Home   |  TAGnotes   |   TAGblog   |   TAGchat   |   Services   |   Fraud   |  Contact Us   |   Site Map
 
 
Back
TAGnotes Special Edition ebaY UK, IE
Listing Promos on 9,11,12Mar06
  

The Auction Guild Notes SPECIAL EDITION 7 Mar 2006
************************************************************

THIS ISSUE -
************************************************************
UNANNOUNCED EBAY PRICE INCREASES
************************************************************
EBAY UK 10 PENCE LISTING DAY ON THU 9 MAR 2006
************************************************************
EBAY IRELAND 5 CENT LISTING WEEKEND 11-12 MAR 2006
************************************************************
The most successful Online Sellers have their own website
For professional, affordable web site design, development,
& low cost web hosting: http://www.tjbailey.com/
************************************************************

Looking for reliable image hosting? Check TAG's image hosting
directory at - http://www.auctionguild.com/generic80.html

************************************************************
UNNANNOUNCED EBAY PRICE INCREASES
************************************************************
On 18 January 2006, Bill Cobb, president of ebaY North America,
announced a price increase for ebaY US. Of course, in the normal ebaY
way, it was announced as fee adjustments, made to appear as if it was a
minor increase, and that some fee decreases would mitigate the fact that
ebaY has increased their fees every year, despite year over year record
breaking profitability. As always, the business community looks at this
and says that ebaY is justified in charging whatever the market will
bear, but it once again puts the lie to ebaY's propaganda about being
community based.

The fee increase went into effect on 22 Feb 06. The way the new fees
were structured, ebaY reduced the fee on items listed at 99 cents or
less from 25 cents to 20 cents, and increased the final value fee on the
most common ending price level, an additional one quarter percent
(.25%). They made some features free, including picture show and sales
reports plus, and reduced fees for the second and third tiers of picture
manager (all pretty worthless features, much less expensive and more
reliably found from third party service providers). In addition, Bill
Cobb said, "There are no changes for eBay Stores fees.", which you will
see further along in this article, was a blatant lie on Mr Cobb's part.
Despite the unannounced fee increases made to the store listing fees,
TAG also expects an increase in store subscription fees, probably in the
May/June time frame.
You can see the fee increase announcement at
-http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200601181327302.html

What ebaY failed to mention, was that there were fee increases they did
not tell their sellers about. TAG wonders if these fee increases, which
probably border on the illegal, and violated ebaY's own user agreement,
were even too sleazy for ebaY to mention in public, or if ebaY felt they
could slip them in without anyone noticing. Once word got out and they
were questioned about it, they would have probably used their old, "it
has always been that way, we just didn't enforce it" line, or some other
excuses, complete lies all, that seller's have the invoices to prove.
Fortunately erudite TAG subscribers did notice the fee increases, and
let us know about them.

There are two sets of ebaY increases, that ebaY failed to mention, or
blatantly lied about. The first increase ebaY forget to mention, comes
into play when a seller revises a listing to decrease the price of the
item in that listing. In the past if the seller decreased the price of a
listing, so that it took the listing into a lower fee category, ebaY
would refund the difference. Just as, if the seller increased the price
of a listing, ebaY would add the extra fee to the seller's bill. Now
what ebaY is doing, is not refunding the difference in fees, in the case
of a decreased price, but is still adding the increased fee when an item
is revised to increase the price. This also probably applies to the
reserve fee, when the change to the fee is based on a lowered reserve
price. ebaY explicitly mentions, " Reduce the start price of your item.
(You will not receive credit for the difference in your insertion
fees.)" but does not address other fees, such as listing duration fees,
or other items you might revise. See the revise your listing info at -
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/edit_listing.html

For example, if you look at the fee schedule at -
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html

If you start a listing at $59.99, the insertion fee would be $2.40. You
then later revise it to $49.99. ebaY will not refund the $1.20
difference, they will keep it. But if you start an item at $49.99, you
will be charged $1.20, and then later revise that to $59.99, ebaY will
charge you the extra $1.20 to bring the listing fee up to $2.40.

The only place you can see this fee change is on the revise your listing
page. But since that page is included in the user agreement by default
(as are all ebaY's little back doors hiding information), ebaY will
claim you agreed to this change by using their site. TAG argues that
this is an illegal rule, keeping fees they are not entitled to, but
until someone successfully sues them over this issue, or media attention
shames them into a change, it will be the ebaY law.

