eBay

erikscardsandgames · ‎08-23-2023

I'm sure this is a common complaint, but I can't seem to find any recent threads.

I sell sports cards, and some are very low priced. The eBay trading card shipping is great to keep shipping costs reasonable.

But my issue is with the way eBay handles the processing of buyers purchases. When a buyer doesn't know how to use EBay or doesn't know how to "add to cart" and they buy several items one by one over say a five minute period, sellers get absolutely overcharged.

I just worked with a buyer to sell several cards for $20, assuming the fees would be the usual 13% or whatever. Then the buyer, with 10 feedback, didn't understand he needed to buy all the items at once, and paid for each individually. Most of these cards were $1-$2 cards, and now the individual transaction fees are 40 or 50 cents each, which is ridiculous.

Overall it's not a huge issue for this individual sale, since it's maybe $5 or $10 total. But why does eBay continue to use such a bad transaction system? They need to find a way to make sure buyers UNDERSTAND how to use their constantly more confusing buying process. The fees we pay as sellers are already a bit high, but when these kinds of sales happen it just drives me crazy.

It's a fairly common mistake buyers make, so I don't even blame the buyers. It is incredibly frustrating.

mam98031 · ‎08-23-2023

Sellers do NOT get overcharged, they get charged exactly what Ebay tells you in the Policy for Selling Fees tells you. With that said I do understand as I've had this happen many times over the years.

When this happens to me, a buyer that purchase multiple items and issues multiple payments, I send then an email that explains I do offer combined shipping savings. However due to the separate payments there are some fees that I can't get refunded even if I refunded them. This impacts the refund I can give them for combining the shipment. I also let them know I have this stated in all my listings and how to get the best discount.

I then refund the buyer for the overpayment of shipping less all the 30 cent fees I had to pay except the first one.

Now if you offer Free Shipping, it should not matter at all. You should have that 30 cents built into the price of the product already. So if you have a buyer that makes multiple payments, you are still fine and will come out ahead a bit because you aren't giving the buyer any discount on the shipping even though it will cost you less to ship several together than separately. So you would be absolutely fine.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

erikscardsandgames · ‎08-27-2023

I appreciate you taking the time to respond, but the response is so incorrect I'm not really sure why you bothered.

First, I'm not suggesting that the fees are not what is stated, I am saying that the fees themselves are higher than they need to be. But that's subjective and not the point of my post anyway.

Second, in terms of the shipping, that's not the only issue. EBay has a thirty cent minimum transaction cost for every single purchase. If say 5 items are purchased together, the 30 cent charge is applied across all 5 items. If someone buys these same items from me individually, even 30 seconds apart from one another, EBay charges 30 cents PER SALE, along with the fees. If you're selling items worth $30 or $40 it's barely noticeable, but when the items are being sold for $1 or $2 the 30 cent transaction fees equate to 15 or 30% extra fees. And yes, each time it happens it's only a few dollars (usually), but it has happened to me dozens of times this year already.

The truth is eBay has no reason to fix the issue because they are making more money by charging individually anyway. I do send a message to the buyers generally after they've made several individual purchases, but that's only helpful if they ever plan to buy in bulk again.

robbie31415 · ‎08-27-2023

If you have 10 different customers buy 1 item each, it's the same charge as 1 customer buying 10 items separately.

Each transaction cost should be accounted for in your listing price.

If you don't want to sell individual cards with multiple small transactions then sell bundles only.

erikscardsandgames · ‎08-27-2023

This is not the case. I'm not sure why people are arguing incorrectly, it's bizarre. I am not complaining about the regular fees for small selling, I am fine with them. I sell small and large items because some people who collect cards like to purchase cheap cards.

My issue is that the fees do not match up if a buyer does not know how to purchase multiple items the way eBay wants them to. Am I allowed to send screen shots with my items and fees? I will post those if I can, but:

Here's the numbers from the situation I described in my first post (items purchased one by one over a few minutes), and another situation with the fees from a similar sale that was purchased in one combined order.

Buyer paying for items one by one:
Item 1 : $3.00, fees were 63 cents.
Item 2: $4.00, fees were 74 cents.
Item 3: $2.00, fees were 52 cents.
Item 4: $1.00, fees were 41 cents.
Item 5: $3.00, fees were 63 cents.
Item 6: $1.50, fees were 47 cents.
Item 7: $3.00, fees were 63 cents.
Item 8: $1.50, fees were 47 cents.

