New Ebay Changes!

[BergerKing22784]

Here are some new Ebay Changes coming in October http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Overview/


I posted previously about only being able to pay with pay pal and I thought pay pal was required to be a payment option. Looks as though here it comes!

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Payments/



"Paper payments end this October

Beginning late October 2008, all items listed on eBay.com must be paid for using one of the following approved payment options:

Direct credit or debit card payment via a merchant credit card account
PayPal
ProPay
Payment on pick-upPaper payment methods such as checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay.com.

By January 2009, all approved electronic payment methods will be integrated into eBay checkout. For example, buyers will be able to enter their credit card number directly into eBay checkout, and the payment will be routed to the seller's Internet merchant account or to their PayPal account. "





Well I know I am sure this will roughful some feathers and everyone will say its ebay just trying to take more money form the sellers as pay pal has fees but to be honest I prefer it both as a buyer and an occasional seller of old video games and crap around my house.

[commando]

You know, I do agree with you. As a seller, I don't like getting personal checks.... As a buyer, I ALWAYS use Paypal. This change won't affect me too much personally.

[aeneas01]

i'm with you guys - the change is a-ok with me! i always kick myself when i recklessly jump on something listed on ebay, win it, only to discover that the seller only accepts checks, money orders, etc. when i'm ready to pay up - what a hassle! as a rule i never bid on an item if cash is the only payment accepted but, unfortunately, i sometimes space-out and don't read the fine print. this will fix that!

[Spiezio23]

I'm with you guys as well.

I've been on eBay for over 10 years now and I've gone through all of the fee changes, paypal fees, etc. I don't have any issues with their fees, they provide me with a medium where I can sell to millions and get paid by those same millions instantly. I'll pay the fees to get my payment instantly.

I too have the same frustration when I skip over the details, which isn't often and find someone only accepts check/MO and on top of that they make me wait until it clears? So having your money in hand for certain some 2-3 weeks later is worth saving the $ spent in fees?

I also don't like the people that want to add in the fees to any sale they make, yes that includes some sellers on here. You're potentialy taking in hundreds of dollars, is $5 in PayPal fees going to kill you? It's the cost of doing business. I have NEVER charged anyone extra for buying something from me, it's the item price and shipping cost.

I can't wait for the new change as I'll never have to worry about who doesn't accept PayPal.

-Jeremy

[trsent]

I'm with you guys as well.

I've been on eBay for over 10 years now and I've gone through all of the fee changes, paypal fees, etc. I don't have any issues with their fees, they provide me with a medium where I can sell to millions and get paid by those same millions instantly. I'll pay the fees to get my payment instantly.

I too have the same frustration when I skip over the details, which isn't often and find someone only accepts check/MO and on top of that they make me wait until it clears? So having your money in hand for certain some 2-3 weeks later is worth saving the $ spent in fees?

I also don't like the people that want to add in the fees to any sale they make, yes that includes some sellers on here. You're potentialy taking in hundreds of dollars, is $5 in PayPal fees going to kill you? It's the cost of doing business. I have NEVER charged anyone extra for buying something from me, it's the item price and shipping cost.

I can't wait for the new change as I'll never have to worry about who doesn't accept PayPal.

-Jeremy

Jeremy, who charges a fee to accept PayPal as payment? It is against eBay rules to charge a fee for PayPal payment.

[Spiezio23]

Joel,

I always contact eBay about those that charge extra for fees and they remove the listings. It's not eBay sellers I have the fee issue with.

I should have clarified, when making purchases here on the forum or on other forums, I've had sellers state. I'll gladly accept PayPal but you MUST add 3% to cover the fees, or they'll refund the entire payment until you do. Yes, it has happened on here but I'm not going through my emails to find names.


What's next.. once the new system is deployed here we'll have folks saying, you can have this jersey if you pay my forum fee plus paypal fee, etc. *Pretty soon we're just paying a big fee and getting a free jersey or bat* :p

[David]

The seller can't charge the buyer the PayPal fees. In California, and perhaps other places, it's illegal to charge the buyer a fee for using a credit card.

[allstarsplus]

I thought this was HUGE!!!! 35cents to list Fixed Price items!!!

