I’m on the save for a new rifle, and I decided what better time to get rid of a load of video games I don’t ever play on than now.
I priced up some of the games on the “cash for DVD” type sites around, Ziffit and whatnot, and whilst the prices were ridiculously low for many of the games, I decided that I’d use them as starting points to put the games on ebay.
So I have 20 free listings per month, I used just over half. adding around 10 games and a couple of other items.
Many of the games didn’t sell but they’re still on for free re-listing for one more go round. After that then they’ll be off to Ziffit, or wherever it was that I got the best quotes.
But what really grinds my gears is that 5 of my games sold. All for roughly £5.
However, the price breakdown is horrific when you look at what you actually receive.
All of the games got a “suggested” postage price of £1.26 – which, it turns out is how much it costs to send them first class. Jobs a good-un, you’d think. However eBay now make you pay 10% even on the postage. so that £1.26 you marked for postage, now doesn’t even cover the cost of royal mail delivering the item, not to mention how much a jiffy bag or envelope costs (I used some I had lying around from some My Great Affliction press packs).
So your £1.26 you charged the customer you get £1.13.
Then the item. 10% flat fee for ebay. so I sold it for £4.99. I get £4.50 minus the 13p for “postage discrepancy”.
But it doesn’t end there. After eBay have taken their cut. You are tied in to accepting PayPal, which convenient as it is for the end user costs another chunk per item, in this case 42p. So of my £4.37 for the game I sold, I now only receive £3.95. And I have the joy of packaging up the item, taking it to the post office and sending it off, unrecorded due to the fact everyone is posting items based on ebays suggested figure of £1.26. Running the risk of more headache by it getting lost in the post, or as is so prevalent these days having someone claim the item never arrived and ensue the frustration of having to fight for your money back from Royal Mail, whilst Paypal dip into your account and refund the end user without question.
I remember using eBay when it first started and it was a good place to buy and sell guitar equipment, not lose money on trying second hand equipment and selling it back on the bay if it wasn’t for you, maybe even make a little money.
These days, it seems the only people making money are eBay’s shareholders.
There must be somewhere better. They can’t hold a gigantic monopoly.
Post in the comments places where this stuff could be sold without the money grabbing…
Eternally Frustrated. Ste.
10th August 2015 at 9:51 pm
Yeah, I agree. I remember in 2003 paying in cheques at hsbc for things I sold, waiting and waiting for cheques in the post. Good times to be fair. I think eBay fees were about 3.5% and that’s it.
10th August 2015 at 10:12 pm
I remember the same thing Joel, 3.5% is the figure I had in my head. No fee’s on postage either. Because so many people used to put half the cost in the postage to get round the fee’s they started charging on postage. Nightmare!
If the guitar I have on there sells at the minute, for £500. I’ll get charged a flat 10% from eBay and then paypal will take their 3.4%+20p.
£434.50. What a joke. Got any thoughts on an alternative?
19th May 2022 at 12:34 pm
Just sold an item for £117 , after fees I got less than £100 ouch . this is with FREE listings – whoopee !
when I listed it suggested a sub title to better describe the item despite the title being already perfectly described , so i just repeated main title – £2 cost for this . boosh take that . LOL , never again facebook classifieds for me .