eBay increases fees on metal detectors

I know this won't effect everyone; however, I wanted to put this out there for the dealers and hobby sellers who have an eBay store.

The final value fee on metal detectors, for eBay store holders, has been 6.15% for some time. Now it is 9.15%. As far as I know, eBay did not announce the change. I believe the change occurred on August 1st.

The way this increase was instigated was to simply reclassify metal detectors from the "electronics" category to the "business and industrial" category. The final value fee on "electronics" is 6.15%, while the final value fee for "business and industrial" items is 9.15%.

"fee" bay strikes again!...ehe he! he!

(h.h!)
j.t.

I used to do TONS of business on eBay, as a matter of fact in the last 10+ years I have done over $240,000 in sales. Now with the tax issues and the outrageous fees I have taken to doing all my selling on forums that have a classified section. I mainly deal in classic/antique motorcycles and parts, guitars and sometimes a detector or two.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2018 05:18PM by choppadude.

Is it because the states won the right to TAX online purchases now?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2018 05:39PM by GreenMeanie.

Yes but what about the average Joe selling His Detector on eBay? It is currently 13% of total sale, 10% ebay 3% Paypal. That New tax law is going to be a pain in the ass for us small time Guys who sell under 10k a Year. Especially if You live in a Heavy Debt State like Illinois as it's up to them to set the threshold. And this State will charge every Penny. It was meant for the Big Guys but will hurt the small timers making a little extra Money.
As much as ebay charges they should pick up the bill, But No way that will happen.I am going to sell as much as I can before next Year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2018 07:24PM by Harold,ILL..

That's interesting ... here in the UK, detectors have been in the 'Business & Industrial' category for a long time. Maybe this is all part of 'unifying' the categories on a worldwide basis.

I've been doing fleabay since 1996 (both buying and selling), it's always changing and it's NEVER to the sellers benefit. Now they require you to have a minimum 30 day return policy (or no return policy, which is easily circumvented). I sell antique art glass on there, and as much as I hate it sometimes, it still sells more items then any other venue I use, or have tried in the past, but I really hate the flea market mentality many buyers have on there.

I rather liked the 'old days' eBay, when it was more private sellers, and the flea-market / 'car boot sale' flavour was common.
Now it's just a retail hub, too many rules, too high fees. And they ruined the search engine.

Yeah, was wondering why my ebay invoice has been rather high lately. And noticed my saved search "metal detectors" no includes many categories and all sort of non-related items are mixed between treasure hunting stuff.
had to redo my saved search.

We have to pay Canadian sales taxes that are added to our ebay seller invoices.

Ebay is never happy, always looking for a way to add or increase fees to line the big boss's pockets.

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

This website exists because of E-Bay fees.

Long ago, when Tom and I made the Inland Coin and Relics video, we were first going to sell it on E-Bay. With the listing fees and selling fees and such, we thought it would be more cost effective to just start a website and sell from it (even if though we had just one item to sell). We posted articles Tom had written over the years and he wrote a few new articles just for the website. Used to be buyers would have to send a check then we'd send the video. After about 6 months, we started using PayPal (best idea ever) and it made it easier for the buyers and for us. A few years after just having Tom's articles, we started this Forum...and the rest is history. So sometimes high E-Bay fees are a good thing.......

Neat story, Wally!

Steve

I would love to say I never use the Bay, but depending on what I need sometimes it is the only option. When shopping for new things I go to Amazon first. Prime is great with two day shipping. I have it to watch streaming anyways. Shopping in malls or big box stores? I hate it. At one time I sold quite a bit on the Bay. With the fees now involved I just don't bother. Some stuff I unload on forums, or if it isn't worth that much.......Trash! My kids are going to love me. I plan on leaving very little junk in my house when I drop over.

Just when you think FeeBay is done screwing-over the common seller.... then this happens. Can't say that i'm totally surprised. Feels like I got demoted and received a pay-cut. I havent listed anything in awhile....now I remember why. Pimento, I wish they would've unify the online World by changing the UK detector category to Electronics......everyone Electronics category ....sounds good.

Wow .....with all the eBay fees ....paypal fees ....shipping fee ( everybody wants free shipping) all comes out to 18% - 20% .....selling a $700 detector = $140 .....ouch

Note .....if you charge $50 shipping.... ebay still charges there final value fee on the $50 shipping ..... there's no escape



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2018 02:29AM by Rob in (ca).