Reduced upfront fees for Fixed Price: List multi-quantity items up to 30 days for one low fee
We're dramatically reducing the upfront cost to list an item at fixed price on eBay.

35¢ Fixed Price Insertion Fee (http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/BasicFees)
- Regardless of item price or quantity
- New 30-day option includedI list items for over $1,000 that used to cost me over $4.00 so this will save me at least $40 per month.

It looks like they are going to be encouraging high priced Buy It Now fixed price auctions!!!

[sammy]

They are going to get you on the back-in, as the FVF's are increasing.

More then likely, you won't save anything and it will cost you more.

[camarokids]

Not only on ebay but everywhere, there is a lot of fraud going on with counterfeit money orders and cashiers checks.....

[Vintagedeputy]

I dont like it.

I haven't had one single issue with anyone paying me with a check or money order since I joined ebay in 1998(?) Some folks just dont have (or believe in) credit cards.

I kind of understood where the "no cash" policy came from but to turn down an acceptable method of payment is crazy.

[allstarsplus]

Not only on ebay but everywhere, there is a lot of fraud going on with counterfeit money orders and cashiers checks.....

You are 100% correct! I just got a Money Order for an eBay payment and nervously watched the bank teller examining it.

You basically have to put a 5 day hold on these to make sure they clear too.

I have no problem paying the fees to know that I don't have to worry about payment.

As I said before, requiring PayPal requires a valid credit card which will cut down on all the fake bidders which is why I think eBay is really moving in this direction.

[markize]

didn't ebay purchase paypal a few years back. that is the real prpblem with forcing everyone to use paypal. they now have a system where the sellers are charged fees to list, and final value fees, but now they can make sure every buyer uses paypal to increase ebays profits.


mark

[ndevlin]

I myself like this change. I have been burned a few times sending money orders and not getting my item and ebay not doing anything about it.

On the other side, I feel this policy may scare off the folks that dont know what paypal even is! Therefore, not being able to purchase their garage sale/attic finds.

[allstarsplus]

They are going to get you on the back-in, as the FVF's are increasing.

More then likely, you won't save anything and it will cost you more.

Yes, but now if your item doesn't sell you won't feel like you wasted $4.

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Examples/#4

I did an analysis of a $5,000 item on eBay under the new format and if my math is correct my total fees w/ listing costs goes from $102 to $143 or 2.03% to 2.86%. With PayPal, my new total transaction cost is essentially 5.9% instead of 5%.

Certainly pros and cons on both sides, but I forsee listings for expensive items increasing and a trend for buyers looking for premium items hence more items will sell.

[Dewey2007]

I sure hope Ebay doesn't change it's recent trend of sending out 10% off coupons. Another came today just at the right time!

[MRMusial]

I sure hope Ebay doesn't change it's recent trend of sending out 10% off coupons. Another came today just at the right time!

I don't mind the proposed changes ... just need to figure out how I go about getting those 10% coupons they send out. All these years and I haven't gotten one... :(

[Sincityson]

The seller can't charge the buyer the PayPal fees. In California, and perhaps other places, it's illegal to charge the buyer a fee for using a credit card.

In alot of smaller computer stores in Canada, it is common practise to charge a few percent extra for credit card purchases.. I have a catalogue here that has all their prices listed as 'cash purchase' prices..

[bigtime59]

What if you created a marketplace...then made it so seller-unfriendly that all the sellers left? I predict this is eBay's ultimate fate if they don't change their ways.
I also wish they'd get off this "cheap shipping is the only good shipping" kick.
I'm seriously looking at winding up my eBay selling activities.

[cohibasmoker]

I like the idea.

My thoughts are, if eBay members have to have either a PayPal account or credit card on file, will eBay automatically take payment from a members PayPal or credit card account? If so, this may be a good thing for two reasons;

First - Would this cut down on shrill bidding? If shrill bidding is eliminated, would prices go down? No longer would friends be able to bid an item up.

Second: Would it cut down on stiffs that don't pay?


Just my thoughts,

Jim

flaa1a@comcast.net

[34swtns]

Ebay can't "automatically" take payment from anything......ever, and if that policy ever went into effect you'd see ebay membership drop substantially. The new payment policy won't have any effect on shill bidding.

