Can't afford to pay my eBay fees - now I'm suspended!

[eBayguy]

OGC, we have never discussed this, but if you are close to Middle Tennessee, there is a large Art & Craft Fair the third week of October. We have a prime location that we would let you set up for free. PM me.

My advice echoes most about paying the fees. Necessary evil. If that is one month's fees, you have been busy.

Tanmonahan had some great ideas. I know from talking with you before that you do some of this, but I don't recall you marketing the "customized" pet art. We pet owners are HOOKED on our little buddies and will do almost anything we can for them. You not only have your artistic quality going for you, but you also have the strong emotions of pet love added in.

If you can not work things out with eBay, we will see if we can keep your artwork and name out there by listing through our store. That will take some private messaging, but if you want to knock it around, you know how to reach me.

 

[onegirlcreative]

and also, join social websites like linkedin, myspace, facebook, etc and post samples of your work and a link to your website to purchase. also, on your website consider adding a chat now feature so customers can get in contact with you immedidately.

consider a showing at one of those art fairs that sprout up on weekends. you'll get many visitors and will be able to educate them on your methods and inspirations.

stay positive, it will all work out.

Wow Tanmonahan, those were all excellent suggestions. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time and bringing up excellent points. They're all excellent.

I do have a MySpace page, but don't have any of my work posted up there—minus my James Bond/Daniel Craig avatar. Just a blog with a direct link to my work, sites, etc. But you're right, I do need to branch it out a bit more and definitely increase my exposure. You never know.

I am a member of many other forums, but I seem to frequent tPF the most. I'm addicted. Regardless, in each and every forum that I belong to, I always have a link to my website—for the reasons you state.

I do encourage referrals, and I do send out frequent newsletters to subscribers, but didn't want to be a burden to my customers who have purchased from me. I guess I could always do that, as well (when I get reinstated ). I was just thinking of adding a personalized note or something in each purchase just the other day, mentioning maybe next time you buy with me save 10%, or something like that. I guess we're on the same page with that.

Implementing a chat feature on my website? Hmmm...what an idea. I never thought of that. I also could put my AIM screen name on there, as well, so they can add me to their buddy list or contact me for anything. But I also just recently signed up with Skype—do you think that would be better, more professional?

I think adding a chat feature is an excellent idea and I never even thought of that. Thanks!

OH, I do offer custom prints in my store, and Bonanzle Booth, as well. I have done and sold many custom prints where just as you say, the customer sends me a picture of whomever, and I create a print from it. It has been very successful, thus far, and the customers love it! I even just started about a month or so ago offering poster sizes—11x17 & 12x18. I am still researching larger sizes but wanted to have the same paper quality as the smaller sizes.

I will definitely research other items such as mugs, mouse pads, etc. to branch out a bit. I think those are wise suggestions.

Well, I think I answered your questions. Once again, thank you for taking the time to give me those recommendations. I appreciate it.

 

[artiksun]

I'm sorry, Suzanne! I have never sold anything on Ebay so I won't even try to give you advice, but just know I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya!

One thing - someone's siggy gave me this idea - have you tried Etsy?

i was going to suggest you try etsy also. it's specifically for homemade and handmade goods. i don't know if they charge selling fees or anything though...i would hope it would be less than ebay. good luck with everything. i sincerely hope everything will work out positively for you.

 

[onegirlcreative]

I'm sorry, Suzanne! I have never sold anything on Ebay so I won't even try to give you advice, but just know I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya!

One thing - someone's siggy gave me this idea - have you tried Etsy?

I haven't. It was recommended to me but I didn't research it. I think I will definitely research it and see what they're all about. I have heard wonderful things about them.

I think that once I do pay them in full and get my account reinstated, I am definitely going to pay the fees right away after every transaction. I think it's so much easier that way, because like some other people have said, it's a nightmare having this large invoice come every month, and it can really add up.

I had no intentions of NOT ever paying my fees, I was just freaking out that I was suspended and all of my items were no longer listed. I knew that I needed to either pay them now or eventually, and I was wanting to pay them now, but I guess I'll have to speak with my husband and see if he's willing to suck it up for 2 weeks. The problem is, we have been "sucking it up" for the past several months now. So who knows.

 

[onegirlcreative]

OGC, we have never discussed this, but if you are close to Middle Tennessee, there is a large Art & Craft Fair the third week of October. We have a prime location that we would let you set up for free. PM me.

My advice echoes most about paying the fees. Necessary evil. If that is one month's fees, you have been busy.

Tanmonahan had some great ideas. I know from talking with you before that you do some of this, but I don't recall you marketing the "customized" pet art. We pet owners are HOOKED on our little buddies and will do almost anything we can for them. You not only have your artistic quality going for you, but you also have the strong emotions of pet love added in.

If you can not work things out with eBay, we will see if we can keep your artwork and name out there by listing through our store. That will take some private messaging, but if you want to knock it around, you know how to reach me.