The sad thing is 3% increase in fees is a 60% decrease in profit for some of us. There just isn't money to be made. What's worse is buyer remorse free returns. You lose shipping twice because of the Amazon mentality.

Regretfully, I am finished with E-Bay as a Seller.

You might remember a Sale I made 'never arrived' to a UK buyer (a person with a few identities and e-mails) and an item with a Low Value of around $80 was stolen as I didn't send the package by Tracking nor did I insure it.
This buyer took advantage of that and "Escalated a Claim" with E-Bay the following week.

Having learned a lesson from that, I again made a Sale of another item again valued around the same $70 or so and this time I used Tracking and Insurance and guess what? It never arrived either!
Tracking showed it Departing the postal distribution centre July 24th and after that it just vanished. Never even arrived in Canada.

Now here's the thing. It was Mailed to a Post Box on an island. The buyer didn't want to use an additional Street Address that I had asked for as the details provided by PayPal were vague.
I re-labelled the package as I had it prepared and the following day the buyer asked me not to use N0. xxxx Blvd but to send it to the PO Box. "I never get mail to the house" he said.
And, so I spent $2.00 on a mailing box, $3 on tape, $17 on Tracked Mail to the tune of $22 and the item in Q was a paltry $56

I then went to the Post Office to ask them to Track it: they couldn't: they produced a sheet of paper that I myself was able to view on their own Track & Trace web site. No other information except they advised to call a number in the post office and ask them about it? This I did and the guy couldn't help and said the Canadian postal system haven't given them any information about it. He then advised me to get an M58 form from the Post Office and off I went to the post office again and guess what? They didn't have this form and "We haven't had them in a long while!"

Then, I found the form Online and went about filling it in. It required the buyer's Telephone No and it wouldn't let me past this Q so I couldn't continue. So I asked the buyer for his phone number and long story short, he wasn't interested in providing it.

To add insult to injury, I received two E-Mail Invoices, E-Bay asked for $4 and PayPal asked for $8 = $12.00 for their Commissions on the Sale.(remember, on an item valued at $56.00 US

So, I am now at a loss of around $160.00 as I refunded both buyers for the items and I cannot Track the current missing package.

I'm done with E Bay and PayPal.

Do NOT Mail to a PO Box: do not Mail to a buyer who either changes the address or is an incomplete one: do NOT mail to a buyer with different E-Mail or multiple ID on sites.

I don’t use flea bay.
Never have, never will.

Too many con artists out there.

I’ll take my chances selling detector equipment on metal detecting forums I frequent.
Naturally a person's post, track record are weighed highly before I deal.

Goes for buying equipment too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2018 12:56PM by tnsharpshooter.

Des D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Regretfully, I am finished with E-Bay as a Seller.
>
> You might remember a Sale I made 'never arrived' t
> o a UK buyer (a person with a few identities and e
> -mails) and an item with a Low Value of around $80
> was stolen as I didn't send the package by Trackin
> g nor did I insure it.
> This buyer took advantage of that and "Escalated a
> Claim" with E-Bay the following week.
>
> Having learned a lesson from that, I again made a
> Sale of another item again valued around the same
> $70 or so and this time I used Tracking and Insura
> nce and guess what? It never arrived either!
> Tracking showed it Departing the postal distributi
> on centre July 24th and after that it just vanishe
> d. Never even arrived in Canada.
>
> Now here's the thing. It was Mailed to a Post Box
> on an island. The buyer didn't want to use
> an additional Street Address that I had asked for
> as the details provided by PayPal were vague.
> I re-labelled the package as I had it prepared and
> the following day the buyer asked me not to use N0
> . xxxx Blvd but to send it to the PO Box. "I never
> get mail to the house" he said.
> And, so I spent $2.00 on a mailing box, $3 on tape
> , $17 on Tracked Mail to the tune of $22 and the i
> tem in Q was a paltry $56
>
> I then went to the Post Office to ask them to Trac
> k it: they couldn't: they produced a sheet of pape
> r that I myself was able to view on their own Trac
> k & Trace web site. No other information except th
> ey advised to call a number in the post office and
> ask them about it? This I did and the guy couldn't
> help and said the Canadian postal system haven't g
> iven them any information about it. He then advise
> d me to get an M58 form from the Post Office and o
> ff I went to the post office again and guess what?
> They didn't have this form and "We haven't had the
> m in a long while!"
>
> Then, I found the form Online and went about filli
> ng it in. It required the buyer's Telephone No and
> it wouldn't let me past this Q so I couldn't conti
> nue. So I asked the buyer for his phone number and
> long story short, he wasn't interested in providin
> g it.
>
> To add insult to injury, I received two E-Mail Inv
> oices, E-Bay asked for $4 and PayPal asked for $8
> = $12.00 for their Commissions on the Sale.(rememb
> er, on an item valued at $56.00 US
>
> So, I am now at a loss of around $160.00 as I refu
> nded both buyers for the items and I cannot Track
> the current missing package.
>
> I'm done with E Bay and PayPal.
>
> Do NOT Mail to a PO Box: do not Mail to a buyer
> who either changes the address or is an incomplete
> one: do NOT mail to a buyer with different E-Mail
> or multiple ID on sites.