[David]

A company would get into trouble if they automatically dipped into someone's bank account or credit count without permission. Some people have automated payments with eBay or their local utilities, but that's only when signed up for that option.

[BergerKing22784]

While I agree that will never happen automatic payments that is..... But it is a legally binding contract and if anyone really ever wanted to take something to the next level for breach of contract if someone didnt pay I do believe they could.

[cohibasmoker]

Ebay can't "automatically" take payment from anything......ever, and if that policy ever went into effect you'd see ebay membership drop substantially. The new payment policy won't have any effect on shill bidding.

Don't say eBay can't do anything. They really can do whatever they want and we can't do anything about it.

My point is, if people have to ACTUALLY pay for their item, friends would be less apt to bid on an item because they would actually have to pay for it - thus shill bidding would go down.

Jim

[34swtns]

It would never happen.....the general public wouldn't stand for it and it would be the beginning of the end of ebay.

[BergerKing22784]

I dont get why the general public wouldnt accept it. God forbid everyone has to pay for what they bid on and win on ebay lol. Ooops sorry I brought up God can not do that. haha ok sorry I know this reply will get deleted.

[cigarman44]

Is this part of their new plan?

Dear Joe Edwards,


You've received a payment, detailed below. We’ve placed a temporary hold on the funds for this transaction.
PayPal and eBay (http://www.ebay.com/) are working together to make payments for eBay items even safer. Because we want both buyers and sellers to feel confident about sending and receiving payments through PayPal, we may temporarily hold payments for items sold on eBay.
Make sure to ship the item right away, so you'll have access to the funds sooner. We’ll release the hold in 21 days unless you receive a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal on the transaction subject to the hold. We may release the hold earlier if either of the following occurs:

The buyer leaves you positive feedback on eBay.
We confirm that the item was delivered.* We can confirm delivery if you ship the item with USPS (http://www.usps.com/), FedEx, or UPS and either use PayPal shipping labels or upload tracking information from the transaction details page. This applies to transactions within the United States.Additional hold period
If you receive a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal on the transaction subject to the hold, we may hold the payment until the problem is resolved.
Learn more about the PayPal policy for payment holds for eBay items (https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=xpt/Marketing/securitycenter/sell/SaferPayments-outside).
We will notify you by email when the funds are released. You can monitor the status of the hold in your Transaction History.
* This applies to US domestic transactions that are shipped by USPS, FedEx, or UPS and either (i) use PayPal shipping labels to ship items or (ii) provide tracking information to PayPal.

Just received payment for an item and now they tell me to ship it and they are holding the payment for 21 days unless positive feedback is received. Might as well be a check or money order. Guess no more "instant" payments. Had something to bid on tonight but dont have the funds now.

[kudu]

Don't say eBay can't do anything. They really can do whatever they want and we can't do anything about it.

My point is, if people have to ACTUALLY pay for their item, friends would be less apt to bid on an item because they would actually have to pay for it - thus shill bidding would go down.

Jim

No, Ebay cannot do whatever it wants. Ebay does not own the items that are sold on their website. If a buyer wants to pay with a money order, they can do that and Ebay cant do anything about that. From what I understand, is that Ebay will remove the option for money orders/checks on their website and sellers cannot promote those kinds of payments in their auctions.

From a sellers point of view, these changes stick, and are going to be the demise of what Ebay once was.

As for shill bidding, if they go to automatic payments and your "friend" wins your auction, couldn't you just pay your "friend" the money back?

[frikativ54]

I am glad about the no checks/money orders thing. It's pretty annoying to get a check for $3.99 and to go the extra mile to go to the bank, cash the check, and hold it until it clears. I just got a check for $3.99 for a greeting card I made, and for the hassle, I would have preferred to give it to her for free. I honestly don't care if she sends me a bad check for this amount; I think I'll just go ahead and send it out.

[kjjavic]

From what I understand from a fellow seller's conversation with ebay support, they are still allowing payments by money orders to buyers who request them at checkout. I don't think they want to alienate old ebay buyers who only pay with money orders to the point of driving them away. However, sellers are not allowed to mention money orders in their listings, nor give them as a payment option at checkout.