Only Item 8 was a promoted listing, and it was an addition 5 cent charge, so Item 8 was actually 52 cents.

So the overall sale price for the 8 items, with free shipping, was $19. I was charged $4.55 in fees, with 5 cents being from the promoted listing. Using $4.50 as the fees then, that's a 23.6% fee rate.

The next day, I sold 4 items to one buyer who purchased them all together for $17.22, and I paid $2.38 in fees with no promoted listings. That is the usual 13.8% fee rate.

A few days ago, I sold 6 items for $11.58, and I paid $1.71 in fees before the promoted listings cost. That's a 14.8% fee rate.

But no, it's not the same if the items are purchased individually and combined because of the minimum transaction fee in each individual purpose. If this same buyer had purchased the items in one purchase, the total fees would've been a little over $2, not $4.50.

somanypostcards · ‎08-27-2023

Yes, I have this happen very often on my 2 accounts selling antique and vintage postcards at low prices. What makes it even worse is that I do not offer free shipping. For combined orders, I charge shipping of $.90 for the first item and $.10 for each additional item. If a buyer buys 10 items and pays separately, my transaction fees are $3.00 (10 x $.30) and the buyer's shipping cost is $9.00 (10 x $.90), instead of my transaction fee of $.30 and buyer's shipping cost of $1.80 if the buyer pays just once using the shopping cart and combined shipping.

A related problem is that eBay's minimum for a refund is $1.00. If a buyer buys 2 items and pays separately, my transaction fees are $.60 and the buyer's shipping cost is $1.80. Ideally I would refund the buyer $.50 ($.80 shipping cost overpayment minus $.30 transaction fee). However eBay makes me refund $1.00 as that is their minimum.

ittybitnot · ‎08-27-2023

@erikscardsandgames

If a buyer is using a mobile device, there is no option for them to add the items to their cart and REQUEST A TOTAL (for a combined order). So it may appear that the buyer does not know or understand how to use the cart, but rather the option is not available to them.

For example, I use a computer and I may place ten BIN items in the cart. I am directed by eBay to PAY NOW or CHECKOUT, where the full shipping price for each is included. OR SOMETIMES so long as none of those are on sale, have IPR selected, are of different shipping classes, etc. I can use the "Request Total" button, and the seller can send a combined invoice.

Mobile users do not have the "Request Total" feature. Though eBay has "been working on it" for a couple of years now, it is not to eBay's advantage monetarily to encourage combined shipping.

If all you sell is cards, you can make a "business policy" that will calculate a combined shipping total automatically, but if you use Best Offer or Auctions it won't work if your latest buyer management preferences eBay gave you remain set to a default of yes, AND you meet up with a buyer forced into putting up a payment source in order proceed to bid or make an offer. Combined orders are no longer possible.

isaiah53-57 · ‎08-27-2023

@erikscardsandgames wrote:
I appreciate you taking the time to respond, but the response is so incorrect I'm not really sure why you bothered.

First, I'm not suggesting that the fees are not what is stated, I am saying that the fees themselves are higher than they need to be. But that's subjective and not the point of my post anyway.

Second, in terms of the shipping, that's not the only issue. EBay has a thirty cent minimum transaction cost for every single purchase. If say 5 items are purchased together, the 30 cent charge is applied across all 5 items. If someone buys these same items from me individually, even 30 seconds apart from one another, EBay charges 30 cents PER SALE, along with the fees. If you're selling items worth $30 or $40 it's barely noticeable, but when the items are being sold for $1 or $2 the 30 cent transaction fees equate to 15 or 30% extra fees. And yes, each time it happens it's only a few dollars (usually), but it has happened to me dozens of times this year already.

The truth is eBay has no reason to fix the issue because they are making more money by charging individually anyway. I do send a message to the buyers generally after they've made several individual purchases, but that's only helpful if they ever plan to buy in bulk again.

@erikscardsandgames

ebay has been doing this for a LONG TIME and there is no incentive for them to fix it because of the extra fees incurred that so many sellers dont bother worrying about -Heck they are just happy to get a sale and surely dont want to pizz ovv the buyer, so they just refund and move on - Heck even the seller "mam" you replied to said they refunded the shipping overage, but not the .30 cent transaction fees - That does not account for the 13% of the shipping cost on every item a buyer purchased and that is a loss to the seller and a gain in fees for ebay.