UPDATE

August 25 I filled out the missing package paperwork at a GENERAL Post Office
Got a Letter dated Sept 3 advising "Investigations have started!"

This morning, Sept 12 got an E-Mail from PayPal saying: "You have money in your Account"

Thinking it was just an Auto generated mail trying to get me 'to spend money', I was about to Delete but saw a name in small type there...the guy's first name to whom the package had been sent.

It got to him and I don't know how or don't know when? He had E-Mailed overnite saying: "They must have sent it by boat!"

When I Tracked the Tracking No. on the Track & Trace website it still shows: "Item despatched Mail Centre July 24"

I'm delighted the guy finally received the goods and I got my money (€78) because I had Refunded him out of generosity as I hadn't wanted to cause any hassle.

sheesh, Des. What a mess.

I've looked at Ebay a time or two but never jumped on to sell anything. The forum classifieds usually took care of me. But today's flat used detector market has about ended my buy and try days. If I can't sell to buy, I can't buy.

HH
Mike

detectingMO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
What's worse is buyer remorse free returns. You lose shipping twice because of the Amazon mentality.

One thing that I've noticed is that when selling antique glass on ebay is that the quality of buyer is fairly stable, but once you venture into other venues like electronics, there's a lot of shady buyers out there.

I agree that the Amazon prime mentality is ridiculous, all a buyer has to do is tick off the "item not as described" box and fleabay rolls out the red carpet for the buyer, and as you stated the seller eats shipping twice. I don't sell antiques on approval on an auction site, but this is what their policy is allowing.

Cheers Mike. Appreciated.

If the buyer (nice ordinary guy) had done what the guy in the UK did - claimed a "non-delivery" and escalated acclaim for a Refund, it would be detrimental to my persona as 'a seller' in E Bay's records. So I pre-empted that and refunded him immediately we both realised it was "lost!"
We also agreed that should it 'ever arrive', he would then refund me and that's what transpired.

I'll wait to hear if the Post Office can supply the answer as to where it went, and had I not instigated an enquiry would it be still lost?

Based on the two issues I had, I put off a buyer right here on the Forum who expressed an interest in an item we discussed.
I'm a bit 'gun shy' right now. Maybe as we head towards Christmas I might resume as a Seller?

Des that's a hot mess alright, glad it worked out in the end.

My wife sells on Etsy and fleabay. She mainly sells smalls @ $100 or less. She has made the mistake of sending things to 3rd world countries via 1st class w/out insurance. No doubt the buyers were petty scammers, as she's had issues with them saying they never received the item (all bets are off on package tracking w/3rd world countries....YMMV). Once she sold a $20 perfume bottle to a "buyer" in Rwanda! Yeah, that didn't work out well for her.

Des, I can more fully understand your gun shyness after having read these posts. When you backed out I just accepted your decision and let it go. At least now I fully understand.
I have done regular buying and selling of detectors for a few years now and have been pretty lucky most of the time. I almost always (except once) require signature confirmation and try my damndest to be as honest as possible in description of item. Nearly got screwed a few months ago by not requiring signature but luckily tracking showed item delivered at front porch and fleabay made decision in my favor AND refunded buyer. Either a porch pirate got the detector or the buyer scammed everyone. (unknown )