I earn my living selling on eBay and have been a Power Seller since 2003. My main product line is clothing. Most of my items sell for between $14 and $30 on a 7-day auction listing. The listing fees for items in this price range is usually $1.05, with a final value fee of around $1.58. So, for $2.63, I can sell my item on eBay. Not a bad price to pay for exposure to 247 million potential buyers worldwide. It would be a monumental task to drive that many visitors to my own website or to a brick and mortar store.Maybe someone can point me to the disclaimer on eBay.com that says, "Sell your stuff for free! We don't charge." Granted, fees have steadily climbed since eBay’s inception 10 years ago - but eBay runs specials from time to time that gives sellers a price break. eBay is a business – not a charity. Bottom line: If you want to play their game, you pay the fees.
I am wondering where this “eBay should be free” mentality is coming from. eBay exposes your item to 247 million people - isn't that worth paying around $2.50 per item? Many people fail to see the big picture. I can sell about 300 items a month on eBay at $15 profit per item, after all the fees and expenses. I can do this from the comfort of my own home, wearing my bedroom slippers, while watching Seinfeld DVDs, and enjoying a cup of café mocha. I don’t have to sit in traffic every day commuting to the office, work with a difficult boss, or sit through long boring meetings and listen to other people discuss issues over which I have absolutely no input or control. Been there, done that. You’re not going to hear me complain about eBay’s fees.
What do you think? Are eBay’s fees reasonable? Do you think you are getting what you are paying for? Post a comment!
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