Back in mid to later 2000's combined shipping was sooooo easy - all you had to do was send a revised invoice with whatever discount you offered - My guess is they saw a way to pinch a few more nickels, dimes and quarters out of these sales by making it needlessly hard and confusing to do what was once so easy - Can you imagine how much money has been stuffed into ebay's piggy bank over the last 15+ years for the undeserved nickels, dimes and quarters they have gained from this - If you saw the real numbers I'm sure it would just boggle the mind...

mam98031 · ‎08-27-2023

@erikscardsandgames

"...I am saying that the fees themselves are higher than they need to be." I respect your opinion on that, Ebay just has a different one. While Ebay is not the cheapest site, they aren't the most expensive either. Each site has their own pros and cons. So research is needed to find what fits your needs. Sure you can go pay less fees, those sites are out there, it could however mean less sales. A decision for each of us to make what is best for us.

PayPal had the same 30 cent fee when they were our money processor. I'm not sure why they didn't get as many complaints here about their 30 cent fee as Ebay does now that they are our processor and charges us the exact same fee. Just speaking for myself, it is difficult for me to understand why it was OK for PP and not for Ebay.

Ebay does NOT charge 30 cents PER SALE. Ebay charges 30 Cents per PAYMENT transaction. And FVFs aren't charged until the payment is made either.

You are blaming Ebay for something they have no control over. What do you want Ebay to do, tell a buyer to STOP purchasing from the same seller because they already made a purchase?? Of course not.

It is the buyers that need some training not Ebay changing or creating some new rule that would likely upset buyers and many would go elsewhere.

While you don't like what I said previously it was all true and has worked for me for quite a few years. I've gained repeat customers from it too. You do however have every right to make your own decisions about what is best for you.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

mam98031 · ‎08-27-2023

I'm not sure it is the posters that aren't giving you good information but that you simply don't agree with it. It does not make the info shared wrong, it only means you disagree. You want Ebay to fix the behavior of some buyers by creating another rule. It is just not likely to happen nor do I think it should happen.

You can train your buyer. I do mine when they make the mistake of paying one by one. I don't know if you disagree because you don't want to take the time or there is something else. Your low cost items are NOT the only ones that have this happen. Like I've said I've had these for many years.

I built a response to my buyers when this happens in MS word. I then copy and paste it into an email to my buyer that does this. I refund them what I can for the overpayment of shipping but I explained in the email that because of the per transaction fee it will not be as much as it would have been if they had followed the instructions stated in all my listings.

I have Never had a bad response from a buyer. In fact most respond with a thank you and a comment of how much they appreciate my honesty. Then there are a few that tell me it is their preferred way to shop so when they come back and most do. They do it again, which is fine as I've explained it to them and they have accepted that.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

mam98031 · ‎08-27-2023

They don't "fix" it because it is not a problem the site is responsible for. Anymore than when we were in PayPal, the same thing would happen. It just isn't the site's issue. Sellers can educate their buyers. It should be part of your customer service. Ebay isn't responsible for doing everything for you.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

robbie31415 · ‎08-27-2023

I want to note that offering free shipping can be part of the problem for you.

Because with free shipping it changes nothing for the buyer if they buy 1 at a time or multiple in a single order.

You could run quantity based shipping promotion to try and encourage multiple items per transaction.

But outside of that, simply because the buyers aren't purchasing how you want doesn't mean they are purchasing incorrectly.

turtles-trading-post · ‎08-27-2023

I understand Eric's issue. I too sell low priced postal history and first day covers. I count on buyers purchasing multiple items at the same time. Yes, I get orders for one, two, ten and the maximum of 30 something in one transaction.

The answer is very simple.. when the buyer hits the "Buy It Now" and the item should be in their cart, the eBay message is "Pay Now". There doesn't appear to be any other option so they pay. eBay used to have / should have / could have a button marked "Return to Shopping" which would send them back to the list they bought the item from! One fricken line of code!

Sending America's collectibles where they belong, one auction at a time!

isaiah53-57 · ‎08-27-2023

@mam98031 wrote:
They don't "fix" it because it is not a problem the site is responsible for. Anymore than when we were in PayPal, the same thing would happen. It just isn't the site's issue. Sellers can educate their buyers. It should be part of your customer service. Ebay isn't responsible for doing everything for you.

How utterly ridiculous... is anyone else seeing this post??