Thanks, Steve. I appreciate that. What a wonderful sentiment.

I live in Colorado, unfortunately. So not very close to TN, I'm afraid. Too bad, because my brother lived there last year for a year. I could have sent him my stuff. Oh well. Thanks for the suggestion though.

No, those fees were not incurred in a month. It has taken several months to get to that point. I would pay smaller increments here and there to try and get it paid down, but of course, they would just add up even higher whenever I sold something. Like I said, it's my fault, and I'm aware of it. It's bad management financially and I should have paid them immediately. I know this in retrospect.

Yes, I have been offering custom prints for quite some time now, and have had several customers send me their pet photos, photos of loved ones, etc. And they have all been very happy with the results, thus far. I clearly state in the auction that they can send me ANY PHOTO.

Thanks again, Steve, for your kind words. And thank you to everybody else for being so kind and understanding. I guess I wasn't necessarily asking for sympathy, just wanted suggestions—which you all have given me your input on. I appreciate that. You're all the best here at tPF. That's why I come back each and everyday.

 

[luralee]

Someone may have mentioned this, but have you checked out cafepress.com? You can do designs and they will put them on t-shirts or whatever. I know my cousin has made some extra $$ doing that, so you might check it out.
I have been laid off since May 2, so I know what you are going thru.
Good luck!

 

[onegirlcreative]

Someone may have mentioned this, but have you checked out cafepress.com? You can do designs and they will put them on t-shirts or whatever. I know my cousin has made some extra $$ doing that, so you might check it out.
I have been laid off since May 2, so I know what you are going thru.
Good luck!

I do have a Cafepress account, but didn't sell anything. It's so weird, because eBay I was doing very well, but elsewhere? Nothing. It proves that eBay is the leader right now (hoping it'll change, however), because they have millions of members and let's face it, as much as we hate to admit it, they're a household name now.

 

[missbanff]

As much as I want to have sympathy, I really can't. eBay provided you a venue to sell your artwork, and you breached the user agreement by not paying the fees you owe (fees that ebay is rightly due). It was your choice to get so far behind- had you paid the fees every time you had a sale (or at least once a week) you wouldn't be in this mess. Try turning the tables for perspective- if you were a lawyer who wasn't getting paid, would you continue to work for the deadbeat client?

My best advice is to suck it up and pay the fees you'd previously agreed to pay, then make a schedule to make sure that you don't fall so needlessly behind in the future.

With all due respect ValleyO - I think this was a tad harsh.

OGC clearly stated she took full responsibility, wasn't looking for any sympathy, and acknowledged her mistake.

Times are tough for many folks right now, it's really scary -especially after yesterday - and reminding her how wrong she was isn't being very helpful. Try turning the tables for perspective - if you fell behind in credit card or mortage payments, would you want someone reminding you "to make a schedule so you don't fall needlessly behind in the future?"

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not meaning to be nasty at all, but if there isn't a positive thing to be said, perhaps nothing said is better.

 

[onegirlcreative]

With all due respect ValleyO - I think this was a tad harsh.

OGC clearly stated she took full responsibility, wasn't looking for any sympathy, and acknowledged her mistake.

Times are tough for many folks right now, it's really scary -especially after yesterday - and reminding her how wrong she was isn't being very helpful. Try turning the tables for perspective - if you fell behind in credit card or mortage payments, would you want someone reminding you "to make a schedule so you don't fall needlessly behind in the future?"

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not meaning to be nasty at all, but if there isn't a positive thing to be said, perhaps nothing said is better.

Thanks, MissBanff. I appreciate that. I was thinking the exact same thing when I read it, but didn't want to ridicule them for leaving a comment (even though they did that to me ).

You're right, in these tough times, you have to make choices—we have realized this exponentially in the past 3 months or so. We literally have to make a choice to which is more important: rent, car payment, cable, cell phone bill, credit cards, FOOD, gas, etc. It sucks, because I never thought that two college educated people would ever have to struggle the way we're struggling now. It's a sad economical climate.

But that's for another thread entirely...ush:

Thanks again for coming to my rescue!

 

[anneonimiss]

Thanks, MissBanff. I appreciate that. I was thinking the exact same thing when I read it, but didn't want to ridicule them for leaving a comment (even though they did that to me ).

You're right, in these tough times, you have to make choices—we have realized this exponentially in the past 3 months or so. We literally have to make a choice to which is more important: rent, car payment, cable, cell phone bill, credit cards, FOOD, gas, etc. It sucks, because I never thought that two college educated people would ever have to struggle the way we're struggling now. It's a sad economical climate.