I personally prefer to recieve paypal payments, and the paypal fees are worth it for me not to have to drive to the bank. However, that hold period is ridiculous. Ebay has been way too change happy lately, and I think they are overthinking things. I mean wasn't their enough buyer protection already? If a buyer ever made a paypal claim and the seller didn't have delivery confirmation proof, they would automatically side with the seller. Sadly and greedily, I think ebay/paypal's only reason to create this hold policy is go garner interest on all of that held cash.

[kjjavic]

meant to say: automatically side with the buyer, not seller.

[cohibasmoker]

No, Ebay cannot do whatever it wants. Ebay does not own the items that are sold on their website. If a buyer wants to pay with a money order, they can do that and Ebay cant do anything about that. From what I understand, is that Ebay will remove the option for money orders/checks on their website and sellers cannot promote those kinds of payments in their auctions.

From a sellers point of view, these changes stick, and are going to be the demise of what Ebay once was.

As for shill bidding, if they go to automatic payments and your "friend" wins your auction, couldn't you just pay your "friend" the money back?

- eBay CAN DO whatever they want!!! Suppose they do something you don't like, where are you going to go? Is there another eBay site out there?

- As for paying your buddy back, how many times will it take before your buddy gets tired of it and says, enough is enough.

- Another thread said that a eBay sale is a legal/binding contract. If that is true, why can't eBay automatically deduct the payment from your PayPal account or credit card on file? Afterall, it's a legal contract.

As a buyer, if I win an item on eBay, I would not have any problem with them automatically deducting the amount from my PayPal account. It would save me time.

As a seller, it may eliminate the stiffs that don't pay and believe me, there are plenty of them out there.

Jim

[kudu]

- eBay CAN DO whatever they want!!! Suppose they do something you don't like, where are you going to go? Is there another eBay site out there?


Sure there are lots of other auction sites out there, they just dont have the exposure that Ebay does. Yes, Ebay can make changes to their rules, BUT they cannot do WHATEVER they want. Their are US laws that they have to abide by. Like I said before, Ebay DOES NOT own the items on their website, therefore if a buyer wants to pay with a money order, they can pay with a money order, even with the new changes.



- As for paying your buddy back, how many times will it take before your buddy gets tired of it and says, enough is enough.



Find another buddy. And not that I am condoning this behavior, BTW, because shill bidding is very wrong.


- Another thread said that a eBay sale is a legal/binding contract. If that is true, why can't eBay automatically deduct the payment from your PayPal account or credit card on file? Afterall, it's a legal contract.


Because the buyer and seller still have decisions to make after the auction, like if the buyer was from another country, how is ebay going to know how much shipping is going to cost, so that they can automatically charge the buyers Paypal or credit card? What if someone hacked into your ebay account and had a field day buying all kinds of stuff. Would you want automatic payment then??

[allstarsplus]

-
- Another thread said that a eBay sale is a legal/binding contract. If that is true, why can't eBay automatically deduct the payment from your PayPal account or credit card on file? Afterall, it's a legal contract.

As a buyer, if I win an item on eBay, I would not have any problem with them automatically deducting the amount from my PayPal account. It would save me time.

As a seller, it may eliminate the stiffs that don't pay and believe me, there are plenty of them out there.

Jim

Jim - You are basically suggesting what MLB.com Auctions does and many other sites as once you win/purchase they charge your credit card!

I like that idea although Kudu brings up the one issue which is the varying shipping cost which could be charged after the fact when it is reconciled unless shipping is a flat fee.

This would solve many of the issues which deters many sellers due to deadbeat buyers.

[NegleyPirate]

Ebay + Walmart + Microsoft = Everyone's Money(lol)!

[bigtime59]

Sometimes I'm so slow on the uptake that I just stun myself!
I've been wondering why eBay has become so relentlessly obsessed with low shipping fees. Tonight, as I was re-listing some items (and being told over and over again that my shipping cost was too high compared to other items in category...well, duh! I'm listing jerseys, and most of the listings in this category are cards!) it hit me like a flying mallet: eBay is obsessed with low shipping costs because that's the one area where they can only skim you once! (And then only if you get paid through PayPal.) If they can shift a buck here and a couple of bucks there from "shipping costs" into "item costs"...they get three skims (listing, selling and PayPal fees) instead of one, and with the number of transactions that occur on eBay each day...soon you're dealing with real money...lots and lots of real money!