From NYTimes: The Depth of Ebay's Problems

#2
^Thanks for posting.

About Ebay, I'd put it this way: If there was an acceptable alternative to Ebay, I would jump right on it, and wouldnt look back!

As a seller, you get hit with an initial listing fee, fees for pictures, a Final Value fee when the item sells, and more fees when you accept Paypal as your preferred mode of payment. Thats bullcr*p! Ebay only offers fraud protection for items purchased with Paypal, so essentially you as a seller are forced to make Paypal your mode of accepting payment. So in addition to the long laundry list of other fees you pay, you pay even more fees in the Paypal process.

All this combined with Ebay's incredibly lackluster Customer Service, leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, which is pretty much why, if there were a viable Ebay competitor, I would have no problem dropping Ebay like a hot potato!
 
#3
^^^ I agree with everything Gung said (well except for paying eBay to host the photos, which I no longer do; I use a photohost).
eBay has its huge share of problems and believe me I am the first to criticize them. At the same time though, it really has such a strangle hold on the whole concept of "peer to peer" selling that I honestly don't see how any corporate entity of any size (Amazon, Google, Yahoo etc have all tried to replicate the model, with huge failures), let alone an individual or small group, could ever hope to build something to compare or improve upon the model. eBay invented this whole idea and though they definitely SUCK at a lot of things, and they cost sellers a mint, there's something huge and amazing behind all the problems that occur.

Would I jump right onto a viable and safer alternative? HECK YEAH. But I don't hold out much hope of there ever being one.

Fact check time, by the way: Mr. Wingo is from Channel Advisor, not "Chanel Advisor" :rolleyes: What is the world coming to, when a NY Times contributor makes a mistake like that? Sheesh.
 
#4
GUNG said:
^Thanks for posting.

About Ebay, I'd put it this way: If there was an acceptable alternative to Ebay, I would jump right on it, and wouldnt look back!

As a seller, you get hit with an initial listing fee, fees for pictures, a Final Value fee when the item sells, and more fees when you accept Paypal as your preferred mode of payment. Thats bullcr*p! Ebay only offers fraud protection for items purchased with Paypal, so essentially you as a seller are forced to make Paypal your mode of accepting payment. So in addition to the long laundry list of other fees you pay, you pay even more fees in the Paypal process.

All this combined with Ebay's incredibly lackluster Customer Service, leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, which is pretty much why, if there were a viable Ebay competitor, I would have no problem dropping Ebay like a hot potato!
Click to expand...
ITA with your post.

I sold some items a few days ago. I laughed because once I paid all the fees (eBay, Paypal), I walk with a few pennies in my pocket. Then we have to all remember the people who want to return or have issues.:cursing: I think eBay will have a competitor, it may just take a while.
 
#5
CynthiaNYC said:
^^^ I agree with everything Gung said (well except for paying eBay to host the photos, which I no longer do; I use a photohost).
eBay has its huge share of problems and believe me I am the first to criticize them. At the same time though, it really has such a strangle hold on the whole concept of "peer to peer" selling that I honestly don't see how any corporate entity of any size (Amazon, Google, Yahoo etc have all tried to replicate the model, with huge failures), let alone an individual or small group, could ever hope to build something to compare or improve upon the model. eBay invented this whole idea and though they definitely SUCK at a lot of things, and they cost sellers a mint, there's something huge and amazing behind all the problems that occur.

Would I jump right onto a viable and safer alternative? HECK YEAH. But I don't hold out much hope of there ever being one.

Fact check time, by the way: Mr. Wingo is from Channel Advisor, not "Chanel Advisor" :rolleyes: What is the world coming to, when a NY Times contributor makes a mistake like that? Sheesh.
Click to expand...

I saw the Chanel mistake too. I was quite surprised to see that.
 
#6
PinkSuadeSoho said:
ITA with your post.

I sold some items a few days ago. I laughed because once I paid all the fees (eBay, Paypal), I walk with a few pennies in my pocket. Then we have to all remember the people who want to return or have issues.:cursing: I think eBay will have a competitor, it may just take a while.
Click to expand...

I felt the same way! after the fees and the time spent we have to handle the buyers!
 
#7
GUNG said:
^Thanks for posting.

About Ebay, I'd put it this way: If there was an acceptable alternative to Ebay, I would jump right on it, and wouldnt look back!