I agree with ValleyO, and I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but you admit that your husband has repeatedly suggested that you keep money back for the eBay fees and that you disregarded his advice. The statement in bold above really says something to me...obviously, if you and your family are struggling as badly as you say, cable and the cell phones should have been the first to go. EBay's fees are exorbitant, but sellers are informed of what the fees are before they start selling and you can see where you stand at any time. IMO, the economic crisis that we are in right now is a direct result of people taking too much credit and living way beyond their means (and the common attitude that being deep in debt is "the American way"). If this thread had been posted in the "Money Talks" subforum, I'm afraid you would have heard things far "harsher" than what ValleyO said.

I looked at your website (it's very colorful and professional-looking, btw), and I do have a suggestion that I hope is constuctive. I noticed that you have a link to your eBay store there, but there is nothing that says what kinds of custom prints you do and no way to order them directly from your site. Since you say you belong to several forums with your site in your signature for advertising, you might get plenty of fee-free business if you set up your site to take those customers. Alternatively, you could link to your merchandise on Etsy (or some other more reasonable sale site) instead of eBay. I also think that joining pet and/or parenting forums in particular (as a previous poster suggested) is a great idea. Everyone loves unique photos of their babies (furry and otherwise).

Best of luck to you.

 

[missbanff]

^^ You voiced your opinion in a much more positive way, and offered different suggestions, which is awesome.

I don't think everyone has to agree here, but support in tough times is always appreciated.

 

[clb1968]

I know how quickly those fees can get out of hand. Hopefully you can come up with the funds and get it all straightened out.

Like I told my husband this morning as I was leaving to go to work,sometimes being an adult really sucks. We just have to deal with it.

 

[onegirlcreative]

I agree with ValleyO, and I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but you admit that your husband has repeatedly suggested that you keep money back for the eBay fees and that you disregarded his advice. The statement in bold above really says something to me...obviously, if you and your family are struggling as badly as you say, cable and the cell phones should have been the first to go. EBay's fees are exorbitant, but sellers are informed of what the fees are before they start selling and you can see where you stand at any time. IMO, the economic crisis that we are in right now is a direct result of people taking too much credit and living way beyond their means (and the common attitude that being deep in debt is "the American way"). If this thread had been posted in the "Money Talks" subforum, I'm afraid you would have heard things far "harsher" than what ValleyO said.

I looked at your website (it's very colorful and professional-looking, btw), and I do have a suggestion that I hope is constuctive. I noticed that you have a link to your eBay store there, but there is nothing that says what kinds of custom prints you do and no way to order them directly from your site. Since you say you belong to several forums with your site in your signature for advertising, you might get plenty of fee-free business if you set up your site to take those customers. Alternatively, you could link to your merchandise on Etsy (or some other more reasonable sale site) instead of eBay. I also think that joining pet and/or parenting forums in particular (as a previous poster suggested) is a great idea. Everyone loves unique photos of their babies (furry and otherwise).

Best of luck to you.

Thank you, anneonimiss. However, I must clarify that just because I listed those bills, doesn't mean they were in the proper order. Of course, rent, food, gas and car payment are TOP on our priority list. There have been many months that we have gone without cable and our cell phones. Please don't assume that just because I listed them in a specific order, that that was the order in which we considered them important. I was just listing them.

That being said, our credit card debt is minimal, almost nothing. We don't believe in credit cards with high balances because we got into trouble years ago before our daughter was born. So now we only have credit cards with very small limits/balances. That is not OUR problem here. I was selling on eBay because it was to help supplement our income, which it did.

I'm sorry but berating me because I chose (mistakingly) to not pay my eBay fees immediately after something sells or in full the following month is nothing but counterproductive. I would say you're .

As far as that link to my website, the eBay store link USED to go directly to my eBay store. Now that I am suspended, of course my store no longer exists (albeit temporarily). And you probably didn't look good enough, but I thought it was right there in bold letters on the front of my home page—there is a rollover image of how to peruse and purchase my prints. Right there on my home page. Apparently, you missed that. Although I only have so many prints available for purchase direct from my website, they are there to purchase, nonetheless. After this happened yesterday (with my eBay account), I am in the process of trying to add all of my print designs for purchase direct from my website. But it's a painstaking process and very time consuming, but it will be done eventually.

I appreciate your advice and will definitely research other sites in the meantime while I'm now defunct on eBay.

 

[baglady77]

hang in there and take it day by day! a lot of us here rely on ebay for some source of income. I was thinking about Etsy. Your work can definite sell there. It's all homemade goods/products by artists like yourself! Check it out! I hope you and your husband the very best! Keep your head up

 

[pghandbag]

I love your work and think it would be such a good fit for Etsy! I also think if you wanted to travel to sell stock at indie craft fairs you would do very well. Renegade is a popular one that happens in various cities. In my city (Pittsburgh) the Handmade Arcade is also popular. I would look into indie craft fairs that are in your area. A lot of them occur close to the holidays so people can buy their presents from indie artists like yourself!

I also am curious about getting a print of my dog. I will be pm'ing you. Good luck!!