF auction fees equal as most our sales are $50-$100 range. Unsure if the listing fee savings for $200+ will offset the $16 basic store cost. Ebay's practially extorting us to make a store or our FVF will double for all sales over $25. And trying to make it sound like they are helping us is salt on the wound...

We have about a 25% sold item rate. What we need is a way to reduce the impact of those 75% unsold listing fees. The March change will have no impact for our listing expenses except for $200+ auctions which may save us about $10 a month (of our $350-$400 monthly fees).

Top Rated Platinum Power Seller. (Whatever That Means)
Auctions Is How We Sell & Honestly It Is The Only Way We Have Sold Successfully.
Have Had A Store & Sell Through Was Very Bad, Tried Fixed Price Listings & As Well,
Sell Through Was Not Very Good Either. ebaY's Great Changes Here Will Add ALMOST $2000
In Fee's To Our Bill Monthly, Now This May Sound Crazy! But Our Profit Was Pretty Low To Begin With.
"ebaY" I Am Now Contemplating Letting An Employee Go With This Announcement , With The Purest & Most Honest Sincerity In My Person................F You.

All double talk aside, the bottom line is, as a small store owner, what cost me .03 per month will now cost .20. As far as full search exposure, I have not found fixed price listings receiving any more hits than store inventory.... if anything, less.

Bobbie

Well, like most everyone else, this "new and improved" rate structure that Ebay will be putting into affect is going to substantially increase our costs. As always, they put a savings to the seller spin on it, which couldnt be further from the truth.
To help off-set the rate increase, most of us will need to increase our selling price, which in turn will decrease our over all sales and profit. Its a maddening merry go round that only Ebay will profit from. I give a martini toast to your business ethics Ebay, and hope you choke on the olive.

This price hike was first tried in the uk last year under cover of doing away with the stores completly . It now seems obvious that Ebay is no longer the place for the small seller ( you know Ebay the people who made you who you are .. Remember us ) Anyway this will drive a lot of store owners off Ebay and onto alternative sites none have the same profile or sales as this giant but when the number of items for sale drops the buyers will seek out the items in sellers new homes , I have stores at 2 other sites 1 worldwide where it is only a one off payment then everything is free and 1 just in the USA with no list ing fees only FVFs . This isnt the end of the world for anyone who cant afford to stay here just the first step in another journey yes a long journey to make your name else where and maybe one day another site will rival this one .
Im certain eveyone here knows how to use the search engines .
So if like me your off to a new home i really wish you the best of luck and MAY THE PROFITS BE WITH YOU