Power Sellers Unite

Hotspur8 · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Pasadena, Texas

Just to see if eBay would police themselves, I reported a seller who was charging way too much for shipping. Everyone knows the drill. Seller has items for sell, offers the items for next to nothing, then charges double or triple for shipping. Not only does he avoid paying his fees, but should you ask for a refund, he does not refund shipping.

Here are the 4 auctions I reported (he has lots more like this):

180038216642
180038707933
180038705275
180038692371

I have shipped comics many times (Bubba's Bargain Comics), and I have never seen shipping this outrageous. Especially since the guy ships Media Mail, the cheapest way possible.

When I reported this eBay on Oct 15th, they did nothing. And probably will not do anything. This failure to enforce their own rules is part of why they are a sinking ship. To let bad sellers off like this gives all sellers a bad name. :evil: And since this guy is in my line of work, he gives honest comic book sellers like me a bad name.

lhhgbh · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 336

No offense, but I dont have that kind of time to worry about others on Ebay or anywhere else.. I dont agree with people who overcharge either, but Ebay does what Ebay wants to do.. They are not a fair company and that has been overstated, drug through the mud, stabbed, kicked, beaten, flamed, shot at, sauteed and cooked up a million times before.. What will probably happen is that they will in turn find something wrong with you and suspend you for some BS.. thats just their way.. I have seen Ebay justice many times though.. Sometimes they just take a while... Good luck to you...

sarajane · Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 129

I get really annoyed with this fee avoidance and eBay doing nothing about it. As many buyers list items for sale by lowest price, my jewelry get listed after pages of less than a dollar BIN with $40.00 plus shipping. I don't see this on other selling venues.

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I tend to agree with SaraJane - don't see this on other sites. It frustrates me too, and I'm 'smart enuf' to avoid these types of sellers. I'd rather pay more for an item and 'fair' shipping than help them or contribute to fee avoidance.

I'm not thrilled with ebaY and their charges, but I'm also not a supporter of breaking any rules intentionally...

damaradeaella · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 501

And what is really awful is these "penny" auction listers clog the site, your stuff is hidden, and eBay still collects fees from you, all the while not doing thoer "job" to keep the site free of most scammers...

And this is why I believe, eventually, thier poor business practices will catch up with them... I may take a while, but you can't continue to rip your customer base off and not eventually get called out on it...

lhhgbh · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 336

There is no doubt that their poor business practices will catch up to them.. The problem is they have such a good rep to many buyers and their brand name is unequaled in the online auction game.. Their headstart is pretty far ahead.. I will say it again, but until a site comes along and really spearheads an aggressive stance towards Ebay then they will continue to dominate.. Turning the buyers heads will be one of the hardest things to do.. Its easy to turn the sellers away.. Thats why fee hikes can go on all day long.. Buyers barely hear about it in the news, but when a seller hears Fee HIKE, or Ebay Changes they peek up from whatever they are doing and and start shaking and the temperature rises.. They know they can treat sellers like shite, but as long as it doesnt affect buyers they are okay...

I too do not buy items when the shipping is out of hand.. I havent been directly hit by this as far as competitors.. All of my items are around $10 with shipping starting out at $5.50 and of course this is for unlimited items as I dont charge more for multiple items.. I am not the lowest when it comes to shipping and Im not the highest.. You have to leave roomanyhow because if there is another fee hike like they are talking about in Feb. the cost has to come from somewhere..

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4035 Location: Wi

Here is another strange thing that happened to me just this morning.

My credit card on file with eBay expires this month. Since I haven't been doing anything with eBay I haven't changed it yet. I also have a credit from closing my store.

But I have gotten a couple of emails from them about the expiring CC.

I get my invoice usually around the 20th and I'm usually charged around the 24-26. This morning I got an "account limited" email saying "we tried to charge your card, have you changed your bank or something".

YES it was a spoof email. I've already confirmed it

But the weird part is that I have NEVER gotten THAT particular spoof before. How did someone know to send it now at just the perfect time to try to sucker me in ??

It makes me wonder if some flunky at eBay is selling account info. Not how to get in info but , hey, this account has an expiring CC and their billing cycle is on the 15th so send this around the 25th.

They have to have plenty of low paid people that there easily could be at least a few dishonest ones there.

Makes you wonder

Carol

damaradeaella · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 501

Carol, that is frightening, check this out...

A member on one of the sites I sell one actually had a spoof email sent to her with HER PASSWORD as her NAME!!!

Yes, folks, you heard that right... Somehow, someone got her password and not only sent her a spoof email, but put the password as her name... This just happened this past week... Hopefully she'll come here and elaborate...

She changed her password, and still got another spoof email a day later with the old password again...

Now, that, my friends, is scary...

lhhgbh,

I agree with you... and will do whatever I can to get these buyer educated, and informed about the kind of company they are supporting by buying there...

It's going to be a while, but I have faith it will eventually self destruct...