The second fee increases were made in the stores, by removing the 60, 90
and 120 day listing durations. The only option now open to store users
is 30 day and Good till Cancelled (GTC). All the listing upgrade fees
are now charged every 30 days, and that change causes increases that
range up to 300% (depending on duration) for those who previously used
60/90/120 day durations. The fee increases are shown as follows:

Gallery was 1 cent for 120 days and now costs 1 cent each 30 day period

Listing Designer (see note) was 10 cents for 120 days, and now cost 10
cents for each 30 day period.
(Note) No charge for listing designer for Blackthorne Basic, Blackthorne
Pro, or Selling Manager Pro subscribers.

Highlight was $11 for 120 days, and now costs $5 each 30 day period.

Featured in Search was $34.95 for 120 days, and now costs $19.95 each
30 day period

Additional pictures were 45 cents for 120 days, and now costs 15 cents
each 30 day period

Supersize pictures were $1.50 for 120 days, and now costs 75 cents each
30 day period

Picture Pack was $3.01 for 120 days, and now costs 76 cents each 30 day
period

There is one price reduction, and that is for the Picture Show which was
55 cents for 120 days, and is now free

You can see the old stores fee schedule at - http://snipurl.com/n723
And the current store fees at -
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/storefees.html

Once again ebaY shows how willingly and blatantly it lies. When the
President of North America, can post that there are no fee increases in
stores, when there were increases, it shows how deeply corrupt ebaY and
its management is. TAG recommends that all ebaY users contact Chris
Tsakalakis - chris_-@ebay.com - or Bill Cobb - bill-@ebay.com -
either on the boards or in email to let them know how you feel about
these hiddeen and lied about fee increases.

************************************************************
EBAY UK 10 PENCE LISTING DAY ON THU 9 MAR 2006
************************************************************

ebaY UK is holding a 10 Pence listings day on Thu 9 Mar 2006 between
00:00:01 GMT (12:00 AM plus one second on Thu 9 Mar 2006 and ending that
same day, Thu 9 Mar 2006 at 23:59:59 GMT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

Only listings in British Pounds Sterling on eBay.co.uk will qualify for
10 Pence insertion fees (no residence requirement). Included are auction
listings, and fixed price (Buy It Now). Any item previously scheduled
to go live on Thu 9 Mar 2006 will qualify for the 10 pence insertion fee
promotion. If you re-list an item on Thu 9 Mar 2006 that had previously
closed without a successful sale, the re-list will qualify for the 10
pence insertion fee promotion.

Excluded are the Automotive (Cars, Classic Cars, Motorcycles or Other
Vehicles) and Property categories, multiple item listings in any format,
and shops inventory listings. ebaY will charge the full extra feature
fee for BIN, on auction listings with the buy it now feature.

To sell with Buy It Now only fixed price format you must either have 10+
feedback or if you have a PayPal account you need to have 5+ feedback.

If you are in a country other than the UK you may participate in this
promotion but must list from the UK site, be willing to ship to the UK
and be willing to accept British Sterling Pounds (though generally sales
will be in the US and paid in US dollars). Don't forget the 5 to 8 hour
time difference from the UK to the US.

For more info -
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/sell/Mar0910pS/

************************************************************
EBAY IRELAND 5 CENT LISTING WEEKEND 11-12 MAR 2006
************************************************************
ebaY IE is holding a 5 cent (.05 euro) listingsweekend from Sat 11 Mar
2006 between 00:00:01 GMT (12:00 AM plus one second on Sun 11 Mar 2006
and ending Sun 12 Mar 2006 at 23:59:59 GMT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

Only listings in euros on eBay.ie will qualify for 5 euro insertion fees
(no residence requirement). Included are auction listings, and fixed
price (Buy It Now). Any item previously scheduled to go live on
Saturday 11th March or Sunday 12th March 2006 will also qualify for the
5 cents insertion fee promotion.. If you re-list an item on Thu 9 Mar
2006 that had previously closed without a successful sale, the re-list
will qualify for the 10 pence insertion fee promotion.
Items listed in the Automotive (Cars, Classic Cars, Motorcycles or Other
Vehicles) and Property categories are also included.

Excluded are multiple item listings in any format, and shops inventory
listings. ebaY will charge the full extra feature fee for BIN, on
auction listings with the buy it now feature.

To sell with Buy It Now only fixed price format you must either have 10+
feedback or if you have a PayPal account you need to have 5+ feedback.

If you are in a country other than the IE you may participate in this
promotion but must list from the IE site, be willing to ship to the IE
and be willing to accept euros (though generally sales will be in the US
and paid in US dollars). Don't forget the time difference from the IE
to the US.

http://pages.ebay.ie/sell/5cld060311/
***********************************************************
THE AUCTION GUILD
and eTRADERS GUILD
www.auctionguild.com
Not just a venue
877-SAFETAG
http://www.auctionguild.com
email us - tag@theauctionguild.com
***********************************************************
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners
Copyright 1999 - 2007 The Auction Guild Inc All rights reserved