As a seller, you get hit with an initial listing fee, fees for pictures, a Final Value fee when the item sells, and more fees when you accept Paypal as your preferred mode of payment. Thats bullcr*p! Ebay only offers fraud protection for items purchased with Paypal, so essentially you as a seller are forced to make Paypal your mode of accepting payment. So in addition to the long laundry list of other fees you pay, you pay even more fees in the Paypal process.

All this combined with Ebay's incredibly lackluster Customer Service, leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, which is pretty much why, if there were a viable Ebay competitor, I would have no problem dropping Ebay like a hot potato!
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree. I use Auctiva for my pictures now, this is the only way I can save a bit. I hate how you have to pay the listing fee, then the fees for any extras, then the final value fee AND the paypal fee! It's SO much, you barely make a profit most of the time (or at least I don't anyway).
And from what I understand, you HAVE to offer paypal as an option now, it used to be that you didn't have to.
Plus, what really bothers me is that you only have a set amount of days to give it to sell (is 9 days still an option anymore? I don't see it) and if it doesn't sell, you have to pay the relisting fee (unless it sells the second time). Or if you want it to be up longer, you have to have an ebay store and pay the $30+ a month to have an ebay store. UGH.
 
#8
I've never sold anything on ebay although I keep telling myself I really should clean out some artifacts from my closet this way. But between all the fees for ebay and Paypal and the hassles with buyers I wonder whether it would be worth it.

There used to be several alternatives to Paypal like Bidpay, but once ebay bought Paypal the other guys were forced out. Google has been trying to launch this Google Checkout service but it just doesn't seem to want to take off, mostly because ebay won't permit buyers to use it.

Over the summer I purchased some things through Craigslist including a purse. In both instances the sellers were out-of-state but the listings included pictures and the option for Paypal payment. I wonder whether Craigslist could one day turn into an ebay competitor for Craigslist listings are beautifully free and without time limits. I found my Craigslist finds (a Betsey Johnson purse and tools for my husband) simply by Googling. That's not much different than an ebay search.

I've tried to sell things on Craigslist but haven't had any luck. Giving away things free is another story...I always have luck doing that! And in a strange way that's kind of fun--having strangers come to your house and cart away all sorts of junk from your garage with a great deal of gratitude. ;)
 
#9
BigPurseSue said:
I've never sold anything on ebay although I keep telling myself I really should clean out some artifacts from my closet this way. But between all the fees for ebay and Paypal and the hassles with buyers I wonder whether it would be worth it.

There used to be several alternatives to Paypal like Bidpay, but once ebay bought Paypal the other guys were forced out. Google has been trying to launch this Google Checkout service but it just doesn't seem to want to take off, mostly because ebay won't permit buyers to use it.

Over the summer I purchased some things through Craigslist including a purse. In both instances the sellers were out-of-state but the listings included pictures and the option for Paypal payment. I wonder whether Craigslist could one day turn into an ebay competitor for Craigslist listings are beautifully free and without time limits. I found my Craigslist finds (a Betsey Johnson purse and tools for my husband) simply by Googling. That's not much different than an ebay search.

I've tried to sell things on Craigslist but haven't had any luck. Giving away things free is another story...I always have luck doing that! And in a strange way that's kind of fun--having strangers come to your house and cart away all sorts of junk from your garage with a great deal of gratitude. ;)
Click to expand...

I didn't know that eBay won't allow sellers to use google:Push:. Why am I not surprised.
 
#10
When Google introduced its checkout service ebay pulled all its advertising from Google, which was a huge loss of revenue for Google. I think ebay eventually returned to advertising on Google but the two services have been at war ever since.
 
#11
I hate eBay's charges too, but I remember a time, before eBay, when I had to use a consignment shop to sell unwanted items and they took half! And they wouldn't accept anything older than a season or two!

I sold lots of old things on eBay because I knew I could get something for them and something was better than nothing.

Also, having the American market to view my listings (when I had listings, I've run out of things to sell) is fantastic... simply because there are so darn many of them. Someone always wanted something of mine.

And as a buyer, I got a bunch of things I could not find here in my big city of Toronto. I was re-stringing an old chandelier and needed special vintage prisms and couldn't find them at any stores. Of course, I found them on eBay.

I just can't hate eBay.
 
#13
I agree with this; I've had problems with ebay lately. First the massive problem with a buyer (I made a thread of it) and then the listing fees... I get charged each time even though I do NOT add any items. It really annoys me.
 
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