Actually, the private group I moderate is launching another way to inform the media and sellers and buyers that I will be bringing to PSU soon... Every little bit helps, you know?

In Unity,

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Recently, an account that hasn't been registered (email) with ebaY for at least 3 years, began getting 'major spoofs'....by this, I'm talking 3-4 per DAY!!!

I went to live help and said - help me, help me, help me! Of course, they offered that I send them to spoof@.... - which I did...for the first 30.

I was not a happy camper. I then suggested that the only way this could be was IF someone THERE was selling or sharing email lists from an older database.

This was Tuesday of last week. I've not seen one spoof since, and I never even shared the email account addie....Now...this is way too weird also!!

damaradeaella · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 501

(Yes, I'm a dope, posted this in FPD forum too... LOL)

Erin,

You know what is so fishy about that little anecdote you just shared?

If the spoof emails were not originating from eBay themselves, how the hell did they stop them so quickly?

They are so shady, ok, maybe they nailed the offender... maybe...

The more I learn about the company, behind the scenes, so to speak... The more I'm certain they will blow themselves up... Time Bomb waiting to happen...

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4035 Location: Wi

Erin,

That is really scary but goes along with my thinking that there are at least a few dishonest employees there that are stealing/selling info.

Yah, eBay can't even keep their own site/company safe.

Carol

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I hear ya Carol. I worked (longer than desired) for a large corporation. And yes, those who want to can break into any system possible....

However, we took extreme care to limit employees who had access to customer confidential data. I just don't have any comfort level that ebaY restricts access to customer data nor takes the precaustions I believe are necessary to protect it.

In all honesty, I wish when I first went there I'd not given them my real name - if I knew then what I know now - different ball game 4 sure!! :D :D

AlterEgo · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 560

I sort of like to ask why would someone do such a thing?

I think the real reason (the Root Cause) is due to eBay’s Extremely High Fees, their TRIPLE DIP (eBay Listing fee + eBay FVF + eBay/PayPal Fees).

Do the Alternative Auction sites have such a problem with disproportional auction price to S&H costs? If they don’t, then why? It is probably because their fees are reasonable and the sellers don’t feel that to make reasonable profit on certain priced items they have to bump up the S&H charges.

In summary (assuming 100% markup) I have it this person made:

Actual Auction:
with Low initial bid & High S&H (NOTE actual item & S&H was $18.72)
Profit = $5.58 ($18.72 - $7.50 - $1.05 - 3.99 - $0.60) or about $0.28 per comic

Proposed Normal eBay Auction:
High Initial Bid & Low S&H $13.72 and $5.00 S&H
Profit = $4.05 ($18.72 - 7.50 - 2.58 - 3.99 - $0.60) or about $0.20 per comic

CONCLUSIONS:
This guy didn’t make too much on this Auction
EBay will always get something out of you (especially if you use PayPal)

How did I get this (WARNING Math Ahead): :roll:

From my calculations if this person has 100% markup (say his Original Purchase Price was $7.50 for the 20 comics) and tried to sell at $13.72 and have $5 S&H, he would have to pay $3.46 in eBay/PayPal fees and he would only make $3.41 for all his efforts (Note, Ebay is making about 50% of the persons Profit). Note, since he Did Not Use a gallery picture his eBay/PayPal fees should be reduced to $2.58 and he should make $4.28 (eBay making about 38% of his profits). NOTE: I used 13.72 because if you add it with 5 it equals 18.72 (I just want both Actual Amount he made and Alternative Example Method to be Equal)

I didn’t have a comic book at hand so I took a small stack of comic book size thickness papers and weight them on the digital scale and they weighted 3.8oz (about 4 oz). He had 20 comic books so his weight of the comics are just about 5 lb. Add about another 1 lb for the shipping box and you most likely in the 5-6 lb range so his shipping costs via Media Mail is at least $3.99 with delivery confirmation being $0.60 (or $0.14 if he did it online but his label would cost him about $0.20). Actually the auction did not state that he was going to use Media Mail. Priority Mail could have been ($6.65-$12.95) and Parcel Post (5.93 - $12.11).

Since he didn’t have a gallery picture, and his starting bid was below $1.00, his Listing Fee was $0.20, FVF was $0.05, and PayPal fee was about $0.80. So he paid the eBay Triple Dip fee of $1.05 (as opposed to $2.58 ).

The Formula I used is this:
REALISTIC CORE COST = (1.75 x List Fee) + FVF + (2.5 x Gallery) + PayPal
NOTE: I adjusted above for the fact that this particular person didn't use Gallery Pictures

How I Arrived at this formula is explained here (WARNING MORE Math Ahead) :roll:
http://www.powersellersunite.com/viewtopic.php?t=7654

OK, If you got this far, sorry this is a bit long and Yes I do like a good math puzzle... But actually I'm trying to prove a Point by giving an example on what the REALISTIC CORE Cost are... Also that your Markup Cost is a significant factor in determining how much profit you can make.

Cheers,

AlterEgo