OT, Ebay fee for ending early

[Ladder7]

Be forewarned, There is a new fee this Fall. If you end an auction early that has bids, your account will be charged a FVF. Terms read, they'll allow one/year without penalty. ' Cuz they're nice people.

[drc]

It sounds like a not unreasonable idea to me. Get complains from bidders and no doubt eBay about people ending early. The only issue is would be when the seller makes an honest boo boo, or there is other seller as honest snafu, and ends it without selling it off ebay-- which may happen a fair amount. I've accidentally double re-listed a lot and had to remove one-- though no one had ever yet placed a bid.

[D. Bergin]

Yeah, I don't mind this at all in practice.

Problem, as DRC stated, every once in awhile auction software will erroneously double list an item, and I might even do it myself every once in awhile if I get distracted during my listing process and forget I hit the list button already.

If they kept it to items that already received bids, I think that would be the perfect scenario.

Edit - Just noticed the OP mentions it is for items that has bids.........then I agree.

[bobbyw8469]

Another reason not to sell items on Ebay.....they keep shooting themselves in the foot.

[thecatspajamas]

For once, eBay implements something that might actually have the intended effect (deterring ending an auction early to take an offer off-site) without severely hampering all other selling.

The only reason I can see that anyone would be against this is if they are in the habit of ending listings early, which either means they are already pissing off prospective bidders, or are habitually clumsy with their listings. I might fall into the latter category on occasion, but if it keeps items that I'm watching from suddently becoming unavailable, I'll take my occasional lump for the greater good.

[Texxxx]

The problem I see is that ending an auction early hurts bidders not eBay. Why should eBay gain on it. The fee should go to charity or something like that. Lol like that would ever happen.

[drc]

Sellers often end auction to sell off ebay, and avoid eBay's take.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Texxxx

The problem I see is that ending an auction early hurts bidders not eBay. Why should eBay gain on it. The fee should go to charity or something like that. Lol like that would ever happen.

Ebay powers-that-be would strongly disagree with that statement. Anything that side-steps their fees (as an offsite transaction certainly would) would be something they consider to hurt eBay.

I probably should have clarified my earlier statement that the reason, from eBay's standpoint, for not wanting you ending an item early and taking the transaction off-site is not to keep the item out there for other potential buyers, but rather to make sure they get their cut of the transaction. If they just wanted to protect other potential buyers, they wouldn't have an option when ending a listing early to "Sell item to high bidder(s) and end listing early."

The only way eBay gives any money to charity is if you pay them a hefty percentage to do so for you (see eBay's "Giving Works" program).

[HRBAKER]

Sounds like a good business call to me. No issue here.
Sorta of like charging you an advertising fee if you decide to
take an off line offer.

Sellers may need to reevaluate a strategy of listing the same
items on multiple venues if they have an issue with it.

[Texxxx]

I understand what you all are saying and understand better where they are coming from. I have no problem with them doing it either. I don't run my business in the same way they do. I have all ways worked under the philosphy that what ever is best for the customer was best for the company.

[yanks12025]

What will the fee be? Cause if someone offers to sell off ebay, the buyer could just throw in the fee on top of the agreed price.

[drc]

A defense of eBay would that if you want don't want to pay their fees, don't use the site. eBay has its faults, but has never forced anyone list an item.

[19cbb]

Originally Posted by yanks12025

What will the fee be? Cause if someone offers to sell off ebay, the buyer could just throw in the fee on top of the agreed price.

And this is exactly why I think this won't work even though I hate early auction enders or whatever they are called these days.

[drc]

I suspect that if the eBay charge will be, for example, $100 instead of the normal 25 cents for the auction to end, sellers will be more likely to let it run. Just the nature and psychology of people.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Texxxx

I understand what you all are saying and understand better where they are coming from. I have no problem with them doing it either. I don't run my business in the same way they do. I have all ways worked under the philosphy that what ever is best for the customer was best for the company.

Best for which customer. The one who circumvents the system with a lowball offer or the ones who waste their time finding items they want and being shut out of the process because a seller accepted that lowball offer?

If I can't get the opportunity to bid- or in the cases Ebay will now get a fee on actually bid and have it cancelled anyway- why should I use their venue?

Steve B

[Mikehealer]

It seems like this will just add to the already staggering amount of high priced Buy it Now, unless there is a fee for ending a BIN early.

[bobbyw8469]

It seems like this will just add to the already staggering amount of high priced Buy it Now, unless there is a fee for ending a BIN early

Exactly......the demise of auctions is right around the corner....grossly overpriced BINs are here to stay.

[sdkammeyer]

Originally Posted by drc

Sellers often end auction to sell off ebay, and avoid eBay's take.

exactly!!

hey thanks for the heads-up on this ladder7. i am constantly listing larger items (wood chipper, king size mattress, snow blower) on both craig's list and e-bay for local pick-up only. i have cancelled "buy-it-now" e-bay auctions early because the item got sold on craigslist. i would never end an auction that has bids on it though ..... thats just rude and bad business.
thanks again!

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

Exactly......the demise of auctions is right around the corner....grossly overpriced BINs are here to stay.

This is probably the least destructive change eBay has made in the long demise of the auction side of their business. They've been choking out auctions for several years now. But that's a whole other rant...